Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


                    Obama Wants Congress to Avoid Sequester

   by VOA News

   U.S. President Barack Obama says he wants Congress to avoid a series of
   what he called "harmful, automatic cuts" that would threaten thousands
   of Americans' jobs - called a sequester - if the politicians do not
   make changes to the country's budget by March 1.
   Obama urged the lawmakers in his weekly address Saturday to make
   "sensible changes" to entitlement programs and the tax code to reach
   the $4 trillion deficit reduction needed to stabilize the country's
   economy.
   The president said Congress has already cut the deficit by more than
   half with balanced spending cuts and higher tax rates for the
   wealthiest Americans.  He encouraged the politicians to make similar
   cuts by the March deadline.
   ^Watch President Obama's weekly speech:

   IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/baNxM5TWEds

   In the weekly Republican address, Senator Lisa Murkowski from the
   northern state of Alaska said  the U.S. is entering an era of energy
   abundance.  However, Murkowski said energy projects are too often held
   back "by burdensome regulations, delayed permits, and overzealous
   litigation."
   ^Watch weekly Republican address:

   IFRAME:
   [2]http://www.youtube.com/embed/Rww92NcMSHo?list=UUOKW-o3oYdFmrMNcTLVua
   oA
     __________________________________________________________________

   [3]http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-wants-congress-to-avoid-sequest
   er/1600343.html

References

   1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/baNxM5TWEds
   2. http://www.youtube.com/embed/Rww92NcMSHo?list=UUOKW-o3oYdFmrMNcTLVuaoA
   3. http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-wants-congress-to-avoid-sequester/1600343.html