Colorado Republicans Slam Bennet, Hickenlooper Over Prolonged Shutdown

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado

As the government shutdown stretches into another week, federal funding for food assistance is set to run out in just over a week.

Friday was supposed to be the payday for many federal employees who have been furloughed for a month. Instead, some employees got a paystub showing zero dollars.

Colorado’s Republican members of the United States Congress are growing increasingly frustrated with the refusal of Democratic members to pass a funding bill.

U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank, Gabe Evans and Jeff Hurd fired off a letter to U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and warned Coloradans are suffering because of the shutdown.

Fifty-five thousand federal employees are facing financial hardship, and more than 600,000 Coloradans could lose food stamps in November.

The Republicans say food pantry visits by military families are up 30%, and more than $36 million in FEMA funding in the state is on hold.

Meanwhile, they say Colorado’s gross domestic product is decreasing by $289 million per week.

Democrats refuse to fund the government until Republicans agree to extend billions of dollars in health care subsidies for people on the exchange.

Crank, who represents Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, accused the Senate Democrats of holding thousands of Americans hostage to get their way. 

“Obviously, we want them to do what they’ve done 13 times in the Biden administration and many times throughout their career,” Crank told CBS Colorado. “That is to simply continue with what is called a clean, continuing resolution. But it just basically says that we are going to continue funding government at its current level to give us more time to get some of these appropriations bills done.”

“We want them to do what they’ve done 13 times under the Biden administration… that is to continue funding the government at current levels… give time to get appropriations bills done.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO