Obama Calls Congressional Leaders on Fiscal Cliff

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama has made separate phone calls to congressional leaders to discuss the impending fiscal cliff.

A White House official says Obama called Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi late Wednesday. The president made the calls before leaving his Hawaiian vacation for Washington, D.C.

The calls come amid little progress before the Dec. 31 deadline to avoid the fiscal cliff. Americans face major tax increases and spending cuts if Congress and the White House fail to reach a compromise by the end of the year.