House Votes to Freeze Congress, Federal Pay

House lawmakers have voted in favor of a pay freeze for themselves and millions of other people whose paychecks come from Uncle Sam. The House voted 309-117 in favor of extending President Obama's 2-year pay freeze for federal employees, reports the Washington Post. Obama has called for an 0.5% cost-of-living increase for federal workers, and the Senate is expected to reject the House's measure.

Democrats accused House Republicans of playing election-year politics by combining a pay freeze for members of Congress with one for federal workers, calling the bill a "disingenuous and disrespectful attack against federal workers," Reuters reports. Republicans argued that most federal employees eligible for within-grade step increases received them in 2011, receiving an average $1,303 pay bump as a result.