House will vote on Senate-passed 'cliff' bill

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans are dropping their demands for additional spending cuts and will hold a House vote on whether to give final congressional approval to the Senate-approved compromise averting "fiscal cliff" tax increases and spending cuts.

The House vote was expected Tuesday evening.

A decision by the Republican-run House to amend the Senate-passed bill would have complicated prospects for final congressional passage of the measure. Senate Democratic aides have said the Democratic-led Senate, which overwhelmingly approved the compromise early Tuesday, would not return to vote on an amended version of the measure.

The measure would allow tax increases on the highest-earning Americans, but retain decade-old income tax cuts for everyone else.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-01-Fiscal%20Cliff-House%20Vote/id-7361453b381a43c888c57ce249d1b839

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Congress OKs cliff deal, signaling future fights

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, passes waiting reporters as he leaves a closed-door GOP meeting on the "fiscal cliff" bill passed by the Senate Monday night, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, passes waiting reporters as he leaves a closed-door GOP meeting on the "fiscal cliff" bill passed by the Senate Monday night, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Barack Obama winks as he arrives to make a statement regarding the passage of the fiscal cliff bill in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the top Democrat in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, speaks to reporters on the "fiscal cliff" bill passed by the Senate Monday night that's waiting for the House vote at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. Democrats were meeting with Vice President Joe Biden who has been shuttling between the White House and Capitol Hill to help negotiate a legislative path to avert the across-the-board tax increases and sweeping spending cuts that could damage the economy. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., center, leaves a second Republican caucus meeting to discuss the "fiscal cliff" bill passed by the Senate Monday night_and now awaits a vote in the GOP-controlled House_ at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Congress' excruciating, extraordinary New Year's Day approval of a compromise averting a prolonged tumble off the fiscal cliff hands President Barack Obama most of the tax boosts on the rich that he campaigned on. It also prevents House Republicans from facing blame for blocking tax cuts for most American households, though most GOP lawmakers parted ways with Speaker John Boehner and opposed the measure.

Passage also lays the groundwork for future battles between the two sides over federal spending and debt.

Capping a holiday season political spectacle that featured enough high and low notes for a Broadway musical, the GOP-run House voted final approval for the measure by 257-167 late Tuesday. That came after the Democratic-led Senate used a wee-hours 89-8 roll call to assent to the bill, belying the partisan brinkmanship that colored much of the path to the final deal.

"A central promise of my campaign for president was to change the tax code that was too skewed towards the wealthy at the expense of working middle-class Americans," Obama said at the White House before flying to Hawaii to resume his holiday break. "Tonight we've done that."

The bill would boost the top 35 percent income tax rate to 39.6 percent for incomes exceeding $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples, while continuing decade-old income tax cuts for everyone else. In his re-election campaign last year Obama had vowed to boost rates on earnings at somewhat lower levels ? $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for families.

Scores of GOP lawmakers voted for the measure, reversing a quarter-century of solid Republican opposition to boosting any tax rates at all.

The bill would also raise taxes top earners pay on dividends, capital gains and inherited estates; permanently stop the alternative minimum tax from raising levies on millions of middle-income families; extend expiring jobless benefits; prevent cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors; and delay for two months billions in budget-wide cuts in defense and domestic programs slated for this year.

Both sides lamented their failure to reach a significant deficit-cutting agreement. But neither much mentioned another omission: The immediate expiration of a two-year, 2-percentage-point cut in the Social Security payroll tax.

That break, which put an extra $1,000 in the wallets of typical families earning $50,000 a year, was an Obama priority two years ago as a way to boost consumer spending and spark the flagging economy, but it fell victim this time to other priorities.

House Democrats voted by an overwhelming 172-16 for the agreement, which was crafted over the weekend by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Vice President Joe Biden.

But Republicans tilted against it 151-85. It is rare for leaders to bring a bill to the House floor that will be opposed by most lawmakers from their own party, and the decision underscored the pressure GOP leaders felt to approve the legislation.

