House GOP Leadership Split Votes Over 'Fiscal Cliff'

House GOP Leadership Split Votes Over 'Fiscal Cliff'

The House voted to pass the Senate’s fiscal cliff bill on Tuesday night. Eighty-five Republicans joined 172 Democrats to pass the bill. And the House Republican leadership split down the middle.

House Republican leadership members who voted against the Senate “fiscal cliff” bill were House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and House Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

Among the Republicans who voted for bill that the Congressional Budget Office said would add to the deficit $4 trillion are: House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD), House Budget Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA).

When asked if he thought there would be backlash against the GOP over the vote tonight, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) said: “Oh people are paying attention. There’s no doubt about it.” Chaffetz voted against the bill and told Breitbart News that he does not believe that the vote will hurt Speaker Boehner. 

“I doubt It. I think most people don’t blame the Speaker. At the end of the day, people got a vote on the bill themselves and so everybody is going to have to answer for their votes,” said Chaffetz.

Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) also voted against the bill and explained to Breitbart News why he thought GOP members voted for it saying:

Well I think they wanted to make sure they wanted to make sure that taxes didn’t go up for people who made under 450 and I respect that and I totally get that, but I mean I always stuck by the principle that I think this is our time to say that if we’re willing to increase taxes, then we should use that as a bargaining chip to reduce spending. We didn’t have that, so that’s what made it uncomfortable for me. 

One hundred and fifty-one Republicans voted against the Senate bill along with 16 Democratic votes. Eight members of the House did not vote.

President Barack Obama is expected to sign the fiscal cliff legislation soon.

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