Reaction continues to pour in following the passage of legislation to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff.
The House voted late Tuesday night on a package to avoid income tax increases for most Americans, allowing rates to rise on incomes exceeding $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples. The wide-ranging deal, approved by the Senate earlier, delayed for two months billions in budget-wide cuts.
All representatives from New York voted in favor of the measure, except for Republican Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle.
A technical glitch shows Buerkle did not cast a vote, but in a statement to CNYCentral, Buerkle says she voted against the measure. "Our country does not have a taxing problem, we have a spending problem," Buerkle said. "This legislation, while containing some commendable tax relief provisions, fails to address our nation's spending and debt crisis. I could not in good conscience vote for a bill that raises taxes and does not cut spending."
Representative Richard Hanna (R, 24th District), voted for the bill. He released a statement Wednesday saying in part, "This bill provides tax cuts - permanently - for 99 percent of Americans and virtually all of our constituents in upstate New York. This is a big win for Upstate taxpayers, families, businesses and farms as well as the principles of fiscal responsibility...This deal was not perfect. There are parts of it with which I don't agree. But the responsibility of governing requires compromise for the benefit of constituents and country and this vote embodied that notion."
Hanna says he would have preferred to see more in terms of spending cuts to reduce the national debt and reforms to strengthen entitlement programs.
Congressman Bill Owens (D, 23rd District) also supported the measure. "This legislation represents a promise kept to protect the middle class from increased taxes while ensuring the very wealthy pay their fair share," Owens said. "With middle class tax hikes averted, Congress should now get to work cutting federal spending and addressing the need for good farm policy."
The White House had no immediate update on when President Obama would receive and sign the bill.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.
