Governor Andy Beshear says Kentucky is doing all it can to cope with the continuing federal government shutdown that started at midnight Wednesday.

The governor says some programs that help Kentuckians will continue.

That includes Snap, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often called food stamps, and Wick, the Supplemental Nutrition Program for women, Infants and children.

This afternoon, the governor urged Kentuckians to look out for one another.

So we are in day two of a federal government shutdown.

You never want to see a government shutdown.

And we are thinking about and we should be checking on all those Kentucky families that work for the federal government that are currently furloughed and not receiving their salaries.

It is going to be really difficult on them.

But what we're seeing in Washington, D.C.

is, is Democrats fighting to keep the cost of health care affordable.

What Republicans have done and without intervention, what will happen is a loss of of help for those that get their insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

And that will cause on about 100,000 Kentuckians with significant increases in premiums, but it impacts the entire market.

And so just about everyone's health care costs, which are already too high, will go up.

Pair that with the significant cuts in Medicaid, where 200,000 Kentuckians are going to lose their coverage and 20,000 Kentuckians are going to lose their job.

And what you see is people fighting, so that the American, the American family, the average American family can actually pay their bills and see a doctor.

So it's it's it's complicated and it's tough.

But certainly we're thinking about each of those families.

Most, programs that come through Kentucky will continue.

We've done it before.

We'll do it again, but we'll be monitoring it, day to day.

The governor also said if President Donald Trump permanently fires government workers during this shutdown, he says that's on him.

The governor said that's not necessary and didn't happen during other government shutdowns.

Governor Beshear appeared on NPR, National Public Radio's Morning Edition this morning.

He talked about the federal government shutdown and was also asked about whether he will run for president in 2028.

He again said he would make that decision later.

Host Steve Inskeep asked the governor about the Democrats focus if they take the white House.

We ought to be talking about how to create a better life for Americans, how to make people's lives just a little bit easier.

Right now, the most concerning poll I've seen is the number of people who think the American dream is slipping away.

The American Dream is so fundamental to our country that if you play by the rules and you work hard, that you can get ahead.

So we need to be looking at all those areas that people are struggling, that lead them to believe that they're not going to be able to achieve in addressing them.

You know, that young couple has to be able to buy a house in the same decade that their parents did.

If you work a full time job, you ought to be able to pay your bills and not have to be wo Congressman Andy Barr, a Republican from the sixth district, wants legislation making government shutdowns impossible.

Barr says his End Government Shutdowns Act, if passed, would keep the government open.

If Congress can't reach a budget deal.

The government would operate at 99% of the previous year's funding level for 30 days.

It would go down another 1% each 30 days until a deal is reached.

Barr wrote about this in an opinion piece in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

He said, quote, the stakes are too high to continue lurching from crisis to crisis.

Our men and women in uniform should never be pawns in political fights.

Our family shouldn't wonder whether they'll receive their next paycheck to keep the lights on and food on the table.

Americans shouldn't wonder if the airport security line will be staffed.

End quote.