U.S. President Barack Obama takes his case for softening the impact of automatic spending cuts to Newport News Virginia, a shipyard town dependent on defense contracting.

With cuts, known as the sequester due to kick in March 1st, there's little sign of progress.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:

"There is a sensible way of doing things and there is a dumb way of doing things."

Now he is calling on Congress to act.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:

"There are too many Republicans in Congress right now who refuse to compromise even an inch when it comes to closing tax loopholes and special interest tax breaks and that's what holding things up right now. Keep in mind no one is asking them to raise income tax rates. All we are asking is to concern closing tax loopholes and deductions that the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, said he was willing to do just a few months ago."

Boehner had words for the President

JOHN BOEHNER, REPUBLICAN OF OHIO, SAYING:

"For sixteen months the President has been traveling all over the country holding rallies instead of sitting down with Senate leaders in order to try and forge an agreement over there in order to move a bill."

Democrats and Republicans agreed to the 85 billion dollars in automatic cuts in 2011 as part of a plan to fix an earlier budget crisis.