On Thursday, July 28, the Senate Appropriations Committee released draft text of the annual bills that fund the federal government 

Following Senator Reverend Warnock’s advocacy, the draft government funding bill includes robust investments in several priorities for Georgia 

Senator Reverend Warnock: “Just like I fought to secure these strong investments for Georgia in the first step of the annual government funding process, I’m going to keep fighting to get these funds over the finish line and flowing to our state”

Senator Reverend Warnock: “I’m always going to make sure the federal government is doing its part to invest in Georgia in ways that create jobs, keep our military and servicemembers strong, and move our economy and communities forward”

ICYMI from WTOC: U.S. senator, representative speak out against proposal to cut Savannah’s Combat Readiness Training Center

Washington, D.C. — Following months of advocacy and conversations with partners across Georgia, today Senator Reverend Warnock (D-GA) proudly announced that he secured critical federal investments for several Georgia priorities in the recently-released draft fiscal year 2023 government funding bills. The twelve government funding bills, released on July 28 by the Senate Appropriations Committee, reflect months of behind-the-scenes work by Senator Warnock and his office to ensure the bills address critical priorities for Georgia families and companies, including major investments to strengthen our national security and Georgia’s military communities; complete vital projects to improve and modernize the state’s infrastructure: increase support for the state’s colleges and universities, including HBCUs: and, importantly, support and create good-paying jobs in every corner of the state. 

“As a voice for Georgia in the Senate, I’m proud that the draft appropriations bills reflect the priorities of hardworking people in every corner of our state,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Just like I fought to secure these strong investments for Georgia in the first step of the annual government funding process, I’m going to keep fighting to get these funds over the finish line and flowing to our state.” 

“I’m always going to make sure the federal government is doing its part to invest in Georgia in ways that create jobs, keep our military and servicemembers strong, and move our economy and communities forward,” continued Senator Warnock. 

In addition to securing funding for several Georgia priorities in the base text of the legislation, Senator Warnock also successfully secured $129.49 million in direct federal investments for 64 Georgia projects and initiatives through Congressionally-directed spending requested on behalf of stakeholders across the state, a process previously known as earmarks. The Congressionally-directed spending request secured by Senator Warnock represent more than 40 Georgia counties, and amounts to an additional $18.10 million over what Senator Warnock secured for Georgia projects last year through Congressionally-directed spending. The appropriations bills must now be approved by the full Senate. 

SECURED BY SENATOR REVEREND WARNOCK: See below select highlights of key wins for Georgia secured in the draft legislation:

Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food & Drug Administration Funding Highlights 

• Heirs’ Property Relending Program: Senator Warnock more than doubled federal investments in this program, securing $10.98 million total for this program which helps farmers resolve land ownership issues stemming from heirs’ property disputes.
• 1890 Land-Grant Universities: In total, Senator Warnock secured $215 million for 1890 land-grant universities, including Georgia’s Fort Valley State University (Fort Valley, GA) that support minority students in agriculture and agriculture-related programs. 
  • Senator Warnock, joined by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), led the push in the Senate to secure this funding. 
• Fort Valley State University’s Community Veterinary Education and Training: Senator Warnock secured $1.54 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to directly support expanded educational opportunities and real-world clinical training experience for students enrolled in the university’s Veterinary Technology Program. 
  • Senator Warnock has visited FVSU multiple times during his Senate tenure. 
• Peanut Exports: Senator Warnock secured report language in the bill directing the federal government to develop effective and lasting solutions that will increase market access for Georgia peanuts into the European Union.
• Fannin County Fire Department: Senator Warnock secured $1.20 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to support the purchase of equipment for the Fannin County Fire Department, allowing the Department to better protect the health and safety of firefighters and surrounding communities

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Funding Highlights 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Senator Warnock supported efforts to increase funding for the Atlanta-based CDC in the annual spending bill by $2 billion over the previous year, for a total of $10.5 billion in the annual funding bill. 
• Maternal Health: Following the passage of his Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act, Senator Warnock successfully secured programmatic funds in the amount of $15.3 million–an increase of $3.3 million from the previous year–to support the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) Program. 
  • AIM partners with more than 40 states, including Georgia, to help provide technical assistance, capacity building, and data support for the adoption of evidence-based best practices for maternal patient safety. 
• Headstart: Senator Warnock was successful in supporting a $1 billion increase to federal investments in the Head Start early learning program in the draft annual funding bill, for a total of $12.03 billion. 
• HBCUs: Senator Warnock co-led the bipartisan effort in the Senate to fund the nation’s HBCUs, and successfully secured more than $422 million in programmatic funding to support HCBCUs in Georgia and across the country. 

