BREAKING: Senator Reverend Warnock Secures Robust Federal Support for Georgia's Military Bases, Maternal Health Care, Critical Infrastructure, Transportation Projects and Other Local Priorities in Annual Government Funding Bill

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) applauded the inclusion of strong investments and policies he championed for Georgia in the final Fiscal Year 2022 (FY2022) government funding bill. Thanks to Senator Warnock's leadership, the annual funding bill includes a bipartisan provision to authorize new federal programs to help end maternal mortality and improve maternal health across the country; it also strengthens federal support for the nation's HBCUs, and invests deeply--and directly--in specific Georgia projects that will bolster local water and sewer systems, expand broadband access, and improve mobility and public transportation--helping create local jobs and new economic opportunities.

"I've fought for months to make sure the government funding bill reflects Georgia's priorities, and I'm proud the final package includes strong investments and policies I helped secure that will pour federal resources into our HBCUs and other schools, improve maternal health outcomes, fund key infrastructure improvements at our military bases, and direct federal funding to critical job-creating and economic-bolstering projects across the state," Senator Reverend Warnock said upon the bill text's release. "The bill also includes vital support to help our friends in Ukraine continue defending themselves and their sovereignty against Russia's unwarranted violence. This package is good news for hardworking Georgia families, small businesses and communities, and I can't wait to get it across the finish line so these investments can start flowing to our state."

Following release of the annual funding bill, on Wednesday Senator Reverend Warnock forcefully spoke out against an initial provision in the funding bill that would claw back unused COVID relief funds that were previously allocated to states by the American Rescue Plan; the cuts would have applied only to Georgia and 29 other states. In his letter sent earlier today to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senator Reverend Warnock demanded that the provision be stripped from the bill before it is passed in the Senate, and that lawmakers find an alternate funding source that doesn't deplete federal resources already promised to Georgia. Following Senator Warnock's letter, congressional leaders decide to change course and remove these harmful cuts from the final legislation.

Since entering Congress, Senator Warnock has been instrumental in securing major federal investments for Georgia priorities, and he worked successfully in the annual funding process to secure investments for multiple local Georgia projects and initiatives. See highlights below of key investments and policies that Senator Reverend Warnock secured for the state in the annual government funding bill:

Improving Maternal Health: Senator Warnock's worked successfully to include his bipartisan Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act, introduced with Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) in the final funding bill.
Senator Warnock's provision authorizes new grant programs to innovate ways to reduce maternal mortality, including developing evidence based best practices and improving maternal mortality review committee data; programs to develop integrated health care services for pregnant and postpartum women and infants; and a program for racial and ethnic bias training for health care providers. It also creates a study on best practices for teaching within health professional training programs to reduce and prevent discrimination and creates an education campaign to promote and improve vaccination rates.
Military Construction and Defense:
Senator Warnock secured $21 million in additional military construction and defense funding for Georgia's bases through Congressionally Directed Spending, including:
$12.5 million for Valdosta's Moody Air Force Base (AFB) to construct a new parking apron in support of 41st Rescue Squadron HH-60W combat rescue helicopters.
$3.67 million for Fort Gordon's Cyber Center of Excellence for completing planning and design to modernize the Signal schoolhouse, and construct Cyber and Communications Network Training Facility.
$5 million to Fort Stewart to complete planning and design for a new housing facility that will accommodate 372 soldiers.
Senator Warnock also supported $69 million for modernization and revitalization efforts at Fort Gordon to construct the Cyber Instructional Facility. This enormous and comprehensive effort demonstrates Fort Gordon's leading role in adding the emerging threats facing our nation.
Senator Warnock successfully supported $13.2 million for unaccompanied housing at Fort Benning.
Senator Warnock also fought for critical defense programs that benefit Georgia's defense industry and base communities, including:
$1.8 billion in funding for 16 additional C-130J aircraft for the National Guard
$15 million in additional funding of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) development
Restoration of programmatic funding for the A-10 aircraft program
Maintenance of funding for the Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program and the E-11 BACN aircraft
HBCUs: Senator Warnock led the bipartisan push in the Senate to bolster federal support for several HBCU funding programs, including the Strengthening HBCUs and Capital Finance programs.
Thanks to Senator Warnock, the government funding bill includes more than $24.4 million to cover loans and administrative costs through the HBCU Capital Financing Program, which provides support for HBCU infrastructure and deferred maintenance projects.
Senator Warnock also fought to successfully secure more than $400 million for the Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) grant program, an increase of $65 million from the previous fiscal year.
Rural Broadband: Senator Warnock secured $487 million for USDA's ReConnect program, which expands broadband access in rural communities. This funding is in addition to the $2 billion the Senator helped secure from USDA's broadband program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Georgia has received over $26 million in grants and loans from this program, and Senator Warnock also secured language in the bill directing additional federal agencies to prioritize broadband deployment.
Environmental Justice: Senator Warnock helped secure $100 million for EPA's environmental justice program, an increase of over $83 million over FY21 levels.
Veterans: Inspired in part by the remarkable program run by the University of Georgia, at Senator Warnock's request the government funding bill includes language in the Senate report urging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prioritize funding for the support of programs that permit public and land-grant university law schools to expand their veterans legal clinic offerings, in which social work services are also provided, to serve veterans facing unique legal challenges.
Senator Warnock also supported the $2.2 billion in funding included for Homeless Assistance Programs, like the HUD-VASH and SSVF programs used by many Georgia communities, at the Department of Veterans Affairs which provide services and relief for veterans experiencing homelessness.
Congressionally-Directed Spending Requests: In addition to strengthening federal support for several Georgia priorities across the funding package, Senator Warnock also successfully secured direct federal support for several specific Georgia projects. A few highlights below:
$6.3 million to build Wilkinson County's first-ever public sewer system to replace aging and failing private septic systems.
$5 million to replace and relocate the Senior Care Center in St. Marys for facility relocation and replacement.
$5 million towards completion of the Atlanta BeltlLine Southside Trail.
$5 million to build MARTA's new Clayton County Multipurpose Operations and Maintenance Facility, to improve operations, lower costs, and create jobs.
$3 million to begin work on the next phase of Savannah's Truman Linear Park Trail, part of the Tide to Town trail network.
$2.5 million to support Cobb County's Chattahoochee RiverLands Pilot Project.
$2.1 million to Augusta University's Medical College of Georgia's 3+ Primary Care Pathway Program to help support Georgia educated physicians and keep them practicing in rural and underserved parts of the state.

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