LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – The government shutdown is 36 days old and counting, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Representative Cleo Fields is holding town halls across the state to talk to the people of Louisiana about issues he feels they really care about.

“I don’t work for the President,” said Fields. “I work for the people in this district, and I would hope more members of Congress start taking that attitude.”

He highlights how much the government shutdown has hurt people in Louisiana, especially the 18% which rely on snap benefits to feed their families.

“Babies go to bed hungry and they’re not Democrat or Republican babies, they’re hungry babies,” said Fields.

He says he’s happy the Trump Administration, through a court order, has tapped into emergency funds to keep money flowing into the program.

“We have never not paid SNAP benefits in the history of this country, so why do it now,” he said.

He feels needy Americans are not being prioritized under the Trump Administration.

“If we can find 20 to 30 billion dollars for Argentina, we can’t find $5 billion for hungry people in America?” asked Fields.

14 continuing resolutions have been voted on to reopen and fund the government, at least on a temporary basis, all have failed. With Republicans only having 53 senate seats, for any bill to pass with 60 votes, a bipartisan vote is needed. Democrats want Obamacare subsidies to be extended.

“People will have to start paying double in premiums if they don’t,” said Fields. “It’s open enrollment, they know how much their premiums will increase if we don’t pass these tax credits.”

Republicans, however, blame Democrats for the shutdown.

“We couldn’t have imagined the Democrats would be willing to force families to go hungry and workers to miss paychecks,” said Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. “This is the first time in the history of America that any party has had the audacity to close down the government over a totally clean, non-partisan, continuing resolution.”

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