bryan moore has the story from washington. >> reporter: with the government shutdown heading into week 2, house republicans say they're eager to negotiate with president obama. but they're not giving up on their fight to use a budget bill as a way to chip away at obama care. >> i thought the fight would be over the debt ceiling, but, you know, working with my members, they decided, let's do it now. the fact is, this fight was going to come one way or the other. >> reporter: texas senator ted cruz a pivotal figure in this fight. they said the democrats will have to bend before october 17, when the government hits its spending limit. >> the debt ceiling historically has been among the best leverage that congress has to rein in the executive. >> reporter: treasury secretary jack lew says that is playing with fire. >> on october 17, we will exhaust our borrowing capacity, and at that point i have nothing else in the drawer. >> reporter: in a rare bipartisan display, the house unanimously agreed on saturday so retroactively pay furloughed government workers. but those paychecks won't go out

bryan moore, nbc news washington. >> and until they find that way out, here in the bay area. the national laboratory is planning to send its employees home without pay. the lab is the leading research centers in nuclear and computer science. about 6,000 people work in the facility in livermore making it the second largest loir in alameda county. about 50 employees involved in security and other essential roles will stay. despite the shutdown, the cliff house is back open. the is historic restaurant is on government land but privately owned and operated. because the sland technically part of the golden gate national parks, it was fostered to close on october 3rd. but today it's back open and this time we're told for good with permission from the federal government. >>> not related to the government shutdown, some people here in california and across the country are unable to buy food because of a computer glitch. low income people who use cards to buy their food found out this morning that the cards weren't working. the company says it is notifying retailers in 17 states to go

bryan moore has the latest from washington. >> reporter: on day five of the government shutdown, a rare moment of bipartisan agreement. >> the bill is passed. >> reporter: house republicans and democrats unanimously voted to pay 800,000 federal furloughed workers but only after the government shutdown is over. >> why wouldn't we do that? >> reporter: senate democrats say they will report the bill and so will obama. they want the house gop to pass a clean spending bill. >> democrats are prepared to pass a republican budget for two months while negotiations continue. >> reporter: house democrats say they have 200 votes and enough republican votes to end the spending stand off. >> will you put your kcountry before your party? republicans are blames the impasse on democrats. >> what we're looking at is an administration, a president, that seems to be unwilling to sit down and talk with us p tourists who came to see washington's national monuments aren't taking closed for an answer. they are finding ways to get around the barrier, unlike the lawmakers. >> the government shutdown continues to

greg bryan is mayor of dc on end claude moore colonial farm and mr. jonathan jarvis is director of the national parks service and ms. lisa simon is the president of the national tourist association and mr. myron abele is director of energy and global warming policy at the competitive enterprise institute and mr. denis galvin is a member of the board of trustees and the national association pursuant to the rules of the oversight committee, i would ask that all members rise and raise your right hand and be sworn in. >> use only swear or affirm that the testimony is the truth and the whole truth and nothing but your. >> we do. >> please be seated and let the record reflect that all witnesses answered in the affirmative. we have a large panel today on both sides and in order to allow time i ask that you limit your opening statements to five minutes and your entire opening record plus any other submissions you think are pertinent to your testimony to be placed in the record. with that, i recognize the mayor. >> thank you, chairman i said.. thank you. and i