U.S. Rep. Fleming heads to Washington to join fiscal cliff negotiations

Update: Sunday, Dec. 30

Rep. John Fleming, (R) District 4, said House Republicans met in conference Sunday evening. Speaker John Boehner has advised them to sit back and wait for the President and the Senate to come up with a solution.

"You see the problem is everytime we begin to talk about any kind of cuts to spending, it's kind of shut down the talks," said Rep. Fleming.  

"Republicans and the American people recognize that spending is the problem not lack of tax increases and while it may be that the President gets his way on tax increases we're not going to solve our problems until we cut some spending."

A local congressman is headed to Washington, with the tough decision of how to save our nation from falling over the fiscal cliff.

U.S. Representative John Fleming, R-Louisiana, is headed to Washington D.C. Sunday morning to work with House Republicans on how to avert tax hikes and cut government spending. Also, unemployment benefits are due to expire if legislators and President Obama are unable to make a deal.

Fleming said the House will go into session Sunday afternoon and then he will join House Republicans in a meeting afterwards. He believes the Senate is concocting a short team deal, not a long term solution. He expects the short term deal to not have spending cuts and instead, include a tax hike for wealthy Americans, which he opposes.

"I don't expect any increased taxes on anybody and even if you believe in increasing taxes for those making above $250,000 a year, that's going to add eight days of spending to Washington," said Rep. Fleming. "

"All that's going to do is feed the beast and make Congress and the President spend more money. It's never going to solve our problems."

Fleming said Congress and Pres. Obama need to cut spending and reform entitlement programs such as Medicare. He also would prefer the Senate and President Obama to pass the 33 Jobs bills the House passed, so the number of  people receiving welfare, food stamps, and unemployment benefits decreases. Fleming said he is unlikely to pass a bill that extends the current unemployment benefits.

If the Senate delivers the House a short term deal Sunday, Fleming projects it will likely pass by a majority of Democrats. He said a short term deal would likely last until after Inauguration, when President Obama will have to negotiate with lawmakers about whether to raise the national debt ceiling.  Fleming said he doesn't think Congress and President Obama are capable of coming up with any long term deal before Jan. 1.

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