Obama meets with Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is meeting with Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill to get their help in passing a broad range of proposals that are part of his second-term agenda.

The meeting Tuesday comes on the first of three days of president trips down Pennsylvania Avenue with partisan caucuses in both chambers.

The visits come as the government is operating under broad spending cuts and under the prospect of a shutdown later this month. But the talks also were designed to cover many other topics. White House spokesman Jay Carney says Obama wants to discuss immigration reform and gun control among other priorities that require congressional action.

Obama plans to meet with House Republicans Wednesday. And he is scheduled talk to Senate Republicans and House Democrats Thursday.