Taxpayer dollars at work: Senators on incarcerated deaths, military infrastructure, row crop farmers

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 June 28, 2024, Warnock and Ossoff focused on launching an inquiry to help prevent the deaths of incarcerated people in federal, state, and local facilities, providing infrastructure upgrades to several military facilities in Georgia, introducing legislation to double the Pell Grant maximum award to students, and supporting row crop farmers in Georgia.

The Democratic senators also supported the Biden campaign by participating in events leading up to and during the June 27 presidential debate in Atlanta: Ossoff met with small business owners in Castleberry Hill neighborhood on behalf of President Biden on Tuesday, and during the debate at CNN Thursday night, Warnock served as a media surrogate in the spin room at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion, along with fellow Democratic leaders including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota.

Pell grants

On June 20, Warnock, a former Pell Grant recipient, and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced legislation to double the Pell Grant maximum award. 

The Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2024 would "automatically adjust Pell Grants for inflation, and make other changes to expand the award for working, low-income students and families," per a press release.

"I wouldn't be where I am today without Pell Grants and low-interest student loans, and by strengthening these federal investments, we can help break down barriers for low-income students across the country who may otherwise be prevented from pursuing higher education because of the daunting financial burden," Warnock said in a statement.

The legislation also:

• makes Pell Grant funding entirely mandatory to prevent funding shortfalls;
• expand the program to include DREAMers;
• restores lifetime eligibility for the program to 18 semesters.

Row crop farmers

On June 21, Warnock announced that he introduced legislation, the Southern Commodities, Rates, Opportunities, Production, and Support (Southern CROPS) Act, to support row crop farmers in every part of Georgia. 

The legislative package includes three provisions "to support farmers' razor-thin profit margins and help ensure Georgia farmers can continue to play a critical role in Georgia's economy," per a press release.

The legislation will:

• increase farmers' access to base acres;
• improve the marketing assistance loan program;
• give relief to cotton mills and Georgia cotton farmers.

Warnock also wrote an inquiry, via letter, to Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow to raise the prices for Southeastern commodities higher than the proposed 5% reference price increase the Senate Democrat's Farm Bill framework requested.

"As the only Southeastern Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, I've prioritized fighting for Georgia row crop farmers in this year's Farm Bill," Warnock said in a statement. "That's why I was proud to secure my Southern CROPS Act in Chair Stabenow's Farm Bill framework. As we continue to negotiate the Farm Bill, I'll keep the needs of commodity farmers front and center, including pushing to raise reference prices along with making USDA programs work better and become more accessible." 

The protection of row crops is important to Georgia as the University of Georgia found that row and forage crops contributed $14.9 billion and 60,700 just in 2022, with half of the country's supply of peanuts and the second most cotton supply coming from Georgia.

Military infrastructure upgrade

Fort Eisenhower

On June 25, Ossoff introduced legislation to strengthen national security by creating new National Guard and Reserve Center facilities at Fort Eisenhower southwest of Augusta, Ga.

The Fort Eisenhower National Guard Support Act enables "the Georgia Army National Guard to consolidate units in the region and enhance the Guard's readiness and capabilities," as the current facility doesn't have enough space for their assigned units and equipment, per a press release.

“Fort Eisenhower is critical to U.S. national security, and Georgia’s servicemembers and reservists are always on my mind,” Ossoff said. “This is why I have introduced the Fort Eisenhower National Guard Support Act to ensure they have state-of-the-art facilities to carry out important missions and training.”

Robins Air Force Base

Ossoff also introduced legislation to strengthen national security by building a new Battle Management Complex at Robins Air Force Base in Houston County, Georgia.

According to a press release, the Robins Facilities Enhancement Act is the next step needed to construct the new facility "that will house secure communications networks and allow commanders to communicate with service members in the field faster and more efficiently."

Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany

Another legislation Ossoff introduced June 25 to improve U.S. national security is the MCLB Albany Innovation Act builds a new communication facility at the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany.

The facility will support the Marine Corps Logistics Command's innovation efforts "within the realm of robotics and industrial technology, consolidating all data centers into one facility supporting all tenant hosting requirements and related controls, increasing IT’s capacity to Production Plant Albany," per a press release.

Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center

One last legislation Ossoff introduced is the Savannah CRTC Dining Hall Construction Act, which will create a new dining facility for servicemembers at the Savannah Air National Guard Base.

The facility will replace two substandard dining facilities with a new dining facility for better dining and service areas and the for the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center and the 165th Airlift wing.

Legacy admissions

On June 25, Warnock cosponsored bipartisan legislation to end legacy admissions, which is the practice of colleges and universities giving special treatment in the admissions process based on the applicant's relationship with an alumni or faculty member in the institution involved.

The Merit-Based Educational Reforms and Institutional Transparency Act (MERIT Act) would amend the High Education Act to create a new standard for accreditation to stop accredited colleges and universities from allowing special treatment in the admissions process.

Per a press release, the bill will do the following:

• Clarify that institutions shouldn't interpret the new standard to prevent institutions from considering an applicant's genuine interests in the institution in the admission process;
• Ensure that religious institutions can make admission decisions in line with their faith-based values, ensuring religious freedom;
• Require a study to access improving data collection on the influence of legacy and donor relationships on admission decisions.

"For too long, elite colleges and universities have given preferential treatment to the wealthiest few at the exclusion of qualified and ambitious low-income students across the country seeking to further their education and unlock opportunities to pursue their dreams," Warnock said. "I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan legislation that will help level the playing field of higher education."

According to a report from the Education Reform Now nonprofit organization, since 2015, over 100 colleges and universities have ended legacy preferences, but they found that in 2020, 787 institutions still used legacy preferences.

Incarcerated peoples' deaths

On June 27, Ossoff and Warnock launched a new inquiry with Attorney General Merrick Garland to help prevent the deaths of incarcerated people in Georgia and nationwide.

The inquiry urges the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to improve the policies focused on tracking and collecting data on deaths in federal, state, and local custody to help fix the risks inmates face while incarcerated.

The senators also requested that Garland update the reporting practices under the Death in Custody Reporting Act, a law requiring the DOJ to collect data from states and localities on the death of inmates in their custody that helps the DOJ identify violations of civil or human rights.

The inquiry comes after, in 2022, Ossoff led a 10-month bipartisan investigation "that uncovered the DOJ failed to count nearly 1,000 deaths in state and local custody in 2021 alone, despite those deaths being publicly reported elsewhere," per a press release.

In their inquiry, Ossoff and Warnock wrote:

"“In prior outreach, we have urged the Department of Justice to investigate ongoing disturbing reports of deaths in custody in Georgia’s Clayton County and Fulton County Jails. Tragically, deaths have continued—in just the first six months of 2024, at least six individuals have died in custody in Clayton County Jail. Another three have died in custody in the Fulton County Jail this year, following the death of 10 individuals in custody in Fulton County in 2023. These alarming numbers underscore the necessity of stronger reporting under the Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) to help identify the causes of these deaths and possible interventions to prevent future tragedies.”

In other news...

Ossoff and Warnock have also dedicated time this month for community engagement events and meetings.

On June 12, Warnock hosted Atlanta-based Grammy recording artist Usher to a visit to his office to discuss the importance of Type 1 diabetes screenings.

The singer, who is the father of a child with Type 1 diabetes, has voiced his desire to spread the word about early screenings.

On June 14, Ossoff attended an event in Norcross for Vision To Learn, an organization dedicated to providing public school children vision care nationwide. 

The event celebrated the $400,000 in federal grant funding Ossoff helped secure under this year’s bipartisan government funding package.

“With the funds, Vision To Learn will fund a full-time mobile vision clinic that will expand access to eye exams and glasses to children in Georgia,” per a press release.

On June 24, Warnock appeared on Laura Coates Live to discuss the government's involvement in the right to abortion in honor of the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

On June 25, Ossoff held a press conference at the Fulton County Courthouse to discuss the problem of the United States Postal Service's Palmetto facilities with mail delays.

The press conference comes after over 1,000 pieces of Fulton County court letters and notices were undelivered to Georgians and returned to the court.

"I am asking the Inspector General to vigourisly and rapidly investigate this in full, to bring answers to me, and to bring answers to impacted Georgians about how this could have happened," he said.