WASHINGTON, Jan. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Conference of Mayors President Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter today issued the following statement on the Senate's budget agreement:

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"On behalf of the mayors in cities all across the country, I am pleased that the Senate has finally been able to reach an agreement to pull our country from the brink of the fiscal cliff.  One of the most basic responsibilities of the members of Congress is to find a fair and balanced approach to the budget process to protect the people who elect them to office -- most of whom are middle class.  And in the face of tax hikes on middle-income Americans, the Senate has made progress.  We now call on the House to act.

"While the Senate was able to reach an initial agreement and we wait on the House to make the right choice for the American people and follow suit with a deal, I implore Congress to stop kicking the can down the road and to do what is right for hard-working citizens who rely on domestic programs that are now slated for deep, automatic cuts.  These are the people that keep our national economy moving forward, and we owe them nothing less than to ensure their ability to thrive."

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,295 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors