Democrats in Georgia’s congressional delegation urge Gov. Kemp to reconsider his stance on summer meals program

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Sen. Jon Ossoff and other Democratic members of Georgia’s congressional delegation are urging Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to reverse course and apply for this year’s summer EBT program by the Feb. 15 deadline.

According to a report by the Food and Research Action Center, the summer EBT program would allow over 1.1 million children to receive a $120 benefit to help cover their meals for the summer.

The SUN Bucks program would provide an estimated $138 million for Georgia families.

“I think it’s a mistake for Georgia to opt out of this program,” said Ossoff. “Families rely on school meal programs for healthy, nutritious food for their kids. And there’s this solution for summer vacation to make sure they can still take advantage of those programs over the summertime. It’s easy, the resources are available from the federal government, and Georgia should take advantage of them.”

In a statement to Atlanta News First, a spokesperson confirmed Kemp received the letter.

“Rather than continuing to push a pandemic-era, Biden administration program that lacks nutritional standards and fiscal accountability, we welcome the delegation to join the state in promoting the successful programs Georgia already has in place, the most notable being Ga. DOE’s Seamless Summer Option, which alone provided millions of breakfast and lunch meals to students statewide last year and is tailored to address our state’s specific needs by providing necessary nutrition and engagement to families and kids,” said spokesperson Garrison Douglas.

Last year, Kemp refused federal funding to help Georgia children afford lunch during the summer months. Thousands of parents signed a petition to urge governors in states like Georgia to reconsider.

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