WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday Republicans in Congress have put off budget talks for so long that it will be hard to reach an agreement before the deadline but it does not anticipate a long extension of current funding levels.
"I would not envision a long extension of funding at current levels, but rather enough time for Congress to finally convene the talks, reach an agreement and implement it, thereby avoiding a government shutdown but also insuring that our national security and economic priorities are properly funded," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.