WEEKLY REVEREND WRAP: Reverend Warnock Keeps Pressing For China Competition Bill To Strengthen Georgia’s Economy and Create Jobs; Meanwhile, Walker Refuses to Commit to Debates, Doubles Down On Support For Abortion Ban

Also This Week: Warnock Introduces Legislation To Boost Housing For Servicemembers & Their Families

This week, Reverend Warnock continued pushing for passage of bipartisan semiconductor legislation that will create Georgia jobs, strengthen our supply chains, and help the U.S. to better compete with China. Warnock also pushed forward critical legislation to help servicemembers and their families access affordable housing. 

Meanwhile, Herschel Walker refused to commit to debates, despite saying he would debate “any day of the week.” He also doubled down on his support for a nationwide abortion ban without exceptions for rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother. 

WARNOCK FIGHTS TO STRENGTHEN GEORGIA’S ECONOMY, CALLS FOR SWIFT PASSAGE OF CHIPS LEGISLATION TO BETTER COMPETE WITH CHINA

Reverend Warnock, one of the Senate negotiators for the China competition bill  urged the Senate to act swiftly in passing the bipartisan legislation that will invest in domestic chip production to create jobs for hardworking Georgia families and help the U.S. better compete with China . 

Watch WRDW’s Coverage HERE

WARNOCK FIGHTS FOR SERVICEMEMBERS AND MILITARY FAMILIES

This week, Reverend Warnock introduced legislation to expand access to quality, affordable housing for Georgia’s servicemembers and their families. In the Senate, Reverend Warnock has been a leader in standing up for Georgia’s servicemembers, securing federal funding for new barracks at Ft. Stewart and urging Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to take action on military housing after hearing first hand about the struggles servicemembers face. 

Watch WJBF’s coverage HERE

WRDW — Warnock Pushes For Affordable Military Housing, Including Fort Gordon

• U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock has introduced a legislative package that will help military families across Georgia and nationwide obtain affordable and quality housing.

• “Our service members are the best among us. They represent us and they defend us. The least we can do is ensure they and their families have access to affordable and quality housing,” Warnock said.

• During visits to several military bases in the state, Warnock says service members have expressed frustrations about the lack of access to affordable, safe, and quality housing on military bases and in respective military base communities.

• Warnock says the legislation aims to provide relief and recourse to Georgia families who are left vulnerable to fluctuating markets, rising prices, inadequate base housing, and privatized military housing companies.

• In the last year, Warnock has pushed for revision to the basic allowance for housing process in last year’s NDAA, and led an effort to examine the unsanitary, unsafe living conditions at Georgia military base housing facilities operated by Balfour Beatty. The company manages housing communities at 55 military installations in the United States, including Fort Gordon, Fort Benning, and Fort Stewart.

• “I have visited bases across Georgia and the housing conditions are sometimes shameful. This legislative package would restore the housing allowance that servicemembers deserve, provide greater transparency for how the annual allowance is calculated, identify ways to increase military homeownership, and incentivize private developers to help build housing for our military families,” Warnock said.

WJBF — Sen. Warnock Introduces Legislative Package to Provide Affordable Military Housing for Ft. Gordon and Other Military Bases

• U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced a legislative package that will help servicemembers across Georgia and nationwide obtain affordable and quality housing.

• During the Senator’s visits to nearly every military base in the state, servicemembers have expressed frustrations about the lack of access to affordable, safe, and quality housing on military bases and in respective military base communities.

• The package also aims to provide relief and recourse to Georgia servicemembers and military families who are left vulnerable to fluctuating markets, rising prices, inadequate base housing, and privatized military housing companies. Last year, Senator Warnock also pushed for revision to the basic allowance for housing in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

• Additionally, in January, Senator Warnock led an oversight effort to examine the unsanitary, unsafe living conditions at Georgia military base housing facilities operated by Balfour Beatty.

• “This legislative package would restore the housing allowance that servicemembers deserve, provide greater transparency for how the annual allowance is calculated, identify ways to increase military homeownership, and incentivize private developers to help build housing for our military families. [Said Warnock]

• The steps prescribed in Senator Warnock’s new military housing package would alleviate these challenges for many service members.

WARNOCK SECURES RESOURCES TO COMBAT HIV/AIDS

Reverend Warnock helped secure new resources to help combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Metro Atlanta area. The new resources will go to Fulton County’s Department for HIV Elimination to help connect individuals with HIV to essential care. 

Georgia Voice — Sens. Ossoff, Warnock Working to Address HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Metro Atlanta with New Grant

• Sens. Ossoff and Warnock announced new resources for the Fulton County’s Department for HIV Elimination to help Georgians with HIV/AIDS access the health care, treatment, and support services they need.

• The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration awarded approximately $115 million to 60 HIV/AIDS Bureau EHE recipients to link people with HIV who are either newly diagnosed, or are diagnosed but currently not in care, to essential HIV care and treatment and support services. Almost $4 million has gone to Atlanta, with Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties as priority areas of focus.

• “I’ve long been committed to fighting for care and justice for those living with HIV, and as a voice for Georgians in the Senate I’m proud to continue that work as a lawmaker,” said Sen. Warnock. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that what impacts one of us impacts all of us, so I’m proud that we were able to secure vital federal investments to combat the HIV epidemic.”

• According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, there are nearly 60,000 people in Georgia living with HIV. This impacted group is disproportionately made up of Black Georgians and Atlantans.

WALKER REFUSES TO COMMIT TO DEBATES

Herschel Walker is refusing to commit to debates despite his repeated comments that he looks forward to debating Warnock. Instead, Walker is reneging on his previous statement that he will debate Reverend Warnock “any day of the week.” 

Meanwhile, Reverend Warnock has agreed to three debates, and continues to fight to restore the rights of women to determine and access their own care.

WATCH: Walker Tell Reporters “I Haven’t Committed” to Debates

 Watch the full clip from Fox5 HERE

WALK DOUBLES DOWN ON SUPPORT FOR NATIONWIDE ABORTION BAN

As the 11th Circuit federal appeals court allowed Georgia’s abortion law to take effect, Herschel Walker told reporters, “there’s not a national ban on abortion right now and I think that’s a problem.” 

Walker supports making abortion illegal with no exceptions — even in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk. 

The AJC reported: “Walker is no moderate when it comes to abortion restrictions. He supports a total ban on the procedure, even in cases of rape or incest. And this week he lamented that there was no federal legislation outlawing abortion.”

Associated Press – Appeals court allows Georgia abortion law to take effect 

• In the Senate contest, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker have for weeks highlighted their differences on abortion.

• Campaigning Wednesday ahead of the 11th Circuit ruling, Walker said it’s “a problem” that there’s no national ban, and he’s said previously that “there’s no exception in my mind” that should allow women to terminate pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or those that threaten a woman’s life or health. Still, Walker stopped short of saying he’d vote for a ban in a Republican-controlled Congress.

• Warnock, who calls himself a “pro-choice pastor,” said on Twitter that the 11th Circuit decision “allows (Georgia) politicians to take away women’s ability to make their own health care decisions. I will never stop fighting to restore the rights of women to determine and access their own care.”

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