Tuesday brought more than a New Year, it also brought a deal on the fiscal cliff negotiations. For the first time in almost two decades a tax rate increase on the wealthiest of Americans was approved with GOP support. The deal also extends income tax rates on wages and investment profits for households making more than $450,000 a year. And it will continue allowing over 2 million unemployed Americans to collect unemployment insurance. The deal also will generate approximately $600 billion in needed revenue.

The deal also did not touch essential programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and these programs must be left alone. There has been talk in the past of cutting these programs and lawmakers must remember that the majority of Americans want these programs untouched.

With the debt ceiling bearing down upon us, more discussions are needed to address the investment deficit in our economy. We need bold job creation initiatives that can help provide prosperity for all.

Republican leaders have shown they are willing to crash our economy in order to protect the rich as much as they can. We cannot allow them to get away with this when debt ceiling talks begin in the next few weeks.

For a detailed breakdown on the fiscal cliff deal visit: cfor.cc/TwDqg2