Action 4 News Staff
A Rio Grande Valley congressman is donating his salary to three South Texas charities amid the federal government shutdown.
U.S. Congressman Filemon Vela (D-Brownsville) made the announcement on his Facebook fan page on Thursday morning.
Some 800,000 federal workers are affected by the congressional budget battle.
"I cannot standby while thousands of federal employees are furloughed and many others face uncertainty because of these troubling times," Congressman Vela said on Facebook.
The Brownsville-based congressman pledged to donate any income he makes during the shutdown to three charities in his district:
• Moody Clinic in Brownsville
• NIÑOS Headstart
• Community Action Network in Alice
According to the Congressional Research Service, U.S. Congressmen make a salary of $174,000 per year, which is about $14,500 per month.
Action 4 News attempted to contact the Valley's two other congressmen to see if they were also donating their salaries.
Neither Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (D-Mercedes) nor Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) could immediately be reached for comment.
