White House economic adviser says he can’t rule out a tax hike to pay for health care overhaul

White House adviser won’t say no to tax increase

WASHINGTON — A top White House adviser says he can’t rule out a tax on middle-class Americans to pay for President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

As a candidate, Obama pledged not to raise taxes for most Americans. But economic adviser Larry Summers says he cannot promise that Obama will stick to that campaign pledge.

Summers says it’s too early to tell what will be needed to pay for a broad restructuring of how people receive health care.

Summers says controlling health care costs will be crucial to reducing the deficit. He says the health of the economy is directly tied to how Americans take care of their own health.

Summers appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.”