October 26: Kaptur Defends Medicare, Social Security
Job creation is the best solution to America's budget deficit, Congresswoman Kaptur (OH-9) said in a national television interview.
Congresswoman Kaptur also criticized any attempt to make unreasonable cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
Appearing on "Lou Dobbs Tonight" on the Fox Business Channel, Congresswoman Kaptur said the Select Committee on Deficit Reduction simply must complete its work by a Nov. 23 deadline. "They better get the job done," she said. If the committee fails to reach agreement on $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction measures, automatic cuts will take effect, half of which would come from national defense.
"The most important thing we can do is to create jobs in this economy, starting in small business, and make goods in America again," Congresswoman Kaptur said. "Without putting those 14-24 million Americans who are currently out of work back to work, they're not going to be able to get to a robust economy with just austerity. They have to make decisions that create jobs in this country."
Kaptur said the government could save billions of dollars with common-sense solutions such as bulk pricing of pharmaceuticals, but drew the line at unreasonable cuts in Social Security and Medicare.
"If they save money that way, I support it," she said. "If they cut into the bone of senior citizens who are in nursing homes across this country, with bed sores and unable to have decent nursing care, I can't go there."
Congresswoman Kaptur said Congress itself must do a better job. "We have to exercise our powers ... We just can't put in the kinds of days that we had yesterday and today when we weren't legislating most of the day and committees weren't meeting most of the day."
Congresswoman Kaptur defended President Obama from her fellow guest, Republican Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), who called the president "irrelevant."
Kaptur said: "I can't agree with that. If it were not for this president, we would not have an automotive industry left in this country. We can't be extreme in our statements; we have to be more measured. And certainly for our part of the country, the rescue of the automotive industry ... has been a big job creator in our region."