WHAT GEORGIANS ARE SEEING: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Expand Broadband Access, Boost Local Economies in Georgia

This week, the Democratic Party of Georgia continued to barnstorm across the Peach State to tout the job-creating, road-fixing, economy-boosting benefits that President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will bring to Georgia. On Tuesday, Georgia Democrats hosted a press conference in Albany to discuss how the transformative package will expand broadband access and drive an economic boost to Southwest Georgia without raising taxes one penny for middle-class Georgians.

On Thursday, the Democratic Party of Georgia hosted a press conference in Augusta praising the Biden-Harris administration, Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock, and Georgia’s six House Democrats for working across the aisle to deliver this transformative infrastructure package, despite unanimous opposition from Georgia Republicans like GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker.

Read more about what Georgians are seeing:

IN ALBANY

Albany Herald: Democrats praise Biden, infrastructure law

• The Democratic Party of Georgia hosted a news conference in Albany Tuesday to celebrate President Biden and Georgia Democrats’ passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and discussed how the transformative package will drive an economic boost to southwest Georgia.
  
• Speakers emphasized how the infrastructure bill will create thousands of good-paying union jobs, stimulate the economy, and revitalize the state’s roads, bridges, and highways — leaving no Georgia community behind.
  
• “Here in Albany and across southwest Georgia, infrastructure has been neglected for decades too long,” state Rep. CaMia Jackson, D-Albany, said. “But thanks to President Biden, that changes now. With President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, we will be able to revitalize our infrastructure and break ground on new and exciting projects to connect our communities like never before. To top it off, middle-class Georgia families won’t see their taxes rise a single penny to make these investments a reality.
  
• “So the question is: Why do Georgia Republicans oppose this popular, landmark legislation? While 32 Republicans in Congress put aside their partisanship for the good of our nation, Herschel Walker and Georgia’s eight congressional Republicans are standing against our jobs. They’re standing against our roads and our bridges. They’re standing against our economic recovery. And they’re standing against what’s best for our state.”
  
• State Sen. Freddie Powell Sims called the legislation “once-in-a-generation.”
  
• “For far too long, our community has suffered from a severe lack of infrastructure investments,” Sims said. “But President Biden’s infrastructure law is a once-in-a-generation package that will finally address decades of economic and infrastructure disparities. Nearly one-tenth of Dougherty County does not have broadband access, and that number is worse in some of our neighboring counties. Thankfully, President Biden and Georgia Democrats’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver $100 million to Georgia to help ensure that every family in Albany and the entire state has access to reliable high-speed internet.
  
• “I’ve served in the state Legislature for more than 16 years, and President Biden and Democrats are delivering the greatest investment in Georgia’s infrastructure I have ever seen.”

WFXL FOX 31: State representatives travel to Southwest Georgia to address new Bipartisan Law

• State representatives traveled to Southwest Georgia Tuesday morning to celebrate President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was passed last month. 
• “This is a once in a generation package that will finally address economic and infrastructure disparities,” says Senator Freddie Powell Sims.
• According to Sims, the infrastructure package will help fix bridges, improve roads and highways, and it will also include a historic investment in broadband which will expand throughout Southwest Georgia.
• Sims adds that a tenth of Dougherty County, a fifth of Lee County, and almost half of Mitchell and Worth County do not have internet, making President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law even more significant.
• The law will deliver millions of dollars to Georgia to ensure that every family has access to reliable high-speed internet through a historic investment in broadband infrastructure without raising taxes for middle-class families.

WALB News 10: Democrats host press conference on infrastructure law

• WALB Anchor: “Democratic Representative CaMia Hopson and Senator Freddie Powell Sims celebrated the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law today in Albany. They hosted a press conference talking about the newly passed law. They said it will drive a huge economic boost to Southwest Georgia.”
  
• Rep. Hopson: “In the next few years, we’ll receive millions of dollars to repair our highways, rebuild our crumbling bridges, and expand broadband, which we definitely need here in southwest Georgia. And this will also provide internet access to at least 649,000 Georgians who are currently lacking.”
  
• WALB Anchor: “She went on to say that roughly $11 million will be coming to Albany over the next five years.”

WSWG South GA TV: State representatives speak on new infrastructure law

• The Democratic Party of Georgia travelled to Southwest Georgia to celebrate the passing of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, back at the beginning of November.
  
• State Representative CaMia Jackson, and State Senator Freddie Powell Sims were both present at the press conference. They talked about how transformative this package will be for the Peach State.
  
• “Here in Albany and across Southwest Georgia, infrastructure has been neglected for decades too long. But thanks to President Biden, that changes now. With President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, we will be able to revitalize our infrastructure and break ground on new and exciting projects to connect our communities like never before. To top it off, middle-class Georgia families won’t see their taxes rise a single penny to make these investments a reality,” said Jackson.
  
• Along with well-paying jobs, revitalization of bridges, highways and roads, more affordable and reliable broadband will be more accessible. In Dougherty County nearly one tenth of residents don’t have broadband. State Senator Freddie Powell Sims says that is going to change.
  
• “Thankfully, President Biden and Georgia Democrats’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver $100 million to Georgia to help ensure that every family in Albany and the entire state has access to reliable high-speed internet. I’ve served in the State Legislature for more than 16 years, and President Biden and Democrats are delivering the greatest investment in Georgia’s infrastructure I have ever seen.” said Sims.
  

IN AUGUSTA

WJBF NewsChannel 6: Democrats speak out about federal infrastructure bill

• WJBF Anchor: “Democrats speaking out about the federal infrastructure bill, millions of dollars expected to come to the city. As you know, Augusta Richmond County hasn’t specified exactly how that money will be used yet. This group hopes it will go toward fixing roads and bridges that need repair.”
  
• Commissioner Jordan Johnson: “In Augusta-Richmond County, we’re projected to get at least $25 million for transportation alone and $12.5 million for the Augusta regional airport, which will allow us to break ground on new and exciting infrastructure projects.”

WRDW: Democrats host press conference on bipartisan infrastructure law

• WRDW Anchor: “Democrats held a press conference today to talk about what the bipartisan infrastructure project will do, not just for the state, but also Augusta. They talked about how they’re improving lives here at home.”
  
• Commissioner Jordan Johnson: “I think that we all agree that the city has some roads that need to be improved, that there are some quite important infrastructure projects that we’ve been waiting to get done for quite some time — like I mentioned, the Fifth Street Bridge, 13th Street Bridge.”
  
• WRDW Anchor: “The infrastructure law sending $25 million to Augusta – Georgia will be getting a total of $11 billion.”

WFXG FOX 54: Georgia Democrats infrastructure press conference

• WFXG Anchor: “The Democratic Party was in Augusta yesterday to talk about the President’s infrastructure plan. Fox 54’s Jared Eggleston looks into what the party would like to see happen with the federal dollars now available.”

• Senator Harold Jones: “Simply put, this is once-in-a-generation investment in Georgia’s economy.”

• Eggleston: “The Georgia Democrats made a stop in Augusta Thursday to talk about their new Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill signed into law by President Biden just weeks ago. They say it will bring billions and investments to the area.”

• Commissioner Jordan Johnson: “Georgia will receive billions to repair our roads and highways, rebuild our bridges, expand broadband to almost a million Georgia residents. There’s quite some important infrastructure projects that we’ve been waiting to get done for quite some time… the Fifth Street Bridge, the 13th Street Bridge, many roads and our neighborhoods, both residential and main connectors.”

• WFXG Anchor: “This bill was championed by Democrats with 13 Republicans crossing the aisle to vote with the Democrats.”

• Sen. Jones: “So the people of Georgia, though, ask, Why did Georgia Republicans stand in the way of opportunity? Why are Georgia Republicans obstructing jobs coming to our area?”

Augusta Chronicle: Johnson: Bipartisan infrastructure bill is a generational investment in Richmond County

• As a Richmond County Commissioner, I hear from constituents all the time about how many repairs are desperately needed on our roads, bridges and highways. Those calls grow louder around the holidays when Georgians hope to safely travel home to loved ones.

• In my district alone, there are many substandard roads, and Augusta as a whole has at least four structurally deficient bridges that are in dire need of work. Across the state, there are hundreds and hundreds more—374 bridges, to be exact—that desperately need fixing. These transit issues are serious and persistent, and we can’t wait any longer to address them.
  
• Thankfully, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law last month, made possible by Georgia’s Democratic members of Congress and Senators Reverend Warnock and Ossoff, which will devote billions of dollars to fixing our state’s roads, bridges, and highways before it’s too late—all while creating a generation of good-paying jobs for Georgians. 
  
• The results of this bill will be “as tangible as blacktop and concrete under your tires, with $225 million of it going to repairing bridges across Georgia.” That includes $25 million in transportation dollars for Augusta-Richmond County alone. And it won’t raise taxes a single penny for middle-class families.
  
• This infrastructure law won’t just fix what’s broken—it’ll expand what’s possible for our state. For more than a decade, Georgians have been talking about the I-14 corridor, an interstate highway running right through Georgia, linking critical military installations and rural communities all across the South, including Fort Gordon. Now, thanks to a bipartisan effort by Democratic Senator Reverend Warnock of Georgia with Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, that project is finally going to become a reality.
  
• That’s right—the Democratic Senator from Georgia is working with the Republican Senator from Texas, putting their partisanship aside for the good of our communities. Senator Reverend Warnock’s bipartisan approach to legislation is an example of the importance of putting people over politics and should serve as an example to all currently in office or who aspire to office.
  
• When it comes to politics, we won’t always see eye to eye. But if you can’t agree that Georgians deserve good roads, structurally-sound bridges, clean water, affordable internet, and stable energy grids, then you shouldn’t be representing us. If Senator Reverend Warnock and others were not in office, this bill—and all its benefits for the people of Georgia—would not be possible.
  
• The bottom line: President Biden, Senators Reverend Warnock and Ossoff and Georgia Democrats delivered this investment in Georgia’s infrastructure—with bipartisan support from 34 Republicans who are not from our state. Let’s remember that in Georgia, and demand that those currently in office not put partisan games ahead of what’s good for Georgians. We can build a better road forward together, red and blue, but only with good-faith partners in Georgia who are willing to work across the aisle.
  

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