NAACP Supports Reintroduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

On Febrary 29, 2024 Sen. Raphael Warnock (GA) reintroduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The bill, which the NAACP has signed onto, aims to revitalize the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by expanding the government's ability to respond to voting discrimination. The reintroduction of the act comes following a failed attempt at passage of the original bill, and increasing attacks on voting rights from courts and politicians across the nation.

NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson released the following statement:

"The NAACP is proud to support Senator Warnock's reintroduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act bill. Right now, Americans, particularly Black Americans' right to vote is under attack. While the NAACP remains unwavering in our efforts to litigate, agitate, and advocate, we can't do this alone. Federal action must be swift and decisive.

The reintroduction of this bill marks another pivotal moment in the fight to ensure every American has access to the ballot box. We know that democracy can't exist without the Black vote. Now, it's up to our leaders to protect it, ensuring that every voice is heard, and every vote counted. Together, we'll repair democracy."

This week, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson met with Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss voting rights in America. The NAACP is also currently litigating eight voting rights cases across the country. Ahead of the 2024 election, the Association has launched a multi-million dollar civic engagement campaign throughout 26 priority states in its ongoing advocacy efforts to preserve equitable access to the ballot box for Black Americans.

Senator Raphael Warnock Calls for Action on Guns After Deadly Shooting in Atlanta

Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock speaks about the deadly shooting in at a medical facility in Atlanta, in which one person was killed and four others were injured. Senator Warnock calls for action to prevent further gun violence, saying, "Thoughts and prayers are not enough," adding that doing nothing is to "make a mockery of prayer" and "trivialize faith."

President Biden Speaks at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta

President Biden spoke at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where Dr. King once served as the church’s pastor and where Senator Raphael Warnock serves in that role now. In his remarks, President Biden spoke about democracy and voting rights in the present, which he called “the time of choosing,” between “democracy over autocracy,” "community over chaos," and “love over hate.” He said that “Dr. King’s life and legacy show us the way” through these times, and he called on the congregation to “redeem the soul of America.”

Watch his speech below:

Herschel Walker's assistant high school football coach makes campaign ad for Sen. Raphael Warnock

Senator Raphael Warnock's campaign has released a new campaign that has Curtis Dixon, a former assistant football coach and teacher at Herschel Walker’s Johnson County High School in Georgia, not mincing words about Walker. He states that Walker is not ready to be a United States Senator and ask voters to vote for Raphael Warnock.

Curtis Dixon was @HerschelWalker’s high school football coach in Wrightsville.

Curtis Dixon is voting Warnock. pic.twitter.com/eAWllgxDRp

— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) November 22, 2022

Herschel Walker declines invitation to debate Senator Warnock

After initially accepting the invitation, Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker says he's declined an invitation to participate in a debate in Macon against Senator Raphael Warnock.

During an appearance in Wrightsville on Friday, Walker said he has no plans to attend the Oct. 13 debate.

Warnock accepted the invitation to participate about a month ago. Walker’s campaign had not responded to the invitation since it was sent in June.

On Friday, Walker said he has no plans to debate in Macon and explained why.

“I'm not going to respond to anything because you know that's not a debate, and you know that,” Walker said. “You've got people that are contributors to his campaign and it's in this room that only two people gonna see it on a Sunday night, I think. NFL Football, I am giving you an opportunity to be statewide so everybody can see what it is, see the contrast between the two of us. I don't know how you can ask for anything better.”

The debate is set for a Thursday night, not a Sunday. It is a co-sponsored debate by 13WMAZ, our Atlanta station 11Alive, Georgia Public Broadcasting, The Telegraph and Mercer’s Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University.

There will have a live audience and the debate will be available across all WMAZ platforms and with our media partners.

[SOURCE: WMAZ]

Senator Raphael Warnock introduces bill to cap prescription drug costs for seniors

The out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs covered through Medicare would be capped at $2,000 a year under legislation introduced into the U.S. Senate by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

More than 1.2 million senior citizens paid more than $2,000 for prescription drugs in 2019.“Our country should never allow for our seniors to have to ration or skip the medication they need because they can’t afford it.” Warnock said.

Warnock’s bill would reduce the cap on out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs for seniors from the current $3,000. It also would require drug manufacturers to take on more of the cost burden, reducing government subsidies and saving tax dollars.

Warnock said he’s working to get the prescription drug cap for seniors through Congress as soon as possible.

[SOURCE: NORTH WEST GEORGIA NEWS]

Senator Reverend Warnock Introduces New Bill to Cap Costs of Insulin

U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) has introduced new legislation to cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin for Americans. The Affordable Insulin Now Act will require Medicare plans and private group or individual plans to cap patients’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month. This will lower costs for insulin users and save money for hardworking Georgians and Americans—many who are paying exorbitantly from their own pockets for insulin and other diabetic treatments. According to one estimate, diabetics spend close to $6,000 annually on insulin alone. This is all while costs for insulin are going up and manufacturers of the drug are pocketing more revenue from insulin sales than in prior decades.

“Too many Georgians have or know someone who has diabetes, and too many live with the burden of treating this chronic condition with critical insulin that’s costing them more and more,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “At the same time, special corporate interests are seeing record profits, while everyday people are seeing record prices for drugs like insulin they need to live. I’ve long been focused on strengthening access to affordable health care and lowering costs for Georgians, and that’s why I am proud to lead the effort in the Senate to cap patients’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin. Georgians should never have to choose between paying for life’s basic essentials or life-preserving medicines.”

