Shaheen, to Donate Salaries to Charity During Shutdown

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) said in a Tweet on Wednesday that she will donate her salary to the New Hampshire Food Bank for the duration of the shutdown of the federal government.

"Donating my salary to NH Food Bank during shutdown," Shaheen said. "Congress needs to come together, get gov't working again."

Later Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) said via Twitter that she will also donate her salary to a New Hampshire charity for as long as the shutdown lasts.

"Any days that federal workers do not get paid, I will donate my salary to a New Hampshire charity," she said.

Emails to staffers for U.S. Reps. Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) were not immediately returned Wednesday. An automated email response from staffers for U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) said that they are unable to respond to email, as only essential legislative operations are being performed during the shutdown.

New Hampshire Republican State Committee Chairwoman Jennifer Horn issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon calling on Shea-Porter and Kuster to decline their paychecks or donate them to charity during the shutdown.

"Our country is facing a government shutdown because Washington politicians like Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster refused to set aside partisan bickering and work across the aisle to solve problems," Horn said. "Representatives Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster don't deserve to collect their salaries while hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed without pay because of their failed leadership."

Less than an hour later, Kuster spokesman Rob Friedlander said in an email that Kuster will donate a portion of her salary to Child and Family Services of New Hampshire and organizations serving veterans and military families for every day the government is shut down.

An email to a staffer for Shea-Porter had not been returned as of Wednesday afternoon.