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MAMARONECK, N.Y. ? Congress will work out a way to avoid sending the nation over the "fiscal cliff," U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel said Tuesday at a meeting of the Local Summit at Mamaroneck's Nautilus Diner.
Nina Recico-Cuddy, meeting chairwoman, asked Engel why he thought this, given the inability of the two political parties to solve budget problems, a press release from the Local Summit said.
The Democratic congressman said he thinks Republicans will be willing to compromise to avert defense spending cuts due to go into effect in January under the Budget Control Act of 2011. As a result, he said, Democrats will have to compromise also.
“It will not be easy,” said Engel, whose district was recently redrawn to include Mamaroneck and Larchmont, now represented by U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey. The district changes go into effect in January. southern Westchester and a section of the North Bronx.
Nancy Pierson, president of the Mamaroneck School Board, said she learned that if the “fiscal cliff” does occur, there will be a $1 billion cut in federal Title 1 education funding and a $900 million cut in special education spending, according to the press release.
Engel said that as a former teacher he will fight hard to prevent education cuts, the press release said.
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