“I welcome President Obama’s announcement, and hope he will build on it by embracing much-needed steps to reduce both the size and the cost of government, including the net federal hiring freeze Republicans propose in our Pledge to America,” he said in a statement. “Today’s action is a clear indication that the Pledge to America, which lays out concrete steps to cut spending and reduce the size of government, is the right plan to address the people’s priorities. Republicans and Democrats don’t have to wait until January to cut spending and stop all the tax hikes. We can — and should — start right now.”

The administration called for all non-military federal employees to not receive raises in 2011 and 2012, in an attempt to help rein in the federal budget deficit.

The GOP’s Pledge to America was unveiled in advance of this fall’s elections, which saw Republicans retake the House of Representatives and tighthen the gap in the Senate. It calls for a variety of tax and spending cuts as part of the Republican agenda.