U.S. Rep Adam Kinzinger voted for the bill that averts the fiscal cliff, though he said he wanted it to include spending cuts. (WJBC file photo)

By Eric Stock

WASHINGTON - Republican congressmen Tim Johnson, Aaron Schock and Adam Kinzinger all voted for the U.S. Senate bill which avoids the fiscal cliff, though a majority of House Republicans voted against the measure.

Kinzinger, of Manteno, said in a news release he voted for the bill because it extends the Farm Bill through the end of the fiscal year, extends the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate for a year and makes permanent the current death tax policy. Kinzinger added that he wanted "necessary spending cuts."

"In the coming months, the Senate and White House must work with us to tackle serious fiscal reforms including the sequester and the debt ceiling," Kinzinger said. "The American people chose a divided government in Washington and they're counting on us to work together."

Americans to see higher taxes

Most workers will still be paying more in taxes, despite the bill passed by Congress that staves off the ``fiscal cliff.''

That's because the budget deal, which averts widespread income tax increases, does nothing to stop the Social Security tax increase, which took effect Jan. 1.

President Obama says now that Congress has averted the ``fiscal cliff'' it needs to raise the $16.4 trillion federal borrowing limit so the government can keep paying its bills.

Obama says that ``if Congress refuses to give the United States government the ability to pay these bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy would be catastrophic, far worse than the impact of a fiscal cliff.''

Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.