Automatic spending cuts and tax hikes will take affect without an agreement.
In Monnett, Mike Farquhar knows this well.
Farquhar is the president and chief operating officer of EFCO, which makes windows, doors and curtain walls for commercial buildings.
"There's a huge amount of uncertainty. Nothing is certain either as an individual tax payer or for a business," Farquhar says. "Our ability to sell windows and doors and curtain walls for commercial buildings has everything to do with the confidence that our customers have in the economy."
A new Gallup poll found investors are more pessimistic. The looming "fiscal cliff" is, in part, to blame.
"No congress will ever know more about these problems than this congress does right now," says Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Sen. Blunt is optimistic that lawmakers can reach a deal by Christmas.
"They've got to find a way where both sides can say: 'we've done the right thing for the country. Let's move forward now together and see if we can find more to do in the future'," Sen. Blunt says.
"We believe in Monnett that this problem was created by politicians in Washington D.C.," Farquhar says. "And we think this is a problem that the politicians in Washington D.C. ought to correct."
WEB EXTRA: How to Contact Your Member of Congress
KOLR10/KOZL News is keeping politicians accountable during these negotiations.
Rep. Billy Long, R-District 7, spoke with us on the phone.
"We need to get serious and we need to make people stay in town, and hopefully they can put pressure on their side," Rep. Long said. "No I am not willing to raise taxes on the upper two percent in order to fund the government for 15 days, without the president and Democrats getting serious about cutting spending in this country. And until they come back with a proposal like that, I'm not prepared to give them anything."
Sen. Claire McCaskill's staff says she did not have time for an interview. However, they sent us this statement from the senator:
"I'm working hard to find a way forward that protects tax breaks for small businesses and middle class families, while addressing our long-term fiscal challenges. The only way these across-the-board cuts and tax hikes are enacted is if entrenched members of Congress refuse to compromise. I'm part of a bipartisan group searching for that compromise. I'm committed to tackling the budget deficit in a balanced and realistic way, and I remain stubbornly optimistic that negotiations will result in a good bipartisan plan."
Steve Walsh, the press secretary for Rep.Vicky Hartzler, R-District 4, sent us a statement. He says Rep. Hartzler also did not have time for our interview Thursday:
"Congresswoman Hartzler is working hard to stop the automatic tax increases that would hurt hard-working families and businesses in the KOLR viewing area. She supports a number of common sense debt-cutting pieces of legislation that have been passed by the House, including H.R. 5652 - the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act, which provides viable alternatives to planned cuts to our national defense and vital government programs; and H.R. 8 - the Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act.
In addition to these proposals, the Congresswoman supports pro-growth measures that bring about a fairer tax code to help improve our economy and create jobs.
Congresswoman Hartzler, like other Republicans, is now awaiting a framework from President Obama on how he plans to reduce our out-of-control spending. She is disappointed that President Obama has, so far, not come forward with any proposals to cut spending. He talks only of his desire to raise taxes on "the top two percent." Economists have concluded that President Obama's tax-raising scheme, if it comes to fruition, will only raise enough revenues to keep the government funded for an additional eight or nine days. Given this fact, Congresswoman Hartzler wonders why the President continues down this path.
Congresswoman Hartzler is closely monitoring the fiscal cliff talks and hopes a deal to stop the threat of job-destroying tax increases will be reached soon. Members of Congress have been told those negotiations will go on past Christmas if no deal is struck."
KOLR10/KOZL News sent an email to Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's chief of staff, but we have not received a response.
