Tennessee Republican National Committeeman To Withhold Support From Incumbent Republicans Over Government Shutdown

Image Credit: Oscar Brock / Facebook & Canva

The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

Former Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee member and current Republican National Committeeman Oscar Brock stated he will withhold all future support to Tennessee Republican incumbents in Congress over the federal government shutdown, calling on them to stop “trying to achieve a win” and “make a deal” with Democrats.

Brock proclaimed his position in an October 28 Facebook post, lamenting week four of the federal government shutdown and the lapse of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

“The House passed a Continuing Resolution to keep the Government open until they could pass a budget, but the Senate couldn’t pass it. However, instead of working to pass the budget, the House just went home. No negotiating and no compromising and no budget. And there’s no end in sight,” he wrote. “I’m not being partisan. I’m simply sick and tired of Congress being unwilling to do the job we elected them to do. In the meantime, I’m going to make a donation to our local food bank. And I’m not going to support any member of Congress who runs for reelection next year.”

A follow up post three days later further chastised Congressional leaders and accused Republicans of using the shutdown to score political points.

“I’m not quite clear on the goals of Congressional leaders. It appears that both Dems and Republicans are trying to achieve a win. There are NO winners in a government shutdown. But there are millions of losers. Please, Congressional leaders, talk to each other. Work this out. If you want to look like leaders, make a deal. ‘My way or the highway’ is not a leadership style,” the post read.

In his posts, Brock did not mention the more than a dozen votes taken by the Senate on the Continuing Resolution, where Democrats have continually been the “No” votes nor did he refer to their refusal to pass supplementary funding measures to ensure essential personnel like air traffic controllers or law enforcement officers receive their pay in the midst of the shutdown.

Six Republican members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation are up for reelection in 2026, and questions have been raised about Brock’s statements considering the state party’s bylaws which say the party exists to see Republicans elected on the national, state, and local levels, and the prohibition of the party to offer endorsements in a primary election where the Republican incumbent is facing a challenger.

The Tennessee Star confirmed Brock was serious about the content of his social media comments and noted he did not dispute that his statements could be perceived as violating the spirit of the party bylaws. Brock also asserted that Democrats are not using the shutdown as leverage to gain funding to provide free healthcare for “undocumented immigrants”, saying instead that it’s “a frequently debunked theory.” 

“If you’re not here legally, you don’t have access to free government-provided healthcare, except at a hospital emergency room, most of which are not allowed to deny service to any person,” he claimed. The Star cited several studies and sources showing only 17 to 39 percent of illegal immigrants lack access to healthcare other than emergency rooms, New York state records showing nearly 500,000 illegal aliens received Emergency Medicaid assistance, and the $27.5 million in federally funded Emergency Medicaid assistance offered in Connecticut to illegals.

Brock maintained that his frustrations lie with Republicans in Congress, who he believes are neglecting to do “what any good conservative would do” and negotiate with Democrats “in good faith to pass a budget”. He also told The Star the shutdown was “bad politics” and called lack of SNAP funding “cruel” before implying recent Republican losses in Virginia, New Jersey, and elsewhere were the result of such “bad politics”.

In response, Editor-in-Chief of The Star Michael Patrick Leahy stated that Brock should resign over his comments, saying he, “has a duty to support Republican nominees for office in the State of Tennessee. His statement that he will not support any members of Congress in a state that has six incumbent Republican Congressmen running for reelection, and one U.S. Senator running for reelection, is a clear violation of his duties as a member of the Executive Committee and as Tennessee’s representative to the RNC. Mr. Brock either needs to retract his statement or resign from the executive committee of the Tennessee Republican Party.”

Brock served on the Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee from 2002 until 2017 and has represented Tennessee on the Republican National Committee since 2016. He has reportedly worked on dozens of campaigns and been active in Republican politics since 1986. In 2021, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly appointed Brock as the director of the city’s newly-created intergovernmental relations office.

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.