House Republican leaders will offer President Obama a six-week extension of the nation’s debt limit that would not end the government shutdown now in its 10th day.

In exchange, Republicans want a commitment from the White House to negotiate a longer-term budget plan that would reopen the government.

ADVERTISEMENT

Speaker(R-Ohio) presented the proposal to rank-and-file Republicans in a closed-door meeting Thursday, hours before more than a dozen GOP lawmakers head to the White House to meet with Obama.

“It is our hope that the president will look at this as an opportunity and a good-faith effort on our part to move halfway, halfway to what he’s demanded in order to have these conversations begin,” Boehner John Andrew BoehnerLongtime House parliamentarian to step down Five things we learned from this year's primaries Bad blood between Pelosi, Meadows complicates coronavirus talks MORE told reporters after the meeting.

Boehner said the ending of the shutdown would depend on how the president responded.

“That’s the conversation we’re going to have with the president today,” he said.

The Speaker acknowledged that the fiscal crisis that has gripped the capital could come back if no agreement is reached by Nov. 22, the date that Republicans would set as the new debt-limit deadline.

“Clearly, you could end up back in the same place, and we don’t want to be here,” Boehner said.

The House hopes to move quickly on the plan, but a vote would not occur before the White House meeting, scheduled for 4:30 p.m., aides said.

The debt limit bill would also restrict the Treasury Department from using "extraordinary measures" to increase borrowing after Nov. 22, aides said.

"The date in the bill is the real date — no more monkeying around," a leadership aide said.

A separate resolution would appoint Republican negotiators for a House-Senate budget conference committee, which Democrats have demanded for months.

It is far from clear that the Speaker’s plan would succeed, either with Democrats or with members of his own conference.

The White House on Thursday reiterated Obama’s demand that the GOP both lift the $16.7 trillion debt limit and reopen the government before negotiations begin.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid Harry Mason ReidSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Mellman: The likely voter sham Bottom line MORE (D-Nev.) announced plans for a procedural vote Saturday on legislation to raise the debt ceiling by $1 trillion and through the end of 2014.

The White House backs the longer extension, but it is unclear whether Reid can muster the 60 votes necessary to pass it.

A White House official said Thursday that the administration was “willing to look at any proposal Congress puts forward,” while again insisting that Obama would “not pay a ransom" and preferred a longer debt-ceiling extension.

“It is better for economic certainty for Congress to take the threat of default off the table for as long as possible, which is why we support the Senate Democrats’ efforts to raise the debt limit for a year with no extraneous political strings attached,” the official said.

The official also said that Obama would be willing to negotiate a broader budget agreement only after Republicans pass a debt-ceiling increase and reopen the government.

“We will not allow a faction of the Republicans in the House to hold the economy hostage to its extraneous and extreme political demands,” the official said.

Backers of Boehner's proposal said it did not give too much ground to the White House.

“We haven't changed our position — only the timeline,” conservative Rep. John Fleming John Calvin FlemingTrump wants Congress to delay Census deadlines amid pandemic Meadows sets up coronavirus hotline for members of Congress The Hill's Morning Report - Iran strikes US bases in Iraq; Trump to speak today MORE (R-La.) said.

Inside the Republican meeting, however, the proposal drew criticism both from conservatives, who viewed it as a capitulation, and from more centrist members, who asked that the House also vote to reopen the government for the same period of time.

“I want to see a reopening of the government on a temporary basis, but I don’t want to undermine what happens at the White House today,” Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) said.

Conservative Rep. Mo Brooks Morris (Mo) Jackson BrooksOvernight Defense: Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing l Air Force reveals it secretly built and flew new fighter jet l Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals,' official says MORE (R-Ala.) pressed for more cuts.

“I would feel much more comfortable if we were addressing the causes of the problem, which are these out of control deficits,” Brooks said.

Boehner allies predicted the plan would get conference support in the end, however.

“There is some disagreement in there. My sense is that they will [support it],” Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) said.

He said most opposition was over continuing the shutdown, but keeping the government closed could make sense.

“Keeping the government shut down in this forces action,” Campbell said.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) said the conference needed “some type of win out of this” — and more than just getting Obama to the table.

“We’ve been in a fight with the CR [continuing resolution], and you’re not going to just arbitrarily say, ‘Oh, OK, we fold,” Westmoreland told The Hill.

“I think just the president willing to negotiate is some sort of a win,” Westmoreland added. “But we need something a little bit more than a moral win.”

Asked if federal workers could face no paychecks until after Thanksgiving, members said they hoped Obama would negotiate a solution within days, if not weeks.

“I certainly hope that’s not the case,” said Rep. Kevin Brady Kevin Patrick BradyBusinesses, states pass on Trump payroll tax deferral Trump order on drug prices faces long road to finish line On The Money: US deficit hits trillion amid pandemic | McConnell: Chance for relief deal 'doesn't look that good' | House employees won't have payroll taxes deferred MORE (R-Texas).

Stocks soared on the news of the offer, with the Dow Jones average rising more than 180 points in early trading.

The administration has set an Oct. 17 deadline for raising the debt ceiling, and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew Jacob (Jack) Joseph LewApple just saved billion in tax — but can the tax system be saved? Lobbying World Russian sanctions will boomerang MORE warned senators Thursday that a new recession could set in if the limit is not raised.

The warnings have raised the pressure on both sides to deal, but Republicans might feel especially under the gun.

A survey from Gallup released Wednesday found the party had a 28 percent approval rating, a sharp 10-percentage-point drop in the last month and the worst rating Gallup had ever polled for a party.

— Bernie Becker and Emily Goodin contributed to this story.