WASHINGTON — President Obama will hold his final news conference of his first term at 11:30 Monday morning in the East Room of the White House with the intention of reiterating his tough line with Congressional Republicans about the need to increase the debt limit soon, administration officials said.
Just one month after the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., Mr. Obama is likely to be questioned, however, about proposals to address gun violence that Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. plans to unveil on Tuesday. Mr. Biden has a meeting scheduled with House members later Monday morning to discuss various gun control proposals.
Six days before he is to be inaugurated again, Mr. Obama is preparing a rapid-fire agenda for the early days of his second term. In addition to negotiations over the debt limit, Mr. Obama is preparing for a difficult debate over spending cuts and has said he will propose a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s immigration system.
The president is also seeking approval of a new team to lead his government, having made nominations to replace his secretaries of the state department, the Pentagon and the treasury department. The effort to reshape his administration -- some of which -- are already proving difficult, will likely dominate much of the next several weeks.
Holding a news conference now suggests that the president is eager to begin pushing that agenda even in advance of his inaugural speech next Monday and his State of the Union speech on February 12.
On the debt limit, the Treasury has said it must be increased between mid-February and March so the government can continue to borrow to pay its bills, including to foreign creditors, Social Security beneficiaries and myriad others over obligations incurred by presidents and Congresses over the years.
Congressional Republicans have said they will not support an increase without dollar-for-dollar spending cuts. But Mr. Obama vows that he will not be forced into negotiations that put the nation’s credit at risk, as it was in mid-2011, when, he said, brinkmanship damaged the economy and led one rating firm to downgrade the nation’s credit rating.
Mr. Obama’s news conference also comes amid reports of dramatic fighting in the West African nation of Mali, where French forces are resisting advances by Islamist insurgents. Mr. Obama said over the weekend that American provided what he called “limited technical support” to French forces.
The president is likely to get questions about the scope of any future American involvement in the efforts to fight the Islamist extremists in Mali.
And the president could face questions about his plans for the war in Afghanistan following his meeting last week with Hamid Karzi, the president of that country. Mr. Obama has said he wants to accelerate the drawdown of American troops in that country.
President Obama has tended to avoid full-blown press conferences during his first four years in office, preferring to answer questions from reporters in pre-scheduled interviews. He occasionally takes question after impromptu remarks in the White House briefing room or after meetings with world leaders.
The last time he appeared in the briefing room to talk about gun violence, he was also peppered by reporters with questions about the fiscal cliff, which had yet to be resolved.
This time, the gun issue may be front and center as the president awaits the recommendations from Mr. Biden. Among the questions that have been raised is how hard the president plans to push for an assault weapons ban as part of a broader package of legislation to address gun violence.
The administration said last week that the president will include a proposed ban on military-style assault weapons in whatever the White House proposes.
On immigration, the White House said over the weekend that the president plans to propose a comprehensive bill that would give illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship. A similar effort failed to advance six years ago despite a push by then President George W. Bush.
But White House aides believe that Republicans will be more amenable to that effort now, following last year’s presidential election, in which Hispanic voters overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama.
Obama to Press House G.O.P. on Debt Limit
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Obama to Press House G.O.P. on Debt Limit
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Obama to Press House G.O.P. on Debt Limit
