Business

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks about the economy and the deficit, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama says raising taxes on wealthiest Americans must be part of deficit reduction plan, but says he is "open to compromise" and "new ideas."

Obama says he will refuse to accept any approach that "isn't balanced."

Obama says in his first comments since the election that Congress should pass a bill that would prevent Bush-era tax cuts from expiring for all but the wealthiest Americans.

He says lawmakers from both parties need to work together to tackle the nation's fiscal problems.

The president says he is inviting congressional leaders of both parties to the White House next week for talks on how to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, as the automatic spending cuts and tax hikes are known.

Lawmakers face a Jan. 2 deadline to reach an agreement.