President Obama on Monday asked the nation's governors to help pressure Congress to strike a deal to avert the looming sequester cuts set to hit at the end of the month.
"While you are in town I hope you speak with your congressional delegation and remind them in no uncertain terms exactly what is at stake," Obama said.
The president emphasized to state officials that "these cuts don't have to happen," and urged attendees at the annual National Governor's Association meeting to tell their representatives in Washington to get past their "obsession of focusing on the next election instead of the next generation."
"Congress can turn them off anytime with just a little compromise," Obama said.
The White House has urged Congress to offset the $85 billion in automatic, across-the-board spending cuts with a package that equally combines future cuts and new revenues raised by closing tax loopholes for the wealthiest individuals and corporations.
But Republicans have insisted they will not agree to any deal that includes a tax increase, noting rates increased last month as part of the "fiscal cliff" deal.
With a deal seeming increasingly unlikely, the Obama administration is making a last-ditch effort to pressure Republicans to buckle. On Sunday, the White House released a report detailing the state-by-state impact of the sequestration cuts, highlighting potential furloughs, canceled projects and expected layoffs.
On Tuesday, Obama will hold a rally in Newport News, Va. — where the economy is heavily dependent on the defense industry — as he hopes to gain political leverage.
For more on Obama's remarks, click here.
