(MCT) — WASHINGTON — Congress and the White House appear no closer to an agreement on the year-end budget crisis, although House Speaker John A. Boehner and President Barack Obama have opened lines of communication that could produce a deal later this month.

The president on Thursday enlisted a Virginia family to humanize his effort to preserve tax rates for low- and middle-income households while raising them on the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. Republicans are fighting to keep the lower rates for everyone.