"The Administration is committed to reducing costs in government while providing high-quality services to the American people.  Three percent of federal employees earn above $150,000.  In fact, most federal employees are middle-class Americans.  The clear majority of high earners are highly specialized experts in their fields and many of them hold positions where lives are on the line. These include doctors who are treating our wounded veterans, scientists who are researching cures for diseases, and counterterrorism experts who are protecting the American people every day.  And, in almost all cases, they earn less than their counterparts in the private sector."