Obama Gives Federal Employees Whopping Zero-Dollar Raise 5.01K Jim Newell 11/29/10 12:47PM Filed to: deficits deficits White House Barack Obama Pay freezes Federal Employees Appic Tweetg Barack Obama has negotiated away one of his better bargaining chips — a two-year freeze on all civilian federal salaries — in exchange for... well, nothing. This will save $60 billion over the next decade, while Barack Obama remains despised.