WEEKLY REVEREND WRAP: Warnock Fights to Bring Jobs to Georgia & Pass China Competition Bill While Herschel Walker Says Nothing; Campaign Raises Over $17.2 Million in Q2

Also This Week: Warnock’s Fight To Lower Prescription Drug Prices Gains Momentum

This week, Reverend Warnock continued his push to pass the China competition bill, which would support Georgia jobs, including in a letter out this morning to Senate leadership urging them not to let politics get in the way of Georgia jobs. Meanwhile, Herschel Walker has remained silent on his own party’s threat to the legislation. 

Reverend Warnock also saw progress in his fight to lower prescription drug costs following news his plan was included in a larger Senate package to address prescription drug pricing.

Here’s the other top #GASEN news from this week: 

• Reverend Warnock’s campaign raised a record-breaking $17.2 million in the second quarter, more than doubling Herschel Walker’s raise. 

• Warnock demanded the U.S. Postal address issues with mail service in Georgia. 

• And Herschel Walker is hiding from the press.

Read all about it below. 

WARNOCK FIGHTS TO CREATE GOOD PAYING JOBS, REDUCE RELIANCE ON CHINA

As Reverend Warnock is pressing Senate leadership to swiftly pass the China competition bill, Herschel Walker has refused to stand up to Mitch McConnell following his threat to block the bipartisan deal that will bring jobs to Georgia and reduce America’s reliance on foreign nations, like China. In a letter sent today to Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, Warnock is continuing his charge to pass the critical legislation. Warnock’s fight also includes a push to secure investments for STEM research and jobs in Georgia for Middle Georgia State and Warner Robins Air Force Base. Meanwhile, Herschel Walker has said nothing about his own party’s threat to hold up the deal that would bring jobs to Georgia and help the U.S. better compete with China.  

Watch WMGT’s Coverage HERE

AJC — Warnock to Congressional Leaders: Don’t Let China Competition Bill Fall Apart

• The Senate should not allow partisan bickering to derail negotiations on a China competitiveness bill, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock says in new letter to the chamber’s highest-ranking members.

• Writing to Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Warnock says he and others have spent almost a year working on legislation that would address the semiconductor shortage and other supply chain issues while also boosting American research and innovation. That package should be on a fast-track, Warnock writes, but politics seems to be getting in the way of progress.

• “This historic bipartisan legislation is too vital to be used to score political points, and employing tactics to derail this critical and overwhelmingly bipartisan bill is shameful,” Warnock’s letter says. “Americans need leadership, not political gamesmanship.”

• “Political threats to block this legislation are shameful,” he wrote. “At this moment, families need our help more than ever. We should not force a choice between helping Americans afford essential medication and creating good-paying jobs through innovation. Our economy and our communities need and deserve both.”

WARNOCK RAISES OVER $17.2M IN LATEST RECORD-BREAKING QUARTER

On Wednesday, Reverend Warnock announced he raised a record-breaking $17.2 million between April and June. This haul was driven by grassroots donors, with over 258,000 donors giving an average of $37. This is Warnocks second-consecutive record breaking quarter, after raising over $13.6 million in the first three months of this year. 

AJC — Warnock Raises More Than $17M in Three-Month Span

• Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock set the latest in a string of fundraising records by collecting $17.2 million between April and June, ending the quarter with roughly $22.2 million in the bank for a race that could decide control of the Senate.

• The Democrat far outpaced Walker, who said he collected nearly $6.2 million over the three-month span and has nearly $7 million in cash on hand. In all, the Republican has raised more than $20 million since he entered the race in August.

• “This haul and the tens of thousands of grassroots donors lining up to support this campaign in record numbers are just the latest sign that Georgians see Rev. Warnock working on their behalf in the U.S. Senate and they are ready to help propel our campaign to victory,” Warnock campaign manager Quentin Fulks said.

• Fulks, Warnock’s campaign manager, said voters “know Herschel Walker has spent his campaign misleading the people of Georgia about his record and making bizarre and false claims.”

• “While he keeps showing the people of Georgia he isn’t ready to represent them,” Fulks said, “we’ll keep working hard to show the people of Georgia that Reverend Warnock is fighting for them and they have a clear choice this November.”

WARNOCK PROPOSAL TO LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS FOR SENIORS GAINS MOMENTUM IN THE SENATE

This week Reverend Warnock announced his plan to lower costs for Georgian’s by capping the price of prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000 is gaining momentum in the Senate. His plan was included in the draft text of a larger proposal by Senate leadership to lower prescription drug costs for Seniors on Medicare. 

CW69 Atlanta — Sen. Warnock chairs congressional hearing in Georgia on push to lower prescription drug costs

• US Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) is waging a battle to bring down the high costs of prescription drugs.

• Warnock visited Fayetteville Senior Services to hear from seniors and healthcare advocates about skyrocketing drug costs. He chaired the Senate Aging Committee’s first congressional hearing in Georgia.

• “Something I hear consistently from Georgians, especially seniors, is about how they’re being squeezed by the high cost of prescription drugs and the burden it puts on their health and their wallets,” said Warnock.

