Liberal groups worry about fiscal summit

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Liberal activists say they are worried that U.S. President Barack Obama could cut social service spending amid pressure from fiscal conservatives.

The Hill reported Thursday that Obama is set to hold a bipartisan fiscal responsibility summit Monday, at which the president, lawmakers and advocacy groups will discuss the national debt and government spending.

Toby Chaudhuri, spokesman for the left-leaning think tank Campaign for America's Future, said some liberals are concerned Obama may fall for "a trap set by budget hawk elites."

The Hill reported that some fiscal conservatives are pressing for cuts to government entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

The newspaper reported that many left-leaning advocates are also concerned about a proposal that would establish a bipartisan commission to produce a plan to reduce the national deficit.