House GOP to meet with Democrats on unemployment extension bill

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) have agreed to meet with Democrats to discuss the prospects for legislation that would extend unemployment benefits an additional 14 weeks.

The bill, H.R. 589, was sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), and has 74 co-sponsors. Boehner and Cantor will meet in the coming weeks with Lee and Rep. Robert "Bobby" Scott (D-Va.).

Republicans on Wednesday indicated that they could be willing to allow consideration of the bill as long as Democrats can agree to spending cuts to offset the cost of the additional benefits. The estimated cost of the bill is about $16 billion.

"Speaker Boehner has said he would have an 'open door' policy for members of both parties in the People's House, and he meant it," Boehner spokesman Michael Steel told The Hill on Wednesday. "He is looking forward to hearing Rep. Lee's ideas for spending cuts that a majority in the House of Representatives can support."

In a March 9 letter asking for a meeting with Republicans on the bill, Lee and Scott indicated they are willing to find these cuts. While they said they think the unemployment situation constitutes an emergency, and that the bill should therefore not require spending offsets, they also said they are "committed to exhausting every possible avenue to pass this bill."

"We want to work with you to identify how best to finance this legislation and ensure its swift passage," they wrote.