ATLANTA — U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) highlighted his relief plan for Georgia during his Tuesday morning press conference.
The virtual press conference happened at 11 a.m.
Warnock addressed the $1.9 trillion federal assistance bill making its way through Congress during his first address as a sworn-in senator.
"Make no mistake that my top priorities are getting the vaccines distributed so we can get this virus under control, so we can address the health of our citizens and the health of our economy," Warnock stated during the event.
The newly-sworn-in senator said that citizens and residents of Georgia stand to lose so much if Congress doesn't act "swiftly and boldly."
During his 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."
He said he's focused on helping residents in Georgia through focusing on healthcare through Medicaid expansion, mental health, housing, promised tax credits, education, and more.
"We're pushing for billions of dollars in K-12 funding to make sure our schools are safe for students, for teachers, for staff," he explained. He mentioned that the package also included funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Warnock said he's been "fighting for solutions" by supporting legislation such as the Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act which was created to help Black farmers and farmers of color during the pandemic. He detailed that the legislation would provide 5 billion dollars to minority farmers.
"These are some of the people that have so frequently been forgotten by our federal government," he said. "Because Black farmers and farmers of color have waited long enough for the help that they are due from the federal government."
He serves on various Senate committees including Agriculture, Commerce, Banking, Joint Economic, and the Special Committee on Aging.
Warnock is Georgia's first Black U.S. Senator and the 11th one in the nation. He officially took office on Jan. 20.