With just three weeks left before steep budget cuts and tax hikes take place that has been dubbed the fiscal cliff, President Obama is visiting one of the families that responded to a Twitter request by the White House for stories about the tax increase on people in the middle class.

Across from the U.S. capital on the other side of the Potomac River are some of the wealthiest areas of the U.S. as well as a very populous middle class area that has increased in size over the past 25 years. Because of its proximity to the White House, the president has used it often as a backdrop for his efforts of public relations.

One member of the family he will visit shared a story about how $2,200 more in taxes for 2013 would impact the family. The White House said that more than 100,000 people had responded to their Twitter request.

The Democrats in Congress led by Obama want the tax cuts that are to end in January, to be extended for the middle class, those earning less than $250,000, but not for the 2% of Americans who are earning the most.

The Republicans want all of the tax cuts extended, but have become more and more divided as to whether they could prevail because of Obama’s firm stance and the lack of control in the Senate.

On Monday, the president spoke to the convention attendees, while Romney will do so on Tuesday before traveling abroad to visit Poland, Israel and Britain. Obama used the address to say the call for the extension of tax cuts by Republicans could hurt the Pentagon. He said automatic cuts to spending would kick in to start closing the gap on the deficit since the tax cuts the Republican want will exacerbate the deficit.

Obama said Congress should agree upon a balanced approach with which to reduce the budget deficit that will keep the military strong. He also said that are many Republicans that do not want veterans and the general public to know they voted for the defense budget cuts.

Obama said instead of taking part in making difficult choices on how to lower the deficit, they would prefer to protect the tax cuts for wealthy Americans, even at the determent to the U.S. military.

Republicans hit back at Obama’s comments after his speech. Buck McKeon, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee accused the president of avoiding his part of the responsibility on the defense cuts that are scheduled to take place in January. McKeon said Obama played a role in setting up the automatic cuts and he now owes it to the troops to try to defuse them.

Obama also commented to the veterans that Romney has not shown that he can lead the U.S. military, as the president.

Reid was frustrated by the Republicans when he proposed an alternative plan. Both parties accused each other of blocking a plan to extend the Bush-era tax rates for the middle-class. The same is happening in Congress, where there’s no timetable for when an extension will passed.

Republicans tried to get Democrats on record for the president’s proposal by offering two amendments to a bill that was currently being debated to cut taxes for small businesses. One was part of Obama’s plan while the other was on Republican alternative that included extension to tax cuts of top-earners.

The move by the Republicans came two days after President Obama pushed Congress to vote on his proposal. The Democrats want to take up the president’s proposal before Congress goes into recess in August.

Without action by the legislators, wide-ranging tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush will expire on New Year’s Day. Economists say that the expiration of the tax cuts will be disastrous to the already weak economy.

Reid, the Senate Majority Leader from Nevada, blocked the votes. He said that the Senate would vote for them after it finishes the small business tax measure. He added that the Republicans should stop filibustering the tax cut for small businesses before they act on the tax cuts.

The Democrats want to focus first on the small business measure. They view it as a winning issue for them. Then they will turn to the extension of the tax cuts, which they see as an issue that can draw in the voters.