WASHINGTON--House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is heading to the White House on Thursday afternoon for a meeting with President Barack Obama as the Dec. 31 fiscal cliff deadline looms and no progress is being made in negotiations.

Just minutes before Boehner's office confirmed the meeting, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney talked down the tactical importance of face-to-face meetings at the Thursday briefing.

"Every time that you guys seem to think that a physical meeting is the elixir to all our ills, I think it would behoove you to ask the speaker if he believes that or ask the House majority leader if he believes that."

Boehner and Obama met in person last Sunday and talked on the phone at least once this week--on Tuesday.