Obama pay freeze widens

United States President Barack Obama will freeze the salaries of senior White House officials and other top political appointees to save US$4 million ($5.6 million) in the 2011 financial year, a senior official said.

Obama is expected to mention the move in his State of the Union address today, which will expand last year's pay freeze that affected staff earning more than US$100,000 a year.

It will now include political appointees in the executive branch and in all agencies.