Foster Donates Pay Earned During Government Shutdown to Food Bank

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL, 11) kept his word and donated the pay he earned during the government shutdown to the Northern Illinois Food Bank on Friday.

"I do not believe Members of Congress should receive a paycheck while people in Illinois and throughout the country were suffering because Congress failed to do their job," said Foster in a press release. "I was pleased to be able to donate my pay to the Northern Illinois Food Bank and support the important work they do feeding the hungry throughout northern Illinois."

The government shutdown ran from October 1 through October 16, ending after Congress agreed to fund the government through January 15, 2014. The debt ceiling was raised through February 7, 2014. According to Standard & Poor's, the shutdown cost the economy some $24 billion.

Foster says he hopes Congress can avoid another budget stalemate once the debt ceiling and government funding deadlines are reached.

"I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the coming months to reach a commonsense budget agreement and ensure that we don't continue to govern from one crisis to the next," Foster said.