Congressional negotiators had no agreements to report Saturday , but they issued positive reports on their talks to end a partial government shutdown and avert a default on government debt . `` Cordial '' was the word Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , used to describe his `` preliminary '' discussions with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky . `` Good '' discussions were going on among Senate leaders , said Sen. Bob Corker , R-Tennessee , `` so I think all of us want to support those efforts , and hopefully they bear fruit over the weekend . '' Supporters stand by representatives and government shutdown . For all the positive talk , the only actions Saturday fell into the `` no '' category : . -- Republican leaders said President Barack Obama rejected their proposal for a six-week debt limit extension . -- The Senate defeated a procedural measure to extend the debt limit with no strings attached . -- Reid said a proposal by a bipartisan group of senators , led by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , is no longer on the table because it treated opening the government as a `` concession . '' Reid continues to demand that any plan include a `` clean '' bill with no strings attached that raises the debt limit and reopens the government . Countdown to default . The Treasury Department says it will be unable to pay the government 's bills unless the debt limit is increased by Thursday . The partial shutdown of government services has been in effect since October 1 . 7 crazy side effects from the shutdown . Christine Lagarde , head of the International Monetary Fund , said Saturday the consequences of a failure to raise the debt limit would be dire for economies around the world . She spoke to CNN 's Richard Quest at an Institute of International Finance conference in Washington . `` You know , I 've just spent the last two days with representatives of about 188 countries around the world . I would n't say they are confident . I would say they are concerned , and they are very anxious to see this crisis resolved , because they know it 's going to impact on their economy , '' Lagarde said . Senate Democrats meet with president . Senate Democrats met with Obama for 75 minutes Saturday afternoon . A Senate Democratic leadership aide said the party is unified . `` Democrats are willing to negotiate on anything Republicans want to discuss as soon as we reopen the government and pay our bills , '' said the aide . Another Democratic source said party leaders regard Republicans as lacking a coherent position . They hope McConnell can `` cut through the clutter , '' the source told CNN 's Dana Bash . The sources , who are familiar with the talks , spoke on the condition of anonymity so they could speak candidly . Despite the lack of agreement , Sen. Chuck Schumer , D-New York , said progress was being made . `` I think our Republican colleagues are moving in our direction with the fact that Obamacare is not a major part of the discussion anymore among most all Senate and many House Republicans , '' he said . No votes on Sunday . Before the White House meeting , the Senate 's second highest-ranking Democrat , Richard Durbin of Illinois , told CNN 's Deirdre Walsh that Democrats hoped to reach agreement with Republican negotiators before stock markets open Monday . Even if that optimistic timetable could be met , a deal could not be voted upon Sunday . Will 2014 election solve anything ? The Senate is scheduled to come back into session at 1 p.m . ET Sunday , but no votes are planned and Senators have been told their presence is not required . The House is not scheduled to meet until Monday afternoon . Even as he demanded a `` clean '' bill , Reid said it was encouraging that McConnell had approached him to start their weekend talks . `` I hope that our talking is some solace to the American people and the world , '' Reid said . He said McConnell had approached him . `` This has n't happened until now , '' Reid said . Obama-Boehner talks stall . Republican leadership told the Republican caucus during a Saturday morning meeting that the president will not accept their proposal to raise the debt limit for six weeks . Rep. Raul Labrador , R-Idaho , told CNN Saturday that `` the President rejected our deal . '' Paul Ryan steps into budget fight . The standstill came after a Friday afternoon phone call between Boehner and Obama in which they decided to keep talking . Rep. Adam Kinzinger , R-Illinois , said the President is waiting for a better offer . `` It does n't seem like the White House is serious at all about entering negotiations with us until they see what comes out of the Senate . If they get something out of the Senate that 's weaker than our negotiated position , it obviously strengthens their position , '' Kinzinger said . While Democrats flat out rejected Boehner 's proposal , even some Republicans did n't like it . That 's because it lacked a mechanism in the House proposal to immediately reopen the government , which has been partially shut down since October 1 , prompting the furlough of hundreds of thousands of workers , the closing of national parks and an increase in public anger .
Senate Democrats hope McConnell will `` cut through the clutter '' of GOP positions . No agreements , but senators of both parties offer positive words . The President `` rejected '' House GOP proposal , Republican lawmaker says . House Republicans have been sidelined .