Republican House leader urges negotiation over government shutdown

The United States is confronted with a debt crisis and controlling the government's spending should be part of a negotiation between Republicans and Democrats to solve the fiscal logjam, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the House Republican Conference, said Tuesday. President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders need to get to the negotiating table with Republicans in a timely manner, Rodgers said. She said the first government shutdown in 17 years is "frustrating" both to the Republicans and to the American people, and both parties should get to the negotiating table so they can "start taking some steps." "What Republicans want is just to have a negotiation," she stressed. The U.S. federal government lurched into a partial shutdown after Congress failed to pass a funding bill before Oct. 1, the first day of the 2014 fiscal year. Asked whether she favors a debt ceiling increase, Rodgers said those are "the details that need to be discussed among Republicans and Democrats." "Senate Democrats are saying they are not going to negotiate and the president is saying he is not going to negotiate. It's irresponsible," said the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress. Washington faces another fiscal deadline as U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has told Congress that the federal government will reach its debt limit of 16.7 trillion U.S. dollars by Oct. 17, and failure to raise it would lead to a catastrophic default. But the two parties have not agreed on the issue. "We have a debt crisis. We have a record debt that faces this country. We need spending reforms. We need to address the out-of-control spending as part of those negotiations," said the congresswoman from Washington State. Asked about whether a tax code overhaul and entitlement program reforms will be part of a possible fiscal negotiation between Republicans and Democrats, she said they will be determined by both sides. "Step one is to get to the table. We are not putting conditions on that right now. We just need Senate Democrats to agree to come to the table," she said. House Speaker John Boehner, the top GOP lawmaker, said Tuesday that an increase in the government's debt ceiling must be tied with fiscal reforms to reduce the budget deficit, urging Obama to sit down with Republicans as soon as possible.