National Journal has a source inside the Republican caucus meeting that just finished up over on the House side. Upshot, no deal yet. But more interesting still is that Boehner says the sticking point is not policy riders — which runs counter to what some very loud Democrats on the other side of the Capitol have been saying:
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, told his members that a final deal to fund the federal government continues to elude negotiators but he remained hopeful a deal could be reached before the government shuts down at midnight. “Stay tuned. Keep the faith,” Boehner said, according to a lawmaker in the room who asked not to be identified because Conference meetings are private. The lawmaker said Boehner reiterated that the hold-up is spending cuts, and not policy riders, contrary to what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D.-Nev., has suggested. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., explicitly asked the speaker if the hold-up was “women’s rights” and Boehner said it was not. The lawmaker said the general understanding is the cuts will be in the orbit of $38 billion, but Boehner has not personally committed to that figure as talks continue. Boehner was given a standing ovation at the beginning of the meeting.