Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said Tuesday that Republicans are prepared to work across the aisle to prevent a partial government shutdown that could undermine federal emergency aid as Tennessee struggles with frigid temperatures following a punishing ice storm.
Blackburn, appearing on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," stressed that funding delays in Washington would come at the worst possible time for states hit by Winter Storm Fern.
"It is a dangerous combination," Blackburn said of the storm's impact, noting widespread ice, power outages, and dangerous cold in Middle Tennessee.
She said local officials are fully engaged, saying that "warming centers are set up"and "our mayors are hard at work, making certain that they are working with local law enforcement, with the National Guard."
Blackburn emphasized the scale of the crisis.
"Yesterday, Nashville Electric Service alone had 175,000 customers that were without power," she said.
She added that surrounding counties "have tens of thousands of individuals that are without any access to heat, to power, to food."
Community members, she said, are stepping up to restore power and heat.
"In my neighborhood, people with chainsaws have been out trying to cut through some of these frozen limbs in trees that are blocking roads," Blackburn said.
That effort, she said, is crucial "so that emergency vehicles and so that power companies can get through and restore service."
Blackburn also discussed federal assistance, including coordination between the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and FEMA.
"What you're going to see is the need for our Tennessee Emergency Management Association and FEMA ... working together," she said.
She added: "We're grateful that President Trump immediately approved the disaster declaration that Gov. Lee sent," allowing the state to move quickly.
Still, she cautioned that the emergency in her home state is far from over.
"We're not expected to be consistently above freezing until Feb. 3," Blackburn said. "Basically, we have another week of this that we're going to be working through."
Blackburn said Democrats are "not thinking" about what a shutdown "would do to FEMA in the middle of a storm."
"Democrats are wanting to withhold funding for DHS [Department of Homeland Security]"due to their opposition to immigration enforcement operations, Blackburn said. "When you have millions of people that have been severely impacted [by the storm], think about what that would mean."
She was clear about Republicans' intentions.
"I don't think we're going to see another shutdown," she said. "Republicans are prepared to stay here until we get this finished."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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