Until January 1st, Congress and the President have to agree on the plan to______

US government is getting closer to the edge of the fiscal cliff.(23)Congress and the President have until January 1st to agree on the plan to lower the country’s debt. If they don’t come up with a deal, we know that taxes will go up for all Americans, and government spending will also get cut. Ted Rowlands looks at what that might mean for one city.
    (24)First and foremost, if Congress doesn’t act, defense spending will be slashed by 55 million next year and 450 billion over ten years. Next, is healthcare. If Congress doesn’t act, medicare payment will initially drop by two percent. There is a cut to public education, which the National School Board Association said could have a profound effect if Congress doesn’t act. And there are potential cuts to social services. More than 12 percent of Rock Island’s population lives below the poverty line. And of course, there are the tax hikes.