Obama to dine in with dozen senators

President Obama’s meeting with a dozen Senate Republicans on Wednesday will be at the White House.

It’s the second meeting Obama has had with Senate Republicans — and one with different optics that his first meeting, which took place at the opulent Jefferson Hotel.

{mosads}The White House said Obama picked up the dinner tab and paid for it with his own money.

Earlier on Tuesday, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus suggested the second dinner not be at an expensive restaurant.

“Instead of eating out as the president and senators did last month, I suggest they eat in,” said Priebus, who offered to pay for pizza.

“With their budgets tight in the struggling economy, many families are doing exactly that,” Priebus said in a statement. “It’s only fitting our leaders do the same with the government facing such a large budget deficit.”

It’s unclear what topics will be the focal part of the discussions on Wednesday. The last meeting, with a different group of senators, focused on the budget.

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) is working closely with the White House on the gathering. Besides Isakson, Sens. John Thune (S.D.), John Boozman (Ark.), Roger Wicker (Miss.), and Orrin Hatch (Utah) will be attending the dinner, according to Senate aides.

“As was the case the first time the president had dinner with a dozen Republicans … this will be a private dinner where the president looks forward to discussing a range of issues,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday.

The dinner will be at 6:30 p.m.

This article was last updated at 10:40 p.m.