PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin says it's "unconscionable" that the House of Representatives is in recess while the nation is hurtling toward the so-called fiscal cliff.
The Rhode Island Democrat sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner on Wednesday urging him to call the chamber back into session to work on a solution.
If Congress and the president don't negotiate a deal before the end of the year, taxes will rise and billions in federal spending will be cut. Student loans could get more expensive. Military contracts, university research grants and social service spending would be reduced significantly.
Langevin says Rhode Islanders are "rightly frustrated" by what he calls a lack of urgency to find a resolution. He says there's "no legitimate reason" not to try to reach a compromise.