Obama, Boehner grapple near ‘fiscal cliff’

Over the weekend, though, he offered Mr. Obama a proposal that included an increase in the nation’s borrowing limit, $1 trillion in spending cuts and $1 trillion in tax increases, some of it on millionaires.

The Republican leader also left the door open for some of the $1 trillion in cuts to be used to replace the automatic spending cuts looming next year — a move that appears to violate his previously stated belief that any increase in the federal debt ceiling be matched dollar for dollar with reductions in spending.

On Tuesday, he suggested that raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67 no longer has to be part of the end-of-the-year deal.

Rep. Tom Cole said Mr. Boehner was dealt a “tough hand” because the House speaker must gain the support of Mr. Obama and the Democrat-controlled Senate to stop the Bush-era tax cuts from expiring.

“I think the people that are shooting at him should be applauding him,” said Mr. Cole, Oklahoma Republican. Mr. Cole said Mr. Boehner has persuaded Mr. Obama to relent on his initial tax demand — likely ensuring that tax rates for 99 percent of income-tax payers are locked in at the current rates. He also said House Republicans are fighting for a framework that forces Democrats to negotiate tax and entitlement reform next year.

“We now have a negotiating counterpart who is not a partner, but an adversary,” Mr. Cole said. “We are trying to drag out as much as possible as we can.”

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