"Over the coming weeks, we'll have the opportunity to ensure funding is at the level we promised while working on solutions for making spending reductions more intelligently than the president's across-the-board cuts," the Senate minority leader said in a written statement Friday afternoon.

"But I want to make clear that any solutions will be done through the regular order, with input from both sides of the aisle in public debate. I will not be part of any back-room deal and I will absolutely not agree to increase taxes," he added.

Pelosi: House GOP fears "marketplace of ideas"

House Democrats "have a proposal that would have been better" than the current cuts, Pelosi told reporters on Capitol Hill. The proposal "has a revenue piece," she noted, but Democrats "haven't been able to bring it up. We've ... tried three times in the last two months."

"The Republicans, I don't know what they're afraid of," the California Democrat said. "This is the marketplace of ideas. Are they afraid that some of their members might vote for it?"

Federal employees brace for furloughs

Several FBI employees told CNN they received letters Thursday warning of expected cuts and furloughs due to the imminent cuts. Prospective furlough notices also went out to 115,000 Justice Department employees, according to a senior official at the department.

Finally, if you're planning to visit the Capitol soon ...

Prepare for longer lines. The following message went out Friday from Congress's Office of Sergeant at Arms:

The imminent spending cuts "will require modifying points of access for members, congressional staff and guests to the U.S. Capitol Complex.

"At this time it is anticipated that the U.S. Capitol Police will be required to close some entrance doors and exterior checkpoints, and either suspend or modify the hours of operation for some of the U.S. Capitol Complex posts located inside and outside of the (Capitol Visitor Center) and office buildings. These changes will most likely take place within the next two weeks, and the congressional community will be notified in a timely manner before implementation."