Spending Freeze Will Only Affect Some Programs, Says White House Official

By Benny Martinez - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Not everyone will feel the wrath of President Barack Obama’s three-year spending freeze, said Rob Nabors, Deputy Director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget.

“When we talk about the freeze, this is not an across the board cut,” Nabors said Tuesday during a conference call with reporters.

Nabors said that only the programs that have stalled, are not achieving their mission and those of lower priority will be subject to the President’s proposed freeze.

“We made a series of decisions where some programs are actually getting increases, some programs are getting decreased,” he said. “We’re looking at programs individually.”

When asked if Congress will be able to tackle a job creation bill in the nine months before the freeze takes effect at the beginning of FY2011 in October, Nabors responded, “yes, we will be able to put people back to work and make sure that the economy is growing.”