Atlanta, GA — Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) is once again leading the Democratic members of Georgia’s congressional delegation in urging Governor Brian Kemp to allow Georgia families to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer EBT program. The members are calling on Governor Kemp to finally accept federal funding that would feed low-income children during the summer months and commit to participating in summer of 2027.
For the third consecutive year, Governor Kemp has declined to enroll Georgia in Summer EBT, making the state one of only 12 nationwide refusing the program. This year represents Governor Kemp’s final opportunity to reverse course before leaving office in January. The letter is signed by Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff and Representatives Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).
Summer EBT provides $40 per eligible child per month, totaling $120 over the summer. This support is a lifeline for families struggling to keep food on the table when school meal programs pause. Of Georgia’s 2.8 million children, more than 40% qualify for the program but remain blocked from receiving it due to the Governor’s continued refusal.
“Summer EBT is one of the simplest tools we have to prevent child hunger, yet Georgia continues to reject it,” said Rep. McBath. “Families are facing higher grocery prices and fewer resources, and denying children this benefit only makes life harder. We are urging Governor Kemp to finally allow Georgia to participate and ensure our children have the food they need.”
“Committing to participate in Summer EBT is a basic step to ensuring that every child in our state, regardless of where they live or how much money their parents make, has access to the basic necessity of food when they are not in school,” the members write.
The delegation emphasizes that this need is even more urgent following cuts to Medicaid and SNAP included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. These cuts have already reduced access to free and reduced-price school meals, leaving families with fewer resources and children at greater risk of food insecurity. Governor Kemp’s refusal to participate in Summer EBT compounds these challenges and makes food more expensive for families with children in Georgia.
This renewed push underscores Representative McBath and the Georgia Democratic delegation’s ongoing commitment to lowering costs for working families and ensuring that no child in Georgia goes hungry. Governor Kemp has failed to respond to congressional correspondence on Summer EBT since the federal program became permanent in the summer of 2024.
The Georgia General Assembly recently took bipartisan action to allocate $2 million dollars to participate in Summer EBT in 2027. However, those $2 million dollars were inexplicably vetoed from the state budget by Governor Kemp earlier this summer. The Members encouraged the Governor to respect the will and bipartisan consensus of the Georgia General Assembly on this issue and submit all appropriate materials as soon as possible.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
