"I think the libertarian argument cuts both ways. I am all for cutting government. Is this the first thing we should cut? I don't really think so."
"Whether to alter the terms of Federal retirement benefits, salaries, or other terms of employment is up to Congress to decide."
"Congress has to be very aware that it is the ones that makes the decisions."
"disability covers a range of infirmities that can go from a slight impairment of your ability to work to a total impairment."
"Like all taxes on earnings, Social Security taxes reduce the award from work, which tends to decrease how much people work."
"I believe the effects would be larger on the small business end than they would be for individuals working for other employers."
"If people don't feel a program is fair, then the political support does tend to fall apart."
"I believe that we need to concentrate on economy-level goals of work, saving, investment, the things that will strengthen the economy."
"I don't believe I have said that public pensions are the cause of the problems."
"What happens in most States is the legislature will set the discount rate that they want to use for the pension."
"The fiscal crisis at the State and local level has many causes. The proximate cause is the significant economic recession, from which the U.S. economy still struggles to recover."