Boehner, R-Ohio, took no public stance on the measure before the vote. But he guided the compromise to the House floor after an unsuccessful attempt by many conservatives to persuade leaders to add spending cuts to the bill.

Had the House inserted those budget cuts and the Senate refused to consider them, the legislation could have died. That left House Republicans worried that voters might blame them for a huge, sweeping tax increase and for any swoon the nation's financial markets might take when they reopened Wednesday.

"You can be right and you can be dead right. Which is it?" said Rep. Rich Nugent, R-Fla., of the quandary Republicans faced. "Right now you need to take the tax issue off the table" and move on to a focus on curbing spending, he said.

Boehner voted for the bill, an unusual step because speakers seldom vote, and he was joined by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the GOP's vice presidential candidate last fall. Voting "no" were the other two top GOP leaders, Reps. Eric Cantor of Virginia and Kevin McCarthy of California.

Passage came nearly 24 hours after a decade's worth of tax cuts enjoyed by tens of millions of Americans expired with the stroke of the new year, technically raising taxes by more than $500 billion in 2013 alone.

Those tax increases ? plus $109 billion in defense and domestic spending cuts that were to be automatically triggered Wednesday ? became known as the fiscal cliff. Economists warned that their combined impact would hurl the economy back into recession, but Obama's signature on the bill would prevent the "cliff" from taking hold.

Obama can sign the bill remotely using a machine called an "autopen," or the bill can be flown to Hawaii for his signature.

Overall, the legislation would add nearly $4 trillion to federal deficits over the next decade compared with what would have happened had all the tax cuts expired, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

"I'm embarrassed for this generation. Future generations deserve better," complained one foe, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas.

The agreement's journey to passage was a tortured one. It included negotiations between Obama and Boehner on a larger, deficit-cutting deal that collapsed, and a failed effort by the speaker to drum up enough GOP votes to pass a "Plan B" that would have limited tax boosts to incomes exceeding $1 million.

It took weekend talks between McConnell and Biden, former Senate colleagues, to craft the more modest package that focused on averting the worst impacts of the fiscal cliff while postponing any deficit reduction efforts to coming months.

Those first showdowns will come over the next three months, when the government's legal ability to borrow money will expire and temporary financing for federal agency budgets will expire. Republicans have already said that, as they did in 2011, they will demand spending cuts as a condition for extending the debt ceiling.

"Now the focus turns to spending" and overhauling the tax code, Boehner said in a written statement after the vote. He said the GOP will fight for "significant spending cuts and reforms to the entitlement programs that are driving our country deeper and deeper into debt," a reference to costly benefit programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.

Spending cuts are "going to be a component of every single battle we have" in the new Congress, conservative GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee told CNN on Wednesday.

Obama, in his White House remarks, said that while he was open to compromise, he would demand deficit-cutting savings from added revenue on the well-off, not just spending cuts.

He also pointedly said he would "not have another debate with this Congress" over extending the federal borrowing limit.

"If Congress refuses to give the United States government the ability to pay these bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy would be catastrophic ? far worse than the impact of a fiscal cliff," he said.

Though its focus was on taxes, the measure approved Tuesday would prevent a potential doubling of milk prices and prevent a $900 salary increase for members of Congress in March. Its extension of jobless benefits would help 2 million people out of work at least six months, and it would prevent a 27 percent cut in reimbursements doctors get for treating Medicare patients.

Weighing in with criticism of the compromise were the chief authors of an influential bipartisan deficit-cutting proposal, former GOP Sen. Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles, a former White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton. They called the measure "truly a missed opportunity to do something big to reduce our long term fiscal problems."

___

AP reporters David Espo, Charles Babington, Andrew Taylor and Larry Margasak contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-02-Fiscal%20Cliff/id-4d6364d1ead840fab334232212f87421

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LIVE: House Votes On Fiscal Cliff Deal - Business Insider

The House of Representatives finally approved a deal on the fiscal cliff Tuesday night, paving the way for President Barack Obama to sign a bill that will stave off tax hikes for most Americans.?

