An Exclusive Sunday Conversation with Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.

As the federal government reopens after weeks of uncertainty, communities across the nation are bracing for both relief and recovery. In Columbus, Georgia—home to Fort Benning, a significant federal workforce, and thousands of military families—the ripple effects of a shutdown are felt more deeply than in many other regions. From delayed paychecks to stalled benefits and slowed federal programs, the impact reaches far beyond Washington.

Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., who represents Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District, joined us to discuss what the reopening means for Columbus, how his office is responding to  to constituent needs, and what protections can be put in place to prevent future disruptions.

Q: Congressman Bishop, now that the federal government has reopened, what are the most immediate changes your constituents in Columbus and the surrounding region should expect to see?

First and foremost, thousands of my constituents are federal employees, and they will see paychecks deposited into their bank accounts with backpay for lost wages during the government shutdown.

The strain of missing paychecks while providing for your family is immeasurable, and I think that this will allow not only the federal employees but also their families and friends to breathe a big sigh of relief.

Probably the most important change the Columbus area will experience, but maybe not feel as acutely, is the resumption of federal programs that underpin all of our society, including transportation, commerce, agriculture, and scientific research.

Unfortunately, every government shutdown has lasting negative impacts that aren’t immediately felt, but leave their mark through lowered employee morale, decreased confidence in federal government services, paused projects, and a diminished global reputation.

Q: During the shutdown, many federal workers at Fort Benning, TSA agents at the Columbus Airport, and civilian employees experienced financial strain. What relief or support mechanisms are being prioritized to help them recover?

I am pleased to hear that the Administration promised to push out paychecks as soon as possible, with them rolling out over this past weekend and early into the week. These paychecks should make our federal employees whole, but it is unconscionable that they had to endure over a month without pay due to the President and Republicans in Congress refusing to pass the annual spending bill by its September 30 deadline, the end of the fiscal year, and then refusing to work with Democrats in the stopgap funding negotiations.

Congress should do everything in its power to ensure federal employees have the financial support they have earned through their work for our country and more importantly that the American people receive the resources and services facilitated by these federal workers, uninterrupted.

Q: Columbus has a large population of veterans and active-duty military families. How will the reopening impact services at the VA clinic, Fort Benning operations, and access to military-related benefits?

Military members will receive their pay, which was a significant Department of Defense concern during the Government shutdown.  Furloughed federal workers will receive backpay and be required to repay any unemployment benefits received during the government shutdown.

This is not uncommon and is in line with other financial institutions that offered short-notice loans for federal workers during the shutdown. SNAP benefits should have seen no interruption as the State of Georgia provided full SNAP benefits for the month of November.

The funding bill passed last week did include full-year funding for SNAP. Foodbanks once again have access to USDA programs that help qualified military families and veterans.

Since the funding bill also provides full-year funding for the VA, it should be back up and running to process claims.

Unfortunately, earlier this year the Administration eliminated nearly 3000 VA workers and with the shutdown backlog, it may be difficult to get back up to speed in providing these services.

Critical on-base services – such as commissaries, facility maintenance, cemeteries, etc. – that were under threat of scaling back have now been fully restored.

The funding bill that was signed into law last week included full-year funding for Military Construction and Veteran Affairs programs. 

However, this funding bill does not allow any new military projects to be started as those are dependent on new appropriations to be approved and as a result, places a strain on long-term and short-term planning for our national defense and security.

Q: Local nonprofits and social service agencies saw increased demand during the shutdown. Has Congress discussed measures to support these organizations as they continue to serve families who fell behind on bills, rent, or medical needs?

Congressional support for local emergency feeding organizations such as food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens comes through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) which is primarily provided in the form of USDA-purchased domestic agricultural commodities (USDA Foods).

A smaller amount of assistance is provided in the form of cash support for administrative and distribution costs. States designate which local emergency feeding organizations receive this funding. With the end of the shutdown, this federal support can resume.

During the shutdown, programs like Head Start and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) began to run out of funds across the country. They faced financial strain and uncertainty.

Some organizations had to use local or other non-federal funds to keep the lights on.

While Congress is doing little right now to mitigate the harm done during the shutdown, I contacted the Trump Administration in a letter on November 14th to stress the importance of LIHEAP for working families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. I urged the Administration to release all federal funding available so that households don’t have to decide between heating their homes and putting food on the table during the coming winter months.

I also co-sponsored legislation to protect Head Start during a future lapse in funding; I cosponsored H.R. 5790 which would provide that HHS reimburse any state, local government, or school district that uses its own funds to maintain participation in the Head Start or Early Head Start program during a government shutdown in which there is a lapse in federal appropriations. Though the legislation has been introduced, I am not sure if it will be signed into law.

