Rep. Foster Donates Paycheck from Shutdown to Northern Illinois Food Bank

Geneva, IL — Today, Representative Bill Foster (D-IL) fulfilled his pledge and donated the salary he received during the government shutdown to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. During the Republican shutdowns in 2013 and 2019, Rep. Foster also donated his pay to the food bank. 

“Even before the government shutdown, increasing grocery costs and Republican cuts to SNAP have left too many families in Illinois struggling to put food on the table. During the shutdown, Trump did everything he could to avoid fully funding SNAP and leave families without their food assistance. Now, Trump’s USDA is threatening to withhold SNAP funding from Democratic-led states if they don’t hand over SNAP recipients’ personal information.

“While uncertainty over SNAP funding still remains, I’m happy to support the Northern Illinois Food Bank. They have been an invaluable resource to those in our community struggling with hunger and food insecurity, and I’m committed to doing everything I can in Congress to support their work by pushing back against SNAP cuts and fighting for a more affordable future,” said Rep. Foster.

Earlier this year, Republicans passed a budget bill that put 360,000 people in Illinois at risk of losing their SNAP benefits—the largest cut to food assistance in U.S. history.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank is a non-profit organization focused on providing food to those in need across northern Illinois.

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