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                Republicans Call for "Wide Open" US Budget Talks

   U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner has renewed his call
   for deficit-reduction talks with President Barack Obama. The Republican
   leader said the talks would be "wide open."
   Following a meeting with House Republicans Boehner said they would
   insist on deficit-reduction negotiations with Mr. Obama as a condition
   for raising the federal debt limit.
   Boehner said "There is nothing on the table, there is nothing off the
   table." He said there is "no line in the sand."
   The U.S. Treasury expects to exhaust its remaining borrowing capacity
   under the current $16.7 trillion cap by October 17.
   A partial U.S. government shutdown has begun its second week, but
   President Obama said Monday he will not negotiate on the shutdown or
   the country`s debt ceiling while under threat from Republicans.
   He said Congress must pass a spending bill reopening the government
   with no issues attached before he will hold talks with Republicans on
   fiscal and budget issues.
   The White House has said it wants a big enough increase in the debt
   ceiling now, so it would not have to be raised again until late next
   year. But spokesman Jay Carney said Monday the White House is not
   ruling anything in or out when Congress considers how long to raise the
   debt limit.
   Hundreds of thousands of government workers are still furloughed and
   many important services are unavailable. The shutdown began when a
   politically-deadlocked Congress could not pass a bill to extend
   funding.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/republicans-call-for-wide-open-us-bud
   get-talks/1765346.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/republicans-call-for-wide-open-us-budget-talks/1765346.html