Going over the fiscal cliff: No vote tonight by Congress

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Published: 12/31/2012 1:16 pm

Updated: 1/01 7:47 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House will miss the midnight Monday deadline lawmakers set for voting to avoid the "fiscal cliff."

House Republicans notified lawmakers that the chamber will vote Monday evening on other bills. They say that will be their only votes of the day.

President Barack Obama and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Monday they are near a deal to avoid wide-ranging tax increases and spending cuts - the fiscal cliff - that take effect with the new year.

Both men said they were still bargaining over whether - and how - to avoid $109 billion in cuts to defense and domestic programs that take effect on Wednesday.

It remained unclear whether the Senate would vote Monday.

Congress could pass later legislation retroactively blocking the tax hikes and spending cuts.

Obama says deal is close

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The President & Vice President convene a late night meeting to discuss the budget with (Right of the Vice President) Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Speaker Boehner; Barry Jackson, Chief of Staff to Speaker Boehner. (Courtesy of White House)

WASHINGTON (AP) --President Barack Obama says it appears that an agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff is "in sight," but says it's not yet complete and work continues.

Obama says this has been a "pressing issue on people's minds," and tells an audience of middle-class taxpayers the deal would, among other things, extend unemployment benefits for Americans "who are still out there looking for a job."

He voiced regret that the work of the administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill won't produce a "grand bargain" on tax-and-spend issues, but said that "with this Congress, it couldn't happen at that time."

Officials familiar with the negotiations say an agreement would raise tax rates on family income over $450,000 a year and increase the estate tax rate.

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Ander Crenshaw, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement Monday regarding continuing fiscal cliff negotiations:

"At this late hour, we're playing a waiting game. It's my understanding that the United States Senate has come to agreement on a portion of legislation to bring the nation forward, and we anxiously await specifics of that proposal in addition to Senate action on it.

"I remain dedicated to keeping taxes low and our defense strong. Any serious plan must address cuts to big government spending, reform entitlements, and provide comprehensive and pro-growth tax reform, which broadens the base, lowers rates, raises revenues and reduces the deficit.

"While I think we can all agree that tough decisions are ahead for all federal agencies, the stakes couldn't be higher for our men and women in uniform who are facing drastic defense cuts from sequestration. My bottom line and defense philosophy: Congress must have an unwavering commitment to national security. As a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I won't allow short-sighted budget decisions to turn back a decade's worth of work rebuilding our nation's military in Florida and around the globe."

Sen. Nelson Responds

(Courtesy: www.billnelson.senate.gov)

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson spoke to the Senate earlier this afternoon about the fiscal cliff. His remarks are below:

Mr. President, the hour is nigh and now Washington is awash in the rumor that there might be some progress being made. I hope so. If there was anything that was made clear to this senator in the re-election in one of our biggest states in the union, it was that the people want us to come together and to stop this bickering and the excessive partisanship.

And that is a huge turnoff, because I think ideological rigidity and excessive partisanship are impediments to getting people to come together with common-sense decisions for solutions. Mr. President, obviously, there's an easy way, and hopefully that is what is being tweaked at the moment in a final solution with the president to speak in about 30 minutes. I hope so.

Mr. President, I'm going to leave you with this thought: My colleagues know that a little over a quarter century ago I had the privilege of seeing our home planet when the perspective of looking through the window of a spacecraft back at our planet. It was the 24th flight of the space shuttle. it was early in the space shuttle program. Mr. President, it is indelibly etched in my mind's eye, as I looked back at earth what I saw. I did not see political divisions. I did not see religious divisions. I did not see ethnic divisions. what I saw is that we were all in this together as part of planet earth. and, if we could remember that in our politics, we'd all get along so much better. I hope what stays with me indelibly etched in my mind's eye is what's ultimately going to prevail in this momentous decision of avoiding the fiscal cliff.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Congresswoman Brown made the following statement on Jan. 1:

"Although I do not think the Senate measure passed early this morning is a perfect bill, it is a good start. Passed on a bipartisan basis on a 89-8 vote, the agreement in the Senate between Senate Republicans, Democrats and the White House contains many good provisions. One that really stands out is the dropped demands by Senate Republicans to make cuts to Social Security in exchange for a continuation of unemployment insurance benefits.

Additionally, other provisions that greatly benefit my constituents include items such as the extension of unemployment insurance until the end of 2013, which assists 2 million struggling American families nationwide; as well as a five year expansion of tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); the Child Tax Credit and the college tax credit. I am also pleased to see that there was an extension of the farm bill through the end of the fiscal year, which averts a sharp rise in milk prices (some economists estimated prices would rise to $7-8 per gallon). Moreover, an agreement to avoid cuts in payments to Medicare doctors protects not only physicians but the patients who depend on their services.

During the 2012 elections the American people spoke, and I think it is clear that they do not support a continuation of Republicans' reverse robin hood economic policies - robbing from seniors, students, and the elderly, and even jeopardizing our military and our veterans - just to maintain tax breaks for the upper 2% of income earners. We need to move forward and prevent taxes on 98% of Americans from dramatically rising merely because of the intransigence of a number of tea party Republicans who apparently control the House of Representatives!"

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Realchange - 12/31/2012 7:44 PM

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I do see division though Mr Nelson. Government refusing to acknowledge veterans they have destroyed. Using propganda and lies to come together to destroy people who served their country.

viejo - 12/31/2012 5:44 PM

1 Vote

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What do they care, they're all getting a raise....

joewW07 - 12/31/2012 3:41 PM

2 Votes

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Oh I know what he has done...How dumb of me to foreget..He been on around the world tour and has been on a bunch of vactions and less not foreget about the 110 rounds of golf...All on the tax payers dime..job well done...

joewW07 - 12/31/2012 3:41 PM

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You know, that what gets me he says we need to do this and we need to do this too..I say, Mr Obama you had 4 years to do this and the other thing and YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING!!!!!!!

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