President Obama and members of the Senate are back in Washington today after a short break with just days before the onset of the so-called fiscal cliff. Obama and Republican leaders remain at a crossroads on reaching a budget deal before the combination of spending cuts and tax hikes kick in with the new year. On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress the United States will reach its federal borrowing limit on New Year’s Eve, threatening the same default that was narrowly avoided last year. In a letter to lawmakers, Geithner vowed to take “extraordinary measures” to avoid a new default but said any remedies would only be short-term.