Delaware’s Senators were split on the deal stuck to avert the so-called fiscal cliff.
Senator Tom Carper was one of only 8 that voted against it early Tuesday morning, and one of just three Democrats to say “no.”
In a statement, Carper argued the fiscal cliff was supposed to force lawmakers to devise a grand plan that “put our fiscal house in order.” He says this deal doesn’t do that and that’s why he did not support it.
Carper added that while he commends the effort by Vice President Biden and others to avert some worst consequences of the fiscal cliff “there was a better way to solve this problem and we should've seized the opportunity to do so.”
Carper also worries that this deal does nothing to address the anxiety Congress' inability to work together in meaningful way is creating in the slowly recovering economy.
"Instead of clearly demonstrating to American businesses that are sitting on enormous piles of cash that we can still govern, be fiscally responsible and provide certainty and predictability with respect to our tax code, we leave them saying, 'Not again.' Why? Because two months from now, we face the prospect of yet another debt ceiling crisis and more turmoil that will discourage a lot of American businesses from investing their cash in hiring new employees that will help our economy grow," said Carper in his statement.
The state’s junior Senator, Chris Coons, was among the overwhelming majority that voted “yes” early New Year’s Day.
In his own statement, Coons also expressed disappointment and frustration at inability to produce a big deal that achieved “meaningful debt and deficit reduction.” He says that the deal delivers “the bare minimum” by averting an income tax hike on middle class families and extending critical tax credits and unemployment insurance – but that allows 98 percent of Americans “breathe a sigh of relief if the House acts” to approve it.
