Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued the following statement regarding President Barack Obama’s plan to avoid the impending fiscal cliff and potential $26.5 million sequestration cuts to San Francisco and encouraging Congress to find a bi-partisan and balanced solution:

“Falling off the fiscal cliff and triggering the sequestration cuts will be devastating to our national economy as well as the economies of our nation’s cities. President Obama and our Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi have shown tremendous leadership in forging a plan that grows the economy and shrinks the deficit. Now is time for Congress to act to avoid tax hikes on the middle class families and extend unemployment insurance for two million Americans who are about to lose their benefits. It is important for both the House and the Senate to act together immediately and pull us back from the brink of this looming cliff, for San Francisco, our cities and the nation.”