President Obama follows the lead of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, giving up some salary because the sequester is forcing layoffs
barack-obama

(Photo: Susan Walsh, AP)
Story Highlights

Obama plans to give up 5% of his salary because of sequester
Aides say Obama is showing solidarity with federal employees facing furloughs
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel also forfeiting some pay

President Obama plans to take a 5% salary cut in support of federal workers who are going to be furloughed, officials said Wednesday.

The decision comes a day after a similar move by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Obama's move is retroactive to March 1, the first day the ongoing $85 billion in budget cuts known as the sequester began to take effect.

The president's base salary is $400,000 a year; 5% adds up to $20,000.

Because Congress sets the president's salary by law, his actual pay check cannot be reduced; Obama will have to honor the voluntary pay cut by returning money to the Treasury.

Hagel and Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter have announced plans to give up part of their pay because some 700,000 civilian workers face mandatory furloughs this summer. No other Cabinet member has publicly announced a similar move.

Two administration officials discussed Obama's plans on the condition they not be named while discussing the president's personal finances.

Said one official: "The salary for the President, as with Members of Congress, is set by law and cannot be changed. However, the President has decided that to share in the sacrifice being made by public servants across the federal government that are affected by the sequester, he will contribute a portion of his salary back to the Treasury."

A few members of Congress also have announced self-imposed pay cuts. Lawmakers' salaries are exempted from the sequester, so any reductions in pay are voluntary.

Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, who is up for re-election in 2014, said Wednesday that he will return a portion of his $174,000 salary to the Treasury. "We need to be making responsible cuts wherever we can and there is no reason that members of Congress shouldn't feel the pinch like everyone else," he said in a statement.

More than half of the senator's staff will take a pay cut this year, he said, and his office began furloughs in March.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has also said she will volunteer a portion of her salary.

The Senate approved an amendment last month authored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to establish a reserve fund to lessen the sequester's impact by allowing members of Congress to donate 20% of their salaries to it. However, it was a non-binding vote to the budget resolution and does not have the force of law.

Congress returns next week from the two-week spring recess. Begich said he intends to work with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to cut "billions" more in federal spending, and "I hope my colleagues come back from the holidays ready to get to work."

Prior to adjourning for the spring recess, the GOP-controlled House approved reduced funding levels for the chamber's 21 committees, but not for lawmakers. The approximate 11% reduction in spending from 2012 is mandated under the sequester.

House Administration Committee Chairman Candice Miller, R-Mich., said the cuts were necessary and "will undoubtedly challenge each committee to do more with less."


from USA today


obama is such a good guy...

well, he certainly isnt in it for the money

if he isnt gonna sacrifice time with his family (for which I applaud him)

he can match the sacrifice congress has asked of other employees

it would be nice if all such cuts to the livelihoods of americans were matched by politicians,

He needs to return his Presidency! what a joke of a President!

dont work that way though

in my twenty years of voting, been some I would have rather skipped, but thats life,, the majority disagreed, the government kept running,, and it will continue to

whichever person happens to be in the white house,,,

WOW! why are so many people totally brainwashed over this horrible horrible human being? you whorship this man like he is a god! he hates this country and he sure in the hell does not care about you. 5%, what a joke!

yea, that 20,000 will help out a lot... it doesn't even cover the salary of his shoe polisher... i do appreciate the gesture, but it makes me laugh more than anything else... why does he need to get paid for the presidency anyway? doesn't he make millions from his books that he lies in?

it would be nice to have a non muslim, non lying, non entitlist that doesn't hate America as president too...

firstly, so many people (myself included) do not personally know this man AT ALL, so we decide from his behaviors, words, etc,, what his character is and whether we 'like him'

secondly, anyone who would worship a man, seems to me, would be expecting him to be perfect,, they would be the most deflated by imperfections and the most vocal about them

personally, I have never thought he was a God, though I knew many would be lying in wait to hold him up to a Gods standards and expectations,

most of what we incur builds up over time, and then we want an instant resolution/instant gratification to resolve it,, he came in as the one soem were looking to to provide that..too sad for those people



he is a president ( a human being) who has made some good and bad choices like EVERY PRESIDENT(And human being) BEFORE HIM, I see no proof of any 'hate' for the country or an absence of 'caring' for people in general,,,,

same old regurgitated myths

muslims dont attend baptist church, actually be WRUNG Through the political ringer because of which baptist church they attend even

there isnt a president who hasnt 'lied', (since any campaign promise not achieved is referred to as such)

hard to imagine an entitlist comeing from where he has and getting to where he is

and again, no evidence of hating america,,,,

he needs to get paid for all the BS that comes with it, not just for him but for his family, and all the reponsibility,, like EVERY PRESIDENT BEFORE HIM

Is someone still promoting the false claim that President Obama is a Muslim?

Also, President Obama doesn't hate America.

lol that is nothing. Why not give up his whole salary if he wants to make an impression? He has books and other areas where he makes money and he would probably do fine w/o taking any money from the government. In fact, let him make it tax deductible lol.

The only irony I see in this is the furloughed workers are losing a days pay, or 20%. If they want to show solidarity they should return 20% too.

What makes you think he hates this country? He's been working in the public sector for over 20 years, and he's currently taking a 5% salary cut in a job that pays less than he'd make in the civilian world. That's sacrifice and service, there.

Obama's no god, but he's doing a pretty good job as President, and if Republicans in Congress could just get over not getting their guy elected and actually work with the President (who, once again, WON the election) instead of insisting on their rejected policies without compromise, then the country and economy would be better off.

because he is earning it, but it would be pretty historic for a president to take that responsibility free of any compensation,,,

if a person runs four companies, or has four jobs, he doesnt forfeit income from any of those jobs just because of how much he makes at the other three,,,

The DoD is only to furloughing 5% (14 days). Not the 20% of other agencies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2013/03/28/defense-department-to-reduce-furlough-days-to-14/

that would be something,,,,

Well you can't say he's not doing something.

I agree

in the end, the salaries are not much of a concern to me

Im much more interested in seeing the government work TOGETHER (all 536 of them) for americans instead of fighting to be 'right' and 'win',,,,against each other,,,