GOP: Don't touch defense, cut social plans

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A freshman Republican senator Saturday called for maintaining the military budget while cutting entitlements as Congress considers ways to cut the national debt.

Delivering the party's weekly media address, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) said "the debate over taxes is done," ABC Radio News reported.

"It's time for serious action," she said. "No more kicking the can down the road. No more using the threat of middle class tax hikes to force last minute deal-making. The debate over taxes is done."

"The problem is not the American people are taxed too little; it's that the federal government spends too much," said Fischer, who was sworn in about a week ago.

"The president will soon ask Congress to raise the nation's debt limit -- again," she said."I believe we cannot agree to increase the borrowing limit without addressing our out-of-control spending."

"I'm 100 percent committed to both reducing spending and meeting my constitutional obligation to defend this nation," she added. However, she said entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were the "primary drivers of our national debt."

"But in order to save these popular programs, we must reform them," she said. "If not, they will no longer exist for future generations and will bankrupt us in the meantime."