Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain told The Daily Caller that the fiscal cliff deal signed into law by President Barack Obama is “disgraceful.”
TheDC asked McCain for his response to the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which includes an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for families making less than $450,000 and individuals earning less than $400,000. It also delays automatic spending cuts for two months.
“It was unfortunate that it was a last minute deal. It was unfortunate that the president abrogated his responsibilities to the vice president. It was clear he and Boehner were going nowhere. I’m glad that Senator McConnell initiated the whole process. I appreciate the vice president’s involvement, but I also resent very much these ‘extenders’ that were included in it. It’s disgraceful,” McCain told TheDC at the Capitol on Thursday.
“The deal for the rum [producers], the wind [farm tax breaks], the race tracks, the NASCAR, the movie industry, all of those are just a complete defiance of the will of the American people, and we were supposed to be reducing the debt, and so now we’re increasing it.” (RELATED AUDIO: McCain ‘glad’ he doesn’t have Boehner’s job)
The legislation includes tax breaks for Hollywood films, wind farms, NASCAR and short-line railroad track maintenance.
McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, ultimately voted in favor of the bill, which passed the Senate at 1:39 A.M. on January 1.