RSS Feeds  Reid presses for budget talks after shutdown's end
Wednesday - 10/2/2013, 4:10pm  ET  Associated Press  WASHINGTON
(AP) -- Top Senate Democrat Harry Reid is offering budget talks
to House Republicans if they allow the government to reopen.
Reid made the offer to House Speaker John Boehner in a letter
Wednesday and in a phone call. Boehner dismissed the idea.
Reid, a Nevada Democrat, proposed that talks occur on a
nonbinding measure known as a budget resolution that could serve
as a template for follow-up legislation on the budget.
Republicans are pressing for high-level negotiations on a
normally routine temporary spending bill to keep the government
running into November or December, seeking concessions on
"Obamacare."  Democrats have been pressing for official
negotiations on the budget resolution for some time, but
Republicans have resisted, saying they won't give any ground on
taxes.