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Amodei statement on fiscal cliff vote

January 1, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Brian Baluta, 202-225-6155

January 1, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-2) tonight released the following statement:

"I appreciate the effort made by Vice President Biden and Senate Minority Leader McConnell to come up with something in response to the three bills (H.R. 3630, H.R. 5652, H.R. 8) passed by the House over the past year to permanently solve the fiscal cliff issues we continue to confront. However, I can't help but shake my head at the irony of yet another piece of legislation, negotiated behind closed doors, and passed by the Senate at 2:00 in the morning, New Year's Day.

"I respectfully decline to support a measure that raises $41 in revenue for every dollar of spending cuts (Congressional Budget Office). This is not a balanced approach. The status quo on the federal budget deficit and federal debt is not acceptable; especially at a time when Nevadans continue to struggle with the uncertainties of a persistent recession, the implementation of ObamaCare, and the administration's newly expressed desire to increase taxes again this year.

"Adding to the uncertainty misery index for employers and the middle class, is the appearance there is no end in sight to the anti-business regulatory onslaught of health, labor, environmental, and land use regulations pouring out of this administration.

"I will not tell the Nevadans I represent that this bill is anything resembling a solution to the fiscal and economic sickness that threatens all of us. In seven weeks, it will be Groundhog Day all over again when the debt ceiling debate begins and we will have ignored the opportunity to start to address the unsustainable spending and crushing debt that continue to drag down the private sector and the people employed therein.

"I will continue to study any measures in the time allotted and am hopeful that a meaningful and responsible path can be identified and fought for to break the federal spending cycle of deferring fiscal reality to future generations or until a catastrophic financial meltdown requires long overdue fiscal accountability from this president and congress."

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