US Congress passes fiscal cliff bill, President Obama to sign into law

Overcoming Republican resistance, the US House of Representatives late Tuesday night passed the "fiscal cliff" bill by 257 to 167 votes, ending a dramatic New Year's Day showdown over income taxes and deep federal spending cuts.

The bill, which was passed by the Senate (89 to 8 votes) in the wee hours of the New Year, would now go to the White House for US President Barack Obama to sign into law, which would end months of anxious moments with regard to fiscal cliff.

Had not passed, fiscal cliff would have resulted in increased tax rates for more than 98 per cent of Americans.

The passage of the legislation by the Republican-majority House was not before some anxious moments during the day, when some of the Republican leaders were mulling bringing amendment to the bill passed by the Senate, but gave up as they were unable to muster enough support.

The Senate bill in itself was a result of the days of negotiations between the Democrats, Republicans and the White House and required the services of US Vice President Joe Biden.

"The House passage of the Senate's bipartisan legislation is a victory for the middle class," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

"Our action permanently extends the middle class tax cut and promotes economic growth, while asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. It extends unemployment insurance for those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own," she said.

"With the passage of this measure, we strengthen the principle that we must have equal parts revenue and spending cuts as we work to reduce our deficit.

"We strengthen our economy through investments in innovation, tax credits for education, and tax breaks to spur the technologies of the future, including renewable energy," Pelosi said.

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