After a day of chaotic day of wrangling, the House voted 257-167 to approve the bill.

Most Republicans voted against the measure, which will raise tax rates for individuals and households earning more than $400,000 and $450,000, respectively, as well as increase tax rates on capital gains and dividends, raise taxes on estates above $5 million, and extend unemployment benefits and some stimulus tax credits.

The bill also delays the onset of automatic spending cuts by two months, and does nothing to deal with the issue of raising the debt ceiling, setting the stage for another round of major budget battles in the next Congress.

On Tuesday, House Republicans initially indicated that they would amend the bill to include spending cuts, but dropped that plan when it was clear that they did not have the votes to pass an amendment. said that they could not support the bill without spending cuts.?

Check out our full liveblog of the day's developments below.

1:12 AM | John Boehner: 'Now the focus turns to spending'

In the wake of an embarassing defeat on the fiscal cliff bill to raise taxes, House Speaker John Boehner pledged to double down on the issue of spending cuts.?

In a statement following Tuesday night's House vote on the fiscal cliff deal, House Speaker John Boehner promised to double down on the issue of spending cuts when the new Congress begins later this month.

By all counts, Boehner suffered an embarrassing defeat during this round of budget talks. After abandoning attempts to reach a "grand bargain" with the White House, the House Speaker failed to get the votes to pass his own "Plan B" earlier this month, poisoning negotations and punting the worsened situation to the Senate.?

Today, Boehner once again failed to rein in his caucus. GOP leaders initially floated the idea of adding an amendment to include spending cuts in the Senate's fiscal cliff bill ? a move that would have almost certainly killed the agreement ? but couldn't get the votes to pass the measure. In the end, Boehner voted for the clean Senate bill, but lost the support of the majority of his caucus.?

Here's his full statement on Tuesday's vote:?

?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.?

?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.?

12:55 AM | Pelosi sticks it to Boehner: 'I'm especially proud of the unity of the House Democratic caucus'

Unable to resist a little chest-thumping after Tuesday's House fiscal cliff vote, Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement heralding the bill's passage as a "victory" for the Obama administration.

Pelosi, whose caucus delivered the majority of the votes needed to pass the deal, also took a pointed jab at her Republican counterpart, House Speaker John Boehner, who has struggled to rein in his caucus throughout the cliff debate.?

Here's Pelosi's full statement:?

?The House passage of the Senate?s bipartisan legislation is a victory for the middle class. ?Our action permanently extends the middle class tax cut and promotes economic growth, while asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. ?It extends unemployment insurance for those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

?With the passage of this measure, we strengthen the principle that we must have equal parts revenue and spending cuts as we work to reduce our deficit. ?We strengthen our economy through investments in innovation, tax credits for education, and tax breaks to spur the technologies of the future, including renewable energy.

?Tonight?s progress is not only a victory for the middle class but for the President and Vice President who campaigned on protecting the middle class ? and kept their promise to the American people.

?I am especially proud of the unity in the House Democratic Caucus ? of our ongoing commitment to protect the economic security of the middle class and our willingness to find common ground and work in a bipartisan way to get the job done. ?To that end, we are off to a good start in the new year.?

11:12 PM | Obama will make a statement on the fiscal cliff deal at 11:20 p.m. tonight.

Check out our full coverage of his remarks here >?

10:59 PM | The House has officially passed a fiscal cliff deal.

The House voted 257-167 to pass the Senate bill on the fiscal cliff. The bill now heads to President Barack Obama for final approval.?

House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi both voted in favor of the bill.?Surprisingly, House Budget Chair Paul Ryan ? author of the GOP's big austerity plan ? also voted in favor of the bill.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy ? the No. 2 and 3 House GOP leaders, respectively ? voted against the deal. Both waited until the bill had cleared the 217 threshold to cast their votes.?

In total, 172 out of 236 House Republicans voted against the bill, with just 82 GOP members voting in favor. Meanwhile, 172 Democrats cast yes votes, compared to 17 who voted no.?

Here's the full roll call >?

