Declaring that the “American economy is on the line,’’ House Speaker John Boehner Thursday called on President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats to “get serious’’ about cutting federal spending as part of a major budget deal.

A pessimistic sounding Boehner, emerging from a meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, said that he was “disappointed in where we are,” referring to the process of avoiding the combination of tax increases and spending cuts at the end of the year, popularly called the fiscal cliff.

“Going over the fiscal cliff is serious business.” said Boehner, R-West Chester Twp. “I’m here seriously trying to resolve it.”

Boehner insisted that tax revenue is on the table, but only if there are “serious spending cuts” as part of the agreement between Democrats and Republicans.

The problem is, according to Boehner, that “(the Republicans) have no idea what the White House is willing to do.” In a shot at Obama, Boehner said “this is a moment for adult leadership,’’ saying that “campaign-style rallies and one-sided leaks are not a way to get things done here in Washington.”

Boehner was referring to Obama’s planned trip to Pennsylvania Friday to rally support for his plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest of Americans as part of a deal to avoid going over the cliff at the end of the year. Obama wants the 2001 and 2003 income and investment tax cuts to expire for families earning more than $250,000 a year.

Boehner himself asserted that he is serious about doing everything he can to avoid putting American jobs and the American economy at risk.

“And I hope the White House will get serious as well,” he said.