According to the Wall Street Journal:
"House Republicans have made an offer to the White House to extend the nation's borrowing authority for six weeks and end the partial government shutdown, in exchange for broader budget talks in which they would seek cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits, GOP officials said.
The proposal was advanced by House Republican leaders Thursday night after they met with President Barack Obama at the White House. It outlines what deficit-reduction measures and other changes Republicans would pursue if the White House agreed to negotiate.
The GOP requests in those talks would include: means-testing Medicare, slowing the growth of benefits for Social Security, changing the retirement plans for federal workers and adopting a framework for altering the tax code, according to an outline of the offer.
The proposal held open the possibility of reopening the government, now partially closed for an 11th day, but the length of time agencies would be funded and other terms of a funding package remained unclear. The White House hasn't yet responded to the proposal, GOP aides said. Mr. Obama on Friday morning met with Senate Republicans, some of whom are working with Senate Democrats on a different proposal for raising the debt ceiling and funding federal agencies so that the government can fully reopen.
The Democrats argue that they shouldn't have to make concessions in order to reopen the government or lift the debt ceiling. Republicans believe they are playing an increasingly weak hand,as public-opinion polls show they are bearing the larger share of blame for the government shutdown".
