A group called The Action held a rally here on Tuesday, urging the U.S. Congress to end tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent and extend tax cuts for the middle class.

The rally was held at a time when U.S. President Barack Obama softened his bargaining stance by moving closer to Republicans on taxes and Social Security.

Obama proposed on Tuesday that tax hikes on wealthy Americans could begin with households earning 400,000 dollars annually, not the 250,000 dollars that he has long called for.

David Aldridge, spokesman for The Action, told Xinhua that the election is over and it is time to make it count. Grassroots power is not just for elections.

He said the U.S. Congress has until Dec. 31 to make a critical and historic choice. They can ask the richest 2 percent of Americans to pay their fair share, or they can put more money in wealthy pockets at the expense of the struggling middle class.

There is too much money and power in too few hands and the system is rigged to keep it that way. It' s time to level the playing field and make things right, Aldridge said.

As Washington is looking for solutions to the fiscal cliff, American voters are sending mixed signals.

According to a Fox News poll released last week, 61 percent of American voters say major spending cuts are necessary to reduce the deficit, while 33 percent think increasing taxes on high earners would be enough.

Half of Democrats hold taxing the rich is all that is needed. By contrast, majorities of Republicans (77 percent) and independents (62 percent) think cutting spending is also necessary.