10:42 PM | FINALLY! The House Is Voting On The Fiscal Cliff Deal

10:37 PM | No sign of Boehner or Cantor....

House Speaker John Boehner or Majority Leader Eric Cantor have yet to give remarks during the House floor debate over the fiscal cliff. Doesn;t look like either will make an appearance before the vote...

10:10 PM | House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi just wrapped up her floor speech on the bill.

Pelosi couldn't resist a little gloating on the House floor tonight, calling the vote on the Senate fiscal cliff bill "an important first step" to economic recovery.?

"We thank Speaker Boehner for bringing this legislation to the floor," she said.?"While this bill doesn't accomplish all that we need to do...it is a good way for us to have a happy start to a new year."

Pelosi's speech followed the House's overwhelming vote in favor of a resolution to allow the Senate fiscal cliff bill go to a floor vote tonight. The final bill is expected sometime between 10:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.?

9:41 PM | Top conservative groups are urging House Republicans to vote against the Senate bill.

Several top conservative groups ? including FreedomWorks, the Club for Growth, and the American Conservative Union ? issued statements Tuesday night urging House Republicans to vote against the fiscal cliff.?

FreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe told Politico he was "utterly offended" by the process, and reiterated his group's opposition to allowing any of the Bush tax cuts expire.?

ACU president Al Cardenas took a more measured approach, issuing a statement urging the House to remove all of the stimulus spending measures in the Senate bill and pass an amended version of the bill that only includes the provisions that extend the Bush tax credits for those earning under $450,000 and allow a slight increase in the estate tax rate.?

The Club for Growth, Heritage Foundation, and Americans For Prosperity have also come out in opposition to the deal.?

And here's the brutal banner leading Drudge Report >?

8:43 PM | The House is back in session for debate over the Senate fiscal cliff bill.

8:34 PM | The House Rules Committee has approved a closed rule to bring the Senate fiscal cliff bill to the floor.

Vote expected around 9:30 p.m.

8:02 PM | CNN reporter Dana Bash tweets that the House will vote on the Senate bill at the 9 p.m. hour.

8:01 PM | The House Rules Committee is set to decide on an up-down vote on the clean Senate bill.

So that's it for the GOP's spending amendment...

Both House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Nancy Pelosi believe the bill will pass on an up-down vote, likely with a majority of support coming from Democrats.?

7:52 PM | GOP House aide predicting the passage of Senate bill: "Members seem tired and ready to go home."

7:37 PM | Republican members are now saying that it looks like the Senate fiscal cliff bill will pass on an up-down vote.

Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole told CNN that he believes the House will vote to pass the Senate fiscal cliff bill tonight, the?implication being that GOP leaders don't have the votes to pass their spending amendment.?

"The Senate bill has big wins for us," Cole said. "We'll take what the Senate negotiated and pass it."

The House Rules Committee is still awaiting word on which bill they are bringing to the floor for a vote tonight.?

7:25 PM | Here's the full spending amendment Republicans are trying to pass...

Check out the whole thing here >?

7:10 PM | Republicans don't think they have the votes to pass the spending amendment.

As expected, reports from the House floor indicate that Republicans don't have the votes to pass the spending cuts amendment to the Senate fiscal cliff bill.?

If that is the case, GOP leaders have said that they will hold an up-down vote on the Senate bill.

6:35 PM | The House is back in session

6:18 PM | REPORTS: House GOP will whip spending cuts ? if they can't get the votes, they'll hold an up-down vote on the Senate bill

Several reporters, including MSNBC's Chuck Todd and Politico's Jake Sherman, are tweeting that House Republican leaders have come up with a two-bill strategy on the fiscal cliff.?

According to the reports, GOP leaders will whip votes for an amendment to add spending cuts to the bill the Senate passed early Tuesday. If they cannot get the 218 votes they need to pass the amendment, they have said they will hold an up-down vote on the Senate legislation.?

Democratic Senate aides have said that Majority Leader Harry Reid will not hold a vote on any amended bill.?

