By Leah Aldridge and Mary Reese

“In the latest example of D.C. Democrats putting bad politics over the people they claim to care about, Senators Ossoff and Warnock and others in their party are denying hundreds of thousands of Georgians the SNAP benefits they need to feed their families,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Their repeated failure to reopen the federal government will be felt at kitchen tables all around the state, right as we approach the holidays. While they waste time playing the blame game, my office is in contact with food banks, nonprofit organizations, and community partners across the state to hear feedback on how the shutdown is affecting them and to assess current demand. But the only way to quickly and effectively resolve this issue is for Democrats to vote to reopen the federal government immediately.” Governor Brian P. Kemp Press Release 10/30/25

We, at Women Lead Right, are sick and tired of our elected officials failing to do their jobs. We can’t imagine any private sector employee shutting down their employer’s business for a month and not getting fired!?

Honest debate about healthcare spending, deficits and entitlements should occur in Congress. But instead of engaging in this very hard work, our esteemed Congressmembers have engaged in a month-long finger-pointing contest.

Here’s what clear about this ridiculous situation:

1. “House Republicans sent a CLEAN CR [Continuing Resolution]— 24 pages, no gimmicks, no poison pills — to keep the government open.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, October 1, 2025. A CR is the bill that Congress must pass to keep the Government open.
2. When Republicans refused to pass a Continuing Resolution in the past, the Democrats and the mainstream media shamed and blamed the Republican party for the resulting shutdown. (See https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BiR9Cp7Jp/). Even President Clinton said, “it is wrong, deeply wrong, to shut the government down while we negotiate.”
3. The Democrat party is solely responsible for refusing to fund the government at this moment. In every vote on this matter, every single Republican voted to keep the government open and funded. (See below).
4. Americans are hurting and the Democrats are unified (save a few outliers) in arguing their refusal to open the government is good old fashioned “leverage”. (See https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CzfSr4jRV/). Tell that to the 750,000 furloughed workers and low income families about to loss food assistance next month.

Interested in knowing more? Want to help? Read on for some background and resources to make your voice heard on this issue!

How the Shutdown Occurred

The shutdown began at midnight on October 1, 2025. The House of Representatives passed a Continuing Resolution (H.R. 5371) on September 19, 2025, by a vote of 217-212, extending funding at current levels through November 21. All 217 yes votes were from Republicans, while all 212 Democrats voted no. As of October 28, 2025, the Senate has voted 13 times on the measure – with the Democrats amassing enough votes to prevent the passage of the CR, thereby refusing to open the government.

Why would the Senate Democrats do this to the American people? They cite the need to address the expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits at the end of 2025 and proposed Republican cuts to Medicaid and other programs in separate appropriations bills.

Public Opinion

Public opinion polls indicate divided blame, with independents attributing responsibility to Democrats by 48-32%. A recent poll this week from Washington Post/ABS News claim that 45% of Americans blame the Republicans for the shutdown while 33% blame Democrats. In response to this poll, Speaker Mike Johnson said during an appearance on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends” on October 31:

“It’s very clear where the blame lies. The Democrats admit themselves that they are the ones shutting the government down, and they’re having a hard time justifying that.”

Human Impacts

The shutdown has affected federal operations and employees across the country. Key impacts include:

• Approximately 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed, including 406,000 Department of Defense civilians, while 2 million active-duty military personnel continue working but face delayed paychecks. President Trump issued an executive order on October 1, 2025, to prioritize military pay.
• National parks and monuments have closed to visitors, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staffing has led to longer airport lines and flight delays, and food safety inspections by the USDA and FDA have slowed.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits issuance is set to halt on November 1, 2025, potentially affecting millions of low-income families without immediate contingency funding. Over two dozen states have filed lawsuits challenging the pause.
• ACA open enrollment, which began November 1, 2025, has faced delays in processing, and National Institutes of Health research funding has paused, impacting ongoing studies for 24 million enrollees.
• Local economies, particularly in Washington, D.C., have seen reduced consumer spending from federal workers, increasing demand at food banks.

Even the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers’ union, has called for passage of the CR to reopen operations. When unions are siding with Republicans, you know there’s a real issue with this shutdown.

Hopeful Next Steps

With SNAP deadlines approaching, Senate leaders have expressed cautious optimism for a deal before November 1. Over 300 stakeholders, including business groups and federal agencies, have urged swift action on a clean CR.

What You Can Do in Your Community

1. Donate or volunteer at local food banks and veteran services such as:

• Foodfinder.us – food pantry locator that shows when and where to get free food assistance in your area
• FeedingGeorgia.org – list of Georgia food banks and regional resources

2. Contact our GA senators to demand that they vote to reopen the government:

Jon Ossoff – (202) 224-3521

Raphael Warnock – (202) 224-3643

3. Contribute to military family support organizations, given the pay delays for service members.

Bibliography

https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2025-10-30/gov-kemp-provides-update-impacts-democrat-led-federal-shutdown?fbclid=IwY2xjawNw7JpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkjTGGX8COnucKPo_
yjikvwEs2e0IKd1Yo0GmGSj5Hahr01R1uZ8JYJunWBy_aem_87JAYSmPGzKwVlTr8yIO4w

Congressional Research Service. (2024). Government Shutdowns: Causes, Processes, and Effects on Federal Agencies. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

U.S. Office of Management and Budget. (2023). Impacts of Lapsed Appropriations on Federal Operations.

The New York Times. (2025, October). How Senators Voted on the Republican Bill to End the Government Shutdown.

Pew Research Center. (2024). Public Opinion on Government Spending and Shutdowns.

Reuters. (2025). Lawmakers Clash Over Stopgap Spending Bill as Shutdown Drags On.

Congressional Record, Vol. 171, No. 165 (October 7, 2025). Remarks of Sen. John Thune (R-SD).

House Appropriations Committee. (2025). 300+ Stakeholders Support Clean CR to Reopen Government.

CBS News. (2025, October 30). The 2025 U.S. Government Shutdown, by the Numbers.

The Hill. (2025, October 28). Senate Democrats Block Government Funding Bill for 13th Time.

@SpeakerJohnson. (2025, October 1). X Post on Clean CR.

@RepHageman. (2025, October 20). X Post on House-Passed CR.

https://thehill.com/homenews/5582193-trump-gop-blamed-shutdown/