 US President Barack Obama arrives to make a statement in the White House Briefing Room following passage by the House of tax legislation, in Washington, DC, USA, 01 January 2013. The House and Senate have now both passed the legislation, averting the so-called fiscal cliff. The US House of Representatives followed the Senate in approving a deal  to reduce the tax hikes and postpone the spending cuts that kicked in with the new year.  EPA/Brendan Hoffman / POOL