Obama enacts a pay freeze for Senior White House Staff
On his first day in office, January 20th 2009, President Barack Obama froze the pay of top staff earning more than $100,000 a year.
The pay freeze affects roughly 100 White House employees. “During this period of economic emergency, families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington,” President Obama said. He also used his first day as President to modify rules concerning lobbyists. “If you are a lobbyist entering my administration you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years.”
“Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency,” Obama said.
