Kohl, Johnson support Senate fiscal cliff deal

Associated Press

Updated: Jan 1, 2013 4:13 PM

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Wisconsin's two U.S. senators both voted for a compromise bill meant to avert the fiscal cliff of across-the-board tax increases and sweeping spending cuts.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that both Democrat Herb Kohl and Republican Ron Johnson backed the measure, which passed the Senate by 89-8 after midnight on New Year's Day. The vote was after the midnight fiscal cliff deadline, and the bill's prospects in the Republican-led House were unclear later in the day.

Johnson says he wanted to extend tax cuts for all Americans but that he believed 99 percent of Wisconsin residents would not see a tax increase under the bill.

Kohl's vote may be his last as a senator as his term ends in days. He did not release a statement.

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