Washington (CNN) Several members of Congress have asked that their pay be withheld during the government shutdown, with some saying they will donate that money to charity.

Rep. John Delaney, who represents the 6th Congressional District which covers western Maryland, released a statement on Saturday saying he doesn't believe it is right that he receives pay while others will go without while the government is closed.

"I don't think it's right for me to get paid during a government shutdown while my constituents are being furloughed and important and necessary services are being limited or halted all together," Delaney said in a statement. "It's time to be responsible and come together on a bipartisan deal to fund the government."

I will donate any congressional pay I receive during this shutdown to a local charity. I don't think it's right for me to get paid while my constituents are being furloughed and important services are being limited. — Rep. John Delaney (@RepJohnDelaney) January 20, 2018

The congressman will be donating his pay to the Mercy Health Clinic in Gaithersburg, Maryland, a nonprofit community health clinic that serves uninsured low-income residents, his spokesman, Will McDonald, said. During the government shutdown of 2013 , Delaney donated his salary to the same organization.

Delaney is the first Democrat to announce his candidacy for the 2020 presidential race. He has been traveling to early primary states including Iowa and New Hampshire in recent months to gain name recognition and promote his platform.

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