Monday March 18th, 2024 11:01PM

Senate leaders in last-ditch fiscal cliff talks

By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate's top Democrat and Republican say they're entering last-minute talks with the White House aimed at avoiding the fiscal cliff.

Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP leader Mitch McConnell gave the relatively upbeat assessment after the duo and top House leaders had what McConnell called a "good" meeting with President Barack Obama on Friday.

President Obama met Friday for about an hour with House Speaker John Boehner, McConnell, Reid and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

The White House is trying to build support for a proposal it presented a week ago, when Obama urged lawmakers to preserve tax cuts for most Americans while letting rates rise on incomes above $250,000 a year. At the same time, Obama wants lawmakers to extend unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless.

Both sides are trying to prevent a toxic blend of middle-class tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect at the turn of the new year.

(Please check back later for updates to this developing story.)
© Copyright 2024 AccessWDUN.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.