The House has voted to extend a federal worker pay freeze, already in effect for more than two years, for an additional nine months.

Republicans say it would save $11 billion and that economically secure public servants could go a little longer without a raise.

Democrats and the White House say Republicans should stop singling out government workers for sacrifices and should instead concentrate on avoiding the pending automatic cuts to federal programs that could have a painful effect on the economy.

The House measure seeks to block an executive order issued by President Barack Obama last December that would give the nation's 2 million civilian federal workers a 0.5 percent cost-of-living raise from March 27, when the current federal spending agreement expires, through the end of the year.