There's no time to wait: the early efforts of Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock
When a new administration enters office, there's a reference to the first 100 days.
The same can be said for those in Congress. On Tuesday, February 9th, newly elected Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock held his first official news conference. He not only outlines the committees he's serving on, but the legwork taking place for much needed legislation to address a number of Georgia-related and national concerns.
Not even a month in his current term, Warnock serves on the following committees: Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science and Transportation; the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Outside of his appointments, the operative term which is part of his primary focus for Georgians and the country is for he and his congressional peers to act "boldly and urgently" given the current state of affairs.
The currently discussed $1.9 trillion in COVID-19 relief places emphasis on delivering much-needed assistance in accelerating access to vaccines to frontline workers including (but not limited to) teachers, small business owners, farmers, nurses, and other related fields. His concurrent efforts with the Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act (click HERE to learn more) would provide $5 billion in additional relief to help Black farmers and farmers of color who have been hard-hit by challenges flowing from the COVID-19 virus and the federal government’s legacy of discriminatory practices.
To catch the full press conference, refer to the following (the complete video of today's press conference):
The following are other areas of focus/highlights, including steps to problem-solve:
Getting Georgians/citizens the $2000 promised to help get through the current tough times, specifically through direct payments and expanded federal investments including the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
Provisions for additional rental and mortgage assistance.
Investment of billions of additional dollars in state Medicade programs (click HERE to find out more), especially as it relates to Georgians (as there's an estimated 500,000 residents who are currently locked out of coverage).
Securing billions of dollars in funding for elementary, middle, and high schools (K-12) to provide safer environments for students, teachers, administration, and staff.
Increasing investments for HBCU's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in Georgia and nationwide to support the preparation of the next generation of underserved students for the present and future.
Continued advocacy for billions of dollars in investment for vaccine distribution in Georgia on-track along with continued funded to address the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes, prisons, and other critical areas.
As he emphasized in today's news conference, "Make no mistake that my top priorities are getting the vaccines distributed, so we can get this virus under control and address the health of our citizens and the health of our economy, and securing COVID-19 for Georgians and Americans. Our state’s hardworking families stand to lose jobs; they have already lost jobs, they stand to lose housing, the ability to put food on the table and so much more if Congress does not act boldly and urgently. That is why I join my colleagues in moving legislation forward to get the $1.9 trillion in federal aid out if the door—we have to get control of this virus. We have not a moment to waste. It literally is a matter of life and death.”
The first press conference makes it clear work is taking place well during the first 100 days.
Writer's note: Many thanks to Press Secretary Meredith Brasher and the press/media team for Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock.
