http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/obamas-federal-worker-pay-freeze.phpPresident Obama proposed a two year freeze on federal employee compensation today, just ahead of a Tuesday post-election meeting with the GOP leaders. The proposal was originally put forward by Republicans in recent months -- and slammed by Democrats.
The move is reminiscent of Obama's call for a freeze on non-defense discretionary spending in the days after Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) won deceased Sen. Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in a special election earlier this year. The gesture resulted in no meaningful counter-gesture from the GOP and the administration's natural allies questioned the move. It's likely to be no different today.
In recent months, Democrats have attacked Republicans for proposing federal pay and hiring freezes, and experts have derided the idea of attacking massive budget deficits with small-fry initiatives like this one.
On the Senate floor in June, now-retired Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE) whacked a Republican amendment that would have frozen federal pay as an "assault" against "those who choose to serve."
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