Spending freeze would slow Obama programs-official

WASHINGTON Jan 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama may take more time to deliver on some of his policy promises in light of a proposed spending freeze but is still committed to his core agenda, a top White House official said on Tuesday.

Obama is seeking a three-year freeze on some domestic programs in his 2011 budget that would save $250 billion by 2020, calling into question whether he can make good on expensive promises that range from healthcare reform -- already up in the air politically -- to revamping U.S. energy use.

"The president's objectives haven't really changed," said Rob Nabors, deputy director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget, on a conference call with reporters.

"There are a number of areas, however, where we made commitments to do things over four, five years that will ... perhaps take us six or seven years now."

Specifically, Nabors said the administration would still be focused on "creating an economy that will work in the 21st century," improving the U.S. education system and investing in "clean" energy technology.

"More than anything else, what we are doing is we are slowing the growth of some of these programs while at the same time eliminating things ... that really aren't priorities," he said.

"We're going to be working to perhaps lengthen the amount of time necessary to achieve some of the goals that the president has laid out."

Obama will outline details of the proposed cut in his State of the Union address on Wednesday and in the unveiling of his second budget on Feb. 1.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, editing by Vicki Allen)