Barack Obama: Congress

Congress Dept: WASHINGTON - For all the talk of a presidential "charm offensive" and possible thaw in partisanship, ample signs show that Congress is far from reaching a "grand bargain" to shrink the deficit, according to Winnipeg Free Press. Democrats have long insisted that higher taxes chiefly on the wealthy must accompany any reductions in those entitlement programs. There must be a "balanced approach" to reducing the deficit, they say and FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2012, file photo, President Barack Obama acknowledges House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio while speaking to reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, as he hosted a meeting of the bipartisan, bicameral leadership of Congress to discuss the deficit and economy. Congress appears far from reaching a deficit-reducing "grand bargain" despite recent talk of charm offensives and less partisanship. The Senate top Republican said Tuesday, March 12, 2013, that his party will push to trim Medicare and Social Security without yielding another dollar in new tax revenues. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File The Senate's top Republican, standing just outside the Capitol room where President Barack Obama was meeting with Democratic senators Tuesday, said he will push for trims to Medicare and Social Security without yielding another dollar in new tax revenues. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.