COLLINSVILLE, IL (KMOX) - With a week remaining before the nation careens off the so-called “fiscal cliff,” taxes are the main focus. But just before Christmas, House Speaker John Boehner’s Plan “B” bill did not get his party’s support so he pulled the bill, leaving at least one Metro East congressman frustrated.

Rep. John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) says he would have voted for the bill because it had many good details, notably alleviating tax increases on 98.7% of all Americans.

“There was not enough support from Republicans to pass this bill,” Shimkus explained. “None of the Democrats are going to vote for it. We’re willing to accept some revenue increases but we really need spending cuts and this bill had nothing to do with spending cuts, it was just a revenue increase and [Republicans] weren’t supportive of it.”

Shimkus says there are always some in each party who are extreme. “And then we have some who don’t want to vote for a single tax increase for anybody.”

Ultimately, Shimkus says he is is not optimistic Congress will avert the fiscal cliff and places much of the blame for that on the Senate.

“Again, we’ve already passed a bill that says ‘don’t increase taxes on anybody’ in August. The Senate could pick that bill up and amend it,” he said.