Taxpayer dollars at work: Ossoff protecting human trafficking victims, Warnock safeguarding veterans

Caption

Sen. Jon Ossoff at a press conference on July 11, 2024, discussing the Federal Prison Oversight Act that passed in the Senate the same day and heads to the President’s desk to become law.

Credit: Screenshot

Neither Sen. Jon Ossoff nor Sen. Raphael Warnock is up for reelection this year — the former will run again in 2026 and the latter in 2028. But 2024 is off to a busy start for both senators. In this recurring digital news series, GPB follows your federal tax dollars back to the state of Georgia each week.

For the week ending July 12, Warnock and Ossoff worked on improving connectivity in Georgia, securing funding for clean energy transportation in three cities, improving support for human trafficking victims, and safeguarding veterans from exploitive entities.

Connectivity

On July 8, Ossoff announced that he secured federal funding available in Georgia to improve connectivity throughout the state under the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Grant Program, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The RCP offers federal grant funding "to improve access to economic opportunity, education, health care, recreation, and more through a competitive U.S. Department of Transportation grant process," according to a press release.

Ossoff encourages Georgia's local governments, city planning organizations and nonprofit organizations to apply for the grant program. The RCP grant application deadline is Sept. 30.

"Our bipartisan infrastructure law will continue to deliver long-overdue upgrades to Georgia's infrastructure for years to come," Ossoff said in a statement. "I encourage Georgia communities to contact me and my office with any questions about this grant opportunity."

Clean energy transportation

On July 9, Ossoff and Warnock announced that they secured $45 million in federal funding, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that the senators supported, for Georgia's clean energy and green transportation economy to Atlanta, Augusta, and Savannah. 

The funding, as stated in a press release, "will invest in all-electric and clean energy buses and a new transit hub."

Atlanta

MARTA will receive $25,347,982 to build the South DeKalb Transit Hub, giving DeKalb County a central point for bus and railroad connections.

Augusta

Augusta Transit will receive $12,080,384 to replace its older buses with new battery-electric buses and buy a simulator for workforce training.

Savannah

The Chatham Area Transit (CAT) Authority will receive $7,889,840 to replace its old diesel buses with battery-electric buses, install charging infrastructure, and conduct workforce training activities.

"This is about improving our transit services for all riders and converting fleets of diesel-powered buses into clean energy vehicles to green our state for decades to come," Warnock said in a statement. "This is a ride to the future, and this investment demonstrates the power of bipartisan cooperation to deliver tangible results for our communities."

"Senator Warnock and I are delivering these new Federal grants to help families get around and connect more people with health care, jobs, school, and more," Ossoff said in a statement. "Our bipartisan infrastructure law will deliver long-overdue upgrades to Georgia's infrastructure for years to come."

Wage disparities

On July 9, Warnock joined Sens. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams of North Carolina to introduce resolutions in both Chambers marking Black Women's Equal Pay Day, acknowledging the pay disparity in the wages of Black women throughout the U.S.

The lawmakers introduced the resolution on July 9 to symbolize "how long into 2024 Black women must work to make what White, non-Hispanic men were paid in 2023," per a press release. 

"There is no such thing as equality for some," Warnock said in a statement. "Black women deserve the same opportunities to earn the same paycheck as their neighbors across the state and the country. I will always be an advocate and a champion for equal, fair pay for all people."

Human trafficking victims

On July 9, Sens. Ossoff and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chairman and Member of the U.S. Senate Human Rights Subcommittee, introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the support for human trafficking victims.

The Supporting Victims of Human Trafficking Act would help in better responding to the needs of service organizations working with human trafficking victims and create additional flexibility in grant programs.

"The bipartisan bill would strengthen the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to provide more flexibility in funding for programs serving victims of human trafficking," per a press release. "The bill would also help increase training and technical assistance for grantees to help organizations receive Federal funding."

Safeguard veterans

On July 10, Warnock cosponsored legislation that places unregistered and uncredited entities targeting U.S. veterans accountable for exploitive practices.

The Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (GUARD) Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits Act, per a press release, "would reinstate criminal penalties for unaccredited claim representatives who charge unauthorized fees while helping file a disability claim."

The current law prohibits unaccredited individuals and entities from charging fees for assisting veterans in preparing a VA benefit claim. Still, the VA and other federal agencies are limited in enforcing that law "because criminal penalties were eliminated from the statute nearly 20 years ago." 

"Georgia is a military state — 1 in 10 Georgians is connected to the military," Warnock said in a statement. "So as a voice for our veterans in the Senate and the proud son of one too, I've been committed to working to advance policies that will protect those who put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms.

"I'm proud this bipartisan legislation protects veterans seeking their well-earned benefits and makes clear that those who use predatory practices to target them will be held to account. My message to Georgia's servicemembers and veterans is clear: I've got your back."

Prison oversight

On July 10, Ossoff's legislation that he introduced with Sens. Mike Braun (R-IN) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), to improve Federal prison oversight passed in the Senate after passing in the House in May and is headed to the president's desk to be signed into law. 

Per a press release, the Federal Prison Oversight Act will require the Department of Justice's Inspector General to:

• Conduct inspections of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) 122 correctional facilities;
• Provide recommendations to fix the problems at each facility;
• Assign each facility a risk score, with higher-risk facilities required to be inspected more often;
• Report its findings and recommendations to Congress and the public.

The legislation also requires that the BOP respond to all inspection reports within 60 days with an action plan.

The Federal Prison Oversight Act will "establish an independent ombudsman to investigate the health, safety, welfare, and rights of incarcerated people and staff" and create a hotline and online form for family members, friends, and legal representatives of incarcerated people to submit complaints and inquiries. 

"This is a major milestone," Ossoff said at a press conference. "My bipartisan Senate investigations of corruption, abuse, and misconduct in the federal prison system have revealed an urgent need to overhaul federal prison oversight. I now look forward to President Biden signing our bipartisan bill into law."

Electric school bus manufacturing facility

On July 11, Warnock and Ossoff announced they secured $80 million in federal funding to convert a closed manufacturing facility in Fort Valley, Ga., into an electric school bus manufacturing facility.

The new 600,000-square-foot facility "will host the production of zero-emission electric school buses, with a particular focus on the education and training of its current and future workforce," per a press release.

The facility will also create 428 manufacturing jobs and 250 construction jobs in Fort Valley.

"As a father of two young children, I believe the health of our families is tied to the health of our environment," Warnock said in a statement. "That is why I am proud to have helped secure this landmark investment to green our yellow school buses, which will help create hundreds of new jobs in Georgia's clean energy economy. Georgia's children relying on this critical public service deserve to have a safe ride to and from school." 

"Senator Warnock and I today are announcing this historic investment to help create economic opportunities for Middle Georgia families, help Georgia kids get to school more safely, and to reduce air pollution," Ossoff said.

In other news

On July 9, Warnock delivered the morning prayer for the Senate.

Also on July 9, Ossoff met with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to strengthen relations with the U.S.

On July 10, Ossoff announces his bipartisan push to ban members of Congress from stock trading at a press conference.

Also on July 10, Warnock asked the chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Jerome H. Powell, on the government's role in making housing more affordable.

Warnock and Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) reintroduced the legislation to the Senate in March to provide downpayment assistance to first-generation homebuyers.