CASTRO ANNOUNCES ORGANIZATIONS FOR SALARY DONATION DURING SHUTDOWN

Washington, D.C. –U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro today announced the organizations that will be receiving his pay for the duration of the government shutdown. Castro announced he would be donating his paycheck Monday, September 30 as it grew increasingly evident the government would be shut down as a result of Republican insistence on defunding the Affordable Care Act. 

 

“I am disappointed that Congress could not put differences aside and come together to fund our government. As the state with the fourth largest number of federal employees, Texas is especially hurting during this government shutdown. In San Antonio, over 20,000 Joint Base San Antonio personnel have already been furloughed.

 

I strongly believe that while the American economy suffers because of hostage politics in Congress, neither Senators nor Congressman should be getting paid. In solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of furloughed workers in Texas and across the nation, I announced last Monday that I would be donating my paycheck for as long as the government is shutdown. My paycheck during this time will go to the veterans and military family services programs at the Fisher House in San Antonio, as well as to the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter in San Antonio. 

 

Families all across our nation are suffering from this congressional impasse and donating my paycheck does not make this shutdown go away. I am hopeful that the House Republican leadership will soon allow a vote to fully fund our entire government, so we can confront the legislative challenges ahead as a united front with the interest of the American people as our rallying cry.”