WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement after President Obama met with Senate Republicans at the White House today:
"We met with the President for nearly two hours and had a good exchange of ideas. Although the discussion did not produce any breakthroughs, it was important that the President and Senate Republicans finally had a long-overdue meeting to begin negotiations on how to end the impasse that is harming our country.
"I outlined the plan that I originally proposed last week but have refined since then to reflect the input of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Kelly Ayotte are cosponsors of the plan, which would allow government to reopen immediately and fund operations for the next six months to allow time for a more comprehensive funding plan to be developed. It would also extend the debt limit through January 31, 2014 to prevent any default and to allow the government to continue to pay its bills. With respect to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, our plan would delay the counterproductive tax on medical devices like pacemakers and artificial knees but would replace the lost revenue, and, to prevent fraud, it would require income verification of individuals who apply for subsidies on the insurance exchanges. Finally, our plan would give agencies greater flexibility in dealing with budget cuts known as sequestration, with appropriate congressional oversight.
"The President listened carefully but certainly did not endorse any proposals put forth.
"I will continue to work closely with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to forge a plan the two sides can agree on so that we can reopen our government and avert a default on our nation's debt."