(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., joined six other Republicans in a bill that would not interrupt benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Recipients of the program, commonly known as SNAP, would not receive their November benefits, according to a post on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.
Nearly 700,000 Tennessee residents receive SNAP benefits, totalling $146 million each month.
“Roughly 1 in 10 Tennesseans receive SNAP benefits for food assistance, and they shouldn’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from because the Democrats are holding government funding hostage to appease their far-left base,” Blackburn said in a statement. “Our Keep SNAP Funded Act would ensure Tennesseans do not miss a meal during the Democrats’ shutdown.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is the bill’s primary sponsor. Other Republicans who signed on to the legislation are Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
Tennessee state Democrats continued to call on Gov. Bill Lee to intervene and fund the program with state dollars. Republican Govs. Jeff Landry of Louisiana and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia declared a state of emergency.
“We applaud Gov. Youngkin and Gov. Landry for showing real leadership by declaring a state of emergency to cover the benefits for their state’s SNAP beneficiaries,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that Gov. Bill Lee and our Republican colleagues opted instead to play the D.C. blame game, rather than unite with us and rise above partisan politics to do right by Tennessee families.”
Lee said in a statement Friday that there was nothing he could do.
“Tennessee is unable to utilize state dollars to provide the benefit, as states do not have a mechanism to load benefits onto customer cards,” the governor’s office said.
Tennessee Department of Human Services Commissioner Clarence H. Carter said when the shutdown ends, his department is ready.
“We understand that this situation creates anxiety for many families, employees, and community partners who depend on the SNAP program, and when federal operations resume, we will be ready to act quickly,” Carter said in a statement.
