WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to meet next week with the top two Republican leaders of Congress to hash out legislative priorities for this election year. It will be Obama’s first formal face-to-face meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan since the Wisconsin Republican was elected to the leadership role late last year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will join Ryan at Tuesday’s White House meeting. The meeting will take place the day after Iowa voters kick off the process of choosing Obama’s successor. White House press secretary Josh Earnest says Obama believes areas for cooperation between the parties exists and the president wants to talk about working together for the American people. One issue cited by Earnest is building on the bipartisan budget agreement Obama signed last year.
