WASHINGTON — Here is what federal lawmakers who represent Butler County said about the “fiscal cliff agreement.”

• U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, of Butler, said in a statement:

“This evening I voted to make permanent tax rates that conservatives crafted years ago for more than 99.3 percent of Americans, including a permanent patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), and to keep many good items in the tax code like the child tax credit.

“We are finally providing some certainty to the economy with regards to taxes ...

“I acknowledge that this bill is far from perfect. That being said, our attention must immediately turn to doing the real spending and tax reform that needs to be done to restore the fiscal health of this country.”

• U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-4th, voted for the bill but did not provide a statement.

• U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Democrat, chairman of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), said in a statement:

“While this deal is far from perfect, the Senate took the appropriate steps to protect the middle class and keep in place common sense measures like the earned income tax credit and unemployment insurance that will help keep the economy on track.

“While we may have avoided some of the immediate catastrophic consequences of the fiscal cliff, there is much more work to be done.

“Moving forward, Republicans and Democrats need to come together to reduce the deficit in smart and responsible ways that protect working families and continue to create jobs.”

• U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, Republican, said in a statement:

“One of my top priorities since coming to Congress has been to pursue policies that maximize economic growth and job creation. Lower taxes do both.

“Consistent with this commitment, today I voted to protect 99 percent of taxpayers from a large tax increase. In addition, we made this tax relief permanent, thereby establishing the predictability necessary to promote economic growth and job creation.

“I had to accept provisions I did not like — my preference would have been to avoid higher taxes for all Americans. But I believe this legislation is the best we could do for taxpayers and job seekers in Pennsylvania.”