Obama: Growth vs. deficit reduction a false choice

[February 16, 2013]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama says the U.S. doesn't have to choose between growing the economy and shrinking the deficit.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says no American who works full time should live in poverty. He's asking Americans to support his proposals to raise the minimum wage, pass comprehensive immigration reform and incentivize companies to create jobs in the U.S.

He says education, job training and benefits for the elderly shouldn't be sacrificed even as the government seeks spending cuts to reduce its future debt.

In the Republican address, Rep. Martha Roby of Alabama says Congress must protect the military from devastating cuts by averting the automatic spending cuts set to hit on March 1. She says Obama and Democrats want to use the so-called sequester to raise taxes.

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Online:

Obama address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

GOP address:
http://www.youtube.com/HouseConference

[Associated Press; By JOSH LEDERMAN]

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