John McCain, the Republican senator from Arizona, said on Tuesday that President Barack Obama’s fiscal cliff deal is a “game changer” for the GOP.
“We can’t wait for President Obama to come up with a plan that’s affordable, that doesn’t create new entitlements, and that doesn�t put our nation on a path to permanent default,” McCain said in a statement.
“The president’s plan is a game changter that gives every American and every American family the ability to keep their jobs, keep their homes, and keep their businesses going.”
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted Tuesday night to send a bill that would end the tax cuts for all Americans, slash military spending, and reduce military spending in other areas by an estimated $500 billion over the next decade.
McCain said that the legislation was an example of how Republicans could work with Democrats on issues such as the economy and foreign policy.
The deal was reached after a lengthy negotiation with Democrats and President Donald Trump, who is opposed to the plan.
The White House has said the bill was negotiated with the President’s support.
McCain, who has been a fierce critic of Obama and other Republicans, was among the first senators to call the deal a “disaster” and a “dismal failure.”
“The President, his party, his administration, have created a mess, they have destroyed the economy, they are the one responsible for this, they deserve to pay for it,” McCain told ABC News.
“It’s time for a new era in American politics.”
The deal will end the automatic tax cuts that will take effect in 2021.
That could allow some middle-class Americans to see a tax increase, while many people will pay more in taxes.
McCain and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that if Democrats refuse to accept the deal, Republicans will force the Senate to consider legislation that includes more than $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
McCain’s statement was in response to a question about how the deal could affect the GOP’s long-term plans for Medicare.
“I think it’s going to create an enormous burden for the future and a huge burden for Medicare for the foreseeable future,” McCain responded.
“And we are going to have to deal with it.”