Georgia’s new U.S. senators, Raphael Warnock, left, and Jon Ossoff, wave to supporters during a rally in November in Marietta. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images/TNS)
By Tia Mitchell
WASHINGTON — Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff was appointed to the prestigious Senate Judiciary Committee. His counterpart, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, will sit on the Agriculture Committee, giving him a direct line of influence on policy and spending in the state’s No. 1 industry.
These committee assignments and others were first reported by Politico on Tuesday. Ossoff and Warnock’s office later confirmed.
Ossoff was also assigned to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Rules panel; Warnock will also serve on the Commerce Committee. The two Atlanta Democrats will both serve on the Banking Committee.
Warnock, who was also appointed to the Joint Economic Committee and the Senate Special Committee on Aging, released a statement saying he was eager to get to work.
“I’m excited to join these committees, and deeply appreciate the importance of their work to Georgians — specifically their jurisdictions over Medicare and Social Security, as well as our state’s farms, financial institutions, ports, and our housing, nutrition, aviation and mass transit needs,” Warnock said Tuesday. “These committees oversee critical levers of the economy in our state and region, and key federal programs that millions of Georgians rely on.”
These committee assignments were delayed while Senate Democrats worked out a transfer of power after Republicans lost the majority. The full Senate still needs to sign off on these appointments.
Ossoff said that his committees are aligned with many of the issues he campaigned on, including fighting corruption and championing equal justice.
“These powerful committee assignments position me to take on that mission and deliver for Georgia,” he said, “and I’m already hard at work for our state.”
Read the original story on AJC.com.
