Harshbarger: Democrats Vote for the 13th Time to Keep the Government Shut Down as Food and Paychecks Run Out

WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the thirteenth time, Senate Democrats have voted to continue the government Shutdown – rejecting a clean, bipartisan funding bill they themselves have supported in the past.

As a direct result of their obstruction, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will expire on November 1, leaving nearly 700,000 Tennesseans uncertain about how they’ll put food on the table. The WIC program is projected to run out of funding, jeopardizing nutrition support for women, infants, and children across the state. And troops, TSA agents, and air traffic controllers face missed paychecks even as they work to protect our freedom and keep our nation running.

“Democrats had yet another opportunity to reopen the government today. Instead, they voted to punish American families—starving children of food assistance, stiffing our troops, and calling it ‘leverage.’ It’s despicable. Families who depend on food assistance, service members who protect our freedom, and the workers who keep our skies safe continue to pay the price for the Democrats’ political games and negligence.” – Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger

BACKGROUND:

The big picture:

For the 13th time, Democrats voted to keep the government closed, blocking a clean, bipartisan bill that would restore funding for food assistance, pay our troops, and keep essential operations running. It’s important to note, Democrats promoted the exact same funding bill when they were in the Majority, but now they’ve rejected this same funding bill 13 separate times.

Why it matters:

• SNAP benefits begin expiring November 1, affecting nearly 700,000 Tennesseans.
• The WIC program—which supports mothers and infants—is within days of running out of money.
• Military families, TSA agents, and air traffic controllers face uncertainty about their next paycheck.

What Democrats are saying on the shutdown: 

• “Every day gets better for us.” — Sen. Chuck Schumer
• “There are going to be families that are going to suffer... but this is one of the few leverage points we have.” — Rep. Katherine Clark
• “If you reopen the government and we lose our leverage…” — Sen. Bernie Sanders
• A senior Democrat aide said the party would not reopen the government “short of planes falling out of the sky.”

Between the lines:

Democrats are using the shutdown and the American people’s lives as leverage to push unrelated policy goals like restoring taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants to the tune of $1.5 trillion.

The bottom line:

Every day the Democrat led Shutdown continues is another day American families suffer while Democrats celebrate their “leverage.” It’s time to end the political games and reopen the government.