Thanks to your 2012 Election votes and exit poll mandates
along with your post election “wake up” calls, emails, petitions and
social network drives for fair taxation, the ‘fiscal deal was finally avoided.
Seven things you need to know about the fiscal cliff deal are:
- Income tax rates for middle-class families will stay low permanently.
- For the first time in 20 years, tax rates will increase for the wealthiest Americans permanently.
- The new agreement cuts the deficit by $737 billion by asking the wealthiest to begin to pay their fair taxes.
- Emergency unemployment for 2 million people looking for work will be extended.
- A group of tax cuts that help middle-class families keep more money in their pockets and afford pay for higher education was extended.
- Investments that create jobs in domestic clean energy and innovation will be extended.
- The agreement will not cut Social Security benefits, Medicare or Medicaid.
The deal overwhelming passed in the US Senate by a bi-partisan
vote of 89 to 8. The eight Senators who voted against the Fiscal Cliff Deal were Tea
Partied Republican Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky,
Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, Mike Lee of Utah and Richard Shelby of Alabama. The three Democratic US Senators who voted
against the deal were Tom Harkin of Iowa, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Thomas
R. Carper of Delaware.
The last minute deal
passed in the House of Representatives by a bi-partisan vote of 257 to 167. Led by Tea
Party rabble rouser, Eric Cantor, 151 Tea Party Representatives voted against
the deal along with 16 Democrats. Further details on the House vote by state
representation can be found in the link entitled Breaking down the House fiscal cliff vote below.
The sour grapes award
goes to House Speaker Boehner who was pressured by Tea Partied House Republican Cantor and his Tea Party Blockbusters to
not vote on Hurricane Sandy disaster
funding for the blue states of New
York and New Jersey until he was embarrassed into action by public statements
of disgust voiced by New Jersey Governor Christie and New York Governor Andrew
Cuomo.
There will be many more Tea
Partied Cliffs to climb – the debt ceiling, the ban on assault weapons, women’s
reproductive rights, immigration reform, the permanent establishment of Violence
Against Women legislation, fiscal protections for veterans and small
businesses, education reform and the like.
GOTTA CONTINUE TO SPEAK UP
AND
GOTTA VOTE
From now thru 2014!
Sources:
The Seven Things You Need to Know About the Tax Deal
Fiscal Cliff
deal a ‘debacle’ for the GOP sets up bigger fight in months
Breaking down the House fiscal cliff vote
Why Eight Senators Voted Against the Fiscal Cliff
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