The Tennessee Democratic Committee issued a statement Monday holding Washington Republicans responsible for the shutdown of the Federal government. According to Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Roy Herron, a shutdown would threaten Tennessee jobs, endanger the state’s economy, and hurt senior citizens and the middle class.
Herron’s statement and an attached factsheet say a shutdown could delay financial support for Tennessee small businesses, delay military pay and hurt military families, and affect senior citizen and veterans’ benefits.
Although current Social Security benefit checks would still go out, new benefit applications would be delayed and services for seniors significantly curtailed. The statement estimates a shutdown could put 28,000 Federal employees in Tennessee out of work. 22,156 service members in Tennessee would remain on duty, but pay would be delayed if a shutdown lasts more than 10 days.
The fact sheet also notes that a shutdown of Head Start centers could affect over 17,300 Tennessee children. The shutdown is rooted in Republican opposition to funding of the Obama administration’s “Affordable Care Act.”
