The U.S. House of Representatives approved a deal late Tuesday to ease portions of the so-called "fiscal cliff," according to the Huffington Post.

Chelmsford's representative in the House, Niki Tsongas (D-Lowell), voted for the measure along with 171 other Democrats and and 85 Republicans.

The compromise was approved by the Senate at 2 a.m. Tuesday, and despite talk of rejecting it, the House ultimately passed the bill by a vote of 257 to 167.

Sens. John Kerry, D-MA, and Scott Brown, R-MA, both supported the measure in the Senate.

"Just voted for the fiscal cliff bill," Brown said on his Facebook Page at 1:55 a.m on New Year's Day. "Not the full answer but a small step forward. A lot of work next session. Good luck."