Half of Ga. delegation rush to D.C. for vote

WASHINGTON — At least seven of Georgia’s 14 U.S. House members flew to the nation’s capital to help ensure the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill passed Friday.

U.S. Reps. Rick Allen, Buddy Carter, Doug Collins, Jody Hice, Hank Johnson, Barry Loudermilk and Rob Woodall all reported that they traveled to Washington for the vote after a single Republican colleague objected to a plan to allow the measure to pass in a way that didn’t require members to be present.

Carter, a Republican from Pooler, spoke during debate prior to the bill’s passage. He said it wasn’t a perfect piece of legislation but an important step to ensure businesses and families are protected while the country deals with COVID-19.

“For the past two weeks, I’ve been at home in the 1st District of Georgia visiting with individuals, with small business owners,” he said.“I’ve seen something I’ve never seen before: I’ve seen people who are concerned. Concerned about their health, concerned about their future.”

At least half the House’s members needed to be in place to ensure Friday’s vote occurred once U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, had raised objections that required a quorum to be established.

Some members were not able to secure travel to Washington on short notice or were dealing with the impact of the virus themselves.

That included at least one member of the Georgia delegation: U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, a Republican from West Point. Friday was his last day of a self-quarantine after he came in contact with another House member who had tested positive for the coronavirus.