WASHINGTON, Jan. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement in reaction to the U.S. Senate's approval of a fiscal cliff deal early this morning:

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"President Obama and Congress have had months to take care of what has been dubbed the fiscal cliff of massive tax increases, the looming debt crisis and devastating cuts to our U.S. military. This dysfunctional Congress literally waited until the last minutes of 2012 to propose a deal that fails to address these real concerns. Even Democratic Senatorial Campaign Chair Michael Bennet (D-CO) slammed the bill for its failure to reduce the debt.

"With no spending cuts or entitlement reform, how does this deal solve our nation's fiscal problems?

"To make matters worse, President Obama's fiscal cliff deal would impose a marriage penalty on many American families. For real, long term solutions to our nation's fiscal problems, the government should not be working to further dissuade couples from getting married.

"Research out of Family Research Council's Marriage and Religion Research Institute routinely shows that married couples with children create the most capital and generate the most income on average. This economic activity leads to higher revenue for government and more capital for economic expansion. Why then would we penalize marriage? We should be encouraging family formation, not penalizing it.

"This deal fails the American people by allowing for more runaway spending from the federal government. President Obama has made it clear he has no real intention to address Washington's out of control spending problem. By voting for this package, Congress gives the green light to finance his liberal agenda and further burden taxpayers," concluded Perkins.

SOURCE Family Research Council