White House ready to tackle jobs measures

Consensus can be reached on job-creating bills despite harsh words spoken during the debate on raising the U.S. debt limit, a White House spokesman said Monday. President Barack Obama is committed to jobs-creating measures, White House spokesman Jay Carney said, noting a payroll tax cut included in the 2010 tax bill enjoyed bipartisan support. "I think it's important to remember that the president, publicly and vocally, talked about endorsing the idea of including an extension of the payroll tax cut as a grand bargain or a big deal" for raising the debt ceiling and lowering federal deficits, Carney said during a media briefing. "[There] is no question that he will continue to push for this. And he will make the argument that it is absolutely essential to continue to put extra money in Americans' pockets as they deal with high energy prices and high food prices next year as -- because it was so important this year." He said the administration hopes to build on the spirit of compromise that resulted in a framework that would raise the debt limit and cut the underlying federal deficit. "So looking forward, we hope to be able to build on that," Carney said. "And we believe fundamentally that there is broad consensus in Washington that we need to focus on growth and job creation."