WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill tonight released the following statement in response to a compromise deal to address automatic tax increases and spending cuts:

"This deal isn't perfect, but it achieves what's most important here by protecting middle class families, and it's a down-payment toward a more realistic economic policy. It also represents a fact that too many in Washington seem to have forgotten-that compromise requires give-and-take. That's a value Missouri voters strongly endorsed just a few weeks ago. Starting now, Congress has got to do better. We have hard work ahead to address the budget deficit in the type of broader, balanced package I have long fought for. And we need to put an end to these eleventh-hour stalemates that do nothing but endanger our economy."

Tonight's compromise, in addition to protecting tax rates for middle class families, also prevents a pay raise for members of Congress-a longtime goal of McCaskill, who has consistently fought for legislation to end automatic Congressional pay raises. As a result of McCaskill's fight to end automatic pay raises, members of Congress have not received a pay raise since 2010.

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