By JOSH LEDERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House says President Barack Obama will meet Friday with congressional leaders to discuss what to do about $85 billion in mandatory spending cuts.
The top Democrat and Republican in both the House and Senate will attend. It’s the first face-to-face meeting between Obama and Republican leaders this year.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell says it’s a chance to address ways to reduce government spending. He says Americans won’t accept more taxes as part of a deal to avert the cuts.
The across-the-board cuts are set to kick in on Friday, so the meeting will come after Congress has officially missed the deadline for averting the cuts.
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