WASHINGTON — The White House is pointing out needs in Georgia when it comes to addressing the pandemic’s impact and it says President Joe Biden’s COVID relief package will help.
But, right now, Georgians are caught in the middle of a political discussion. Republicans are critical of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion package. Meanwhile, Democrats are acting quickly to push it through.
As the plan heads to the Senate, the White House said Georgia will see billions of dollars in fiscal relief.
In a White House document sent to 11Alive, it says Georgia will get $4.7 billion in state funding, $3.6 billion in local relief, and nearly 10 million Georgians will get a $1,400 stimulus check.
“That’s quite big considering that last year it was $1,200 and $500 per child and now it’s going to be $1,400 across the board for everyone,” said financial expert Andrew Poulos.
Governor Brian Kemp hasn’t been shy about his criticism of president Biden’s “American Rescue Plan," saying this COVID relief package is giving Georgia less money than other states because the allocation formula is anchored in state unemployment numbers and Georgia has put a strong focus on keeping people employed over the last year.
Kemp wrote an op-ed for Fox News. In it, he said: “The Peach State would be the worst-hit under this new plan, receiving nearly $1.3 billion less than if the previous formula were applied. This is unacceptable.”
He’s even urged Georgia’s two senators to vote against it.
Senator Raphael Warnock said he supports the package.
But, Poulos said some of the talks are just political back and forth and won’t necessarily impact daily lives in a major way
“We can discuss and debate how many billions Georgia should receive but at the end of the day if it’s not going into people’s pockets, they’re not going to feel it as much as it’s going to circulate into other areas,” he said.