Obama: Republicans Shouldn't Block Fiscal Cliff Deal

Obama on NBC’s Meet the Press (Screenshot)

President Barack Obama said that Republicans shouldn’t block an agreement on the so-called fiscal cliff but it remains to be seen whether an agreement will be reached today or tomorrow.

“I’m confident that one of two things are going to happen when it comes to the fiscal cliff,” Obama said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Number one, we’re going to see an agreement in the next 48 hours, in which case middle class taxes won’t go up. If that doesn’t happen then Democrats in the Senate will put a bill on the floor of the Senate, and Republicans will have to decide if they’ll block it, which will mean that middle class taxes will go up.”

“I don’t think they would want to do that politically, but they may end up doing it,” he added.

The so-called fiscal cliff is a term for a range of cuts in different sectors totaling $600 billion, including unemployment benefits and the expiration of tax cuts. Some peg the increase in taxes about $2,000 per family but others say it will be much lower while a third group dismissed the cliff as a myth.

If lawmakers are unable to agree on a deal then the first bill on the floor with the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 4^th, will be to cut taxes for middle class families, according to Obama.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that changes for a deal today or tomorrow are “exceedingly good” on Fox News Sunday.

“I think people don’t want to go over the cliff if we can avoid it,” he said.

“This deal won’t affect the debt situation, it will be a political victory for the president and I hope we’ll have the courage of our convictions when it comes time to raise the debt ceiling to fight for what we believe as Republicans, but hats off to the president, he won,” Graham said.

Obama said that there is some dysfunction in Washington.

“Do I wish that things were more orderly in Washington, and more rational, and people listen to the best arguments and compromised and operated in a more thoughtful and organized fashion? Absolutely,” he said, smiling wryly. “But when you look at history, that’s been the exception rather than the norm.”

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