Montana Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester were among the 89 senators who approved an early-morning New Year’s Day deal to avoid going off the “fiscal cliff.” Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg, however, was one of the 167 representatives in the House to vote against the bill later that day.
The final vote in the Senate was 89-8 and in the House it was 257-167, with both legislative chambers approving the “American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.”
Baucus and Tester released statements shortly after midnight Mountain Standard Time on New Year’s Day outlining their support of the fiscal cliff deal. Rehberg didn’t release a statement, but was quoted by Gannett shortly after he walked out of a “closed-door GOP meeting.”
“I don’t think anyone’s happy with it,” Rehberg said, according to Gannett. “It has some good parts and bad parts.”
Tester issued the following statement:
“This deal is far from perfect, but it provides the tax relief Montanans deserve while preventing irresponsible cuts that would hurt our kids and seniors. This deal is not the big, long-term, bipartisan solution to cut our debt that the American people expect from Congress. I’ll keep working on a responsible plan to cut our debt without jeopardizing our economy.”
And Baucus had this to say:
“My Montana bosses gave me clear marching orders: get it done – and that is what this compromise does. It isn’t perfect, but it will protect Montana families from tax hikes and give small businesses the certainty they need to grow and create jobs. Now, we’ve got to hunker down and keep working to create jobs and cut the debt. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we can get it done.”
Baucus also mentioned the deal’s provision extending the 2008 Farm Bill by nine months, a temporary solution that falls far short of the five-year Farm Bill passed by the Senate last June. The House didn’t act on a long-term Farm Bill.
“The best solution would have been for the House to pass the full Senate Farm Bill,” Baucus said. “But, something is better than nothing, and the extension will help provide a safety-net and certainty our farmers and ranchers can take to the bank. Still, we need a more lasting solution. We can’t keep coming back to this every six months or year. That’s no way to run Congress and it’s no way to treat our farmers and ranchers. So, passing a long-term Farm Bill will be one of my top priorities in the New Year.”