GOP lawmaker warns public safety workers 'turning to food banks' as government shutdown drags on

By Fox News · Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: A former federal prosecutor-turned-member of Congress is warning that the ongoing government shutdown is posing a growing risk to Americans' public safety. Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., led a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., on Wednesday, sounding the alarm on the increasingly dire situation for people responsible for keeping Americans safe and warning of its impact across the country. "Some of these workers are already turning to food pantries to feed their families, taking out loans to pay their bills, or even seeking temporary part-time employment, all because of Senate Democrats ' desire to use government funding as political leverage," the letter said. Knott's message is signed by 10 other House Republicans, all of whom served as "law enforcement, criminal justice, and public safety professionals" before coming to Congress. NEW YORK REPUBLICANS BLAST SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND OVER SHUTDOWN: ‘YOU’VE ABANDONED YOUR RESPONSIBILITY’ The government shutdown entered its 36th day Wednesday, making it the longest such fiscal standoff in U.S. history. The House passed a short-term federal funding bill on Sept. 19 aimed at giving lawmakers until Nov. 21 to strike a deal on fiscal year (FY) 2026 spending levels. But at least some Democrats are needed to advance the legislation in the Senate, where it's failed 14 times over the left's demand that any funding deal be paired with an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. Republicans have contended that federal funding and healthcare are issues that must be considered separately. In addition to criticizing Senate Democrats over the impasse, Knott hit Schumer for his caucus' rejection of a bill aimed at paying federal employees forced to work during the shutdown, which includes people responsible for public safety and law enforcement. "By rejecting the Shutdown Fairness Act, you and your Democratic colleagues voted to withhold pay from…