Progress Reported In White House Talks But The President Reports That ‘We’ve Got A Long Ways To Go’

President Clinton and congressional leaders reported progress Saturday night after a long day of budget bargaining but the president sent word through his spokesman that “we’ve got a long ways to go.”

“All sides said there was good progress,” said White House press secretary Mike McCurry as the final meeting of the day broke up shortly before 10 p.m.

Another three-hour budget session was set for the Cabinet Room of the White House this morning, but no early agreement was expected and McCurry said the talks would continue into the new year, beginning anew next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the federal government remained partially closed in an ever-deepening crisis.

President Clinton was to take a break this afternoon and fly to Hilton Head, S.C., for New Year’s Eve where he was to take part in a Renaissance Weekend session and play one or more rounds of golf, McCurry said.

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole was scheduled for a series of political events in New Hampshire. And House Speaker Newt Gingrich planned to travel to his congressional district in Georgia.

McCurry said Clinton encouraged Senate Democrats to break a procedural impasse preventing action on a plan by Dole to return all furloughed workers to their jobs without pay but with a guarantee they would be paid at a later date.

But he gave no indication that would happen soon.

McCurry said Clinton offered this summary of Saturday’s meetings: “Today’s sessions were helpful but we have a ways to go.”

McCurry said the president, Dole and Gingrich were working “on all the areas of disagreement.”

“They have had some consensus on some points but left others to be resolved later,” the spokesman said. He said congressional and White House staff members would continue to work on “sharpening the issues.”

Possible cuts in Medicare were a focus of Saturday’s discussions, McCurry said.

Well before the Saturday night session, House Budget Committee John Kasich, R-Ohio, said: “There has been a lot more explanation and a lot more discussion than there have been decisions. … There still is a long way to go but we made, I think, the most significant progress we’ve had, I think, all year.”

McCurry said the president’s position on the shutdown is clear: the government should not have been shut in the first place and it should be reopened as quickly as possible.

The White House mess served bagels with cream cheese and honey, along with coffee and tea for a midmorning snack. For lunch, Chief of Staff Leon Panetta’s office ordered sandwiches from a restaurant chain: 20 turkey and cheese, 10 ham and cheese, 10 roast beef.

Clinton began the meeting by expressing optimism.

“I think we made a good start yesterday, we’re making progress, and I believe we need to open the government. I hope we can agree to do all that,” Clinton said before the White House meeting began.