BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards released a statement Saturday morning on the government shutdown and its impact on the state of Louisiana.

Full statement:

"Today, we find ourselves in the midst of another frustrating partisan battle. Both parties are spending more time blaming one another than finding common ground. Caught in the crossfire are the more than 122,000 Louisiana children who depend on CHIP for health care and the thousands of families who look to the National Flood Insurance Program for coverage. A nation this great should never have its citizens lay awake at night wondering if their children or property are protected. Both programs have bipartisan support and should be reauthorized immediately - either as standalone measures or as part of a grand bargain to end the shutdown. But the fact that Congress seemingly cannot manage to pass even the most essential legislation supported by clear majorities of both parties is further evidence of its dysfunction. The people of Louisiana and the United States deserve better."