In first news official news conference, Senator Reverend Warnock laid out how $1.9 trillion in federal relief being debated in Congress would benefit Georgians

Senator Reverend Warnock also discussed his new Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act that would invest $5 billion to help Black farmers, farmers of color address COVID-19 and historic discrimination

Senator Reverend Warnock: “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”

11ALIVE: “During Senator Warnock’s press conference, he made it clear that he stands with his colleagues in moving forward with the relief legislation. He said it ‘literally is a matter of life and death.’” 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) discussed his top legislative priorities to secure urgent COVID-19 relief for Georgia’s hardworking families during his first press conference since being sworn in. In his remarks, Senator Warnock highlighted how the $1.9 trillion in critical COVID-19 relief being negotiated in Congress will deliver much-needed assistance to Georgia’s workers, teachers, small business owners, farmers, nurses and more. He also discussed how his new legislative effort, the Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act, will 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.

“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,” Senator Reverend Warnock said during the news conference.“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 dollars 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.”

In addition to his legislation that will provide direct payments to Black farmers and farmers of color, Senator Warnock also laid out other solutions he is pushing to include in the relief package, including:

• getting Georgians the $2,000 they were promised to get through these tough times, through direct payments and expanded federal investments like the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC);

• providing additional Rental and Mortgage Assistance to help Georgians keep a roof over their heads; 

• investing billions of additional dollars in state Medicaid programs to incentivize Medicaid expansion, helping move Georgia closer to insuring the roughly 500,000 Georgians who are currently locked out of coverage;

• securing billions of dollars in K-12 funding to make sure our schools are safe for students, teachers and staff;

• making significant investments in our HBCUs, in Georgia and nationwide, that are preparing the next generation of underserved students for the future;

• advocating for billions of dollars in investments to get vaccine distribution in Georgia on track as well as dedicated funding to address the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes and prisons; and much more.   

View video of the full press conference here.