If the reports are correct, it would appear as though Republicans are tacitly conceding defeat. Earlier this month, House GOP leaders were unable to muster up the votes to pass the fiscal cliff "Plan B" bill, legislation that was authored by Republicans and originated in the House.?So it seems safe to conclude that Republicans won't go for the deal brokered by the White House and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.?

On the other hand, House Democrats have said they are confident the unaltered McConnell-Biden deal could pass the House on an up-down vote.?

5:23 PM | AP photographer Charles Dharapak Instagrams this gorgeous photo of the West Wing ? the Marine sentry means Obama is working.

5:16 PM | House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi again urges Boehner for an up-down vote on the fiscal cliff bill.

5:00 PM | House Republicans are convening at 5:15 p.m. for a second caucus meeting on the fiscal cliff bill.

4:59 PM | Joe Biden: "I think we're going to be fine"

Caught by cable news cameras during a sandwich run near the White House, Vice President Joe Biden brushed off reports that House Republicans are going to send the fiscal cliff bill back to the Senate, saying that he thinks "we're going to be okay."?

Fox News producer Joy Lin tweets this photo of the encounter:?

4:51 PM | Cantor Spox: Everyone Just Chill Out For A Sec

With speculation mounting over what House Republicans plan to do about the fiscal cliff, Rory Cooper, a spokesperson for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, sends out this tweet:?

3:26 PM | BOEHNER SPOX: Lack Of Spending Cuts Was 'A Universal Concern' Among Republicans

House Speaker John Boehner's spokesperson Brendan Buck sends this update from this afternoon's House GOP conference meeting:

?The Speaker and Leader laid out options to the members and listened to feedback. The lack of spending cuts in the Senate bill was a universal concern amongst members in today?s meeting. Conversations with members will continue throughout the afternoon on the path forward.?

3:15 PM | CANTOR: "I do not support the bill"

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor just told reporters that he cannot support the fiscal cliff bill in it's current form.?

He added that Republicans have made no decisions on the path forward.?

3:11 PM | House Democrats are holding a press conference

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is calling for a "straight up-or-down" vote on the fiscal cliff deal.?

"There shouldn't even be a question," Pelosi said. "It's long overdue for us to have a solution."?

"We expect ? and the American people deserve ? an up-or-down vote."?

3:08 PM | There are growing concerns that the Senate will pass a bill.

Based on tweets from politicos and reporters, such as Ed Henry from?Fox News?there are growing concerns that the House will actually pass the Senate bill:

It's not surprising that there are concerns.

As we explained here, there's frustration about there being zero cuts.

And as the CBO just announced,?the bill adds $4 trillion to the current debt baseline. Any reversal of tax increases was always going to produce a huge deficit increase, but this is still a tough headline to swallow.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/will-house-gop-torpedo-the-fiscal-cliff-deal-2013-1

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Bill to avert fiscal cliff heads to House

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, left, from Nevada, talks with a journalist as the elevator doors close as he departs the Capitol after a vote about the fiscal cliff, on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013 in Washington. The Senate passed legislation early New Year's Day to neutralize a fiscal cliff combination of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts that kicked in at midnight. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, left, from Nevada, talks with a journalist as the elevator doors close as he departs the Capitol after a vote about the fiscal cliff, on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013 in Washington. The Senate passed legislation early New Year's Day to neutralize a fiscal cliff combination of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts that kicked in at midnight. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., left, walks with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, to the Senate floor for a vote on the fiscal cliff, on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013 in Washington. The Senate passed legislation early New Year's Day to neutralize a fiscal cliff combination of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts that kicked in at midnight. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Vice President Joe Biden gives two thumbs up following a Senate Democratic caucus meeting about the fiscal cliff on Capitol Hill on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Reporters pursue Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, as he walks to a closed-door meeting with GOP members of the House as Congress in Washington, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, as Senate and House leaders rush to assemble a last-ditch agreement to head off the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1, 2013. The House will miss the midnight Monday deadline lawmakers set for voting to avoid the "fiscal cliff." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Legislation to negate a fiscal cliff of across-the-board tax increases and sweeping spending cuts to the Pentagon and other government agencies is headed to the GOP-dominated House after bipartisan, middle-of-the-night approval in the Senate capped a New Year's Eve drama unlike any other in the annals of Congress.

