Sen. Franken’s Statement on Fiscal Cliff Agreement
Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) released the following statement after voting to support bipartisan legislation to avoid the fiscal cliff:
"I voted for this bill because it contains a number of very important provisions, including tax cuts for working and middle-income Minnesotans, an extension of unemployment insurance for so many Americans who are looking for work, and the production tax credits that mean so much to our state's renewable energy producers. And it was crucial to me that Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security beneficiaries were protected.
"There are some provisions I most certainly don't like, particularly those in the extension of the Farm Bill: cuts in conservation and energy, and the gutting of the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Program. But I'll continue to work to pass a five-year Farm Bill this year so that Minnesota's ag community has the support and certainty it needs.
"While I don't think this package raises sufficient revenues toward paying down the debt or to make the investments in infrastructure, education, and research and development needed to grow our economy, I knew that no bill would have 100 percent of what I wanted, and I will continue to fight for the priorities that I believe will best serve Minnesota."
