(KCEN) -- It's just three weeks before the onset of those huge automatic spending cuts.
And now President Obama wants a delay.
Starting March 1, the sequester would trigger deep cuts in domestic and defense spending.
While the President is somewhat upbeat about signs of an economic recovery, he continues to blame Congress for ongoing political dysfunction in Washington.
The President says that the overall outcome will have a long-lasting impact on the nation's recovery.
He said, "So, we've made progress and I still believe we can finish the job with a balanced mix of spending cuts and more tax reform."
The congressional budget office says unemployment will stay high through next year, but predicts a deficit of under a trillion dollars.
Relatively speaking, that huge amount would be the smallest deficit since President Obama took office.
