http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/328613-mcconnell-suspends-talks-with-dems-to-give-house-gop-room-to-workMcConnell suspends talks with Dems, giving GOP room to work
By Alexander Bolton - 10/15/13 02:20 PM ET
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has suspended talks with Senate Democrats to give House Republicans more time to work on their own play to raise the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown.
According to a source familiar with the discussions, McConnell has suspended talks to give House Republicans room to work.
But neither side has much time to craft a new solution, with a possible default looming on Thursday.
The Treasury Department has warned it will not have the flexibility to pay all of the nation’s bills on Oct. 17.
House Republican leaders on Tuesday announced their own plan to fund the government through Jan. 15 and raise the debt ceiling to Feb. 7.
It would also make changes to ObamaCare by delaying for two years a new tax on medical devices, and by stripping premium subsidies from lawmakers, Cabinet officials and the president and vice president.
It’s not clear House leaders have the votes to pass the plan, however, with conservatives demanding changes and the White House and Democrats rejecting it.
Senate leaders had appeared close to a tentative deal on the debt limit and shutdown, but nothing has been announced.
“I would be very cautious. Nothing has been agreed to,” the source familiar with discussions said.
