(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- North Carolina 13th District Rep. Brad Miller said the federal deficit is not the nation's biggest problem.  He said growing jobs should be the top priority.

"The most pressing thing is getting American back to work. Bringing the unemployment rate down.  That will probably take care of half of the deficit," said Miller. "American's don't pay income taxes if have no income."

Miller also talked about his new assignment as ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee.  He said this is a job that could help research going on in North Carolina. "At NC State they are researching whether they can generate energy through carbon dioxide taken from the atmosphere.  If you think about it for a second the effect of that is enormous.  You can burn all the coal you want if we can take the Co2 right out of the air and use it to produce more energy and the byproduct of that is benign."

Miller made his remarks Thursday afternoon while appearing on News Radio 680 WPTF's Bill LuMaye Show.