A Needed Detour: Avoiding the Fiscal Cliff
By Hoda Elshishtawy
Washington, DC
Crisis averted? Three hours before the midnight deadline on New Year’s Day, Congress averted the so-called fiscal cliff. So, what exactly was it, and what does the new legislation mean for the average American?
Approaching the fiscal cliff without a Congressional deal before the deadline meant that a series of tax increases and heavy spending cuts would be triggered on Jan. 1. Essentially, a number of tax cuts already in place for the past decade would expire, which would result in tax hikes for approximately 90% of Americans.
In the end, the legislation approved by both houses ensures income tax rates for the middle class will stay low, taxes will increase on those who make more than $250,000 a year, and Social Security benefits as well as Medicare and Medicaid will remain intact. The approval of the legislation also included the extension of emergency unemployment for millions of people who are actively looking for work.
While we averted the cliff, highly concerning concessions were made to get there. House Republicans who approved the legislation did not include the Senate’s provision on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). It seems they were so fixated on protecting wealthy Americans, that they dismissed the vote for VAWA which extends domestic violence protection to undocumented immigrants, Native American women and the LGBT community. A report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics noted that since VAWA’s enactment, domestic violence against women has fallen by more than half. To not reauthorize the Act is a failure on the part of Republican leadership who dictated that the protection of women is not an important fixture to include in the legislation.
Whereas the highly contentious legislation had faults, it succeeded in getting members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to work together to achieve a solution to a problem that affects all Americans. While this bi-partisan work was exceptional in the recent history of Congress, it highlights the importance of the legislative body cooperating for the greater good.
Last March, MPAC, along with an interfaith coalition of Jewish, Muslim, Christians and other faith communities, released a “Faithful Budget” and submitted it to Congress. The Faithful Budget is an attempt to establish a just and moral budget for our nation without having to rely on cutting social programs that affect the most vulnerable in society. As such, the budget addresses eight main points that deal with defense, access to health care, reducing poverty, the environment and social safety nets.
Last week marked the start of the 113th Congress, which presents an opportune moment to remember that all members of Congress were elected by the people for a reason. The greater good of our nation should always win over petty party divisions — let that be the cliff we always avoid.
