Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) released the following statement on President Obama’s announcement of a two-year, non-military federal pay freeze:

“I am encouraged by President Obama’s proposal to freeze non-military federal pay for the next two years. This past May, House Republicans—prompted by YouCut voters—offered the very same spending-cut proposal on the floor of the House. The YouCut proposal was one of many specific spending reductions offered by House Republicans over the past two years, and we are pleased that President Obama appears ready to join our efforts. As the recent election made clear, Americans are fed up with a government that spends too much, borrows too much and grows too much.
“Many federal employees do important work, but this is exactly the kind of savings measure we have to make in order to begin to restore some fiscal sanity in America, especially considering recent reports of federal salaries significantly outpacing private-sector salaries. With so many Americans tightening their belts, Washington must do the same.
“I hope that Democrats who are concerned about the debt and America’s dire long-term financial health will join House Republicans in embracing President Obama’s proposal and other YouCuts going forward. We have to work together if we want to transform the culture of spending in Washington into one of savings.”

Cantor has reason to suspect that Democrats will join him on the pay freeze. A number of them openly criticized the Republican version.