By MATTHEW DOLAN,COREY BOLES and JOSH MITCHELL,Wall Street Journal
Obamacare will be as much of a disaster as Obamaclunkers program
White House officials and lawmakers were studying late Thursday how to keep alive the government’s cash-for-clunkers incentive program because of concerns the program’s $1 billion budget may have been exhausted after just one week.
Obama administration officials warned congressional leaders Thursday it planned to suspend the program at midnight. But the White House released a statement late Thursday saying that completed deals would be honored and the program is still under review.
A White House official said,"We are working tonight to assess the situation facing what is obviously an incredibly popular program. Auto dealers and consumers should have confidence that all valid [cash-for-clunker] transactions that have taken place to-date will be honored."
Lawmakers are discussing with White House officials where to find funding —including possibly tapping the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program,or TARP,a congressional aide said.