WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says there's no deal to break the debt impasse in Congress and no weekend progress has been made as a default deadline approaches.
Reid made his comments on the Senate floor after the Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said he was confident a deal would be reached. Democrat Reid said the Republicans "still refuse to negotiate in good faith."
McConnell listened to Reid's remarks and then responded that he was more optimistic about the outcome. Said McConnell: "I think we've got a chance of getting there."
McConnell said he had spoken in the previous hour with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the president still needs to indicate what kind of package he will sign. He said discussions on that were taking place.
White House aides say President Barack Obama received an update from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. They met shortly after the GOP-controlled House rejected Reid's debt-ceiling proposal in a largely symbolic vote.
The chief negotiations are taking place in the Senate. Reid and his GOP counterpart are seeking a compromise plan that the House and Senate can agree on to extend the government's borrowing powers beyond Tuesday's deadline.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
