(Memphis) It was anything but your typical dinner at a Washington, D.C. restaurant near the White House.
President Obama hosted 12 Republican senators Wednesday night to discuss what U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee calls one of the most important gatherings for America’s future, “It was very constructive. It was perfectly normal to have a group of folks talking about the biggest issue this nation faces.”
Corker described the conversation about the nation’s debt ceiling on “CBS This Morning.”
He said Republicans talked tax reform and the President addressed issues he felt could be part of a larger deal, “I don’t think that there were any expectations that something over the next month or six weeks will occur, but I think it led to a foundation for constructive talks maybe between now and the debt ceiling.”
Even though specifics regarding a budget deal were not unveiled to the public, Congressman Steve Cohen of Memphis told News Channel 3 the talks are a positive sign, if both parties are willing to compromise, “I think it will lead to possibly some compromise and keep the country moving forward. The President is clear he will compromise, but he needs the Republicans to compromise on revenue.”
Some Republicans and Democrats seem to agree that additional talks are needed for a real deal to be hammered out on taxes and spending cuts or face more gridlock in Washington.
“You need to invest and you need to cut and cut smartly. This sequester was not a smart move,” Cohen said.
“We will kick the can down the road. We will do some small deal and we’ll create another fiscal cliff to deal with this fiscal cliff,” Corker said.
