By MEGHAN
KENEALLY and ASSOCIATED
PRESS
The President and First Lady wished the troops
a merry Christmas with a visit to a U.S. Marine base on Tuesday.
His appearance with servicemen at a Christmas
ceremony was his last public stop in Hawaii before he cuts short his vacation
and flies back to Washington to return to negotiations over the fiscal
cliff.
Barack Obama is expected to arrive in
Washington early Thursday, the White House said Tuesday night. Michelle Obama
and the couple's two daughters will remain in Hawaii.
Honoring the troops: President Barack Obama and
First Lady Michelle Obama visited Marines eating Christmas dinner at Marine
Corps Base Hawaii
Nice to meet you: Obama personally thanked many
of the Marines for their service to the nation
In the past, the president's end-of-the-year
holiday in his native state had stretched into the new year. The first family
had left Washington last Friday night.
Congress has been expected to return to
Washington late Thursday. Before he departed for Hawaii, Obama told reporters he
expected to be back in the capital the following week.
Automatic budget cuts and tax increases are set
to begin on January 1, which many economists say could send the country back
into recession. So far, the president and congressional Republicans have been
unable to reach agreement on any alternatives.
Lawmakers have expressed little but pessimism
for the prospect of an agreement coming before the New Year. On Sunday, Sen Kay
Bailey Hutchison, a Texas Republican, said she expects any action in the waning
days of the year to be 'a patch because in four days we can't solve
everything.'
Celebrity: The troops and their families lined
to take photos of the Commander in Chief and meet him in person
Keeper: Many of the Marines left with a
souvenir photo of President and Mrs Obama
The Obamas were spending the holiday at a
rented home near Honolulu. On Christmas Day, the president and first lady
visited with Marines to express thanks for their service.
'One of my favorite things is always coming to
base on Christmas Day just to meet you and say thank you,' the president said at
Marine Corps Base Hawaii's Anderson Hall. He said that being commander in chief
was his greatest honor as president.
Obama took photos with individual service
members and their families.
On Christmas Eve, Obama called members of the
military to thank them for serving the nation, then joined his family for
dinner, the White House said. The Obamas opened gifts Christmas morning, ate
breakfast and sang carols. Read more: dailymail.co.uk
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