WASHINGTON, Jan 2 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and
congressional Republicans looked ahead on Wednesday toward the
next round of even bigger budget fights after reaching a
hard-fought “fiscal cliff” deal that narrowly averted
potentially devastating tax hikes and spending cuts.

The agreement, approved late on Tuesday by the
Republican-led House of Representatives after a bitter political
struggle, was a victory for Obama, who had won re-election on a
promise to address budget woes in part by raising taxes on the
wealthiest Americans.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Congress headed toward another showdown over the “fiscal cliff” on Tuesday as Republicans in the House of Representatives mounted a last-ditch effort to reshape a tax deal meant to prevent Washington from pushing the world’s biggest economy into recession.

If successful, the measure would set up a high-stakes showdown with the Democratic-controlled Senate and risk a stinging rebuke from financial markets about to open in Asia.

WASHINGTON, Jan 1 (Reuters) – Washington’s last-minute
scramble to step back from a recession-inducing “fiscal cliff”
shifted to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives on
Tuesday after the Senate approved a bipartisan deal to avoid
steep tax hikes and spending cuts.

In a rare late-night show of unity, the Senate voted 89 to 8
to raise some taxes on the wealthy while keeping income taxes
low on more moderate income voters.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Washington’s last-minute scramble to step back from a recession-inducing “fiscal cliff” shifted to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Tuesday after the Senate approved a bipartisan deal to avoid steep tax hikes and spending cuts.

In a rare late-night show of unity, the Senate voted 89 to 8 to raise some taxes on the wealthy while keeping income taxes low on more moderate income voters.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate leaders on Monday were very close to a deal to avert the “fiscal cliff” but the compromise was heavy on tax increases and light on spending cuts, making it uncertain if rank-and-file lawmakers would back it, particularly in the House of Representatives.

With only a few hours to go before a New Year’s Day deadline, President Barack Obama said agreement was within sight to prevent the worst of the fiscal crisis.”

WASHINGTON, Dec 31 (Reuters) – U.S. Senate leaders were
hammering out a last-minute deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” on
Monday, but it was still unclear if rank-and-file lawmakers
would back the agreement, particularly those in the
Republican-led House of Representatives.

A deal to avert the fiscal crisis was said to be in the
works in the Senate that would raise tax rates on household
income above $450,000, said a source familiar with the talks.
The agreement would permanently extend the lower tax rates for
those below the $450,000 cut off. These lower tax rates have
been in place for all taxpayers since the Bush administration.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Efforts to prevent the economy from tumbling over a “fiscal cliff” stalled on Sunday as Democrats and Republicans remained at loggerheads over a deal that would prevent taxes for all Americans from rising on New Year’s Day.

One hour before they had hoped to present a plan, Democratic and Republican Senate leaders said they were still unable to reach a compromise that would stop the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that could push the U.S. economy back into recession.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chances of a deal to prevent the economy from tumbling over a “fiscal cliff” remained uncertain on Sunday as lawmakers haggled over how to prevent taxes for all Americans from rising on New Year’s Day.

Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell worked on a compromise to stop automatic tax hikes for most Americans on January 1. Any agreement needs to be rushed through both chambers of Congress before midnight on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – With only a week left before a deadline for the United States to go over a “fiscal cliff,” lawmakers played a waiting game on Monday in the hope that someone will produce a plan to avoid harsh budget cuts and higher taxes for most Americans from New Year’s Day.

Though Republicans and Democrats have spent the better part of a year describing a plunge off the cliff as a looming catastrophe, the nation’s capital showed no outward signs of worry, let alone impending calamity.

WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) – With only a week left before
a deadline for the United States to go over a “fiscal cliff,”
lawmakers played a waiting game on Monday in the hope that
someone will produce a plan to avoid harsh budget cuts and
higher taxes for most Americans from New Year’s Day.

Though Republicans and Democrats have spent the better part
of a year describing a plunge off the cliff as a looming
catastrophe, the nation’s capital showed no outward signs of
worry, let alone impending calamity.