Q: What steps is Congress taking to ensure federal agencies—such as USDA, HUD, and the Small Business Administration—can quickly restart programs that many residents and small businesses in Columbus depend on?

Congress did its job by passing the legislation, but it is the job of the executive branch, the Administration, to deliver services Congress funds. Unfortunately, this Administration has handicapped executive agencies by strangling funds, shuttering offices, and forcing out crucial workers needed to implement the funding laws to provide these services.

USDA could have restarted SNAP benefits and other programs any time it wanted to do so. They have been busy trying to prepare for the rollout of the “Big, Ugly Bill” which permanently removes people from SNAP eligibility.

While the “Big, Ugly Bill” (H.R. 1) became law in July, it made no direct changes to child nutrition programs, but the SNAP cuts it made will affect eligibility for and access to school meals, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (which is basically after-school meals), and the WIC program – all of which are important to Georgia.

That being said, it is important to note that the states administer SNAP funds, so a large part of how quickly SNAP benefits are restored also relies on state-level agencies and offices.

While the shutdown may have caused some administrative delays at HUD, the Trump Administration’s staff reductions, and impoundment of funds over the past 10 months are the real culprit which threatens the ability of Americans to seek federal assistance in finding and affording a suitable home.

This spring, President Trump fired thousands of federal workers at the Department of Housing and Urban Development who were responsible for things like rebuilding homes after natural disasters, executing affordable housing programs and grants, and enforcing fair housing and civil rights laws.

Then the White House released its FY 2026 budget request which calls for a 40% reduction in rental assistance, elimination of the federal HOME Investment Partnerships and Community Development Block Grant programs, and substantial cuts to federal programs meant to address homelessness and support survivors of domestic violence.

The cost-of-living crisis we face is serious, and I will oppose any efforts by the White House that would hinder construction of new housing units and make it harder for Georgians to find and permanently stay in safe, affordable homes.

Unfortunately, President Trump and his administration have taken actions to drastically cut federal programs, like those at the Small Business Administration and Department of Labor, as well as the federal workforce.

Many agencies have been understaffed for much of this year and will take longer to recover from the government shutdown.

Funding the government will not alone bring back the experienced employees and critical community programs that were unceremoniously – and sometimes illegally – slashed this year, and this is why my Democratic colleagues and I have been fighting to ensure the government funding bill has sufficient safeguards to protect longstanding and proven federal programs.

Q: Federal food assistance programs like SNAP and WIC are essential for thousands of families in Muscogee County. Were there disruptions in those programs, and what assurances can you give that benefits will remain stable going forward?

Yes. Benefits will not remain stable going forward. On July 4, 2025, President Trump, USDA Secretary Rollins, and MAGA Republicans cut SNAP benefits by $187 billion through the “Big, Ugly Bill” (H.R. 1).

Each state will now have to decide how to stabilize benefits. Georgia could respond in one of three ways: maintain current benefits and eligibility; modify benefits or eligibility to reduce the required cost-share [of SNAP benefits]; or leave the SNAP program altogether.

It is currently estimated that over 150,000 people in Georgia will lose their SNAP benefits.

Q: The shutdown delayed federal housing inspections, loan approvals, and Section 8 processes. How soon can Columbus housing providers and families expect those services to get back on track?

According to the Columbus Housing Authority, there were no pauses or delays in their programs due to the government shutdown.

I and my office are closely monitoring federal housing programs in Georgia’s Second Congressional District. We encourage constituents to contact our office with any problems they are having accessing them.

Q: Many local businesses rely on federal contracts at Fort Benning and through other agencies. What can you share about the timeline for restarting procurement, payments, and contract work?

Procurement and payments for contracts have been restarted.

However, people should understand that the funding bill which was passed and signed into law last week only partially funded the government for the full year. Full-year funding, for USDA, Rural Development, the FDA, and Related Agencies as well as the Legislative Branch as well as Military Construction and Veterans Affairs departments, agencies, and programs were included in the bill.

All other federal departments, agencies, and programs only received temporary funding based on the Fiscal Year 2024 and March 2025 funding bill levels. And that funding is only good until the end of January 2026.

So, Department of Defense and other federal departments and agencies that have yet to get their funding approved for the full year may hesitate to take on new contracts or business.

This is especially harmful to the military industry of Middle and Southwest Georgia where consistent funding is key to operations. For example, the work at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany suffers when contracts and high-value contracted workers face fiscal uncertainty. Prolonged uncertainty can cause these workers to seek more dependable employment elsewhere and delay performance which could ultimately undermine defense mission success.

