Fiscal fight not over, Oklahoma reps say
BY RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
Oklahoma congressmen on opposite sides of Tuesday night's epic U.S. House of Representatives vote agree the fight over federal deficits and debt is far from over.
In fact, they say, it has only just begun.
"I think this game is going to change dramatically and with almost breathtaking speed," said 4th District Congressman Tom Cole, who voted for a deal brokered in the U.S. Senate to head off a potentially calamitous confluence of tax increases and spending cuts.
By agreeing to the deal, Cole said, a revenue baseline has been set that forces President Obama and Democrats to address spending.
Cole and fellow Oklahoma Republicans Frank Lucas and John Sullivan and Democrat Dan Boren voted for the deal. Fifth District Republican James Lankford voted against.
"This was 50-50," Lankford said when asked how difficult the decision was for him. "There are a lot of good things in this bill."
But Lankford also feared conservatives were missing an opportunity to force spending restraint.
"The issue is not avoiding the fiscal cliff," he said. "It's deficits and debt."
Associated Images:
Fifth District Republican James Lankford voted against the deal. AP File Photo
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