Republicans offer to lift threat of debt default

Speaker John Boehner said the measure would advance if President Barack Obama agrees to negotiate over reopening the government and to “start to deal with America’s pressing problems”.

Mr Obama has said consistently that Republicans must reopen the government and prevent the threat of a first-ever government default before he will negotiate over the budget and other conditions Republicans have sought.

Mr Boehner also said he would appoint House negotiators to try to sort out differences between vastly different House- and Senate-passed budget blueprints.

He said: “It’s time for leadership. It’s time for these negotiations and this conversation to begin.”

Republicans said the extension would last until November 22.

Though the proposal could avert an unprecedented federal default that the Obama administration has warned could occur as early as October 17, it would not necessarily bring a quick end to the separate partial federal shutdown. A White House official said Mr Obama would be willing to negotiate over the budget “once Republicans in Congress act to remove the threat of default and end this harmful government shutdown”.