Georgia Senators-Elect Made Health Care a Key Priority in the Closing Days of Their Campaigns
On January 5, 2021, Georgians elected Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the U.S. Senate, delivering a majority to Democrats. Both Warnock and Ossoff ran and won on health care. Ossoff and Warnock support President-elect Joe Biden’s agenda to lower costs, expand coverage, and defend the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Polling shows that health care has been a top issue for Georgia voters, and Warnock and Ossoff made health care a centerpiece of their messages throughout their campaigns was key to their victories.
Warnock and Ossoff Made Health Care a Key Issue in Their Races
Jon Ossoff’s Top Policy Objective Was “Great Health Care For Every American.” “I am fighting for great health care for every American with a strong Public Option and strengthened Affordable Care Act, to defend Medicare and Social Security, for historic investment in clean energy and infrastructure, to lower taxes for working families and small businesses, to defend Roe v. Wade and the privacy of women’s health care, to enact major criminal justice reform, to get dark money out of politics and end Citizens United.” [Jon Ossoff for Senate, accessed 1/6/21]
In The Senate Raphael Warnock Will “Focus On Fighting For Quality, Affordable Health Care.” “As Senator, Reverend Warnock will bring to Washington the concerns of struggling Georgia families who wonder why no one is looking out for them. He will focus on fighting for quality, affordable health care, for the dignity of working people who are paid too little as our government works more for Wall Street, and to make sure every voice is heard.” [Warnock for Georgia, accessed 1/6/21]
Warnock Emphasized Health Care Throughout The Runoff Campaign. “Warnock has put an emphasis on health care during his campaign. When the Affordable Care Act was being debated, Warnock said he was preaching about the need for health care from his pulpit because he saw it as a ‘moral scandal that the richest nation on the planet’ couldn’t find a way to get health care to all of its citizens. He said the pandemic has showed us how important it is for everyone to have health care coverage. ‘A global pandemic and an airborne deadly disease is teaching us something we already should have known — that if my neighbor coughs, that could potentially leave me in peril,’ Warnock said. ‘That doesn’t make my neighbor my enemy. That just means my neighbor’s destiny and mine are inextricably connected. My neighbor may be uncovered, but I’m unprotected. The pandemic has taught us that we are as connected to one another as a cough.’” [Brunswick News, 1/4/21]
Biden Ad: “I Need Raphael Warnock And Jon Ossoff In The United States Senate” To Fight The Pandemic. “President-elect Joe Biden cut an ad for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock that ties the twin runoff races for control of the U.S. Senate directly to the fate of his plan to contain the coronavirus pandemic and juice the economy. The minute-long ad released Thursday outlines Biden’s plan to boost the public health response from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ensure free testing and vaccination for every American and pump financial relief into small businesses. ‘Let me be clear, I need Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the United States Senate to get this done,’ he said of the Jan. 5 runoffs. ‘There are folks in Congress threatening to do everything in their power to block our efforts. We need you to get out there and vote for Jon Ossoff, as well as Raphael Warnock. We need them in the Senate.’” [Atlanta Journal Constitution, 12/17/20]
Warnock and Ossoff Emphasized Health Care During Final Push Before the Election
Warnock GOTV Message: “Get Ready For Affordable Health Care” “Well, call everybody you know and tell them to get up, get dressed, put your shoes on, get ready for affordable health care. Get ready for a livable wage. Get ready to reclaim our democracy and reclaim the future for all of our children. God bless you. Let’s win the future.” [Raphael Warnock, Rally, 1/4/21]
Ossoff GOTV Message: “We Are Building A Movement Based On Love, For Health, Jobs, And Justice.” “We are building a movement based on love, for health, jobs and justice for the people. Health, jobs and justice for all the people, Atlanta. Let’s talk about health for a moment. 300,000 Americans killed by this virus, our hospital systems, our nursing homes buckling under the weight of this pandemic. So many who have lost so much. Loved ones buried, loved ones who have lost their lives unable to see or touch their loved ones as they pass. A government that has lied to us every step of the way. We can beat COVID-19, Atlanta. We can pass legislation to rush resources to hospitals and nursing homes. We can make sure every American gets access to testing and vaccines free of charge. We can beat COVID-19 and get our daily lives back. And do you believe, like I do, Atlanta, and like Reverend Warnock does, that healthcare is a human right? Health care is a human right, and not just a privilege for those who have enough money in their bank accounts or who live in the right zip code.” [Jon Ossoff, Rally, 1/4/21]
- Ossoff: “We Will Ensure That Every Single American Has Great Health Insurance, No Matter Their Ability To Pay, Whether They Have A Preexisting Condition, Suffering From Asthma, Or Diabetes, Or A Cancer Survivor.” “We will stand up to the drug companies who are ripping off Georgia families at the pharmacy every single day, charging outrageous prices for lifesaving medicine and insulin. We will ensure that every single American has great health insurance, no matter their ability to pay, whether they have a preexisting condition, suffering from asthma, or diabetes, or a cancer survivor, because Georgia, healthcare is a human right, and we will make it so in the United States of America.” [Jon Ossoff, Rally, 1/4/21]
Ossoff’s Closing Ad: “We Demand Health Care No Matter Our Wealth.” “Senate candidate Jon Ossoff’s closing TV argument is a call to action centered on Black voters’ struggles with injustice and the coronavirus pandemic as he makes his final pitch in the last week of the runoff campaign. The 30-second spot, ‘We the people,’ includes flashbacks to the stories of five Black Georgians his campaign featured in earlier ads, which highlight how the pandemic has disproportionately sickened African-American families and invoke demonstrations demanding racial justice and equality. The ad released Wednesday doesn’t mention Ossoff’s rival, U.S. Sen. David Perdue, or other Republican figures involved in the Jan. 5 runoffs for control of the Senate. Instead, it outlines far-reaching policies he and Raphael Warnock say they’ll achieve if Perdue and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler are defeated. ‘We the people. We demand healthcare no matter our wealth. We the people demand justice no matter the color of our skin. We the people demand immediate financial relief when so many can’t afford rent, gas or childcare,’ Ossoff said.” [Atlanta Journal Constitution, 12/30/20]
Warnock and Ossoff Will Fight for Biden’s Bold Health Care Agenda in the Senate
Ossoff Victory Speech: “This Campaign Has Been About Health And Jobs And Justice For The People Of This State.” “This campaign has been about health and jobs and justice for the people of this state — for all the people of this state. And they will be my guiding principles, as I serve this state in the U.S. Senate, ensuring that every Georgian has great health care, no matter our wealth, ensuring that we invest in an economic recovery that includes all communities, that rebuilds our state’s infrastructure, that lays the foundations for prosperity in rural Georgia, suburban communities, and urban communities alike, and securing equal justice for all, following in the footsteps of leaders who have departed us in this last year like Congressman John Lewis and C.T. Vivian.” [Jon Ossoff Victory Speech, 1/6/21]
Warnock Pledged To “Beat This Pandemic With Science” And Fight For “Essential Benefits” In His Victory Speech. “I know we can beat this pandemic with science and common sense. I know we can rebuild a fairer economy by respecting the dignity of work and the workers who do it. An economy that honors those whom we now call essential workers by paying them an essential wage, providing them essential benefits. I know we can move closer to justice with empathy and understanding, passion and purpose. To everyone out there struggling today—whether you voted for me or not—know this: I see you. I hear you. And I will fight for you. I will fight for your family.” [Raphael Warnock Victory Speech, 1/5/21]