‘Where does this end?’ Why Kemp opposes state bailout of food stamp program

Gov. Brian Kemp is rejecting calls for Georgia to use its record surplus to keep food assistance flowing to more than 1.3 million residents if congressional lawmakers fail to strike a deal to reopen the government, arguing the state should not have to “bail out” Washington.

The Republican told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday that he’s concerned that the state might not be reimbursed if it dips into Georgia’s $14.6 billion reserve fund to finance the Supplemental Food Assistance Program, which is expected to run dry within days.

Blaming congressional Democrats for the impasse, he also said short-term state funding for food assistance would lead to demands to pick up the tab for other federal agencies caught in the shutdown, which has entered its fourth week.

“If you do this for SNAP, what about early learning programs? What about TSA agents? What about the military, the National Guard? Where does this end?” he said in an interview from an overseas trade mission to Japan.

“Let’s get the government reopened so we can pay everybody. That’s the easiest thing for them to do, because I can’t fix all the problems that them not doing their job are going to create,” he said. “It’s never-ending.”

Supporters of Republican Derek Dooley, who is running for U.S. Senate, hold signs at a Dooley event outside incumbent Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office in Atlanta on Monday, October 13, 2025, keying on the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

The food stamp program, which provides monthly food subsidies to low-income households, has become a major flashpoint in the showdown over the shutdown.

Republicans have accused U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of enabling the shutdown by rejecting a GOP-backed stopgap measure to keep the government open.

The Democrats, meanwhile, have said they won’t relent until health care subsidies benefiting more than 1 million Georgians are restored. Failure to extend the subsidies will cause health insurance premiums to rise.

The White House warned this week that shutdown-related funding lapses mean benefits could run out as early as this weekend, forcing families to seek out food banks, rely on charity or go without.

Meanwhile, food banks across the state are bracing for increased demand. The Atlanta Community Food Bank said it is preparing for a surge in families seeking emergency groceries if benefits are disrupted.

Lawmakers from both parties have urged President Donald Trump to tap emergency funding for the program. But the Trump administration said it would not use the funds to cover the benefits.

State Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, D-Duluth. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Kemp has faced his own pressure to step in. Democrats point to Georgia’s multibillion-dollar surplus and note that governors in Louisiana and Virginia — both Republicans — have declared states of emergency to explore ways maintain benefits temporarily.

“‘Let them eat cake’ is not an answer we will accept,” said state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, D-Duluth, who urged Kemp to call a special legislative session.

“When hurricanes hit South Georgia, you declared a state of emergency and got them funding to be able to survive,” she added. “You didn’t tell them I can’t figure out how to give you money.”

And leading Democratic contenders for governor demanded that Kemp intervene, including calls that he deploy the National Guard to assist food pantries.