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BY JOE POTENTE, Kenosha News

Just because he voted for the “fiscal cliff” compromise earlier this week didn’t mean U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan liked it.

The Janesville Republican didn’t care for the bill’s lack of attention to spending cuts and debt.

And he didn’t like the fact that it contained any tax increases, albeit those only affecting the nation’s top wage earners.

“But at the end of the day,” Ryan said in a Thursday telephone interview, “if this did not pass, every taxpaying family, every working family in the 1st District of Wisconsin, would have been hit with a massive tax increase.”

So, in spite of his misgivings, as Ryan explained, “If you think a bill should pass, you ought to vote for it.”

That position put Ryan in the minority of the House GOP caucus, and it set him in contrast with other congressional Republican stars such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who called the cliff compromise an impediment to “rapid economic growth and job creation,” The Associated Press reported.

Ryan said he agrees with Rubio’s assessment, given that the bill did not reduce tax rates for all.

“I think having high tax rates on successful small businesses, which are big job creators, puts us at competitive disadvantage in the global economy and will hurt growth,” Ryan said. “But I think the question was, ‘Will taxes raise for everybody, or 2 percent?’”

Now on to budget

The New Year’s Day House vote, taken after marathon negotiations between the White House and Congressional leaders, forestalled across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts that were to take effect Jan. 1 if Congress took no action.

Looking forward, Ryan looks to use his position as House Budget Committee chairman to author a plan that will get at the spending cuts and deficit reduction that he bemoans the cliff bill for lacking.

But, Ryan acknowledges, that effort could be in vain, as anything that passes the Republican-controlled House must make it through a Senate in which Democrats increased their majority in the November election.

“We need to make divided government work,” Ryan said. “And we simply cannot hide from the fact that spending is a problem here, which is driving our debt.”

Ryan said his committee will come forward with a budget likely in March or April. Prior to that, he said he will be working on debt-limit legislation.

As for whether the ultimate passage of this week’s compromise is a sign that maybe this divided Congress can get some work done, Ryan admitted he is not so sure.

“That was a bill that cut taxes — that’s popular,” Ryan said. “Cutting spending is more difficult. I wouldn’t read a lot into it.”

http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/ryan_votes_for_cliff_bill_aims_at_spending_cuts_469441187.html