Biden: Washington frozen by partisanship

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden says Washington is frozen by intense partisanship — but he's hoping it's just temporary.

Biden told governors gathered at the White House for an annual meeting Monday that they're more disciplined than Congress. He chided Washington lawmakers, asserting that they are preventing a solution to the automatic spending cuts set to kick in on March 1.

Biden says Democratic and Republican governors alike ask him how he can deal with gridlock in Congress. He says people may disagree on solutions, but everyone agrees the so-called sequester should be addressed.

The White House has warned the $85 billion budget mechanism could affect everything from commercial flights to classrooms to meat inspections. They would slash domestic and defense spending, leading to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of workers.