• Morris Brown College: Senator Warnock successful secured $2.4 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for Atlanta’s historic Morris Brown College to fully restore its academic mission–including supporting student scholarships, curriculum, technology, the establishment of the first E-sports degree program at an HBCU, and the creation of a new Morris Brown Center for Teaching and Learning.
• Mobile Mammography Screening Clinic for Atrium Health Navicent: Macon-based Atrium Health Navicent serves over 20 medically-underserved counties in Middle Georgia. Senator Warnock successfully secured $2 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for the hospital to establish a mobile mammography clinic that will provide breast cancer imaging services, as well as screening and necessary education about early detection to prevent breast cancer. 
• Middle Georgia State University: Senator Warnock successfully secured $2 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for Middle Georgia State University (MGSU) to purchase new aviation simulators for its Eastman, GA campus and relieve the school’s backlog of 300 waitlisted students. Aviation is Georgia’s 2nd largest industry, and MGSU is the only 4-year public school of aviation in the state. 
• Bleckley Memorial Hospital (Cochran, GA): Senator Warnock successfully secured $1 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to update equipment and repair the roof at Cochran’s Bleckley Memorial Hospital, a rural hospital that provides emergency and outpatient care for people who would otherwise have to travel more than 30 miles away for medical care. 

[More information on additional labor, health care, and education-related funding for Georgia Senator Warnock successfully secured in the annual funding bill available HERE.] 

Defense, Military Construction & Veterans Affairs Funding Highlights 

• Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay: Senator Warnock successfully secured $100 million in programmatic funding for the Kings Bay Nuclear Regional Maintenance Facility and $65.3 million in programmatic funding for the Kings Bay Trident Training Facility, both critical projects as the base prepares to transition to the Columbia Class submarine.
• Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC): Senator Warnock successfully secured $11.7 million in programmatic operational and personnel programmatic funding increases to keep the Savannah CRTC open and fully funded.
• Fort Stewart/HAAF: Senator Warnock secured $25.4 million for Power Generation and Microgrid construction to invest in the installation’s natural gas infrastructure.
• Combat Rescue Helicopters (CRH): Senator Warnock successfully secured an increase of $370 million in programmatic procurement funding for ten (10) additional Combat Rescue Helicopters, working to support Moody AFB’s key HH-60W missions.
• Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS): Senator Warnock successfully secured an increase of $10 million in programmatic funding for the Air Force’s JADC2 component, the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), which Air Force Secretary Kendall has said Georgia will play a key role in.
• Small Unit Ground Robotic Capabilities: Senator Warnock secured an increase of $7 million in programmatic funding for the Army’s small unit ground robotic capabilities, which are being developed at Fort Benning. This follows Senator Warnock’s success in securing authorizing language for this program in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
• Dobbins Air Reserve Base: Senator Warnock successfully secured $5 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for planning and design for an Army Reserve Center that will become a training facility for up to 800 Georgia servicemembers.
• Fort Gordon: Senator Warnock successfully secured $21 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for an addition to the existing Child Development Center, and an additional $5 million for the planning and design of a new Child Development Center. 
  • Additionally, Senator Warnock successfully secured $5 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for the planning and design of a National Guard and Reserve Center Building to offer a permanent location for training and administrative activities for Guard and Reserve units on post.

[More information on additional military and veterans-related funding for Georgia Senator Warnock successfully secured in the annual funding bill available HERE.] 

Interior and Environment Funding Highlights 

• Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge’s Administrative and Visitor Center: Senator Warnock ensured $1.8 million to replace the wildlife refuge’s Administrative and Visitor Center was successfully included on the priority project list for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service–supporting economic development in the surrounding communities by drawing more visitors to the attraction. 
• Clean Air & Water: Senator Warnock successfully pushed to strengthen funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds program that helps local communities fund various water infrastructure projects to $2.86 billion, up from $2.76 billion in last year’s enacted budget. 
• Environmental Justice: Senator Warnock successfully pushed to strengthen funding for environmental justice initiatives at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to a total of $180 million, over the $100 million the programs were funded in last year’s enacted funding bill. 
• Storm Sewer Improvements in Augusta-Richmond County: Senator Warnock successfully secured $4.09 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to modernize the water drainage in the Wilkinson Gardens Neighborhood, one of the county’s older residential developments that has been challenged by poor drainage conveyance–leading to property flooding and standing water on roadways that causes poor road quality. 
• Establishing Wastewater Infrastructure in Bulloch County: At Senator Warnock’s request, the bill includes $3.01 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to establish public wastewater infrastructure in Bulloch County, which presently does not provide public water or sewer services outside of incorporated areas. 
  • The investment in the proposed infrastructure system is necessary to improve access to clean drinking water and fire suppression.
• Sewer Line Improvements & Upgrades for the City of Waynesboro: Senator Warnock successfully secured $2 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for the City of Waynesboro to replace a sewer line from the Pines Cemetery to 4th Street that is persistently and frequently backed-up.
• Wastewater Infrastructure Upgrades for the City of Thomasville: Working with his fellow Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, Senator Warnock successfully secured $1.2 million for the City of Thomasville to implement the first phase of infrastructure upgrades that will improve local water quality by allowing for proper treatment of the water at the wastewater facility. 
• New Water Supply Source and Water Source Lines for the City of Keysville: Senator Warnock successfully secured $197,000 in Congressionally-directed spending funds to support construction of a new well and the installation of upgraded water pipes in the City of Keysville, Georgia–significantly improving the standard of living in the town of roughly 300 Georgians, where the main water supply well collapsed in 2014. 

