WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans proposed steep spending cuts on Monday but gave no ground on President Barack Obama’s call to raise taxes on the wealthiest in their first formal proposal to avert a “fiscal cliff” that could push the U.S. economy into recession.

After days of stalemate, the Republican offer shows deep differences with President Barack Obama as the two sides work to head off across-the-board spending cuts and tax increases due to take effect in January.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans proposed revenue-generating tax reforms and steep spending cuts on Monday in their first formal proposal to avert a “fiscal cliff” that could push the U.S. economy into recession.

After days of stalemate, the Republicans’ offer showed deep differences with President Barack Obama as the two sides work to head off across-the-board spending cuts and tax increases due to take effect in January.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Watching the events of the past few weeks, you could have gotten the idea that the United States is not only going to slip from the “fiscal cliff” but jump lemming-like off it.

President Barack Obama presented last week a proposal that upset Republicans with its $1.6 trillion in revenue increases and limited spending cuts and then goaded them while on the road at a toy factory with jokes meant to paint the Republicans as Scrooges.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Watching the events of the past few weeks, you could have gotten the idea that the United States is not only going to slip from the “fiscal cliff” but jump lemming-like off it.

President Barack Obama presented last week a proposal that upset Republicans with its $1.6 trillion in revenue increases and limited spending cuts and then goaded them while on the road at a toy factory with jokes meant to paint the Republicans as Scrooges.

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) – Watching the events of the
past few weeks, you could have gotten the idea that the United
States is not only going to slip from the “fiscal cliff” but
jump lemming-like off it.

President Barack Obama presented last week a proposal that
upset Republicans with its $1.6 trillion in revenue increases
and limited spending cuts and then goaded them while on the road
at a toy factory with jokes meant to paint the Republicans as
Scrooges.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Thursday that “fiscal cliff” talks with the White House had made no substantive progress and criticized President Barack Obama and Democrats for failing to get serious about including spending cuts in a final deal.

Boehner said he was “disappointed” after a phone call with Obama on Wednesday night and a meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday moved the two sides no closer to an agreement to avert the tax hikes and spending cuts that will be triggered at the start of 2013 unless Congress intervenes.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A small but growing number of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives believe tax hikes on the rich like those favored by President Barack Obama will be part of a final deal to resolve the so-called fiscal cliff.

“I wouldn’t have a problem with letting those tax rates go up,” provided they are coupled with spending cuts, Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho told Reuters Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said there was no progress on Thursday in “fiscal cliff” talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and criticized President Barack Obama and Democrats for failing to “get serious” about including spending cuts in a final deal.

Geithner, Obama’s chief negotiator in talks to avert the “fiscal cliff,” held a round of meetings with congressional leaders on Thursday but the sessions appeared to move the two sides no closer to a deal to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts to be triggered on January 1 without an act of Congress.

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary
Timothy Geithner, President Barack Obama’s chief negotiator in
talks to avert the “fiscal cliff,” began a round of meetings
with congressional leaders from both parties on Thursday amid
signs the market-rattling uncertainty about the outcome could go
down to the wire.

Geithner, accompanied by Obama’s top legislative aide, Ron
Nabors, met privately with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid
before heading across the Capitol for a session with Republican
leaders of the House of Representatives.

WASHINGTON, Nov 28 (Reuters) – Republican unity against
raising tax rates for the wealthy started showing cracks as a
conservative congressman said he would back an agreement with
President Barack Obama to raise rates on the rich but extend tax
cuts for income below $250,000.

With Congress scrambling to forge an agreement to avoid a
package of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to kick in
at the end of the year – known as the “fiscal cliff” -
Congressman Tom Cole said Republicans should accept a that
guarantees 98 percent of Americans would not suffer a tax
increase that endangers the economic recovery.