Representative Mike Ross, Democrat of Arkansas, the point man for the Blue Dogs on health care, said they had not decided whether to accept or counter the proposals or just "keep talking".
Before the meeting, Peter Morgan, who was due to chair the session, said residents did not think that the 28-day consultation period gave them enough time to counter the proposals.
Democrats countered the initial GOP proposal with $54 billion increases for both defense and nondefense for each of the next two fiscal years, but that offer was quickly rejected by Republicans.
Several weeks ago, the government presented what it said was its best offer; the unions countered that the proposal was unacceptable.
Under pressure from Congress to answer the frontier raids, Washington countered with the proposal of a major expedition against the Iroquois.
But Republicans said Democrats had yet to counter the Republican proposal.
The news came only hours after wide receiver Steve Smith surprised the team by signing a one-year deal with the Eagles, touching off a brief controversy about whether the Giants were given a fair chance to counter the Eagles' proposal.
So as the Nats went about rebuilding their roster, most prominently signing left-hander Patrick Corbin to a six-year, $140-million deal, Harper's camp didn't counter the original proposal.
Any day now a House study group appointed by Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia is expected to complete a bill to counter the existing proposals, which many Republicans consider too radical, too regulatory and too likely to stoke frivolous lawsuits.
