Foster to Donate Paycheck to Northern Illinois Food Bank During Shutdown

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) announced that he will once again donate his Congressional pay earned during the government shutdown to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Foster also donated his paycheck to the food bank during previous Republican Shutdowns in 2013 and 2019.

"It is unacceptable that federal employees are going without a paycheck, health insurance costs are skyrocketing, and families are seeing SNAP benefits threatened, while House Republicans stay out on vacation and refuse to come back to Washington and negotiate a bipartisan funding bill," said Foster. "Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House, and they remain totally committed to cutting health care and children's food assistance to preserve tax cuts for their billionaire donors. Until they do their job and work with Democrats to protect vulnerable families and reopen the government, I will be donating my Congressional pay to the Northern Illinois Food Bank."

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. A prolonged government shutdown could further threaten SNAP funding, putting even more families in jeopardy.

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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