Obama freezing pay of top staff; signs ethics rules

Please note, The Ethics rules apply ONLY to executive agency appointees

ETHICS:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and sections 3301 and 7301 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Ethics Pledge. Every appointee in every executive agency appointed on or after January 20, 2009, shall sign, and upon signing shall be contractually committed to, the following pledge upon becoming an appointee:

NOTE IN THE ABOVE- after Jan 20, now go look here and see who this disclosure will not apply due to date appointed: EXEMPT from the above

And...

DISCLOSURE

Executive Privilege / Looks like FOIA will be tougher to get for current and former Presidents. It's not what they say it's what they legislate and issue executive orders on.

Edit to add...

The pay freeze only affects 95 people.

The salary freezes aren't like to impinge on the lifestyle of the highest paid - the chief of staff, counselor to the president, national security adviser, press secretary and other senior staffers who have been paid $168,000 a year in the Bush White House. But Obama says they represent a spirit of sacrifice at a necessary time. The next highest tier of deputy assistants to the president have been paid $153,000 a year and $141,000, with other assistants making $125,000 and less.

Source

[edit on 1/22/09 by redhatty]

Originally posted by redhatty
NOTE IN THE ABOVE- after Jan 20, now go look here and see who this disclosure will not apply due to date appointed: EXEMPT from the above

What would be Obama's authority to sign an Executive Order that would retroactively extend to people appointed before he was President?

Also, this doesn't exclude him from asking the people he has previously appointed to sign the Ethics pledge.

I'm sure you can contact the White House and ask this pertinent question and report back to us

Originally posted by converge
What would be Obama's authority to sign an Executive Order that would retroactively extend to people appointed before he was President?

His position as head of the Executive Branch to Federal Administrative Agencies, also Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution which grants to the President the "executive Power." Section 3 of Article II further directs the President to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."

reply to post by Anonymous ATS

It's a nice gesture, but, gesture's being gesture's, guess what I'm gesturing now about these Amazing First steps. Who cares if he freezes their pay, or holds off how long they can lobby after leaving-- rules which, by the way, already exist-- if they can use their insider knowledge to make stock investments and not be charged with insider trading? What good are these rules when it's all about what their freinds and family get which keep them afloat. Look at Walt Disney, he died the richest- poor man in the World. Having a Dis- Honorable Discharge, he was stripped of his Social Security Number. He couldn't get financial and business accounts open without one-- well, he could under certain Laws as found in the US CFR regarding discrimination and illegal requests for a Social Security Number, but, not enough for what he accomplished-- and what need had he of a Driver's License when he was chauffered everywhere, and Passport, well, financial and account loopholes as mentioned above, bypassed that one, too. Everything was in his brother's name. Yet, do you think it made him any less wealthy. Add to that the foreign standard bypass methods: Swiss Financial Secrecy Laws, Caman Islands Business Account Secrecy Laws, and the plethora of other tools and Countries, why his life is the model, not the example of how Washington works. Make anti- Disney's Road to Wealth Laws and you might eliminate this Mickey Mouse BS we call Government.
Until then, spare me the great strides and first steps.

And FOIA, who cares, call it National Security and you can get the black mark communist syle red- acting play we always get.
Nothing's changed, just the puppet show's cast.

[edit on 22-1-2009 by PhyberDragon]

reply to post by converge

Originally posted by converge

Obama freezing pay of top staff; signs ethics rules

content.usatoday.com

President Obama just announced that the pay of top White House employees is being frozen. ...

The president also announced he's about to sign new ethics rules designed to restrict lobbying by current staff after they leave the administration. ...

Obama also announced he is directing federal agencies to be more open, in part by returning to pre-Bush administration policies regarding the Freedom of Information Act.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Who in government has ever gotten a pay raise in their first year anyway?

The only instance I can think of is the Private/Airman/Seaman who gets a promotion upon graduation from training. None of the President's appointees get that type of training that justifies a promotion.

This pay freeze is much a do about nothing. It is only important to the people who are interested about those interested in creating an image of the President.