House Republicans are expected to approve a short-term deal to avoid a debt default, potentially as early as this Friday, reports the National Journal. The revelation comes the same day that President Obama convened a series of meetings with both Democrats and Republicans in the White House. Eighteen House Republicans are scheduled to meet with Obama Thursday. Details of the short-term debt ceiling increase remain to be worked out, but the basic idea is to delay the debt ceiling for up to six weeks and create a framework for negotiations over long-term budget items like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.