Rep. Janelle Bynum asks not to be paid during government shutdown

PORTLAND, Ore. — U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., has requested that her pay be withheld during the federal government shutdown that began Wednesday.

In a letter to the House of Representatives’ Chief Administrative Officer , Bynum asked that her congressional salary be suspended for the duration of the shutdown.

"Members of Congress should play by the same rules as the people they represent," she wrote. "I do not think it would be right for me to continue to be paid while many public servants in Oregon are not receiving their salaries through no fault of their own."

The federal government shut down after Congress failed to reach a deal on a funding bill, forcing agencies to furlough thousands of “non-essential” employees. Federal workers in critical positions must continue working