President Barack Obama is pressing Democrats to support a higher deficit reduction proposal that could win Republican support for new tax revenue while reducing costs for major benefit programs such as Medicare and Social Security as the price to reach a deal on raising the government's debt limit.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner offered a bullish assessment Tuesday of the chances of success for Vice President Joe Biden and a bipartisan band of lawmakers trying to craft a deal to slash the federal budget and raise the debt limit.

In an otherwise lean budget year, the House on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to boost funding to take care of the medical needs of the nation's veterans.

Democrats controlling the Senate are vowing that any deal this summer to cut the deficit won't cut back benefits for people enrolled in Medicare.

Democrats controlling the Senate are vowing that any deal this summer to cut the deficit won't cut back benefits for people enrolled in Medicare.

In an otherwise lean budget year, the House on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to boost funding to take care of the medical needs of the nation's veterans.

Top House Republicans pressed President Barack Obama Wednesday for a detailed plan on budget cuts, and one leading lawmaker accused him of distorting a GOP Medicare proposal at the center of the partisan divide over spending.

Republicans invited to a White House meeting with President Barack Obama on the troubling national debt are trying to build up pressure for trillions in spending cuts in exchange for any increase in the government's ability to borrow.