Obama Calls For Short-Term Sequester Fix

3:46 PM, Feb 5, 2013   |    comments
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President Barack Obama (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is asking Congress to come up with tens of billions of dollars in short-term spending cuts and tax revenue to delay automatic spending cuts scheduled to kick in March 1.

Obama said Tuesday he still believes the nation should move forward with a broad package for tax reform and spending cuts. But he says if Congress can't act before the March 1 deadline, lawmakers should at least pass a smaller package to stave off the damaging effects of the across-the-board cuts.

Obama says the proposals he offered House Speaker John Boehner late last year during discussions over the so-called fiscal cliff are still on the table.

Obama isn't placing a time span or a dollar amount on the short-term plan. Officials say he will leave that to Congress.

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