No Pay Until Shutdown Ends, Cartwright Says

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright says he'll defer his pay during the government shutdown, and is calling on his congressional colleagues to do the same.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the current government shutdown is a result of the efforts of a small, irresponsible and reckless subset of the majority in the House," Cartwright said in a statement Monday morning. "But whoever is at fault for this, I intend to be sensitive to the financial suffering that is occurring for hundreds of thousands of innocent Americans during the current government shutdown."

He's co-sponsoring the "No Government No Pay Act of 2013" which would prevent members of Congress from being paid during the shutdown, now in its second week.

"We cannot legally reduce our current pay under the Constitution," Cartwright, D-17, said. "So this bill will take that pay out in the next session of Congress, the 114th Congress."

Two other Lehigh Valley politicians—Republicans U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent and Sen. Pat Toomey—have said they'll defer their pay until the shutdown ends. 

Cartwright's district includes Easton area and a portion of the Slate Belt, and parts of Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township, Nazareth, Stockertown, Tatamy and Freemansburg.