Rep. Becerra on fiscal cliff negotiations: Elections have consequences

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) tells CNN’s Soledad O’Brien that the Republican plan fails the test of fairness and there will be a deal once they let go of the Bush tax cuts for the top two percent.

Rep. Becerra says, “The Republican plan failed the very first test of fairness. It went after the middle class. It protects all millionaires and billionaires from the Bush tax cuts or keeping the Bush tax cuts…. It also, by the way, went after seniors. It tells them you shouldn’t get that $21 on average cost of living increase, for the cost of your food, your medicine. But we’ll go ahead and let the millionaires keep the $78,000 or so, they get in one year, in tax breaks.”

He continues, “Soledad, elections have consequences. And the president ran his campaign for two years saying he was going to let the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent expire. He was very clear about that. For Republicans, they do everything possible to shield the millionaires and billionaires from that tax increase, is the reason we’re still stuck. The moment they let go of that, we have a deal.”

Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien airs weekday mornings from 7-9a ET on CNN.