David Espo

• House votes to prevent March 27 federal shutdown

  By Andrew Taylor, David Espo  |  March 6, 2013

  Republicans pushed legislation through the House on Wednesday to prevent a government shutdown this month while easing the short-term impact of $85 billion in spending cuts — at the same time previewing a longer-term plan to erase federal deficits without raising taxes.

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  Obama, Republicans cooperate on spending–for now

  By David Espo  |  March 6, 2013

  The Obama administration and congressional Republicans are quietly working in tandem to blunt the impact of short-term spending cuts that kicked in with dire White House warnings a few days ago, with both sides eager to pocket the full savings for deficit reduction as they pivot to a new clash...

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  Last ditch effort to avoid fiscal cliff under way

  By David Espo, Jim Kuhnhenn  |  December 28, 2012

  The end game at hand, the White House and Senate leaders launched a final attempt at compromise Friday night in hopes of preventing a toxic blend of middle-class tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect at the turn of the new year.

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  Obama back from Hawaii

  By David Espo  |  December 27, 2012

  President Barack Obama returned to the White House on Thursday from a vacation shortened by government gridlock while Democrats and Republicans snarled across a partisan divide and showed no sign of compromise to avoid year-end tax increases and spending cuts.

• Cliff looms

  By David Espo  |  December 26, 2012

  Congressional officials said Wednesday they knew of no significant strides toward a compromise over a long Christmas weekend, and no negotiations have been set.

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  Dems signal Obama flexibility on spending

  By David Espo  |  December 17, 2012

  Republican House Speaker John Boehner is offering to let taxes rise on wealthy Americans' investment income and dividends as part of a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff," officials said Monday amid signs that President Barack Obama is ready to make a key concession of his own in urgent, high-level...

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  Cliff talks stuck on the edge

  By David Espo  |  December 11, 2012

  A year-end deadline approaching, quiet negotiations to avoid an economy-rattling "fiscal cliff" yielded no tangible signs of progress on Monday as Republicans pressed President Barack Obama to volunteer spending cuts he will support while the White House insisted the GOP endorse higher tax rates on upper incomes.

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  It’s show time

  By David Espo, Julie Pace  |  October 3, 2012

  Primed for a showdown, President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney left their practice sessions behind Wednesday for a prime-time debate before millions with the power to settle the race for the White House in tough economic times.

• Obama suggests Romney is out of touch with America

  By David Espo, KEN THOMAS, Associated Press  |  September 20, 2012

  President Barack Obama cast Mitt Romney on Thursday as an out-of-touch challenger for the White House and an advocate of education cuts that could cause teacher strikes to spread from Chicago to other cities.

• Obama hits Romney Obamacare slam

  By Ben Feller, David Espo  |  September 3, 2012

  Campaigning his way toward the Democratic National Convention, President Barack Obama slapped a "Romney doesn't care" label on his rival's health-care views Sunday and said Republicans want to repeal new protections for millions without offering a plan of their own.