Obama To Hold Shutdown Meeting With Congressional Leaders

BY JULIE PACE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — A White House official says President Barack Obama has invited congressional leaders to the White House Wednesday for a meeting on the government shutdown.

The official says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have been invited to the meeting. The official says Obama will urge the House to pass a spending bill to allow the government to reopen.

The government shut down when Congress failed to pass a spending bill ahead of a midnight deadline.

The official insisted on anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss the meeting before it was announced.

UPDATE: 11:36 a.m. ET --

In a statement, Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said the House Speaker had accepted the president's invitation.

"We’re pleased the president finally recognizes that his refusal to negotiate is indefensible," Buck said. "It’s unclear why we’d be having this meeting if it’s not meant to be a start to serious talks between the two parties.”