Obama Wants "Short-Term" Delay in Spending Cuts

Because government spending isn't a problem at all

President Barack Obama called on Tuesday for a short-term agreement to put off deep cuts to government spending, including the military, set to take effect next month.

Obama made his pitch in a statement to reporters at the White House, urging Congress to pass a measure that would offset some of the imminent automatic spending cuts—known as sequestration—that were part of a 2011 debt ceiling deal.

The president made clear that he still wanted a broader deficit reduction agreement with Republicans that included spending cuts, entitlement reforms and increased revenue from eliminating some tax breaks.