Republican Moderates Plotting To End Shutdown

Some skeptical about the shutdown strategy

As the shutdown stretches on, a bloc of moderate House Republicans could be the key to reopening government.

On Wednesday, Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, held meetings with groups of "pragmatist" lawmakers — as Michael G. Grimm, R-N.Y., described them — who want to pass a policy-rider-free continuing resolution and end the government shutdown as soon as possible.

Grimm said the group was "spitballing some ideas" on how to pass a CR that would fund the entire government, but he indicated that any plan would probably require a number of centrists to join Democrats in voting down a routine procedural motion in an attempt to seize control of the debate and the House floor.

Grimm also expressed support for wrapping negotiations over the debt limit, sequester and the CR into one.