Alabama representatives vote 6-1 against "fiscal cliff" bill

AP Modified

Updated: Jan 2, 2013 11:20 AM

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — All six Republicans in Alabama's House delegation voted against legislation to avoid the fiscal cliff, while the state's lone Democrat voted for it.

Republican U.S. Reps. Jo Bonner, Martha Roby, Mike Rogers, Robert Aderholt, Spencer Bachus and Mo Brooks cast no votes, and Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell voted yes on the legislation that passed 257-167 Tuesday.

“At the end of the day I just couldn’t support – with my one vote – such a flawed process," Bonner said in a statement released after midnight on Wednesday.

Roby said raising taxes without cutting spending goes against her core beliefs. Brooks said it was wrong to rush monumental legislation through Congress without time for the American people to review it.

Bonner added, “There is simply no way Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Madison or our other founding fathers could have ever envisioned having the Senate pass a $4 trillion addition to the debt of our nation at 2 a.m., only to have the House take it up less than 20 hours later and there be no regard for the long-term damage we are doing to America’s future."

Sewell said the bill wasn't perfect, but it extended long-term unemployment benefits and tax cuts for the middle class.

The measure passed the Senate 89-8 earlier Tuesday, with Republican Sen. Richard Shelby voting no and Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions voting yes.

Copyright 2013 AP Modified. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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