Mitch McConnell On Spending Cuts: Senator Seeks A More Flexible Approach

McConnell Seeks 'Flexibility' Over Looming Problem
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 22: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (R) and Senate Minority Whip Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) (L) listen during a news briefing after the weekly Senate Republican Policy Luncheon January 22, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. McConnell briefed the press on Senate Republican agendas. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 22: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (R) and Senate Minority Whip Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) (L) listen during a news briefing after the weekly Senate Republican Policy Luncheon January 22, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. McConnell briefed the press on Senate Republican agendas. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday he favored replacing deep, across-the-board spending cuts set to begin on Friday with a more flexible approach that would be carried out by President Barack Obama's administration.

"I would be happy to give the president more flexibility and rely on the agency heads" to decide which specific programs should be cut to achieve $85 billion in reductions between March 1 and September 30, McConnell told reporters.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid swiftly batted down the idea, saying that tax increases must be part of any replacement for the so-called sequestration.

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