President Trump has issued an order freezing federal workers' pay next year, reports CNN.
President Trump has reportedly signed an executive order blocking a pay increase for federal workers.
According to CNN, the order prevents a 2.1 percent pay increase from taking effect on January 1, though U.S. troops will still get a 2.6 percent pay boost as part of a larger defense spending bill passed in August.
Trump had announced the pay freeze in August, telling Congressional leaders in a letter: "We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases."
"Across-the-board pay increases and locality pay increases, in particular, have long-term fixed costs, yet fail to address existing pay disparities or target mission critical recruitment and retention goals," he added.
His administration also faces a soaring budget deficit driven up, in part, by Republican-led tax cuts.