Obama To Freeze Pay Of Top White House, Administration Officials

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to freeze the salaries of his top aides at the White House and appointees across his government.

A senior administration official said Tuesday that Obama likely will talk about the freeze when he speaks to Congress on Wednesday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the speech before Obama delivers it.

This year's move follows a gesture Obama made last year when he froze salaries of White House aides who make more than $100,000. He also denied bonuses to political appointees and will do so again this year.

Officials said the real impact of the pay freeze would be minimal and was a symbolic gesture to the public.

The move was first reported on The Washington Post's Web site.

Comments

[Ipanemagirl]

01:42 PM on 01/27/2010

just get rid of lobbyists and corporate funding, and we should all be the better off for it!

[Dangerous Dan]

12:56 PM on 01/27/2010

Just remember,
The Only people behind Mr. Obama tonight will be Biden, Pelosi, and Reid.
Symbolic of his support base, and I would have Secret Service watching them.
A 3 year lame Duck.

[junebug62]

10:34 AM on 01/27/2010

the lobbyist will make up the difference and all will be just peachy

[AGlobalCitizen]

10:31 AM on 01/27/2010

I tell you people are the most unpredictable species.

Yesterday when this news came out most were saying : "Is he crazy? How can he freeze spending in such economic turnoil?" He should spend more. No Way, No More Obama"

Today they announce that this will apply to the salaries of top WH officials. : "What ? Freeze? He should cut their pay! No Way, No More Obama"

Crazy!

[boscobear]

10:09 AM on 01/27/2010

Why not cut their salaries in half? Then they would know how most Amercians feel! Do the same for Congress and the Supreme Court!!

[wilson0004]

10:01 AM on 01/27/2010

Like Social Security has been held up, this should let them see how it feels. Why doesn't the president give back half his salary, as well. This is a token gesture, and truly means nothing.

[journey80]

09:48 AM on 01/27/2010

Not enough. Put them on Wall Street's payroll, where they belong.

[SPQR1775]

09:24 AM on 01/27/2010

The CONGRESS needs to follow behind and FREEZE THEIR'S AS WELL. THEY GIVE THEMSELVES A FEW THOUSAND DOLLAR raises each year even in a Bad economy. OBAMA mean business and people are screaming because they know their time of arrogance and BSing the people is OVER! OBAMA means Blessing, and HOPE and new beacon to illuminate the way with TRUTH!! Down with the Reptiles, Down with the Clones, Down with their NET OF DECEIT, LIES AND MATRIX PRAPAGHANDA!

[Anita-indep]

09:23 AM on 01/27/2010

Freezing pay for top people in the WH and administration is never going to affect their lifestyles! My daughter works for an organization that sometimes pay for the airfares of Congressional staffers. She told me about a staffer flying to Stockholm who REFUSED to fly economy; her org. only pays economy. In this end, this staffer got his Congressional committe to pony up $10,000 [yes, TEN thousand!] for a business class flight! He's flying TODAY, so this is not a story from yester-year.

[americanwhoserved]

09:16 AM on 01/27/2010

Sounds similiar to the "pay freeze" that Veterans and those on Social Security got this year due to the corrpupt measurement of the actual cost of living. I hope they enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed mine.

[dwal1]

09:10 AM on 01/27/2010

Outsource, like the White House has done with jobs of real Americans

[pointyheadprodigy]

08:56 AM on 01/27/2010

OOOOH how hardcore! Since he immediately rolled over on the issues that won him office this latest feckless move is just not worth the breath taken to utter it.

How about ummm, lets see, WARS, WAR CRIMES, TORTURE, GITMO, the CRIMINALLY STUPID BAILOUTS, the ECONOMY, etc., etc.

Apparently he preferes to be a really superlatively CRAPPY one term President and paver of the road to perdition than to do anything to make a positive difference. What a disappointment!

[Dupree]

08:52 AM on 01/27/2010

Correction to Post: I meant to say the following:

"I am of the conviction that until we as citizen recognizes our own much needed PARTICIPATION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS that this country is facing and stop looking for a Czar DAD to fix everything for us.....for there is someone always waiting for the next guy to step up the action to enact change and hope...why not look in the mirror."

[Dupree]

08:48 AM on 01/27/2010

We are a pathetic nation of cynical people. No gesture made is ever appropriate. He don't do this...and they whine...and then they whine when he do this.....or that....I am convinced that we are just too negative for our own good. Negativity breeds negativity and Positivity breeds positivity. I am of the conviction that until we as citizen recognizes our own needed contribution to the problems that this country is facing and stop looking for a Czar DAD to fix everything for us.....for there is someone always waiting for the next guy to step up the action to enact change and hope...why not look in the mirror.

What can you do to make OUR lives in this country better...one person at a time? What is YOUR plan besides dictating what every other person elected or not...should be doing and complaining without ceasing? Any one can complain....but how do YOU impact change beyond your moaning and groaning?

[RightOn5]

08:38 AM on 01/27/2010

Should be back to what it was before he came into office Retroactive cuts. The Czars should be eliminated or cut back as well. And then there are all those AF1 leisure trips and fancy parties with fois gras or pizza chefs flown in from St Louis The two trips to Denmark for the muckymucks with spouses costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. With the people struggling it is very Banana Republic to have the leaders living high off the hog Chavez style.