Rep. Duncan Votes No on Fiscal Cliff Bill

Congress passed a fiscal cliff compromise bill late Tuesday night but it did not have the support of U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan.

Congressman Duncan issued a statement on his opposition to the bill this morning.

“I voted ‘no’ on the Senate ‘compromise’ on the fiscal cliff last night. Instead of making our country more secure, this compromise places our country on even shakier fiscal ground by completely ignoring why we're $16 trillion in debt," Duncan said. "Not only does this bill fail to address spending, but it potentially undoes the spending cuts adopted as part of the debt ceiling compromise from 2011.

“I am glad that President Obama and the Democrats have finally come to the realization that the Republican principle of lower taxes is the right thing for Americans," he continued. "However, it’s unfortunate that they still embrace the politics which are dividing Americans further - those of class envy and redistribution.”

Duncan said the government spends too much.

“That is the bottom line," he said.

He said ignoring "runaway spending" would be a "betrayal of our oath of office."

“Without drastic spending reductions and efforts to address our growing debt burden, there is a real likelihood that we could experience European-style defaults and inflation in the future," Duncan said. "I cannot, and will not, in good conscious, support these redistribution, Occupy Wall Street style proposals that have been put forth by the Administration and the Senate. We must include spending reductions and real reform efforts if we are going to begin securing a brighter future for our children.”

“I'm thankful a majority of Americans will be able to keep a lower tax rate, but incredibly disappointed that Washington continues to be weak-kneed when it comes to enforcing common sense fiscal responsibility," he  continued.  "I voted 'no' on this bill because I will not be fooled into believing that Washington intends to use tax increases to pay down the debt. It is a betrayal of our oaths of office to continue to ignore runaway spending.”