WASHINGTON (July 28, 2012)--President Barack Obama and Republicans were sparring on familiar ground Saturday in their weekly media messages as they criticized one another on the economy.

Mr. Obama blamed Republicans for a stalemate that could increase taxes on Americans next year while a leading Senate Republican cast Mr. Obama and his Democratic Party as obstructionists.

Mr. Obama pressed the Republican-controlled House to extend Bush-era tax cuts for households making $250,000 or less while letting lower rates on wealthier taxpayers expire and go up, saying the GOP is holding the tax cuts hostage to help the rich.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said Mr. Obama's plan would do more harm to the economy and criticized him with almost identical language.

He called for extending current tax rates for all taxpayers and for spending 2013 overhauling and simplifying the tax code.