WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement today after his meeting with Secretary Geithner on the need to take serious action to prevent our country from going over the fiscal cliff:

“Republicans have been very clear on the need for the President to put forward a specific, balanced plan for protecting jobs and promoting economic growth for middle class Americans while reducing the debt by strengthening entitlements, reducing Washington spending, and preventing a tax hike on every American taxpayer.

“To date, the administration has remained focused on raising taxes and attending campaign-style events, with no specific plans to protect Medicare and Social Security or reduce our national debt in a meaningful way.  And today, they took a step backward, moving away from consensus and significantly closer to the cliff, delaying again the real, balanced solution that this crisis requires. This is a real problem—every day they delay brings us one step closer to the fiscal cliff that we simply must avoid.

“It’s well past time for the administration to get serious about solving the problems created by years of trillion-dollar deficits and kicking the can down the road. While Republicans have made a good-faith effort to move out of our comfort zones and find real solutions, the administration has yet to provide any realistic alternatives. We have a hard deadline here and the only reason we will go over the cliff is if the White House continues to fail to show the leadership necessary to get an agreement that reflects the compromise the American people expected when they elected a divided government.”