(The Center Square) – Tennessee lawmakers are chiding each other over the federal government shutdown amid concerns that residents will not receive their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
The federal government warned the Tennessee Department of Human Services that November benefits would be unavailable if the shutdown continues, the department said on its website. More than 690,000 Tennessee residents received SNAP benefits in September, according to the department.
U.S. Rep Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., blamed Democrats on Wednesday, calling the situation the “Schumer shutdown.”
“These folks do not mind wrecking the country to stay in power,” Burchett said in a video posted on social media.
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, the lone Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation, said the shutdown is the Republicans’ fault.
“It’s been 22 days since the GOP – who control both chambers of Congress – shut the government down,” Cohen said. “While they’re on vacation, Democrats are on Capitol Hill demanding Congress gets back to work so we can reopen the government and stop health care prices from doubling and SNAP benefits from being lost.”
Democrats say they won’t reopen the government until Affordable Care Act premiums are included in the budget package.
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also aimed at Democrats in a social media post. She reposted an interview Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Conn., did with Fox News.
“Shutdowns are terrible, and of course there will be families that are going to suffer,” Clark said in the interview. “We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have.”
“Democrats care more about appeasing their far-left base than meeting the needs of the American people,” Blackburn said in response.
