Klobuchar and Franken vote 'yes' on fiscal cliff deal

Minnesota's two Democratic senators cast yes votes on the late-night "fiscal cliff" agreement, which passed 89-8. Sen. Al Franken, who faces reelection next year, expressed reservations about the reach of the deal in reducing debt and helping farmers. But he praised provisions such as tax cuts for the middle-class and the extension of unemployment insurance for the jobless. He added that it was "crucial" to him that the deal worked out between the White House and Republican leaders did not make cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. "While I don't think this package raises sufficient revenues toward paying down the debt or to make the investments in infrastructure, education, and research and development needed to grow our economy, I knew that no bill would have 100 percent of what I wanted," he said in a statement. Sen. Amy Klobuchar also said she had wished for more. "I voted for this compromise because the last thing we should be doing this New Year's is sticking middle class families with a tax hike," she said. "I fought for and wanted a larger, more comprehensive plan that balanced revenues and spending cuts."