In a contentious House vote, the Republican majority backed down from earlier demands for more spending cuts and agreed to tax increases late on New Year’s Day last night, and agreed to the Senate compromise bill that would avert the so-called fiscal cliff, reported The Highland County Press.
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FILE PHOTO: President Obama in Columbus in 2011.
The stopgap measure only postponed the ongoing budget debate for two months. The bill did not address the proposed debt ceiling increase. The legislation will add approximately $4 trillion to the deficit when compared to current law, according to new numbers from the Congressional Budget Office.
The bill was approved, 257-167, and now goes President Obama, who said he will sign it.
The legislation, called the Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012, passed in the Senate on New Year’s Day 2013, by a vote of 89-8, reported The Highland County Press.
In the Senate, 47 Democrats, 40 Republicans and 2 independents voted for the measure, while three Democrats and five Republicans voted against it. Those voting against the legislation were: Senate Democrats Michael Bennet of Colorado, Tom Harkin of Iowa and Tom Carper of Delaware. They were joined by five Republicans who voted no: Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Marco Rubio of Florida and Richard Shelby of Alabama.
Both senators Sherrod Brown (D) and Rob Portman (R) voted for the bill.
The budget deal will raise taxes on 77 percent of U.S. households, mostly because of the expiration of the payroll tax cut, said the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center in Washington. The 2010 2-percent cut in payroll taxes enacted to boost consumer spending and improve the economy is set to expire, raising that rate from 4.2 percent to 6.2 percent, reported The Highland County Press.
In the House of Representatives, 172 Democrats and 85 Republicans voted for the bill and 16 Democrats and 151 Republicans voted against it.
Third Congressional District Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, voted no.
President Obama issued this statement on the bill: “Leaders from both parties in the Senate came together to reach an agreement that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support today that protects 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small business owners from a middle class tax hike.
“While neither Democrats nor Republicans got everything they wanted, this agreement is the right thing to do for our country and the House should pass it without delay.
“This agreement will also grow the economy and shrink our deficits in a balanced way – by investing in our middle class, and by asking the wealthy to pay a little more.”
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement following passage of the Senate agreement on the fiscal cliff:
“The federal government has a spending problem that has led to a $16 trillion national debt that threatens our country’s future. On the day after the election, I proposed that both parties work together to avert the fiscal cliff in a manner that would ensure 2013 is the year we finally enact entitlement reform and pro-growth tax reform to begin to solve our country’s debt problem.
“Now the focus turns to spending. The American people re-elected a Republican majority in the House, and we will use it in 2013 to hold the president accountable for the ‘balanced’ approach he promised, meaning significant spending cuts and reforms to the entitlement programs that are driving our country deeper and deeper into debt, reported The Highland County Press.
“Without meaningful reform of entitlements, real spending controls, and a fairer, cleaner tax code, our debt will continue to grow, and our economy will continue to stumble. Republicans stand for a stronger, more prosperous America, rich in opportunity and free of the debt that threatens our children’s future. On this New Year’s Day, we renew our commitment to that vision, humbled by the opportunity to serve.”
Ohio House votes:
• Marcia Fudge (D-11): Yes
• Marcy Kaptur (D-9): Yes
• Dennis Kucinich (D-10): Yes
• Tim Ryan (D-17): Yes
• Betty Sutton (D-13): Yes
• Steve Austria (R-7): No
• John Boehner (R-8): Yes
• Steve Chabot (R-1): No
• Bob Gibbs (R-18): No
• Bill Johnson (R-6): Yes
• Jim Jordan (R-4): No
• Steve LaTourette (R-14): Yes
• Bob Latta (R-5): Yes
• Jim Renacci (R-16): No
• Jean Schmidt (R-2): No
• Steve Stivers (R-15): Yes
• Pat Tiberi (R-12): Yes
• Mike Turner (R-3): No
To view the full-text of the bill, go to thomas.loc.gov.
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