( CNN ) -- It was a much-anticipated summit between Rep. Paul Ryan and the Congressional Black Caucus . More than a month after the Wisconsin Republican ignited an angry backlash over comments that many viewed as racially insensitive , the House Budget Committee chairman sat down with members of the group to clear the air . Ryan gets constituent pushback over 'inner city ' comments . Ryan 's 'inner city ' comments spark backlash . But Wednesday 's session on Capitol Hill did n't bridge the gulf between Ryan 's philosophy of addressing poverty and that of the black caucus - whose members defend many of the current federal anti-poverty programs that Ryan 's proposed budget would cut . The black caucus chair , Rep. Marcia Fudge , an Ohio Democrat , stood next to Ryan after the closed-door meeting and thanked him for coming . But then she said bluntly that the meeting `` did n't get a whole lot accomplished . '' She said while the black caucus and Ryan both are concerned about poverty , `` we just disagree on how we address the problem . '' Controversial remarks . Ryan opened the meeting explaining his comments a few weeks ago on a radio program - which triggered the invitation to sit down with the group -- did n't come out the way he intended , according to a Democrat who attended the session . During a March interview with conservative commentator Bill Bennett , Ryan , who has been working on alternative ways to address poverty , said there is a `` tailspin of culture , in our inner cities in particular , of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work . '' Many African-American leaders called the comments racially charged and the blowback prompted Ryan to swiftly admit his remarks were `` inarticulate . '' Fudge referenced the controversy to reporters . `` There was some concern about comments that have been made about the culture in which we find this poverty , but we have agreed today that it is across the board . There is no particular place or people who experience poverty at a different rate than others , '' she said . Did n't say sorry . Democrats who attended the meeting said Ryan did n't say sorry , and was n't asked for an apology . He told members that sometimes what he 's thinking in his head does n't come across the way he wants and admitted that in the debate going forward , he needed to do a better job at explaining his position . Rep. Gwen Moore , D-Wisconsin , characterized Ryan 's presentation as trying `` to walk back '' what he said , but she said there are still some black caucus members who believe Ryan was expressing his true feelings . Moore told reporters she thinks the meeting helped open a door to continued dialogue . Ryan explained after the meeting `` the point I 've been making all along is that we are marginalizing and isolating the poor in our communities and we need to stop doing that as a country . '' Ryan , the 2012 GOP vice presidential candidate and a potential White House hopeful next time around , argued `` the status quo does n't work '' and said the point of the session with the black caucus was to improve `` the tone of the debate so that more people are invited to this debate . '' Challenged on his budget . But Ryan also acknowledged that major differences on `` macroeconomics and budgets '' still existed . Rep. Jim Clyburn , a Democrat from South Carolina and the top ranking African-American in the House , said he believed Ryan was sincere , but pointed to his proposed budget and said flatly `` if he stands by his resolution than he ca n't be serious about the discussion we had today . '' CBC members challenged Ryan about the more than $ 900 billion in cuts to discretionary programs in his budget , saying they did n't mesh with his stated commitment to helping the poor , pointing specifically to his effort to repeal Obamacare and target social welfare programs in his proposal . According to Moore , Ryan `` punted , saying it was members on the House Appropriations Committee who get to decide which federal programs would actually see cuts . '' Ryan 's work on poverty issues dates to the 1990s when he was an aide to the late GOP vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp , who headed a policy group called `` Empower America . '' Kemp visited poor neighborhoods and pushed proposals to earmark federal and private resources to `` empowerment zones '' to lift people out of poverty . Over the past year , Ryan has traveled to a dozen communities around the United States to learn about efforts to reduce poverty and promote more economic opportunity through mostly charitable organizations . He is expected to unveil his own anti-poverty plans this summer . But it 's unclear if he will introduce legislative proposals or just some concepts to continue the debate about the Republican party 's alternatives to current federal policy .
Rep. Paul Ryan made controversial comments on poverty that triggered backlash over race . He met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to clear the air . The group 's chair said the meeting did n't accomplish that much , disagreements remain . Ryan has toured areas of poverty in the United States .