The measure cleared the Senate on an 89-8 vote early Tuesday, hours after Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky sealed a deal.

It would prevent middle-class taxes from going up but would raise rates on higher incomes. It would also block spending cuts for two months, extend unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless, prevent a 27 percent cut in fees for doctors who treat Medicare patients and prevent a spike in milk prices.

The measure ensures that lawmakers will have to revisit difficult budget questions in just a few weeks, as relief from painful spending cuts expires and the government requires an increase in its borrowing cap.

House Speaker John Boehner pointedly refrained from endorsing the agreement, though he's promised a vote on it or a GOP alternative right away.

The measure is the first significant bipartisan tax increase since 1990, when former President George H.W. Bush violated his "read my lips" promise on taxes. It would raise an additional $620 billion over the coming decade when compared with revenues after tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003, during the Bush administration. But because those policies expired at midnight Monday, the measure is officially scored as a whopping $3.9 trillion tax cut over the next decade.

President Barack Obama praised the agreement after the Senate's vote.

"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," Obama said in a statement. "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."

The sweeping Senate vote exceeded expectations ? tea party conservatives like Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., backed the measure ? and would appear to grease enactment of the measure despite lingering questions in the House, where conservative forces sank a recent bid by Boehner to permit tax rates on incomes exceeding $1 million to go back to Clinton-era levels.

"Decisions about whether the House will seek to accept or promptly amend the measure will not be made until House members ? and the American people ? have been able to review the legislation," said a statement by Boehner and other top GOP leaders.

Lawmakers hope to resolve any uncertainty over the fiscal cliff before financial markets reopen Wednesday. It could take lots of Democratic votes to pass the measure and overcome opposition from tea party lawmakers.

Under the Senate deal, taxes would remain steady for the middle class but rise at incomes over $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples ? levels higher than President Barack Obama had campaigned for in his successful drive for a second term in office. Some liberal Democrats were disappointed that the White House did not stick to a harder line, while other Democrats sided with Republicans to force the White House to partially retreat on increases in taxes on multi-million-dollar estates.

The measure also allocates $24 billion in spending cuts and new revenues to defer, for two months, some $109 billion worth of automatic spending cuts that were set to slap the Pentagon and domestic programs starting this week. That would allow the White House and lawmakers time to regroup before plunging very quickly into a new round of budget brinkmanship, certain to revolve around Republican calls to rein in the cost of Medicare and other government benefit programs.

Officials also decided at the last minute to use the measure to prevent a $900 pay raise for lawmakers due to take effect this spring.

Even by the dysfunctional standards of government-by-gridlock, the activity at both ends of historic Pennsylvania Avenue was remarkable as the administration and lawmakers spent the final hours of 2012 haggling over long-festering differences.

Republicans said McConnell and Biden had struck an agreement Sunday night but that Democrats pulled back Monday morning. Democrats like Tom Harkin of Iowa said the agreement was too generous to upper-bracket earners. Obama's longstanding position was to push the top tax rate on family income exceeding $250,000 from 35 percent to 39 percent.

"No deal is better than a bad deal. And this look like a very bad deal," said Harkin.

The measure would raise the top tax rate on large estates to 40 percent, with a $5 million exemption on estates inherited from individuals and a $10 million exemption on family estates. At the insistence of Republicans and some Democrats, the exemption levels would be indexed for inflation.

Taxes on capital gains and dividends over $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples would be taxed at 20 percent, up from 15 percent.

The bill would also extend jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed for an additional year at a cost of $30 billion, and would spend $31 billion to prevent a 27 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

Another $64 billion would go to renew tax breaks for businesses and for renewable energy purposes, like tax credits for energy-efficient appliances.

