As it stands, if Congress and the President do not act ... taxes would automatically go up on January 1st ... along with a laundry list of spending cuts.South Dakota Senator John Thune says he would like to see a temporary extension of current tax-breaks ... until a more permanent solution can be agreed upon.However, he says the executive branch needs to be a part of these discussions.Sen. Thune says, "We need the President engaged. The President of the United States is the only person who can sign a bill into law, he's the only person that can engage Congress in a way that will allow us to come to a solution on this. Republicans have demonstrated a willingness to solve this problem and do things they might not normally be willing to do."Thune says Congress needs more time to sit down and find ways to reform tax codes and entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.He says such reforms would act as long-term solutions to some of the country's economic issues.

Zach Nugent