Obama Climate Advisors Making Big Bucks Despite Sequester

After closing the doors to public tours in an effort to save money, White House officials haven’t yet said if sequester cuts will result in furloughs or layoffs for its senior staffers — as is happening with rank-and-file in other executive branch agencies.

But there are dozens of senior employees and other presidential “assistants” to choose from if the administration were to look at cutting the six-figure salaries from its payroll.

In the field of energy and climate change alone, President Obama in 2012 employed three advisers making at least $100,000 — though one has since left.

The president kept on staff a “deputy assistant” for energy and climate change, Heather Zichal, making $140,000; a “special assistant” for energy and environment, Nathaniel Keohane; and a “deputy director” for energy and climate change, Dan Utech.

Together, their salaries totaled over $370,000 last year, according to White House records.

Climate blogger Steven Goddard said it’s unlikely the administration will scale back its circle of advisers, at least on this issue.

“It’s a very important point to his political base,” Goddard said. “Whether he believes it or not himself, he has to make the effort to appear that he’s working on controlling the climate.”

Dozens of WH senior staffers making six-figure salaries amid sequester woes | Fox News