NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Republican state senator is urging Gov. Bill Lee to find a way to protect Tennessee families from losing access to essential food assistance benefits amid the federal government shutdown.

On Thursday, State Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta) wrote in a statement that it's time for Tennessee to show the rest of country "what it looks like when leaders put people before politics and compassion before bureaucracy."

The statement comes just days after Gov. Lee told SNAP recipients to expect a lapse in benefits on their cards beginning Saturday, Nov. 1.

More than 690,000 Tennesseans rely on SNAP for nutrition assistance, and the program supports farmers, grocers and retailers across the state's rural economies.

In his statement, Bailey stated that Tennessee lacks a mechanism to fund and distribute SNAP benefits without federal dollars, but emphasized that the state must find a way to move forward.

“This is about Tennessee families,” said Bailey. “Our most vulnerable citizens should not become casualties of Washington's dysfunction. In my rural district alone, 20,635 individuals depend on SNAP benefits, including working parents, elderly residents and Tennesseans living with disabilities. We cannot allow our neighbors to go hungry while the U.S. Senate argues over spending plans. It’s time for us to step up as a state.”

Meanwhile, Gov. Bill Lee stated Thursday that the SNAP program is federally funded and operated, adding that Tennessee is unable to "provide the benefit, as states do not have a mechanism to load benefits onto customers cards."

The governor has since launched a website, FeedTN.org ,to connect residents with nutritional resources and volunteer opportunities amid the shutdown.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/republican-lawmaker-breaks-with-gov-bill-lee-over-snap-benefits/