Obama to give up 5% of salary in wake of 'sequester' cuts
By Kristen Welker, White House Correspondent, NBC News
President Obama will return 5 percent of his salary to the U.S. Treasury when other federal workers are being furloughed as part of the mandatory budget cuts that took effect earlier this year, NBC News has confirmed.
The New York Times, which broke this story, adds:
The voluntary move would be retroactive to March 1 and apply through the rest of the calendar year, the official said. The White House came up with the 5 percent figure to approximate the level of automatic spending cuts to non-defense federal agencies that took effect that day.
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, [an administration] official said.
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013 … -cuts?lite
Well if he is trying to bolster his ratings and show good will by this action, I think it should be more. As a matter of fact, all of the Congress should take a salary cut!
President Obama should give up 50% of his salary; Congress should do the same.
I'll believe when I see it. Obama has made so many broken promises that he has lost his credibility with this voter.
The Frog
We'd be better of paying the five percent and getting him to cut one of his vacations. Those cost a lot more than the five percent. My favorite is when he sent his daughter, Malia Obama, to vacation in Mexico, with her closest friends. What did that cost taxpayers, $115,000?
All presidents squander our money, but this one lives the life of a king. It's okay though, he's going to take a five percent pay cut.
He and his family live no better than previous presidents have.
In 4 years he will have given up $80,000 or the equivalent of a 2014 Jaguar F-Type.
What a joke!
No president has ever lived out of the salary they get. A salary is for the presidents just loose change and the 5% cut will not change Obama's extravagant life style.
Should the rest of us be so fortunate as to have all our expenses paid for, I guess most people would be happy to cut their salaries even more.
Other presidents have squandered money too. I guess my bias was evident. My point, however, wasn't that he lives more lavishly than previous presidents, though my bias certainly showed that viewpoint. My point was that his five percent cut will have absolutely no impact on his lifestyle, and it will do very little to balance our budget. It is a drop in the bucket, a symbolic statement at best. IF the sequester really does require cuts like this, he could cut a vacation, and that would save a lot more money than his pay cut, perhaps two drops in the bucket of debt. . . I'm not saying he's getting more vacations than previous presidents. I'm not bashing the POTUS. I'm bashing the perks and wasteful spending associated with the position. That position can afford a 5% cut and a lot more.
The same could be said of some of the rich CEO's. I don't really feel too sorry to hear them say that they can't afford to upgrade their private plane this year. To me, it's even worse when it's a public servant, regardless of political identity.
Well, if 5% is no big deal, I'm sure you wouldn't mind wiring me 5% of your yearly income. I mean, it's just 5%, right? No big deal, right?
Do you even read what people write? My point was that people like the president and a CEO can afford that kind of cut. Reread what I wrote.
Isn't that the point of the war on the rich? The rich can afford to pay more because they have more, that what I have been told. The President is paid 400,000 a year but he doesn't spend his own money on the White House mortgage he isn't buying groceries for the family. Everything is supplied by the taxpayer plus 400,000 thousand a year. Not to mention he is already a millionaire from book sales.
Perhaps. I am opposed to such a war. I must say, however, that this symbolic gesture is just that, and there are better ways for our government to save money.
His action doesn't impress me. I want the government, the elite, the corporations to sacrifice to the country too?
Good for him. He should do more, he can afford it(that's what the left always says anyway).
I'm irritated, because I think this is typical politics, the kind both sides play. This whole sequester is a joke. The White House tours, the White House Easter, and President Obama's salary are really what is/was up for grabs because of the sequester? It's politics. It's all for show.
I don't begrudge people for being successful, but claiming that you too are taking one for the team is ridiculous when your salary and living conditions are as high as his. A 5% pay cut to the POTUS is negligible.
How nice of him. After his instruction to "make it hurt" I gave up 10.7% and believe me it does hurt.
Somehow I don't think he'll miss his 5% quite as much as I'll miss my 10.7.
by zzron 12 years ago
Maybe the word hate is a little strong. So why do people dislike President Obama and the way he is running the country? Are you an Obama fan? Yes, no, what is your opinion of Obama and his policies?
by Grace Marguerite Williams 12 years ago
Election time is nearer and nearer. It is time now for President's Obama assessment. What grade you give President Obama so far? Please detail what grade you would give and why?
by Grace Marguerite Williams 10 years ago
the United States, are YOU happy with or regret the choice that you have made? Why? Why not?
by SparklingJewel 12 years ago
and have alienated middle class democratsduhhhh, wonder why it took them so long to wake uphttp://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/ … mas/538141
by ChenardRobinson 12 years ago
Ever since the President has stepped into office he has been wrong. Its almost as if white people forgot to vote in 2008 and President Obama stole the seat. I would like to take you on a journey over the last four years to put into perspective of how racially divided we have come in the last four...
by Sychophantastic 8 years ago
Now that President Obama is wrapping up his second term and is widely regarded as one of the greatest presidents of the United States, a movement is afoot to have him added to Mt. Rushmore. Who's face do you think Obama's should replace? I'm voting for Thomas Jefferson since Jefferson owned slaves.
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