Tennessee House Republicans on Tuesday sent a letter to Washington state Sen. Maureen Walsh (R) denouncing the lawmaker for claiming that nurses spend portions of their day "playing cards."

"Tennessee House Republicans were proud to add their signatures to this letter from Rep. Timothy Hill condemning Washington State Senator Walsh who demeaned nurses by saying they just sit around and play cards," Tennessee House Republicans said in a statement on Facebook. "In Tennessee, we know our nurses work hard, and we respect & commend them for their service!"

The group wrote in a Facebook post that Republicans also plan to deliver a new deck of cards to Walsh, since "most politicians actually do sit around doing nothing all day."

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The post included a photo of the letter and deck of cards the caucus said it would send to Walsh. The letter called on Walsh to think about the "many Tennesseean nurses who don't have the time to play [cards] because they are working extra hours to care for people."

More than 40 House Republicans in the Tennessee legislature signed onto the letter, including Rep. Robin Smith, who is a registered nurse. Tennessee House Republicans did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Walsh sparked widespread backlash last week after claiming that nurses in small towns "probably play cards for a considerable amount of the day.”

The GOP lawmaker made the statement while discussing a bill on the state Senate floor that would require uninterrupted meal and rest breaks for nurses, The Spokane Spokesman-Review reported. Walsh expressed support for an amendment that would exclude smaller, rural hospitals from the requirement.

The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) called Walsh's comments “incredibly disrespectful and patronizing.”

Walsh on Tuesday apologized for the remarks, saying that she has great respect for nurses and that her mother was one for many years.

“I’d be happy to come in and work in a hospital with them for a while and shadow them and see their job. I’m pretty well aware of what their job is — I know how demanding it is,” Walsh said on the Senate floor, KING 5 News reported.

"I love my nurses. I'm really sorry. I'm more sorry about the political gaming that caused this disruption."