Obama Presses Case for 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal

 WHITE HOUSE — President Barack Obama used a truck manufacturing plant in the midwestern United States as the backdrop for a speech Monday about the economy, and the importance of achieving an agreement in fiscal¹ negotiations² with congressional Republicans.

Since winning reelection last month, Obama has twice used campaign-style speeches outside of Washington to underscore economic progress and to increase public pressure for a deal to avert³ hundreds of billions of dollars in automatic spending cuts and tax hikes at the end of the year.

A day after face-to-face talks with John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Obama flew to Michigan to address workers at a truck engine plant owned by the German company Daimler.

At Detroit Diesel⁵ Corporation, a short distance from the auto⁴ manufacturing center of Detroit, the president highlighted a new $100 million investment that is expected to add new jobs.  He called it an example of the successful bet he made on the U.S. auto industry.

"So the word is going out all around the world," he said.  "If you want to find the best workers in the world, if you want to find the best factories in the world, if you want to build the best cars or trucks or any other product in the world, you should invest in the United States of America.  This is the place to do it."

On the fiscal negotiations between Congress and the White House, Obama said time is running out for an agreement to avert economic damage that would result from mandatory⁶ government spending cuts and expiring tax breaks in January.

The president wants the wealthiest Americans to pay more taxes to support future deficit⁷ reductions, and seeks to extend Bush-era tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000.

Congressional Republicans say higher taxes on the wealthy would hurt job growth.  They have proposed as much as $800 billion in new revenue as part of a deal, half of Obama's proposed $1.6 trillion revenue increase. 

Obama and congressional Democrats⁸ are also pressing the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to take up a bill approved by the Democratic-run Senate that would ensure a middle class tax cut.

On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Harry⁹ Reid asked this question of Republicans, "Will they cooperate with Democrats or will they force us to lurch¹⁰ from one crisis to the next in 2013, as they did in 2011 and 2012?"

In Michigan, Obama said he is willing to come to an agreement, but only on a balanced plan that would not sacrifice needed investments in the economy.

"I am willing to compromise a little bit," the president said. "But if we are serious about reducing our deficit we have also got to be serious about investing in the things that help us grow."

As the Obama-Boehner face-to-face meeting on Sunday showed, talks are continuing.  But last week, Boehner accused Obama of "slow walking" the negotiations.

Spokesman for both sides decline to characterize recent conversations.  White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says their main interest is in reaching an agreement, while "not trying to negotiate . . . through the media."

1 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

4 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

5 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

6 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

7 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

10 lurch   

n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行

参考例句：

• It has been suggested that the ground movements were a form of lurch movements.地震的地面运动曾被认为是一种突然倾斜的运动形式。
• He walked with a lurch.他步履蹒跚。