House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) told reporters they were “confident” a deal with the White House could be reached “in the very near future.” McConnell said he had spoken to both President Obama and Vice President Biden “within the last hour,” and sounded fairly optimistic that “an end to this impasse” was in the offing. “We have the right people at the table,” he said. “We’re going to get a result.”Because Obama is the only person in the country who can sign a bill into law, McConnell argued, he is the only Democrat worth negotiating with. “We all know if the president decides to make an agreement with us the Democrats will fall in line,” McConnell said. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) met with the president at the White House this afternoon.