In this Feb. 26, 2013 photo, President Barack Obama gestures in Newport News, Va. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Charles Dharapak
WASHINGTON - 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 of Representatives and Senate will attend. It's the first face-to-face meeting between Obama and Republican leaders this year.
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.
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.
