President Obama emerged from a 90-minute meeting with House Republicans and deemed the exchange, “useful.”
“It was good, I enjoyed it, it was useful,” Obama told reporters as he left the basement conference room at the U.S. Capitol and returned to his awaiting motorcade.
The meeting began with a standing ovation for Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), who introduced the president to Republicans, who gathered in the basement conference room they use for their weekly meeting.
Conversation focused primarily on entitlement reform, according to lawmakers who attended, but Obama also shared news with Republicans of a religious sort. Unaware that white smoke had begun billowing from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City until an aide handed him a note, lawmakers said Obama announced a yet unnamed pope had been selected by the cardinals, prompting cheers.
“Does that mean the White House is open for tours?” asked Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.).
The president fielded about six or seven questions, or “pontifications” by Republican lawmakers, according to Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.). Asked whether he considered the meeting helpful, the freshman Davis said, “I’m eight-weeks-old, so I don’t know. For me, it was the first time so I have to take it as a very positive step that the president is willing together with us and find some commonsense solutions.”
“He talked about wanting to work together, he wanted to convince us he was serious,” said Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.). “There was nothing in there that would lead me to believe that he wasn’t. So now it’s a matter of seeing if we can take the next step and find those places of overlap where we can agree with him and he can agree with us and maybe move something forward for the country.”
“You often don’t get a chance to speak to the president of the United States. This is only the second time he’s come and addressed our conference. I think it’s a really great first step,” Ribble added. “There’s going to be places where we’re going to disagree – he recognizes that and we recognize it. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t find places, where, as he would say, that there is overlap and find those things.”
The conversation also focused on the Obama administration’s plans to approve or reject construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Davis said the president fielded a question on the topic, but “I don’t think there’s any solution.”
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told reporters that the meeting was “productive” and a “very frank and candid exchange of ideas.” But he went on to say that the president simply does not want to balance the budget, solve our long-term debt problem or tap into the country’s energy resources.
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) focused more on points of agreement, telling reporters that there is some “low-hanging fruit” that the White House and House Republicans could come together on. But, he said, there can be no agreement unless the president is willing to set aside his demands for more tax revenue. “I hope the president is sincere,” he said.
Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.
“It was good, I enjoyed it, it was useful,” Obama told reporters as he left the basement conference room at the U.S. Capitol and returned to his awaiting motorcade.
The meeting began with a standing ovation for Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), who introduced the president to Republicans, who gathered in the basement conference room they use for their weekly meeting.
Conversation focused primarily on entitlement reform, according to lawmakers who attended, but Obama also shared news with Republicans of a religious sort. Unaware that white smoke had begun billowing from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City until an aide handed him a note, lawmakers said Obama announced a yet unnamed pope had been selected by the cardinals, prompting cheers.
“Does that mean the White House is open for tours?” asked Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.).
The president fielded about six or seven questions, or “pontifications” by Republican lawmakers, according to Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.). Asked whether he considered the meeting helpful, the freshman Davis said, “I’m eight-weeks-old, so I don’t know. For me, it was the first time so I have to take it as a very positive step that the president is willing together with us and find some commonsense solutions.”
“He talked about wanting to work together, he wanted to convince us he was serious,” said Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.). “There was nothing in there that would lead me to believe that he wasn’t. So now it’s a matter of seeing if we can take the next step and find those places of overlap where we can agree with him and he can agree with us and maybe move something forward for the country.”
“You often don’t get a chance to speak to the president of the United States. This is only the second time he’s come and addressed our conference. I think it’s a really great first step,” Ribble added. “There’s going to be places where we’re going to disagree – he recognizes that and we recognize it. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t find places, where, as he would say, that there is overlap and find those things.”
The conversation also focused on the Obama administration’s plans to approve or reject construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Davis said the president fielded a question on the topic, but “I don’t think there’s any solution.”
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told reporters that the meeting was “productive” and a “very frank and candid exchange of ideas.” But he went on to say that the president simply does not want to balance the budget, solve our long-term debt problem or tap into the country’s energy resources.
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) focused more on points of agreement, telling reporters that there is some “low-hanging fruit” that the White House and House Republicans could come together on. But, he said, there can be no agreement unless the president is willing to set aside his demands for more tax revenue. “I hope the president is sincere,” he said.
Rachel Weiner contributed to this report.