SEQUESTER GESTURE

Obama to Return 5 Percent of Salary

In solidarity with furloughed federal workers.

Fear not, furloughed federal workers! You may not be able to work because of the inability of stubborn politicians to cooperate with one another, but at least the president feels your pain. As a gesture of solidarity with the federal workers whose income will be sacrificed as a result of the sequester budget cuts, President Obama will return 5 percent of his salary—from March 1 through the rest of the calendar year—to the Treasury. Not one to be one-upped by his own appointees, Obama made the decision to cut a check to the Treasury after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter announced they’d be doing the same. Five percent of 10 months’ worth of a presidential salary—$400,000—comes out to $16,667.