January 1, 2013—

Washington, D.C.  – Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and dean of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, released the following statement after voting for the American Taxpayer Relief Act, legislation to avert the so-called fiscal cliff.

"This bill is not perfect, but it is a commonsense compromise that benefits the middle class and those working hard to reach it. It prevents a tax hike for 99% of Americans, stopping a $2,000 tax increase for the average middle class family, and it protects jobs.  It asks the wealthy to pay their fair share. The bill preserves the tax credit that millions of American families rely on to help pay for college while also extending the child tax credit. It extends unemployment benefits for millions of Americans still searching for work, including fifty thousand residents of Massachusetts. The bill extends the tax credit for wind energy, spurring investment in the development of clean energy production for our country. Failure to avert the massive tax hikes and spending cuts could have plunged our economy back into a recession just as it is beginning to recover.  That would have been wrong for Massachusetts, and wrong for our country.

"If you are a middle class family, with a son or daughter looking at colleges, or you’re looking for work yourself, this is a deal worth taking for your family and for your country. That's why I'm voting for it now, and that’s why I’ll keep fighting for the middle class as we move forward."