President Obama has rejected a proposal from House Republicans for a short-term extension of the debt ceiling in exchange for negotiations to end the federal government shutdown on terms favorable to the G.O.P.

The president met with 20 House Republicans led by Speaker John Boehner on Thursday evening to discuss increasing the debt ceiling. Boehner and fellow Republicans reportedly pushed to raise the debt ceiling for six weeks as part of what Boehner calls a “good-faith effort on our part to move halfway to what he’s demanded in order to have these conversations begin.”

After about an hour and a half in the White House, Boehner and his fellow Republicans left without speaking to the press. Though no formal agreement was reached, both parties seem to see the meeting as a fruitful break from the high tensions that have plagued conversations about the federal government shutdown and the United States’ debt ceiling, according to reports.

“We had a very useful meeting, and we expect further conversations tonight,” Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va) told reporters upon arriving back at the Capitol.

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