President Barack Obama should run any ideas by Congress that he has for nuclear arms reduction, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., tells Newsmax TV.
Obama, speaking in Berlin on Wednesday, called on drastic cuts in America's nuclear arsenal. He said he had not yet begun talks with Russia, leading many to call the plans unilateral.
"Those weapons have been placed there as a deterrent," Capito told Newsmax. "I am leery of making changes in those levels without first of all seeing what Russia's going to do and also without the president coming to Congress to seek guidance and advice."
Obama in the past has indicated he’s prepared to reduce America's nuclear arms arsenal unilaterally and
without Congress’ consent. Capito said she wants Obama to explain his plan to Congress, especially why he thinks he can do so unilaterally and without congressional approval.
"Our government is set up on checks and balances," she said.
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The Government Accountability Office reported Wednesday that the Affordable Care Act may have trouble starting smoothly or on time. Though she has voted multiple times to repeal Obamacare, Capito doesn't hold out hope the president's signature health care legislation will be overturned.
Small business owners and individuals throughout her state have concerns about the program because they can't get accurate information, premiums are going up and "you're mandated to have government between you and your doctor," Capito said.
Still, she said, Americans re-elected Obama knowing that it likely meant the law would go forward.
"We've tried to repeal it, we've tried to defund it with not much success," she said. "So we're going to have to … let the chips fall and see what happens."
Capito also doesn't see much chance of repealing the Dodd-Frank Act, which put stricter controls on the financial services industry following the Great Recession. Many Republicans say it has hindered financial institutions.
"What Dodd-Frank has done has just piled regulations and piled new formulations on top all our financial institutions, our credit unions," Capito said, "and my fear is that the result is going to be constriction of credit, a lack of availability of credit.
The fear among her House Financial Services Committee members is a 40 percent decrease in mortgages.
"That would lead to another constriction in our economy, and that is worrisome," she said.
Capito says she has been assured that the farm bill currently before the House would not take away food stamps from anyone who is qualified to receive them. Obama has threatened to veto $940 billion bill because he says it will leave some Americans hungry.
Some current recipients are not qualified, she said, and some states have worked the numbers to grow the program.
"It's time to rein it in, to take a look at it, and to make sure that those that are hungry are not hungry and that get the right benefits," she said.
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