Gov. Brian Kemp responds to concerns over SNAP benefits while government shutdown lingers

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — As the federal government shutdown continues, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is responding to concerns about the potential loss of SNAP benefits for residents.

Kemp spoke to WRBL News 3 on Wednesday and said the state does not have the resources to cover federal benefits and placed blame on Democratic lawmakers — including Georgia’s U.S. senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock — for the ongoing stalemate.

“We are urging our two U.S. senators and their colleagues on the other side of the aisle to simply vote like they did 13 times when Joe Biden was president for a clean, continuing resolution to reopen the government,” Kemp said.

He added, “We’re not going to bail the federal government out. We can’t do that. We don’t have enough continuous funds to be able to do that. We don’t even know if we did that if we’d get that money reimbursed.”

The shutdown, now stretching through its third week, could soon impact federal assistance programs like SNAP if no agreement is reached in Washington.