WASHINGTON WEEK
FISCAL CLIFF FALLOUT AND THE 113TH CONGRESS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 4 @ 9:00PM
After months of political brinkmanship, Congress reached a last-minute compromise to avoid the fiscal cliff. The deal averted raising taxes on most middle-class Americans but it didn’t address the nation’s serious deficit problems. Lawmakers postponed a decision on spending cuts for another two months.
Vice President Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell hammered out the New Year’s Day deal that further highlighted the deep partisan politics that have prevented lawmakers from reaching any long-term or lasting solutions. Had the deal not been reached, the U.S. economic recovery could have stalled and had a ripple effect on global economies. So what happens next and will the new 113th Congress that was sworn into office today be able to bridge the entrenched partisan divide in Washington?
