Taxpayer dollars at work: Tax breaks for disabled people, fire safety, lowering prescription costs

Caption

City of Woodstock Fire & Rescue truck.

Credit: Woodstock Fire Department, GA/Facebook

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 19, Warnock and Ossoff worked on providing fire safety upgrades to Georgia communities, lowering the costs of prescriptions, extending tax benefits for individuals with disabilities, and supporting the education of military children who have lost a parent who served.

Health care coverage gap

On July 11, Warnock introduced legislation to provide health care coverage to the thousands of Georgians stuck in the Medicaid coverage gap.

According to a press release, the Bridge to Medicaid Act would provide a three-year "temporary health care option for people in the Medicaid coverage gap to get subsidized private health care."

The legislation would help those in the coverage gap until states that have yet to expand Medicaid, like Georgia, decide to do so.

“Health care is a human right, and in the richest nation in the world, it’s a travesty that there are still hundreds of thousands of Georgians who don’t have access to the affordable health care they need due solely to the craven decisions of state politicians,” Warnock said in a statement.

“That’s why, as a voice for Georgia in the Senate, I’ve worked tirelessly on the federal level to find a way to close the health care gap in Georgia and the other non-expansion states, including creating an extra $1.2 billion in federal incentives for the state to finally expand Medicaid, and now, why I’m introducing legislation to provide health care coverage for Georgians in the Medicaid gap as a temporary solution until Georgia finally expands Medicaid.

• RELATED: ‘Nothing matters when you can't take care of yourself when sick’: Warnock introduces Medicaid bill

Prescription costs

Also on July 11, Sens. Warnock and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) introduced legislation to lower the costs of prescriptions for millions of Americans.

According to a press release, the Capping of Prescription Costs Act, would place annual caps on out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs at $2,000 for single individuals and $4,000 for families.

“Long before I came to the U.S. Senate, I was fighting to make health care more affordable and accessible," Warnock said in a statement. "Struggling families shouldn’t have to skip refills, ration prescriptions, and risk their health just to afford the medications they need to survive. In a nation as rich and powerful as the United States that should never be the case."

Georgians with disabilities

On July 15, Ossoff announced that he is pushing to pass legislation he co-sponsored with Sens. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) to extend tax benefits for people with disabilities, helping them save money for future expenses.

The Ensuring Nationwide Access to a Better Life Experience (ENABLE) Act would allow people with disabilities who contribute to Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts "to continue qualifying for a nonrefundable saver’s tax credit of up to $1,000" per a press release.

ABLE accounts are a tax-favored savings program for individuals with disabilities. They can use the accounts to help save on expenses such as education, housing, transportation, assistive technology and personal support services, health care, and more.

The National Association of State Treasures reports that 158,421 ABLE accounts are open across the U.S., with an average savings of $9,788.

Fire safety upgrades

On July 17, Ossoff and Warnock announced they secured fire safety upgrades to several communities in Georgia through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program.

Per a press release, the federal funding “can be used for professional training, wellness and fitness programs, equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), and modifications to facilities.”

“Firefighters across Georgia put their lives on the line to keep families safe,” Ossoff said in a statement. “Senator Warnock and I will never stop championing Georgia’s heroic fire departments, and these resources will help them respond to emergencies that threaten lives and property.”

“Our firefighters and EMS responders are some of the best and bravest among us, and every fire department throughout Georgia, especially in our rural communities, ought to have the resources and support they need to protect our communities,” Warnock said.

Metro Atlanta

• City of Atlanta - $272,727.27
• City of Woodstock - $54,523.63
• DeKalb County - $94,772.72
• Butts County - $136,154.54

Coastal Georgia

• Garden City - $226,666.66
• McIntosh County - $595,276.19

Middle Georgia

• City of Centerville - $47,619.04
• Wilkinson County Board of Commissioners - $44,571.42
• City of Toomsboro - $20,033.33

Central Savannah River Area

• Twin City, Ga. - $289.279.05
• Augusta-Richmond County Government - $243,873.63

Fallen U.S. Servicemembers

On July 18, Sens. Ossoff, Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced bipartisan legislation to support the education of children who have lost a parent who served in the military.

Per a press release, the Gold Star Children Education Act "would allow Gold Star families — who were not already — to enroll their kids in Department of Defense schools, giving families more choices for their kids’ education, allowing children to learn in a more familiar military community environment as they grieve the loss of a parent, and offering support services from experienced military professionals."

Gold Star children are currently not eligible to enroll in DoD schools after the death of a parent if they previously enrolled in a DoD school. A recent study found that the availability of DoD schools on military installations has a positive quality-of-life issue for military families.

“We can never do enough to support the families of fallen U.S. servicemembers,” Ossoff said in a statement. "That’s why I’m introducing this new bipartisan legislation to give more support to gold star families and ensure our children get the best education and support possible."

In other news

On July 13, both senators issued statements condemning the shooting at the Trump campaign event in Pennsylvania.

Both senators highlighted that political violence has no place in America.