Obama, Pelosi say 'clean' bills needed for debt ceiling, restart

Reuters
U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi exits the White House to speak to reporters after a meeting between House of Representatives Democrats and U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington October 9, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Sunday with Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, to discuss the need for "clean" legislation that would increase the debt limit for a year and restart government, free from any other policy demands, the White House said. "The President and the Leader also discussed their willingness, once the debt limit is raised and the government reopened, to negotiate on a longer-term budget solution that will grow our economy and create jobs," the White House said in a statement. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Eric Walsh)