With congressional Democrats growing increasingly nervous about the cost of overhauling the nation's health care system, President Barack Obama vowed Saturday to reject any health legislation that would run up the federal deficit. 'I want to be very clear,' Obama said in his weekly address to the nation. 'I will not sign on to any health plan that adds to our deficits over the next decade. And by helping improve quality and efficiency, the reforms we make will help bring our deficits under control in the long term.' Health care legislation is Obama's highest domestic priority, and he has said controlling costs is an essential component of his plan. But his effort hit a big stumbling block last week when the director of the Congressional Budget Office said the bills working their way through the House of Representatives would not bring health costs down over the next decade. Obama's radio address seemed an attempt to address his critics head on. 'The same folks who controlled the White House and Congress for the past eight years as we ran up record deficits will argue -- believe it or not -- that health reform will lead to record deficits,' Obama said. 'That's simply not true.' He argued that his proposals would cut 'hundreds of billions of dollars' in unnecessary spending and change incentives so health providers 'will give patients the best care, not just the most expensive care.' And, he said, he has urged Congress to adopt a plan for a standing commission of doctors and other medical experts to oversee cost-saving measures. 