NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Several big Wall Street bank CEOs on Thursday urged Congress and President Obama to avoid the “fiscal cliff.”

In an urgent letter dated Oct. 18, the Financial Services Forum pressed leaders to “reach a bipartisan deal to avoid” massive tax hikes and across-the-board program cuts that could lead to recession. If Congress doesn’t act by Jan. 1, the United States will go over the fiscal cliff, triggering about $1.2 trillion worth of spending cuts over a decade.  Read more