Under the Affordable Insulin Now Act, private group or individual plans would be required to cover one of each insulin dosage form (vial, pen) and insulin type (rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting) for no more than $35 per month. Medicare Part D plans, both stand-alone drug plans and Medicare Advantage drug plans, would be required to charge no more than $35 for whichever insulin products they cover in 2023 and 2024, and for all insulin products beginning in 2025.

Senator Warnock has heard concerns from close to 3,000 Georgians about the burdens of rising prescription drugs prices, including from hundreds of constituents concerned about the rising costs of insulin. Costs to treat diabetes have continued to rise for many Georgians and Americans: according to the Health Care Costs Institute, insulin prices nearly doubled from 2012 to 2016, with the average price for a 40-day supply of insulin increasing from $344 to $666 during that span. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, medical costs and lost work and wages for people with diagnosed diabetes total $327 billion yearly, and the American Diabetes Association has asserted that diabetics account for $1 of every $4 spent on health care in the U.S. At the same time, a 2021 bipartisan staffreport from the Senate Finance Committee found that “[insulin] manufacturers are retaining more revenue from insulin than in the 2000s,” and that “the amount of revenue pharmaceutical manufacturers are retaining from insulin has risen.”

“For decades, millions of diabetics in this country have had to pay outrageous prices for the medications they need to survive. Even when insulin vials only cost a few dollars to produce, drug companies have hiked the price to hundreds of dollars per month, forcing patients to ration insulin and skip doses altogether — which can have devastating consequences,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Senator Warnock’s bill capping insulin out-of-pocket costs to $35 a month for Americans with insurance will put more money in families’ pockets and give them peace of mind knowing they won’t have to choose between purchasing this life saving medication and putting food on the table. We commend Senator Warnock for his unwavering commitment to fighting for a future where quality, affordable health care is a reality for every American.” 

Lowering rising costs and providing access to affordable health care have been top priorities for Senator Warnock. As the sponsor of the Medicaid Saves Lives Act, Senator Warnock has fought in the Senate for a federal fix to close the Medicaid coverage gap in Georgia and the other 11 non-expansion states. In December 2021, the Senator also introduced the Capping Prescription Costs Act aimed at saving families and individuals money on their medications by requiring insurers to cap out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs.

Senator Warnock’s Affordable Insulin Now Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The legislation is also endorsed by: Protect Our Care; American Diabetes Association, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); American Federation of Teachers, Community Catalyst, Public Citizen, and Social Security Works.

Watch video of Senator Reverend Warnock discussing his new bill to lower insulin costs HERE. For more information on the Affordable Insulin Now Act, visit HERE.

Read the full bill text HERE.

Sen. Raphael Warnock statement on Ahmaud Arbery verdict

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga) released the following statement today after Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William Bryan Jr. were found guilty of murder in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery.

This verdict upholds a sense of accountability, but not true justice.

True justice looks like a Black man not having to worry about being harmed—or killed—while on a jog, while sleeping in his bed, while living what should be a very long life.

Ahmaud should be with us today.

New bill would provide GI Bill benefits to descendants of Black World War II veterans

Congressional Democrats are reintroducing legislation that would repay the families of Black American veterans who served in World War II who were unable to take advantage of the original GI Bill’s benefits.

The GI Bill Restoration Act would provide descendants of these veterans a transferable benefit that could be used to obtain housing, attend college and start businesses, according to the announcement Thursday from the bill’s sponsors.

To mark Veterans Day, the bill was unveiled by House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., in the House and is expected to be introduced by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., in the Senate. The lawmakers said that GI benefits were limited to Black veterans because most state and local veterans administrations were largely run by white officials.

The bill would extend access to Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance benefits to the surviving spouse and direct descendants of these veterans who were alive when the bill took effect. It would also extend access to the VA Loan Guaranty Program, which helps provide home loans to veterans and surviving spouses.

Under the legislation, the Government Accountability Office would be required to establish a panel of independent experts to assess inequities in how benefits are distributed to minority and female service members.

The COVID-19 relief bill includes $5 billion in aid for farmers of color

For over a century, Black farmers faced discrimination from the US Department of Agriculture and were largely excluded from federal loans and farm improvement initiatives.

In an effort led by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that passed on Saturday included Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act which is a $5 billion provision that will forgive debts for Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and other farmers of color, to enable reforms that will assist farmers with building generational wealth.

Warnock's measure includes references to several other issues that are a priority for the Black agricultural community, such as heir’s property, access to the legal system, and better support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The goal of the measure is also to help instill generational wealth into Black farming families.

Warnock, who is the first Black senator to serve from Georgia, told Rolling Stone magazine that this federal assistance “will not only help farmers of color, but will also lift up the economies of our rural communities working to recover from the economic turndown.”

“We are one more important step closer to bringing emergency debt relief to Black, Native American and other Farmers of Color in this country,” John Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association, said in a statement. “Generations of discriminatory behavior by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has contributed to significant economic differences between white farmers and farmers of color that directly impact their access to credit. Sec. 1005 and Sec. 1006 of H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will help address the ongoing effects of discrimination by reducing the risk of foreclosure and increasing access to credit.”

Among its many facets, the Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack to “pay to each lender of farm loans guaranteed by the Secretary an amount equal to the principal and interest outstanding as of the date of enactment of this Act on all farm loans held by the lender, the borrowers of which are socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, such that the borrowers shall be relieved of the obligation to repay the principal and interest due on those guaranteed farm loans.”