WH: Priorities won't suffer budget freeze

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will keep investing in important priorities even though he has proposed a $250 billion budget freeze, his spokesman said Tuesday.

Despite the fact that Obama Monday proposed to save $250 billion over 10 years by freezing some federal spending, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters in Washington the president's commitment to fulfill pricey promises on such items healthcare reform and the development of alternative energy won't be affected by the move.

"We are investing in what we believe is important to invest in," Gibbs said. "We're cutting in programs that we think have outlived their usefulness and that need to be cut."

The White House spokesman said Obama's budget would save money not by "wielding an across-the-board axe," but by eliminating "programs that are duplicative or serve what he believes is no important purpose."

"The President and the economic budget team put together a budget obviously that reflects the priorities that the President sees for the future of our country, including building the new foundation of which education and clean energy jobs is a tremendous part," Gibbs said.