Obama: There Is 'Obsession' With Cutting Spending 'Just for the Sake of Cutting

Story by the Associated Press, curated by Oliver Darcy.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says budget negotiations in Congress are about choices and priorities.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama urges Congress to pass a budget that includes spending on education, infrastructure and research.

Obama says there's an obsession with cutting spending just for the sake of cutting. He says it's not helping grow the economy. He's pointing out that deficits are falling fast on his watch.

Watch the president's weekly address:

House and Senate budget negotiators hope to strike a deal that would avert a new round of automatic cuts set to hit the Pentagon and domestic programs.

In the Republican address, Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana is criticizing Obama over the health care website and insurance cancellation notices. He says the health care law can't be fixed and Americans should start over.

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