Earlier this week, the White House considered trying to assemble a group of interested Republicans for further talks, according to Democratic congressional aides. But the administration rejected that approach, and is encouraging Republicans to choose their own negotiating party.
Still, several Republicans involved in the process say there is little interest in setting up another “gang” or “supercommittee” to hold private talks with the White House outside the normal committee structure. Instead, senators are talking to the White House about setting a broad framework for moving forward, and then handing the job of drafting a deal off to the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare as well as tax policy.
Among the attendees at Thursday’s meeting was Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah), the senior Republican on the Finance Committee. Hatch has said he agrees with Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that the committee is the best place to negotiate a broad budget deal. Baucus is pressing the committee to work on a comprehensive overhaul of the tax code, which could serve as an inducement to persuade Republicans to lift the federal debt limit later this year.
In addition to McDonough, deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors, economic adviser Gene Sperling and legislative director Miguel Rodriguez attended Thursday’s meeting for the White House.