Democrats say Obama rejected Republican arguments on government shutdown in meeting

House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left, with Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., speaks to reporters following a meeting with President Barack Obama and the Republican leadership at the White House tonight.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama rejected Republican entreaties to negotiate over his healthcare law on Wednesday as a condition for their agreement to approve legislation that would end a government shutdown, Democratic leaders said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid emerged from more than an hour of talks with Obama, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, the top U.S. Republican and other congressional leaders to say Obama told Republicans “he will not stand” for their tactics.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Obama will not invoke a clause in the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution as a way to lift the U.S. debt ceiling on his own. The United States will run out of cash to pay its bills by Oct. 17 if the debt ceiling is not raised.

“He's not going to” invoke the 14th amendment, she told reporters.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says House Republicans keep “moving the goal posts” on a budget deal.

The California Democrat said Wednesday that Republican House Speaker John Boehner needs to allow a vote on a Senate passed bill and the government will reopen.

President Barack Obama called congressional leaders of both parties to the White House to discuss the partial government shutdown now in its second day.

House Republicans are demanding changes to Obama’s health care law in exchange for reopening the government. Obama has refused. He insists that the House follow the Senate and pass a government funding bill that’s free of other demands.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, says House Republicans are too focused on the health care law.