Despite bitter battling over taxes in the campaign, even die-hard conservatives endorsed the measure, arguing that the alternative was to raise taxes on virtually every earner.

"I reluctantly supported it because it sets in stone lower tax rates for roughly 99 percent of American taxpayers," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. "With millions of Americans watching Washington with anger, frustration and anxiety that their taxes will skyrocket, this is the best course of action we can take to protect as many people as possible from massive tax hikes."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-01-Fiscal%20Cliff/id-54d5d02dd00b4c13b8bed392cdc6d42b

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Quality Time with Our Pets - Dog and Cat Vitamins

by Dr. Deva Khalsa on January 2, 2013

Both dogs and cats are social animals.? Social animals don?t want to be alone- they want company and interesting interactions

Relationships are an important part of health.? Strong bonds with others means protection from loneliness and depression.? It goes both ways.? Healthier pets are happier pets and happier pets are healthier pets.?? Just as vitally important is that both humans and pets benefit from the quality time spent together.

We enjoy our walks more as we watch our dogs sniff and explore with delight.?? Our hearts sing in a special way as we stroke our cats and listen to them purr.? Animals and people create that special winning combination.

If our pets could tell us one thing it very well might be, ? Take the time to stop and smell the roses and enjoy life with me.?

How about adding some regular exercise because it?s part of a healthy life style for all of us ? humans, dogs and cats.? If it?s not safe for your cat to go outside every day, make sure he has a scratching post and a selection of toys.? Setting aside some time to play with your cat every day is a great way to give your cat the exercise she needs and improve your own quality of life.

All dogs need exercise, even notorious couch-potato breeds.? Of course, taking the dog for a brisk long walk is the perfect excuse for you to get some exercise too!

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Source: http://www.dogandcatvitamins.com/quality-time-with-our-pets/

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Haven't been enforcing call-in policy? - Business Management Daily

If you haven?t been enforcing your rule requiring absent employees to call in every day, start now. Just make sure employees know you plan to enforce it going forward.

Recent case: Amy, whose son has mental illness, was frequently absent from work. Her employer required employees to call in every day if they were going to be absent. Amy often didn?t. Then the employer started strictly enforcing the policy and eventually fired Amy for violating it.

She sued, alleging that she had really been fired because she needed FMLA leave to care for her son. She argued that because her em??ployer hadn?t fired her earlier for being a no-call, no show, it couldn?t now.

The court disagreed. It said em??ployers can begin enforcing their call-in policies at any time, even if they haven?t always before. (Riten??our v. Tennessee, No. 10-6366, 6th Cir., 2012)

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NKorea's Kim wants better living standards, arms

In this Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013 image made from video, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks on podium in Pyongyang, North Korea. Making his first New Year's speech, Kim called Tuesday for his country to focus on economic improvements with the same urgency that scientists put into the launch of a long-range rocket last month. (AP Photo/KRT via AP Video) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013 image made from video, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks on podium in Pyongyang, North Korea. Making his first New Year's speech, Kim called Tuesday for his country to focus on economic improvements with the same urgency that scientists put into the launch of a long-range rocket last month. (AP Photo/KRT via AP Video) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

A North Korean family has their photo taken in front of fireworks as they celebrate the new year on Tuesday Jan. 1, 2013. North Koreans celebrated the arrival of the new year, marked as ?Juche 102? on North Korean calendars. ?Juche? means ?self reliance,? the North Korean ideology of independence promoted by North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, and modern-day North Korean calendars start with the year of his birth in 1912. (AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

North Koreans visit giant statues of their late leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il at Mansu Hill as they celebrate the New Year in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for improving the economy and living standards of his impoverished nation with the same urgency that scientists showed in successfully testing a long-range rocket recently. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

Fireworks explode over Kim Il Sung Square in celebration of the New Year in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for improving the economy and living standards of his impoverished nation with the same urgency that scientists showed in successfully testing a long-range rocket recently. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

Fireworks explode over Kim Il Sung Square in celebration of the New Year in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for improving the economy and living standards of his impoverished nation with the same urgency that scientists showed in successfully testing a long-range rocket recently. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for improving the economy and living standards of his impoverished nation with the same urgency that scientists showed in successfully testing a long-range rocket recently.

