Vice President Mike Pence says he won't accept pay raise during government shutdown
Vice President Mike Pence said he wouldn't accept a $12,800 pay raise he was poised to receive as the partial government continues.
A pay freeze for top executive officials was set to expire this weekend , and Pence told reporters at the White House Friday that he wouldn't accept it.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the pay increase was an "unnecessary byproduct of the shutdown."
"The Administration is aware of the issue and we’re exploring options to prevent this from being implemented while some federal workers are furloughed," Sanders said. "Congress can easily take care of this by funding the government and securing our borders.”
The Office of Personnel Management directed federal agencies to hold off on issuing expected pay raises for a number of senior government officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet members, in a memo Friday evening.
Meanwhile, most federal workers aren't collecting paychecks amid the partial government shutdown. President Donald Trump also signed an executive order just days ago to freeze most federal workers' pay at 2018 levels once they start receiving paychecks again.
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Pence and other top officials haven't received a pay raise since 2010, when Former President Barack Obama froze pay for top officials. Since then, Congress has continued the freeze.
Pence's annual pay was set to adjust from $230,700 to $243,500, what it would have been had the position received cost-of-living adjustments.
The president’s salary is set at $400,000 and does not receive an annual cost-of-living salary increase. Trump, however, does not accept any pay, as promised during his campaign.
According to a United States Office of Personnel Management memo, the pay freeze ends on the last day of the last pay period that begins in calendar year 2018, or Jan. 5.
Contributing: Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY. Follow Kaitlin Lange on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Vice President Mike Pence says he won't accept pay raise during government shutdown
