The meeting was the first since the mid-term elections shifted control of the House to the GOP and narrowed the Democratic majority in the Senate.
Right out of the gate, /*Republicans*/ tried to set the tone for the Tuesday session, vowing they will be staunchly opposed to any /*tax*/ increases when the current Bush era tax cuts expire at the end of 2010.
The president has said that he would oppose a permanent extension of the tax cuts for taxpayers earning more than $200,000 as individuals and $250,000 as couples.
There was no consensus on the tax cuts, but the president and bipartisan congressional leaders agreed to check their differences by appointing a group to negotiate a tax cut agreement.
Tuesday's midmorning meeting came a day after /*Obama*/ announced a proposal to freeze the salaries of federal workers for the next two years.
The /*White House*/ talks were seen as an opportunity for the two parties to size up each other as they struggle for common ground on taxes and the START treaty - two prominent topics on the legislative agenda before Congress adjourns for the year.
Tuesday's meeting is only scheduled to be one hour long. However, the White House said it's a way to begin a longer conversation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
