Javoris Brown and Nora Pullen made their way to the fourth floor of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) building in Mechanicsville to tell their stories. Both owners of small businesses in Fairburn and Fayetteville, the separate parties were summoned downtown as witnesses to what failing to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits can do to the working class.

The pair are among the 1.4 million Georgians who saw their healthcare premiums rise.

Small business owner Javoris Brown (above) shared his story at the DPG press conference on Tuesday.
Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

The Democratic Party of Georgia (DPG) held a press conference at I.B.E.W. on Tuesday afternoon. The purpose was to shine light on the fact that three men running for Senator Jon Ossoff’s seat in November had not voted to extend ACA tax credits, and that, said DPG Chair Charlie Bailey, has led to premiums going up for everyday people in Georgia.

“Buddy Carter, Derek Dooley, and Mike Collins will be judged by their deeds,” Bailey said. 

Alongside Bailey were DPG Minority Whip Sam Park and State Rep. Shea Roberts. All three took turns speaking to the press and, by extension, the public about why Ossoff should remain one of Georgia’s two senators after election day.

“What we’re seeing in Georgia is not hypothetical. It’s happening in real time,” Park said about Georgians choosing to live without healthcare due to how much it costs. 

“As a Georgia voter, I will be doing everything in my power to re-elect Jon Ossoff,” Park said.

Nora Pullen (above), a small business owner in Fayetteville, said she will go without a healthcare plan due to rising costs. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

Roberts discussed rural hospitals being either stretched to the limit or closing. “That means jobs are lost, and Georgians have to travel even further for healthcare,” she said.

Bailey, Park, and Roberts pointed out that a three-year extension of the current ACA tax credit is on the table under the gold dome, but the bipartisan support isn’t there to push it along, and that hurts Georgians. 

“More Georgians are losing access to affordable healthcare,” Park said. 

Both Brown and Pullen were given opportunities to share their stories during the press conference. Pullen and her husband own a wellness facility in Fayetteville, and she said she has decided to “roll the dice” and not pay for a healthcare plan at the moment, opting to pay out-of-pocket when costs arise.

Brown said Georgians should want Ossoff back in the Senate next year because “We need a fighter in Washington.” 

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Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell began his career covering sports and news in Atlanta nearly two decades ago. Since then he has written for Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Southern Cross...