[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 151 (Friday, August 6, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 47433-47434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19596]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 151 / Friday, August 6, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 47433]]

                Memorandum of August 3, 2010

                
Freeze on Discretionary Awards, Bonuses, and 
                Similar Payments for Federal Political Appointees

                Memorandum for the Assistant to the President and Chief 
                of Staff [and] The Heads of Executive Departments and 
                Agencies

                At a time when so many American families are struggling 
                to make ends meet, I am committed to making sure the 
                Federal Government is spending the taxpayers' money 
                wisely and carefully, and cutting costs wherever 
                possible. I am committed to ending programs that do not 
                work, streamlining those that do, and bringing a new 
                responsibility for stewardship of tax dollars. Like 
                households and businesses across the country, the 
                Federal Government is tightening its belt. This effort 
                began during my first days in office, when I froze the 
                salaries of the senior members of my White House Staff.

                As a next step in this effort, I direct you to suspend 
                cash awards, quality step increases, bonuses, and 
                similar discretionary payments or salary adjustments to 
                any politically appointed Federal employee, commencing 
                immediately, and continuing through the end of Fiscal 
                Year 2011. I also direct the Office of Personnel 
                Management to issue guidance, in consultation with the 
                Office of Management and Budget, to assist departments 
                and agencies in implementing this policy.

                In addition to these actions freezing discretionary 
                payments, I have proposed in my Budget for Fiscal Year 
                2011 a salary freeze for senior political appointees 
                throughout the Federal Government. Unlike the 
                administrative action I have taken today in this 
                memorandum, my proposed salary freeze requires 
                legislation, so it cannot be implemented absent 
                legislative action by the Congress.

                I appreciate the hard work of our Federal workforce, 
                and understand how important these payments can be to 
                many workers and their families. Yet like households 
                and businesses across the country, we need to make 
                tough choices about how to spend our funds.

                This memorandum shall be carried out to the extent 
                permitted by law and consistent with executive 
                departments' and agencies' legal authorities. Nothing 
                in this memorandum shall be construed to affect 
                payments or salary adjustments for Federal employees 
                who are not political appointees. This memorandum is 
                not intended to, and does not, create any right or 
                benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law 
                or in equity by any party against the United States, 
                its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, 
                employees, or agents, or any other person.

[[Page 47434]]

                The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is 
                hereby authorized and directed to publish this 
                memorandum in the Federal Register. 
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, August 3, 2010

[FR Doc. 2010-19596
Filed 8-5-10; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3110-01-P