President Barack Obama said on Sunday more tax revenue would be needed to reduce the U.S. deficit and signaled he would push hard to get rid of loopholes such as the “carried interest” tax break enjoyed by private equity and hedge fund managers.
Obama, who won re-election in November largely on his promise to raise rates for the wealthiest Americans, pushed through a legislative package at the beginning of the year that raised rates for individuals making more than $400,000 a year and households making more than $450,000 a year.
In an interview with CBS, Obama said the United States could reduce the deficit and invest in education without raising rates again if it enacted “smart spending cuts” that trimmed government waste, reformed expensive healthcare programs, and closed lucrative loopholes.
“I don’t think the issue right now is raising rates,” Obama said in the interview, broadcast live before the Super Bowl football game.
MORE: Obama: more tax revenue needed to address deficit