Warnock and Figures Work To Pass Legislation To Counter Trump Moves to End Services and Close Facilities

Since taking office, the Trump Administration has moved to shut down and end vital services and resources in our communities, that especially affect Georgians and Alabamians.

This week, the Trump Administration shut down a unit of the Department of Veterans Affairs created by legislation introduced and passed by U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) to address disparities in how the federal government provides disability compensation to military service members.

The closure of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Office of Equity Assurance halts efforts at the VA to investigate and eliminate long-standing racial inequities the department itself has acknowledged. In response to this egregious move, Warnock released the following statement: 

“I have always said our veterans are the best among us, and I believe those who fight for us should not have to fight with us to get the care and support they need. Donald Trump’s shuttering of the VA Office of Equity Assurance is a devastating blow to our commitment to ensuring all veterans receive the quality care and benefits they have earned. Equality in care is not about giving some people an advantage, it is about honoring an obligation we have to all those who served our country,” said Warnock. “I was proud to introduce and pass the legislation that made it possible to address disparities experienced by veterans in accessing vital benefits, particularly for historically marginalized and underserved veterans of color. But because this administration sees anything as resembling diversity as a threat, they are gutting an institution that is meant to protect those who put their lives on the line in defense of our freedoms. This undermines the progress we have made in making the VA more responsive and accountable to our men and women in uniform. I urge the administration to reconsider this reckless decision and ensure proper treatment of all veterans remains at the core of the VA’s mission. Veterans deserve better, and I will keep fighting to get them the care they are owed.”

Warnock’s law was designed to provide additional insight on the scope of disparities facing veterans of color by requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study if disparities associated with race and ethnicity exist, as well as to what extent, regarding: access to VA compensation benefits; disability ratings, with a focus on pain assessment; and rejections of Fully Developed Claims that help veterans work in partnership with the VA to identify missing documentation. The effort was signed into law in 2021 after passing the Senate with bipartisan support.

Similarly, U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop raised concerns on March 11, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, voting against a partisan funding bill, H.R. 1968, that defunds a wide range of services on which America’s seniors, veterans, families, and children rely. The legislation puts at risk America’s national security and our ability to respond to and recover from natural disasters.

“All Georgians will be hurt by this partisan bill which gives up Congress’ Constitutional power of the purse to the Executive Branch. I cannot stand idly by while Elon Musk destroys important programs that keep our communities safe, make housing affordable, support medical research, and help our veterans,” said Bishop.

This bill would cut funding for non-defense programs and services by $13 billion while increasing defense spending by $6 billion, dishonoring the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act to set top line funding for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The bill:

• Allows Elon Musk to fire Social Security Administration workers and shutter local offices which will lead to increased backlogs, making it harder for Americans to get their earned benefits.
• Cuts $475 million to state and local police departments and reduces the funding to cities and towns for community-oriented policing services by $247 million.
• Slashes funding for rural clean water and wastewater disposal projects by $117 million, and cuts rural community distant learning, telemedicine, and broadband grants by $10 million each.
• Takes away much needed funds from ongoing infrastructure projects to build safer roads, railways, bridges, and airports to pay for disaster relief, yet still reduces FEMA's Federal Assistance account by $182 million.
• Eliminates $23 billion promised to veterans, through the PACT Act, to treat them for exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances during their service to the nation.
• Slashes the Federal Highway Administration by $1.9 billion, the Federal Airport Administration by $482 million, and the Federal Transit Administration by $207 million, putting the brakes on projects that are improving the capacity and safety of public roads and transportation.
• Underfunds, by $27 million, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service which undercuts its ability to prevent invasive species and diseases from wreaking havoc on U.S. agriculture and undermines its fight against bird flu at a time when egg prices are at an all-time high.
• Eliminates Congressional directives to the Agricultural Research Service, jeopardizing $2 billion in research on agricultural products, such as pecans, peanuts, and cotton, that are crucial to Georgia’s economy.

“This bill is part of a pretext to allow the Trump Administration to steal already appropriated funds for hard-working Americans and their communities and add over a $1 trillion to the deficit in order to pay for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. Most of the proposed tax cuts would go to the top 5% of households while most working families will only get a few hundred dollars in tax cuts a year,” said Bishop. “Congress must fight to stop this Administration from feathering the nests of billionaires by taking the flesh off the backs of hard-working Americans. I support a short-term continuing resolution so that Congress can negotiate a bipartisan funding bill that responsibly meets the needs of all Americans.”

In Alabama, U.S. Rep. Shamori Figures and others worked to end the selling of the historic Montgomery, Ala., bus station.

On March 12, Figures (AL-02) issued the following statement after the U.S. General Services Administration informed him that it would not sell the Montgomery Bus Station, which houses the Freedom Rides Museum in his district: 

“I’m glad that the Trump Administration has reversed course on this matter, but it never should have happened. We should not have to continue to pressure this Administration to protect civil rights history, as we were forced to do when they pulled the Tuskegee Airmen from training curriculum and scholarships for students at historically Black land-grant institutions. I want to thank Rep. Terri Sewell and Leader Hakeem Jeffries for their support on this important issue. We will always fight to safeguard our history because civil rights history is also American history.” 

On March 6, 2025, Figures and Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) sent a letter to the General Services Administration calling for the immediate removal of the Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station from the list of properties slated for sale. 

Furthermore, Figures Sewell, Alabama’s only two African American U.S. legislators introduced legislation, the Civil Rights Landmarks Protection Act, to protect civil rights landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places. This bill comes on the heels of the Trump Administration putting the Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station, which houses the Freedom Rides Museum, on a list of properties for GSA to sell.  

“The Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station, which is in my district, is a historic landmark that should be protected,” said Figures. “Former Congressman John Lewis and many other civil rights activists were nearly killed at this bus station for simply fighting for their constitutional rights. This landmark, and many others like it, are part of the story of America and we should not allow the Trump Administration—or any Administration—to simply sell it away.” 

The announcement caused outrage throughout the state, but especially those in Montgomery, with many calling on local historical groups to raise funding to purchase the property.

“Our historic civil rights landmarks are not just Black history. They are not just Alabama history. They are American history, and they deserve to be protected for future generations," said Sewell. “After all, if we are to avoid repeating our painful past, we need to remember it, acknowledge it, and learn from it. Rest assured, Congressman Figures and I will not sit by and let Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or anyone else sell off historic landmarks like the Freedom Rides Museum to the highest bidder. Our civil rights history is not for sale.”

This legislation prohibits the sale of all federally-owned landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which is operated by the National Park Service. If the federal government decides to sell a landmark listed on the Register, Congress must pass a resolution approving the sale. If Congress does not pass the resolution, then the landmark cannot be sold.