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A sign in front of the U.S. Capitol announces that U.S. parks are closed because of the government shutdown.

(Sabrina Eaton, The Plain Dealer)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bipartisan group in the House of Representatives including Russell Township GOP Rep. Dave Joyce hopes to find a legislative compromise that will end the government shutdown that started Tuesday.

Roughly 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans say they'd back a bill to fund government operations for six months at a level approved by the U.S. Senate while eliminating a medical device tax that was contained in the Affordable Care Act.

"It is time that we break this impasse," said an Oct. 2 letter the group sent to House Speaker John Boehner and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. "We are ready to work together to move forward on these important issues."

Joyce said the tax is hindering investment in medical innovations under development at Northeast Ohio research hubs like the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, and University of Akron.

"The money is dried up and it is going offshore," he said.

Joyce said he discussed the compromise with House Speaker John Boehner "as a matter of courtesy." He said Boehner "applauded the effort," but is "working on the big picture, trying to get a lot of things settled at once."

Boehner's office said his priority right now is to pass bills to will fund key parts of the government during the shutdown. On Thursday, that entailed adoption of measures to fund veterans benefits and National Guard and military reserve pay.

"Republicans continue to try and keep critical parts of the government running in the face of Democrats' refusal to negotiate," said a statement from Boehner.

Ohio Democrats interviewed yesterday were not enthused about repealing any part of the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare."

Niles Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan said Republicans should use the election process, rather than the budgeting process, to overturn the law. He noted that Democratic supporters of the law, including President Barack Obama and Sen. Sherrod Brown, won statewide victories in Ohio.

Brown said he wants to see passage of a "clean" bill that would fund the federal government without any language that would alter the Affordable Care Act.

"It is one part of their political platform after another," Brown said of repeated GOP efforts to link funding the government to defunding or delaying the health insurance reform bill.

Joyce's move comes as Republicans and Democrats accuse each other of causing the shut down, and attempt to use it for political purposes.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is trying to blame the shut-down on individual Republican Congress members it believes are politically vulnerable, such as Joyce.

On Tuesday, it launched shut-down related robo-call campaigns in the districts of Joyce, Rep. Jim Renacci of Wadsworth, Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta and Rep. Mike Turner of the Dayton area.

On Friday, a Democratic super-PAC announced the launch of a

website that accuses Joyce of "playing a reckless and dangerous game with our economy." The House Majority PAC also said it is airing an anti-Joyce television ad in the Cleveland area that claims Joyce "didn't get his way on shutting down health care reform so he shut down the government."

In an effort to minimize political damage from the shut-down, several of the targeted congress members have announced they won't accept their congressional pay during the standoff, or will donate it to charity.

On Thursday, Joyce said his salary will be given to the Cleveland Food Bank and the Ghost Rider Foundation, which aids veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“I come from a place where accountability matters and therefore, cannot accept pay during this shutdown," Joyce said in a press release. "I’ve spent the past days meeting with Democrats and Republicans alike who agree that partisan fights are not worth a shutdown. I will continue to work with both sides to find a resolution and remain committed to being part of the solution, not the problem.”