Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Continue in Washington - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

(KCEN) -- The White House and republicans are taking hard lines today in the fiscal cliff negotiations.  

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner appeared on the Sunday talk shows to sell the Obama Administration's opening offer.  

But Republicans say it's no deal, as far as they're concerned and expressing doubts they can strike a deal in the next four weeks.  

With less than a month left to reach a deal or go over the fiscal cliff treasury secretary Timothy Geithner says the decision is up to republicans on Capitol Hill.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says, "The only thing standing in the way of that would be a refusal by republicans to accept that rates are going to have to go up on the wealthiest Americans.  And I don't really see them doing that."  

President Obama's opening bid to slash the deficit includes $1.6 trillion in tax increases.    

That includes letting the Bush-era tax cuts expire for people making more than a quarter-million dollars a year.  

But republicans say the White House deal is all take, no give.  

Speaker of the House John Boehner says, "We're nowhere, period. We're nowhere. We've put a serious offer on the table by putting revenues up there to try to get this question resolved." 

And republicans want something in return, spending cuts on social programs.  

And with no compromise republicans say there will be no deal.  

South Carolina Senator Lindsey graham says, "I think we're going over the cliff.  This offer doesn't remotely deal with entitlement reform in a way to save medicare and medicaid and social security from imminent bankruptcy."  

The White House and republicans still far apart with weeks left to resolve their differences.

The Obama Administration is encouraging republicans to submit a counteroffer but say if taxes don't go up for the rich, there's no deal.