WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The Republican leader in the U.S. Senate says when President Obama talks about investments in the future, he is still talking about government spending.
McConnell said there were no areas of government spending that should be off-limits to reductions because that is what the voters signaled they wanted in last November's elections.
"With all due respect to our Democratic friends, any time they want to spend, they call it investment," McConnell said on "Fox News Sunday."
McConnell said he expected Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday to urge support for U.S. business and government programs framed as investments in future economic growth.
"We'll take a look at his recommendations; we always do." McConnell said. "But this is not a time to be looking at pumping up government spending in very many areas."
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Fox News that the recession, not government spending, had caused business to chop scores of jobs. He said investments in education and other areas making the United States more competitive were vital.
"We are still in a recession," Durbin said. "We need to put America back to work. You can't end the deficit unless you start putting America back to work."
