A day after efforts to avert the fiscal cliff collapsed, President Obama said Friday that he again asked Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress to work out a deal on middle-class tax cuts and unemployment benefits that would prevent taxes for most Americans going up on Jan. 1.
“That’s an achievable goal that can get done in 10 days,” Mr. Obama said at the White House. “Everybody’s got to give a little bit in a sensible way. We move forward together, or we don’t move forward at all.”
The president spoke Friday to Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, whose “Plan B” for a tax increase only on people earning $1 million or more fell apart Thursday night when most House GOP lawmakers rejected it. The speaker was forced to cancel a vote on the proposal.
That development ended any hopes of reaching an agreement before Christmas. Minutes after Mr. Obama spoke, the White House announced that Mr. Obama and his family would fly to Hawaii Friday evening for their annual Christmas vacation. Lawmakers also were leaving town Friday, with the expectation of returning to Washington on Dec. 27 for further talks.
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