Congress breaks for holiday as fiscal cliff looms

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Tax increases and steep spending cuts are still scheduled to kick in on January 1st, due to the looming fiscal cliff. But President Obama is proposing a "quick-fix" that would help the middle-class avoid the these tax hikes.

As the countdown to the New Year begins, Congress is counting down the days--and soon--the hours they have left to come to some sort of agreement over the "fiscal cliff".

With just a week left until the deadline many Americans are frustrated at Congress, saying that they shouldn't have waited until the last minute.

"I think that they really drag their feet, they just take so much time and it's just too much and it's just too much arguing over the little stuff. [They need to] just.do it. Let's take care of the middle-class people and move onward", said Rose Rodgers of Huntington.

On Friday night, President Obama addressed the nation and explained that he has a short-term plan.

"I've asked leaders of Congress to work towards a package that prevents a tax hike on middle-class Americans, protects unemployment insurance for 2 million Americans, and lays the groundwork for further work on both growth and deficit reduction", said the President.

But this issue has now been put off until the 27th, which is when Congress returns from their Christmas holiday.