• It hits close to home for Gretchen Spring, who lives in Marietta. Her husband, Peter Spring, had a heart condition and Alzheimer’s before he died in April. Between the two of them, they paid about $12,000 a year, out of pocket, for prescriptions. They maxed out credit cards and $60,000 in pension funds.

• The number one reason people don’t fill prescriptions is the cost. Warnock says it’s an urgent call for Congress to pass his proposed legislation capping drug costs at $2,000 a year. It would also put more of the cost burden on drug manufacturers.

• “Seniors shouldn’t have to choose between buying groceries and buying drugs that they need,” said Warnock.

AARP — Bill Would Allow Medicare Price Negotiations, Cap Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs

• Millions of Medicare enrollees would better afford their indispensable medications, and the solvency of the health insurance program for older adults and people with disabilities would be bolstered, as part of a budget proposal the U.S. Senate is expected to consider in the coming weeks.

• The proposed legislation would for the first time authorize Medicare to negotiate the price of some high-cost prescription drugs, cap out-of-pocket costs for Part D prescription drug plan members at $2,000 a year, and levy tax penalties on drugmakers that increase the prices of their products more than the rate of inflation. The bill would also extend the solvency of Medicare through 2031, three years more than current estimates for the program’s Part A Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund.

• “The prescription drug pricing reforms coming together in the reconciliation bill are a huge win for older Americans,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer. “By putting a limit on what they’ll have to pay out of pocket for prescriptions and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, this legislation will save seniors money at the pharmacy and help them make ends meet. It also improves the financial health of Medicare, which helps protect these important benefits for current and future beneficiaries.”

Forbes — Drug Prices Make Headlines Again As Senate Democrats Push Forward Pricing Reforms

• From a political perspective, perhaps the most important provision contained in the legislation is the cap on out-of-pocket spending by Medicare beneficiaries, which would be set at $2,000 in 2023. In addition, Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket share of total outpatient drug costs has been lowered from 25% to 23%. Medicare beneficiaries are obviously an important constituency for House and Senate members on both sides of the aisle. Rising Medicare beneficiary out-of-pocket expenses impose a heavy financial burden. Currently, there is no cap on such spending.

• At present, there are more than 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries in the catastrophic phase of the Part D benefit, which means they’ve already spent $3,250 out-of-pocket on prescription drugs. This includes the deductible and patient cost-sharing in the initial coverage phase. At this point, their out-of-pocket co-insurance drops to 5%, but there is no cap on beneficiary spending. As we know, specialty drugs can be very costly, which implies the 5% co-insurance can easily translate into thousands of additional dollars for those on expensive prescriptions.

WARNOCK DEMANDS ACTION ON MAIL ISSUES IN GEORGIA

In response to reports of missing mail and check washing at a metro Atlanta post office, Reverend Warnock fired off a letter to the Chief Postal Inspector demanding they address the troubling reports. 

CBS46 — Ga. senator demanding action over post office problems exposed by CBS46

• A Georgia senator is demanding action after a CBS46 investigation exposed multiple reports of missing mail and check washing at a metro Atlanta post office earlier this year.
  

• On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock sent a letter to the head of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, asking him to not only investigate CBS46′s findings, but also to provide a full briefing of his work to address the reported issues.

• In his letter, Warnock also asked Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale to respond to a number of questions, including what steps his agency is taking to prevent mail theft and check-washing going forward.

• “They work for the people of Georgia,” Warnock said. “They work for the American people and we ought to be able to reasonably expect that we’ll get clear information about something as serious as peoples’ documents.”

WATCH: WARNOCK SHOWS UP FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Chris Escobar, owner of the Plaza Theater, highlighted Reverend Warnock for his continued support for Georgia’s business community and small business owners. 

WALKER HIDES FROM GEORGIANS 

Meanwhile, Herschel Walker continues to prove he’s not ready to represent Georgians, as he hides from the very people he wants to represent. 

AJC — The Jolt: Herschel Walker’s campaign bars press, brings in reinforcements

• Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker has scarcely changed his approach to the media since running away with the GOP nod in May. He’s largely stuck to a “velvet rope” regimen of private events, tightly controlled appearances and limited-access speeches. That strategy was even more pronounced in the last week as he faced another series of damaging stories that could threaten his credibility. But rather than address the criticism head on, Walker spoke at two events within the last week that barred media access. 

• The first was a Buckhead Young Republicans gathering, which one of your Insiders was told was a “closed, private event.” The second was a Hall County GOP meeting at a public park in Gainesville, where organizers booted WABE’s Rahul Bali from a speech advertised as “open to all.” In both cases, campaign officials said the event organizers set the protocol. But Hall County GOP officials countered that Walker’s aides dictated the no-media policy. The attempt to shield Walker comes as most polls show a razor-thin race between Walker and Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock– and an outlier gives Warnock a sizable edge. Warnock has held a series of campaign events with media access recently. “Looks like this campaign isn’t even ready for two-hand touch football,” said Bob Trammell, a former Georgia House Democratic leader.

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