Landmark Successes for Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District Include Securing Millions in Federal Grant Funding, Having A Veterans Bill Signed into Law By the President, and Passing Measures to Lower Drug Costs

Washington, DC — Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Marietta) acknowledged the accomplishments of her first year in Congress, including her bipartisan bill to benefit veterans being signed into law by President Trump, securing millions of dollars in federal grant and research funding, and passing landmark measures to lower prescription drug costs and prevent gun violence.

“I am honored to represent our district and to have the opportunity to bring the voices of our neighbors to Congress,” McBath said. “We worked hard over the past year to help hundreds of Americans with their federal cases, secure grants to improve safety, transportation, and infrastructure back home, host town halls and community events to hear directly from the communities I represent, and reach across the aisle to improve the lives of all we serve.”

Around the Sixth District, McBath held 5 town halls and hundreds of community events. In 2019, McBath also responded to tens of thousands of calls and letters, helped hundreds of constituents complete their cases involving the federal government – including Social Security, Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Citizenship and Immigration Services – and returned tens of thousands of dollars in earned benefits to individuals. Several shared their success stories.

Since her swearing-in on January 3, 2019, McBath has championed bipartisanship with more than half of the bills she cosponsored gaining Republican support. She has also prioritized causes to help Georgia families, veterans, and small businesses, including:

• Writing bipartisan legislation signed by President Trump to protect disability payments for veterans facing financial hardship. President Trump signed H.R. 2938, the Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need (HAVEN) Act, into law in August 2019. This bipartisan legislation stands up for veterans by amending current bankruptcy law and supporting disabled veterans’ eligibility for relief during financial hardship. Read more from Military.com.

• Fighting for $310 million in Highway Funding for Georgia as part of a commitment to secure transportation funding. In November, McBath voted to save $310 million in highway funding for Georgia in the continuing budget resolution approved by the House of Representatives on a bipartisan vote, after previously urging House leadership to repeal the proposed rescission of a total of $7.6 billion in highway funding.

• Securing a $5 million federal grant for the Akers Mill Ramp Project to improve transportation infrastructure. McBath requested the grant in a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and it was awarded to Cobb County and the Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID). In June, McBath spoke directly with the Assistant Secretary for Government Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation to request the Department’s support for the project. Despite bipartisan support in 2016 and 2018, three previous attempts to secure federal funding for the project failed.

• Co-sponsoring and passing H.R. 3 to lower prescription drug prices for seniors. The Lower Drug Costs Now Act will help bring down the cost of prescription drugs and level the playing field for American patients who are paying more for their medicines than patients in other countries. The comprehensive health care legislation included McBath’s bill to cover hearing aids for Medicare beneficiaries. In Georgia’s Sixth District, 74,087 people are enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan and 593,486 people enrolled in private health insurance – all of whom stand to benefit from H.R. 3. Those living with cancer, arthritis, asthma, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis are expected to experience significant savings as a result of the bill. While the bill passed the House with bipartisan support, it has yet to be taken up by the Senate.

• Passing the USMCA, a new trade agreement to help businesses thrive. McBath voted to pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The new agreement is supported by both the business community and organized labor, and will benefit American businesses, workers, and the economy.

• Helping local synagogue Temple Emanu-El secure a safety improvement grant to modernize security and protect a community gathering place. McBath announced in November that a federal grant had been awarded to Temple Emanu-El of Greater Atlanta by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security. The grant provided $75,000 to help keep Temple congregants and community members safe by updating security, replacing insufficient lighting, and addressing a lack of visibility. McBath offered her endorsement of the Temple’s grant application in early June. The grant award was received by the Temple after several unsuccessful petitions in recent years. “We have worked for years to make our facility more secure and welcoming and appreciate Congresswoman McBath’s office’s help in securing new funds for us to further enhance our physical security in response to rising anti-Semitic threats,” said Robert Wittenstein, President of Temple Emanu-El.

• Leading the passage of the first bipartisan gun purchase background check bill, H.R. 8. A Member of the House Judiciary Committee, McBath helped lead the passage of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act as one of her first actions in office. The passage of the historic gun violence prevention bill marked the first time Congress passed a bill to ensure that all firearm sales be subject to background checks.

• Securing $25 million in gun violence prevention research funding to find solutions to prevent gun deaths. The important firearm injury and mortality prevention research funding, the first in two decades, authorizes life-saving initiatives at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, including critical projects at the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control in Chamblee to improve understanding of the solutions to prevent gun deaths.

Lucy McBath represents all or portions of Roswell, Johns Creek, Tucker, Alpharetta, Marietta, Milton, Mountain Park, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, and Dunwoody within DeKalb, Fulton, and Cobb counties.