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Funding Highlights 

• Alternative and Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Senator Warnock successfully secured $92 million in programmatic funding to benefit the Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment, an aviation research organization led by a coalition of universities that works to meet the aviation industry’s energy and environmental goals. This funding is $2.5 million over the previous year’s enacted funding. 
  • Georgia entities including Delta, Georgia Tech, and LanzaJet are national leaders in supporting sustainable aviation fuel, which could reduce carbon emissions, improve aircraft performance, and support farming communities. 
• Rome Floyd County Northwest Regional Hospital Property: Senator Warnock successfully secured more than $5.1 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to redevelop the community’s Northwest Regional Hospital Property into an industrial park–investing in one of Rome County’s least-developed census tracts. 
• St. John’s Estates Affordable Housing Complex (Albany, GA): Senator Warnock successfully secured $5 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to renovate 40 units of affordable housing at Mt. Olive Community Outreach Center, Inc.’s St. John’s Estates Affordable Housing Complex. 
• Newnan Tornado Reconstruction: Senator Warnock successfully secured $4.6 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for the City of Newnan to rehabilitate 25 owner/occupied low/moderate-income homes and construct 16 new affordable homes in the Chalk Level neighborhood, which was devastated by the March 2021 tornado. 
• Electric Buses: Senator Warnock successfully secured $4 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for Columbus’ METRA Bus Service to build out its electric bus fleet and charging infrastructure.
• Midtown Connector Project (Atlanta, GA): Senator Warnock secured, successfully, $3.2 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for for the Midtown Connector, a job-creating infrastructure project that will build a structure over I-75/I-85 in Atlanta that will make the area more accessible to pedestrians, cyclists, and park-goers. 
  • Senator Warnock previously secured $1 billion in federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for initiatives like Atlanta’s Midtown Connector Project. 
• Athens-Clarke Home Ownership Opportunity Project: Senator Warnock successfully secured more than $2.8 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, Inc. to create new affordable housing and offer zero-interest financing for families with children, as well as rent-subsidized housing for otherwise homeless college students. 

Commerce, Justice & Science Funding Highlights 

• Augusta University: Senator Warnock secured $2.67million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to provide additional security cameras, gunshot detection tools, evidence collection tools, and building access control resources to law enforcement at Augusta University. 
• One Safe Place Macon Family Justice: Senator Warnock secured $1.2million in Congressionally-directed spending funds for one of Georgia’s first Family Justice Centers, which serve victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, human trafficking, and elder abuse; the funding would help bring a variety of victims services under one roof in the Macon area, including forensic exam rooms and trauma-informed primary care, as well as support youth programs for victims of assault.
• Voting Rights Enforcement: Senator Warnock successfully secured language in the legislation directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritize resources to protect American citizens’ right to vote, in light of the enactment of Georgia’s S.B. 202. 
• Community Policing: Senator Warnock was also successful in securing language in the bill to expand the federal government’s community policing efforts through DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, offering technical assistance to new COPS grants applicants.

Homeland Security Funding Highlights 

• Chatham County Public Safety Building: Senator Warnock, joined by Senator Jon Ossoff, successfully secured $1.2 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to build out the communications and technology infrastructure within Chatham County’s Public Safety Building. 
• East Point, GA Emergency Operations Center: Senator Warnock successfully secured more than $1.07 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to upgrade the communications infrastructure at the City of East Point’s Emergency Operations Center, which will reduce the community’s vulnerability to localized and widespread disasters, and aid recovery and post-disaster reconstruction. 

Energy and Water Development Funding Highlights 

• Georgia Hydrogen Testing Consortium: Senator Warnock partnered with Senator Jon Ossoff to successfully secure $2.5 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to create a new Georgia Tech-led research consortium, in coordination with Georgia’s HBCUs, to study and develop new hydrogen fuel technologies for a clean energy future.
• Brunswick Harbor Modification Study: Senator Warnock partnered with Senator Jon Ossoff to successfully secure $1.6 million for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study improvements in the efficiency, cost, and reliability of ship traffic in the Brunswick Harbor by making navigational enhancements along the federally-maintained channel.
• Promoting U.S. Solar Manufacturing: Senator Warnock secured report language in the current bill directing the federal government to prioritize domestic solar technology when it’s used on federal property–a move that will benefit Georgia-based solar manufacturers like Q Cells, who recently announced a $171 million investment in its Dalton, GA facility, creating 470 new jobs.”

Financial Services and General Government Funding Highlights 

• Downtown Augusta Microenterprise Center: Senator Warnock successfully secured $2.35 million in Congressionally-directed spending funds to create a microenterprise center in downtown Augusta that will serve as both an economic incubator and active commerce location for new entrepreneurs, investing in community small businesses.
• Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Senator Warnock also secured Congressionally-directed funding in the amount of $500,000 to allow the Chamber to expand the support services of its Hispanic Business Center to economically distressed areas in rural cities, like Tifton, and coastal cities, like Savannah–supporting Georgia small businesses and rural economic development. 

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