President Obama announced Monday that he would freeze federal workers pay to help control the country's deficit.

The freeze, which will save $2 billion in the current fiscal year and $28 billion over the next five years, will affect federal civilian employees. Military personnel, however, will not be affected.

The country currently operates under a $1.3 trillion deficit, and while the freeze won't reduce the deficit a lot, it is viewed at least as a gesture toward the public's increased anger over unemployment and the economic crisis.

"I did not reach this decision easily,” Obama said at a press conference Monday. “This is not just a line item on a federal ledger. These are people’s lives.”

Read more about the freeze here.