Obama budget meeting ends after about 1-1/2 hours

An emergency White House meeting convened late on Wednesday by President Barack Obama to avoid a damaging shutdown of the U.S. government ended after about 1-1/2 hours, a White House official said.

Obama had convened the Oval Office meeting with Vice President Joe Biden, Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid out of concern that too little progress was being made in talks, the White House said.

(Reporting by Alister Bull; Editing by Patricia Zengerle)