"We don't have any more time to engage in any more symbolic gestures," the president said. "We don't have any more time to posture."Making a surprise appearance in the White House press briefing room, Obama said the package crafted by the bipartisan group is "broadly consistent with the approach I've urged.
An executive summary of the Gang of Six plan outlines an immediate $500 billion in spending cuts, with a total of $3.7 trillion in deficit. Obama also told reporters that time is running out to reach a deal and avert what would be a catastrophic default.
"There's going to have to be a broader agreement on the part of all the leadership that we're going to get this done in a serious way, and we've got a tight deadline to do it," Obama said.
The proposal is based on recommendations from the bipartisan deficit commission that Obama commissioned last year, which he had initially been cool to.
Obama cautioned that he had not yet seen full details of the Gang of Six plan, and Press Secretary Jay Carney later said the White House would study the proposal to ensure it was consistent with the president's principles. The NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey found that 55% of respondents said they believe that not raising the ceiling would be problematic, while just 18% say it would not be a real and serious problem.
