White House won't counter Boehner's fiscal proposal

Washington (CNN) - Don't expect negotiations for a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" to heat up this week.

Senior administration officials said the offer House Speaker John Boehner submitted to the White House on Monday wasn't serious enough to merit a counter-proposal from the administration. So the president's team plans to wait for the GOP to come around on the idea of raising tax rates or let the nation go over the fiscal cliff.

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In a statement Monday White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer blasted the Republican plan, arguing it "does not meet the test of balance. In fact, it actually promises to lower rates for the wealthy and sticks the middle class with the bill."

These officials argued the proposal was a step backward in the ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations.

The White House insisted the new offer from Boehner included less revenue than the debt talks of 2011 and too few specifics about how to achieve Medicare savings.

The GOP proposal includes $2.2 trillion in deficit savings over the next decade, $800 billion from tax reform, $600 billion from Medicare reforms and other health savings and $600 billion in other spending cuts.

The White House offered a framework last week that included $1.6 trillion in new taxes, $50 billion in additional stimulus spending and $400 billion in savings from Medicare and other entitlements.

"Until the Republicans in Congress are willing to get serious about asking the wealthiest to pay slightly higher tax rates, we won't be able to achieve a significant, balanced approach to reduce our deficit," Pfeiffer said Monday in his statement.

Obama and those in his administration have said there will be no deal without an increase in current rates for individuals making over $200,000 a year, and couples making over $250,000 a year.

Senior administration officials said they are confident the public will blame Republicans and not the president if the United States reaches the end of the year without a deal to avert the fiscal cliff.

The latest developments Monday leave negotiations largely at a standstill.

Senior administration officials said they are open to conversations and other offers.

In the meantime, members of Congress will have an opportunity to socialize and perhaps talk policy with the president Monday night when he hosts a black-tie holiday reception for members of Congress at the White House.