Q: Columbus has major infrastructure and transportation priorities pending federal support. Will the shutdown impact timelines for grant approvals or funding cycles for these projects?

Regrettably, yes, the shutdown already had a negative impact on a wide array of federal grants, loans, and cooperative agreements.

Administrative staff were largely furloughed for seven weeks, which meant that they couldn’t evaluate program submissions, work on future program cycles, or simply answer questions from applicants.

This caused delays for grants across the spectrum.

We cannot turn back the clock, but I will work with my colleagues in Congress and to push for robust infrastructure funding to make up for the shortfalls caused by the government shutdown as well as the current general trend of underfunding our communities.

Q: How did the shutdown negotiations reflect the larger political climate in Washington, and what do you believe needs to change to prevent future gridlock that directly impacts communities like Columbus?

During the shutdown, House Republican leaders refused to bring their members to the Capitol, prevented House committees from meeting, and floor votes from being taken. I hope this does not happen again.

I have been through previous shutdowns under Democratic and Republican presidents as well as Democratic- and Republican-controlled Congresses, and we always had the opportunity to get together and talk through our differences. That did not happen in the House this time.

That was not the only way in which this shutdown was unique. I think there is a significant lack of trust we are facing today. Since he was sworn into office, the President has repeatedly and illegally withheld funds from programs, fired federal workers, and is even attempting to shut down existing federal departments and agencies without Congressional approval – which is required by law.

He has ignored the courts when they have told him these actions were wrong and Congressional Republicans – who used to say they were fearful of an imperial presidency have seemed to embrace it. There is a reason why President Trump claimed last month that he is both the President and the Speaker of the House.

We need to return to the system of separation of powers and checks and balances that our Constitution demands.

If we want Republicans and Democrats to be willing to talk and compromise, then there must be trust that the President will be held accountable to respect the deal brokered. If not, then communities like Columbus are always going to be under threat from this president because our community cannot count on him following the law, following the courts, or even being kept in check by his own party, let alone Congress and the Constitution.

Q: Looking ahead, what commitments can you make to your constituents to advocate for stability, predictability, and protection for federal workers and military families should similar budget stand-offs arise?

I will do everything in my power to ensure that Congress passes the annual spending bills prior to close of the fiscal year on September 30th so that the government will not shut down for lack of funds.

Q: What message would you like to share directly with the people of Columbus—especially those who felt the shutdown most deeply—now that the government has reopened?

Many of the challenges that came up during the shutdown have neither started because of the shutdown, nor have they ended because the shutdown has ended.

Since day 1 of this administration, the agenda has been to dismantle government – stop funding and terminate hardworking public servants. It has done so illegally and despite court orders on numerous occasions. In the earliest days of the administration they fired Inspectors General, those directly responsible for oversight within government who would prevent fraud, waste, and abuse by the administration.

SNAP funds were available for November, but the administration falsely claimed it could not distribute them – even when proven wrong by the courts. But SNAP was already under attack and had been cut by 20% by the “Big, Ugly Bill” this summer.

Federal workers who went without pay last month and into this month were already being fired at a breakneck pace and many times these actions were found to be illegal or to jeopardize our country’s safety – such as when the Administration fired people crucial to air traffic control and nuclear security.

And while the “Big, Ugly Bill” made tax breaks for billionaires permanent, it let Affordable Care Act insurance tax credits that help over a million Georgians keep their healthcare expire. It gutted Medicaid and Medicare putting healthcare out of reach for millions more.

What we saw during the shutdown was Republican leaders refusing to come to the table and demanding that Democrats get on board with a bill that pitted Americans against themselves.

The GOP bill pitted farmers and families against their own loved ones and the physicians, hospitals, and nursing homes that care for them.

The GOP bill pitted federal workers against themselves. These are people who keep the skies safe, make sure our borders are secure, support our students and teachers, fight homelessness, respond to natural disasters, and more. That bill forced them to choose between a paycheck today or risk going bankrupt because of the cost of their healthcare tomorrow.

But it is just as important to know that even though this is what the administration and Republican leaders were forcing on the American people, not every Republican in Congress agreed. There were those who – like me and my Democratic colleagues – understood that hard-working Americans do not want to be forced to make a choice every day between a paycheck, food on the table, or being able to afford a doctor. Democrats and Republicans can and should be able to come together and negotiate – not kept apart – so that Americans are not held hostage like that again.

I believe that our government should work for and on behalf of all of the American people. Congress should provide resources and services, not for Republicans or Democrats, but for all Americans. We have more in common than differences that can divide us and as elected officials, we should provide solutions that reflect one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.