The Hill News

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) expressed frustration Tuesday with the progress of debt-ceiling negotiations.

"There's about four Democrats and four Republicans that are debating, and sometimes I get the feeling that the only one negotiating is maybe Boehner and the president," Grassley said on Omaha radio station KFAB on Tuesday.

Grassley's comment came as he was explaining the state of negotiations on raising the debt ceiling.

President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the top Republican and Democratic leaders have been meeting privately to negotiate a deal to cut the deficit as part of a broader package to raise the debt limit.

Obama has called for legislators to reach a compromise by July 22, so a deal would have enough time to move through both chambers of Congress and become law ahead of Aug. 2, when the Treasury Department says the U.S. will default.

Last week, media outlets reported that House Majority Leader Eri! c Cantor (R-Ky.) had been pressuring Boehner to oppose any tax revenue increases in a deal and that Cantor's presence in talks had led to an apparent rift between the majority leader and Boehner.

Boehner and Cantor denied any conflict in their negotiating positions.

On Sunday, Obama, Boehner and Cantor met privately at the White House to resume talks.