Washington, DC— Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) continues to lead the Democratic members of Georgia’s congressional delegation in urging Governor Brian Kemp to allow children in Georgia to participate in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer EBT program in 2026.
This marks the third consecutive year Governor Kemp has refused to allow families in Georgia to participate in Summer EBT, making it one of only 12 states nationwide opting out of the program. Of Georgia’s roughly 2.8 million children, more than 40 percent are eligible for Summer EBT benefits, but are currently prevented from receiving them due to the Governor’s continued refusal to participate. Summer EBT provides families with $40 per eligible child per month, totaling $120 per child over the summer, helping bridge the gap when school meals are unavailable and food costs are highest.
The letter is signed by Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff and by Representatives Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), David Scott (GA-13), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).
“For the third year in a row, Governor Kemp has chosen politics over Georgia’s children,” said Rep. McBath. “Summer EBT is a simple, proven way to ensure kids don’t go hungry when school is out, yet Georgia remains one of only a dozen states refusing to participate. Families are already facing rising food prices and fewer resources. Denying eligible children this benefit is unnecessary, unacceptable, and easily fixable. We are urging the Governor to finally act and put Georgia families first.”
“Children in Georgia again went without consistent access to food this summer,” the members write. “Committing to participate in Summer EBT is a basic step that you can take to ensure that children in our state, regardless of where they live or how much money their parents make, can afford the basic necessity of food when they are not in school.”
The delegation’s letter underscores Georgia’s ongoing gaps in summer nutrition access. In 2025, 50 of the state’s 159 counties lacked a Summer Food Service Program meal site, leaving thousands of families without reliable summer meals. While Georgia has pledged to expand meal sites, participating in Summer EBT would immediately help close this gap by enabling families to purchase food directly. The need is especially urgent given recent federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, which are expected to reduce eligibility for free and reduced-price school meals and increase out-of-pocket food costs for families statewide.
This effort reflects Representative McBath and the Georgia Democratic Delegation’s continued commitment to lowering costs for working families and ensuring that no child in Georgia goes hungry. Governor Kemp has not replied to any of the four previous letters from Members of Congress requesting that Georgia participate in Summer EBT since July of 2024.
The full text of the letter can be found here.