{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-advances-bipartisan-priorities-through-key-committee-markup-2/", "Warnock Advances Bipartisan Priorities Through Key Committee Markup", "2025-10-21", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "GA", "Raphael G. Warnock", "W000790", "www.warnock.senate.gov", "warnock", "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "In Tuesday\u2019s Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Senator Reverend Warnock advanced bipartisan priorities aimed at bolstering Georgia\u2019s forests\n\nThe legislative priorities help strengthen Georgia\u2019s nation-leading forestry industry by providing state forestry agencies an active role in national wildfire preparedness and authorizing a study on the designation of the Benton MacKaye Trail as a National Scenic Trail\n\nGeorgia is the nation\u2019s #1 forestry state\n\nSenator Warnock: \u201cI\u2019m proud to advance these bipartisan priorities to help ensure Georgia\u2019s forest landowners are better protected from natural disasters, and so the people of Georgia can continue to enjoy our forests and green spaces for generations to come\u201d\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) successfully advanced bipartisan priorities aimed at bolstering Georgia\u2019s forests. Senator Warnock offered an amendment during the committee markup to the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA)that would provide state forestry agencies\u2019 a more active role in the federal government\u2019s effort to shore up wildfire preparedness. Senator Warnock also advanced his Benton MacKaye Trail Feasibility Study Act, a bill that would authorize a feasibility study on the designation of the Benton MacKaye Trail as a National Scenic Trail (NST) within the National Trails System. More information HERE.\n\nDuring the markup, Senator Warnock highlighted his Disaster Reforestation Act, a bill that would amend the tax code to allow forest landowners to deduct the value of their timber prior to the loss caused by a natural disaster. Currently, forest landowners receive no guaranteed federal funding from disaster relief. The fix would provide permanent assurances and help landowners recover when their timber crops are destroyed by a natural disaster. The legislation was considered, but not voted on, during the markup.\n\n\u201cGeorgia\u2019s forests are vital to our state\u2019s economy,\u201d said Senator Warnock. \u201cI\u2019m proud to advance these bipartisan priorities to help ensure Georgia\u2019s forest landowners are better protected from natural disasters, and so the people of Georgia can continue to enjoy our forests and green spaces for generations to come.\u201d\n\nState foresters play a significant role in wildfire preparedness, particularly in Georgia and throughout the Southeastern U.S. Senator Warnock\u2019s amendment to the FOFA would ensure state forestry agencies have a voice in a new interagency National Hub, the Wildland Fire Intelligence Center, cementing state foresters\u2019 role as voting members in the federal governing board.\n\nThe bipartisan Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025 would authorize a review of the regionally renowned trail to be designated a NST. The legislation is the first step toward granting federal designation of nearly 300-mile-long walking path along the Appalachian Mountains that connects Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Upon completion of the feasibility study, Congress may then add the trail to the National Trails System, ultimately connecting new communities through a federally protected footpath that will improve mobility for Americans traveling in and between Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.\n\nSenator Warnock has long fought for federal funding for farmers and forest landowners in Georgia. After Hurricane Helene, Senator Warnock remained on the frontlines of response efforts and pushed to deliver additional disaster assistance to Georgians, particularly Georgia\u2019s hard-hit agricultural communities. Georgia is the leading forestry state in the nation, leading in commercially available timberland, volume of timber harvested, exports of forest products, seedling production for reforestation, and much more.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-advances-bipartisan-priorities-through-key-committee-markup-2/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4898339286446571, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}