President Obama insisted Sunday that additional tax revenue will need to be part of future deficit deals, but said hikes in tax rates may not be necessary.
In a pre-Super Bowl interview with CBS, the president outlined his vision for further deficit reduction, which he said was essential, but in a way that preserves the government’s ability to continue spending on key programs.
He also emphasized that the seemingly continuous stream of Washington standoffs was wreaking havoc on confidence in the U.S. economy.
Republicans have insisted that the revenue side of the deficit equation was dealt with during “fiscal cliff” talks, which resulted in a compromise that saw rates climb on the nation’s top earners. But Obama flatly rejected the notion that future talks would explicitly focus on spending.
“There is no doubt we need additional revenue, coupled with smart spending reductions, in order to bring down our deficit,” he said.
Obama said that a serious deficit reduction plan would combine “smart spending cuts,” reforms to healthcare programs, and tax reform that eliminates loopholes and specific deductions.
“If you combine those things together, then we can not only reduce our deficit, but we can continue to invest in things like education and research and development…without raising rates again,” he said.
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