While acknowledging the U.S.’s budget problems, hedge fund guru Carl Icahn says now is not the time to be focusing on reducing the country’s deficit. “I think at this time, it’s not the time to be so obsessed about the deficit as it is to put these people back to work,” Icahn tells CNBC. Icahn also defends the Federal Reserve and Ben Bernanke, saying that Bernanke “did a great job” and that the Fed “saved this country” when the financial crisis hit in 2008. “I think if you hadn’t had that Fed come in — we were really on the precipice,” he says.