Lots Of Talk, Still No Action On Government Shutdown

Lawmakers are back at work as the partial shutdown of the federal government pushes into a second week. 

House Speaker John Boehner again complained that President Obama refuses to sit down and negotiate with Republicans.  He said the President's refusal to talk is hurting the nation. 

Meantime, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid repeated a challenge to Boehner to put a "clean" funding extension bill before the full House for a vote.  He predicted it would pass and accused House Republican leaders of putting on a "charade." 

The partisan funding dispute centers on the insistence of House Republicans to delay full implementation of the healthcare reform law, a deal breaker in the Democratic-led Senate. 

The government ran out of money last week at the end of the 2013 fiscal year.  In addition to the shutdown over the budget impasse, the government faces the prospect of default unless the federal debt ceiling is raised by October 17th. 

Speaker Boehner recently said the House will not vote to raise the debt ceiling without first getting undefined "concessions" from the White House.  Presidential spokesman Jay Carney called that position irresponsible.  (Metro Networks, Inc)