U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan wants narrower focus for new budget talks

U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) (L) arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, October 16, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new round of U.S. budget negotiations starting next week should focus more narrowly on replacing automatic spending cuts rather than an elusive "grand bargain," House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan said on Thursday.

Ryan told Reuters in an interview that simply maintaining the automatic "sequester" cuts was the fallback position for Republicans if Democrats do not agree to substitute longer-term savings on expensive federal benefits programs.