House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama, photographed Mar. 17, 2011 (Creative Commons).

Earlier in the day, reported Reuters, Boehner criticized the president for putting jobs and the economic recovery at risk by insisting on raising taxes for the wealthy. 

From Reuters: 

White House spokesman Jay Carney responded by reaffirming Obama's commitment to raising the top rates and complaining there had been no movement from Republicans on that crucial topic.

"What we have not seen from the Republicans is any movement at all on the fundamental issue," Carney told reporters. "Republicans need to accept the fact that rates will go up on the top 2 percent."

More than $500 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts will take effect in January unless Congress acts, The Washington Post reported, potentially pushing the nation back into a recession. 

Boehner said at a news conference, “Raising tax rates will hurt small businesses at a time when we're expecting small businesses to be the engine of job creation in America.”

Read more of Neon Tommy’s coverage on the “fiscal cliff” here.

Reach Executive Producer Agnus Dei Farrant here.