With Debt Ceiling Looming, Focus Shifts to Senate

WASHINGTON - Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell say they will continue negotiating on Sunday for a way to reopen the government, lift the debt ceiling - the deadline is on Thursday - and find a way out of a crisis that could have perilous implications for the nation's economy.

On Capitol Hill, only the Senate is scheduled to be in session, although any solution will require action by both chambers of Congress.

Hope emerged on Saturday as Mr. Reid, the majority leader, and Mr. McConnell, the leader of the Senate Republicans, sat down for the first time since July to begin last-ditch negotiations. Talks between House Republicans and the White House have collapsed, leaving Republicans on Capitol Hill with no easy options.

'I hope that our talking is some solace to the American people and the world,' Mr. Reid said on Saturday. (Not far away, officials meeting in Washington at the annual sessions of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank publicly expressed alarm that the United States might provoke a global debt crisis by Congress's inaction.)

Mr. Reid was careful not to sound too hopeful. 'Senator McConnell and I have been in this body a long time. We've done things for a long time together,' he said. 'We don't agree on everything, and that's, as you know, an understatement.'

The relationship between the two men has been so chilly that it took two other senators, Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, and Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, to arrange the Saturday meeting.

For Speaker John A. Boehner and House Republicans, the options were much grimmer. If Mr. Boehner compromises, he risks angering the conservatives who dominate his conference. For its part, the White House is sticking with its stance that it will not negotiate until the government is reopened and the debt ceiling is raised.

The White House has no public events planned, although aides did not rule out that President Obama might confer with some lawmakers - as he did with Senate Democrats on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Schumer, who was at that meeting, said: 'There's a will among all three parties - the president, Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans. Now we'll see if there's a way.'

Earlier in the day, conservatives left their meeting at the Capitol in a sour mood, with many saying they were outraged that Mr. Obama had refused to meet them halfway.

Representative John Carter of Texas described Mr. Obama as 'acting like a royal president.'

'He's still 'my way or the highway,' ' Mr. Carter said.

With concerns growing that global financial markets could be thrown into turmoil if Congress does not agree to raise the debt ceiling, Republicans said they did not know whether Mr. Boehner would have enough support from the most conservative members in his conference to put a Senate plan up for a vote - if the leaders reach a deal.

'The question is: What will Senate Republicans do, what will Senate Democrats do?' said Representative Adam Kinzinger, Republican of Illinois.

Many Republicans said that however frustrated they were that the White House would not negotiate with them, they were just as dismayed with House colleagues who would not back down from their demands that any deal include provisions to chip away at the health care law.

'The problem here is that we don't have a functioning majority,' said Representative Devin Nunes, Republican of California. 'After three weeks of this, they're still not figuring it out. I don't know what it takes.'

The proposal House Republicans presented to the White House late last week called for increasing the Treasury Department's authority to borrow money through Nov. 22, but only if Mr. Obama agreed to more expansive talks about overhauling the budget.

The failure of talks with the White House further strained the relationship between House Republicans and the president. It was the House Republicans' refusal to approve a spending bill until less it stripped financing from the health care law that shut down the government. And now Republicans in both the Senate and the House are looking for a way out of the crisis.

With the latest developments, Representative Aaron Schock, Republican of Illinois, said there had been 'a total breakdown in trust' between House Republicans and the administration.

'You don't tell the speaker, the majority leader, the majority whip, 'We're going to negotiate.' Then they come and tell our entire conference, 'We're going to negotiate,' ' he said. 'And then 24 hours later, you recant.'

Feelings ran so high on the House floor on Saturday morning that there was a brief altercation between Representative Joseph Crowley, a Democrat from New York City, and Chris Vieson, the floor director for Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the majority leader. There were conflicting reports about whether the conflict became physical or was confined to words, but both sides said they had apologized.

If Republicans needed any reminder about how outraged their most conservative supporters would be if they committed to a compromise that did not include provisions to weaken the health care law, they needed look no further than out the window. Glenn Beck, the fiery radio personality, was leading a group of Tea Party activists on the National Mall.

There was skepticism that any Senate compromise could pass muster in the Republican-controlled House. Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, said simply: 'Senate Republicans don't run the Senate. So we're not taking our lead from them.'

And despite encouraging signs from Mr. McConnell and Mr. Reid, senators from both parties said they did not have unrealistic expectations of any quick solution. 'Let's be honest where we are,' said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat.