White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has told the New York Times that health care will have to wait until after legislation aimed at creating jobs and regulating banks.
Emanuel said he hopes Congress will take up a jobs bill next week and then turn to President Obama’s plan to tax banks to help pay for the TARP program. Then, after looking at an overhaul of financial regulations, they’ll turn to health care.
“All these things start and lead to one place: J-O-B-S,” he said.
Senior Adviser David Axelrod told TPMDC yesterday that it would be “a great political mistake” to walk away from health care — but he didn’t offer a timeline.
“When heads cool a little we will decide the best way to move forward,” he said. “We haven’t transitioned away from it … we are going to take the steps we think hold out the most promise to getting this done.”
Obama wants Congressional Democrats to “go back at it soon,” Axelrod said.
