Obama Gives Up 5 Percent of Salary In Solidarity With Feds

President Obama will give 5 percent of his salary back to the Treasury Department in a show of solidarity with federal workers facing unpaid furloughs, according to multiple news reports.

A White House official said Obama would make the gesture to “share in the sacrifice being made by public servants across the federal government that are affected by the sequester,” The New York Times reported.

The pay cut will be retroactive to March 1, the date sequestration hit, according to the Times. Obama is paid $400,000 a year, meaning that the cut over 10 months would amount to about $16,667.

The announcement follows that of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who said Tuesday that he would give up a portion of his salary during the 14-week furlough period Defense civilians face starting in mid-June.

Other government officials who have pledged to take salary cuts to stand with federal workers include Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter; Rep. Tammy Duckworth D-Ill.; and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.