Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) has provided an update on the impacts of the ongoing federal government shutdown, claiming that Senate Democrats' unwillingness to vote for a clean Continuing Resolution is the root of the problem.
As a consequence of no bipartisan consensus, and according to the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department is unable to issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November.
Since the SNAP program is federally funded and requires budgetary action from the U.S. Congress, there is no mechanism by which the state can replace benefits on customer cards.
Gov. Brian Kemp revealed that the Office of Management and Budget has informed all states across the country that it cannot reimburse any state funds expended on federal programs. The only viable and long-term solution to this issue and any other federal program is for Senate Democrats to relent and vote to reopen the federal government.
Kemp directly named Senators Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) as being to blame. “In the latest example of D.C. Democrats putting bad politics over the people they claim to care about, Senators Ossoff and Warnock and others in their party are denying hundreds of thousands of Georgians the SNAP benefits they need to feed their families,” he argued.
Kemp juxtaposed the actions of the Georgia Senators with those of his office, stating that “while they waste time playing the blame game, my office is in contact with food banks, nonprofit organizations, and community partners across the state to hear feedback on how the shutdown is affecting them and to assess current demand.”
The Governor also announced that the Georgia Department of Human Services has been communicating with retailers, food banks, and other organizations for over a week on the impacts of the shutdown and how to prepare for the impending hardship.
D.C. Democrats like Senators @Ossoff and @SenatorWarnock are putting bad politics over the people they represent. Their refusal to end the Schumer Shutdown is hurting Georgians.
My office is in contact with community partners across the state to assess the impact of this…
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) October 30, 2025
