(Fox News) -- House Speaker John Boehner, on the heels of an election that left the balance of power in Washington unchanged, made the first move in crafting the framework for a deal to potentially avert the so-called "fiscal cliff."
The speaker, on a phone call with Republicans, said he'd like a "bridge" measure to get negotiators past the looming year-end deadline that would, if left un-addressed, trigger automatic spending cuts and tax hikes, people familiar with the call told Fox News.
Separately, Boehner told reporters he wants to then see "major solutions" in 2013 "that begin to solve the problem."
