Kerry pledges to donate portion of salary to charity

(CNN) - Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday joined the list of Obama administration officials who have pledged to give back part of their salary in recognition of furloughed federal workers.

Both President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Hagel have  said they will write a check to the Treasury to show unity with those affected by the forced spending cuts that went into effect on March 1.

Time Magazine reported Thursday that Attorney General Eric Holder will also take a pay cut equal to 14 days of his salary, citing a Justice Department spokesperson.

State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said  that Kerry instead will donate 5% of his government salary to a charity that benefits employees of the State Department, but said a specific organization had not been chosen yet.

“We have a number of employee charities that serve as – that benefit folks who have been injured or killed in the line of duty. We have a number of charities that benefit children of our employees. We’re still looking at the best choice and whether all of the money will go to one or whether it’ll be spread,” Nuland said.

Before he was named Secretary of State, then-Senator Kerry held the title of wealthiest Democrat on Capitol Hill, with an average estimated net worth of $235.9 million, according to a review of the 2013 Congress by the Center for Responsive Politics.