Kim's first New Year's speech, delivered on state TV, was peppered with rhetoric, with calls for boosting the military's capabilities and making the science and technology sector world class. But other passages in the speech were also an acknowledgement of the poor state of the country's economy that has long lagged behind the rest of the region.

North Korea has little arable land, is prone to natural disasters and struggles to grow enough food for its 24 million people.

The annual New Year's Day message lays out North Korea's policy goals for the year. But Kim gave no indication whether he plans to introduce economic reforms or allow free enterprise, except to say the economy should be underpinned by science and technology.

"The industrial revolution in the new century is, in essence, a scientific and technological revolution, and breaking through the cutting edge is a shortcut to the building of an economic giant," he said.

He then pointed at the success of a long-range rocket that North Korea fired on Dec. 12, ostensibly carrying a satellite into space.

"Let us bring about a radical turn in the building of an economic giant with the same spirit and mettle as were displayed in conquering space," he said.

North Korea has hailed the rocket as a big step in peaceful space exploration. Washington and others called the launch a banned test of ballistic missile technology and a step in Pyongyang's pursuit of a nuclear tipped long-range missile.

North Korea has tested two atomic devices since 2006, both times weeks after U.N. condemnation of a long-range launch. A recent analysis of North Korea's main nuclear test site indicates readiness for a possible third atomic explosion.

Kim made no mention of nuclear weapons, but indicated that military will continue to be boosted.

"The sector of defense industry should develop in larger numbers sophisticated military hardware of our own style that can contribute to implementing the Party's military strategy," he said.

"Only when it builds up its military might in every way can it develop into a thriving country and defend the security and happiness of its people," Kim said.

The speech itself was a signal that Kim will continue with a leadership style more in line with his gregarious grandfather, national founder Kim Il Sung who routinely addressed his people on New Year's Day, than with his father, Kim Jong Il, who avoided making public speeches. He never gave a TV address during his 17-year-rule, and his New Year's messages were published as joint editorials in the nation's three major newspapers.

With the speech ? the first televised New Year's Day message by a North Korean leader in 19 years ? Kim Jong Un has tried to tap into North Koreans' fond memories of his grandfather, said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in South Korea.

The rocket launch boosted public morale, Koh said. "Now people are expecting him to improve the economy and help them live better economically," Koh said. "Kim Jong Un knows that and feels the pressure of meeting that demand."

Kim, who took power after his father's death on Dec. 17, 2011, has asserted control over the government and the military by dismissing its powerful chief Ri Yong Ho. Some other officials who were viewed as more moderate, including Kim's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, were elevated.

South Korean president-elect Park Geun-hye has said she will make efforts in her five-year term to boost aid and engage North Korea.

"If Kim Jong Un is going to engineer a shift from 'military-first' to 'It's the economy, stupid,' he is going to need Seoul's encouragement, and he doesn't have five years to wait," John Delury, an analyst at Seoul's Yonsei University, wrote recently.

He said it's up to South Korea "to unclench its fist first, so that the leader of the weaker state can outstretch his hand."

Kim's speech avoided harsh criticism of the United States, its wartime enemy. North Korea has used past New Year's editorials to accuse the U.S. of plotting war.

In other signs of changes in the country ? at least at a superficial level ? North Korea also had its first grand New Year's Eve celebration, with residents of the capital treated to the boom of cannons and fireworks at midnight.

In Pyongyang, residents danced in the snow at midnight Monday to celebrate the end of a big year for North Korea, including the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung and the first year of Kim Jong Un's leadership. Fireworks lit up the cold night sky, and people stood in fur-lined parkas, taking photos and laughing and dancing with each other in plazas.

___

Associated Press writer Kim Kwang Hyon contributed to this story from Pyongyang, North Korea.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-01-NKorea-New%20Year/id-935a90b1b0cd403f9340a51850edcf66

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