President Barack Obama warned Republicans not to bring the debt ceiling into the fiscal cliff negotiations Wednesday.

Lawmakers are working to reach a deal to avoid the series of tax hikes and spending cuts set to kick in on Jan. 1.

Obama said he's heard reports that Republicans may give in on higher tax rates this year in order to use it as leverage to extract spending cuts in 2013.

Obama called that a "bad strategy for America."

"If Congress in any way suggests that they're going to tie negotiations to debt ceiling votes and take us to the brink of default once again as part of a budget negotiation," Obama said. "Which by the way we have never done in our history until we did it last year. I will not play that game."

An administration official said Obama will head to Detroit early next week to promote his plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans.