Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) appeared on NBC’s “Meet The Press” Sunday, strongly condemning the proposed “Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which he re-dubbed the “Big Ugly Bill,” for its potential impact on healthcare and social programs. The Georgia Democrat also touched on immigration, the state of the Democratic Party, and his personal motivation for public service.
When pressed by host Kristen Welker on the bill’s proposed Medicaid work requirements, Senator Warnock vehemently opposed the idea.
“I am a big advocate for work,” Warnock stated, drawing on his background as the son of a preacher and “junk man” who instilled in him a fierce work ethic. However, he argued that such requirements are “very good at kicking people off of their health care” and “not good at incentivizing work at all.”
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Warnock cited Georgia’s own experience with work reporting requirements, noting that out of over half a million Georgians in the healthcare coverage gap, the state’s “Pathways to Coverage” program has only enrolled approximately 7,000 people.
He asserted that providing basic healthcare is crucial for getting people to work, warning that the national implementation of such policies would lead to a “sicker and poorer” workforce and a “weaker” economy.
On the topic of border security and immigration, he was asked if he supported the $150 billion allocated in the bill for these measures. While stating he supports “strong borders” and keeping criminals out, Warnock emphasized the need for “common sense immigration laws.”
He highlighted a case in Georgia where a college student, accidentally caught in a traffic stop, found herself in ICE custody due to “Draconian movements.” He asserted that voters, both Democratic and Republican, did not intend for such individuals to be ensnared in the immigration system, characterizing such policies as “politics of fear and division and distraction.”
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When asked for a direct “yes or no” on supporting the border security provisions, Warnock reiterated his support for a bipartisan border bill last year that Republicans “decided to kill.”
Welker then turned to the internal dynamics of the Democratic Party, citing a quote from David Plouffe, a senior campaign advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting the party would have been “eminently stronger” had President Biden not run for re-election, leading to a “robust primary.”
Warnock, who was name-checked by Plouffe as someone who “would have kicked the tires,” sidestepped the direct question about Biden’s candidacy. He instead redirected the focus to the immediate legislative battles.
“Here is what we absolutely know about last year’s election. It’s over,” he stated, emphasizing his current priority of fighting against the “Big Ugly Bill” which he claimed would “cut as many as 7 million Americans off of their health care” and slash $290 billion from SNAP.
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Finally, when asked if Democrats should learn from Donald Trump’s “impatience” as suggested by Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Warnock firmly stated, “I’ll take my lessons from Martin Luther King Jr., who said ‘that the time is always right to do what’s right,’ who talked about the fierce urgency of now.” He underscored his focus on serving his constituents, drawing a parallel to his own upbringing in public housing as the 11th of 12 children, becoming the first college graduate in his family thanks to programs like Pell Grants and Head Start. He expressed concern that it would be harder for young people today to achieve what he did, calling it an “indictment on this moment.”
He vowed to fight against the proposed bill to ensure that children and working-class people have opportunities to “find their wings for their dreams.” RELATED: “No Cuts, Just Commonsense” House Speaker Johnson Fires Back At Medicaid Alarm Bells
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