Georgia Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff voted against a bill to reopen the government Sunday night because they say it doesn’t protect health insurance help for more than a million Georgians.
What’s Happening: The Senate voted 60-40 to move forward on a deal to end the government shutdown that started Oct. 1. Only eight Democrats voted yes. Both Georgia senators voted no.
What’s Important: More than 1 million Georgians could see their health insurance costs double starting Jan. 1 if Congress doesn’t extend tax credits from the Affordable Care Act. Some Georgians could lose their health insurance completely.
Why They Voted No: Warnock said the deal doesn’t help the 1.2 million Georgians facing higher health care costs. He said people can’t afford premiums that will double or more.
Ossoff said premiums will double for 1.4 million Georgians and nearly half a million could lose health insurance altogether.
What The Deal Does: The agreement funds the government and promises a later vote on extending the health care tax credits. It also reverses mass firings of federal workers since the shutdown began and ensures federal workers get back pay.
The Big Picture: The shutdown has disrupted flights across the country, threatened food assistance for millions of Americans and left federal workers without paychecks for weeks. In Georgia, 600 workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lost their jobs last month. Some families lost food stamp benefits.
What’s Next: Final passage of the bill could take several days if Democrats object and delay the process. The health care vote will come later with no guarantee it will pass or come to the floor. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries does not like the deal and says Democrats will oppose it in the House.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
