FLASHBACK: The Day a U.S. Senator Called It “The Largest Investment in Veterans in a Generation”
In a 2023 MSNBC flashback, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock—pastor, Morehouse alumnus, and the first African American to represent Georgia in the Senate—declared that Congress had delivered “the largest investment in veterans in a generation.” This resurfaced moment underscores a national shift toward veteran-focused policy momentum, now powerfully reflected in the global expansion of National Invest In Veterans Week®.
National Invest In Veterans Week® goes back to a moment that captured national momentum before our movement ever became a global force.
On September 23, 2023, during a live appearance on MSNBC’s Symone, U.S. Senator Raphael Gamaliel Warnock — pastor, Morehouse graduate, and the first African American ever elected to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate — laid out what he believed was one of Congress’s defining achievements.
The clip resurfaced recently in veteran circles, and it hits differently today.
THE SENATOR BEHIND THE STATEMENT
Raphael Warnock is not just a lawmaker.
He is the senior pastor of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, the pulpit once led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and a figure whose rise from Savannah public housing to the U.S. Senate is now part of American political history.
Elected in 2021 and reelected in 2022, Warnock represents one of the most consequential shifts in modern Georgia politics. Alongside Sen. Jon Ossoff, he helped deliver a 50–50 Senate split that shaped national legislation during the pandemic years.
From civil rights activism to faith leadership to emergency policy response, Warnock’s public identity is rooted in service — which is why his on-air reflection about veterans continues to resonate.
THE MOMENT ON MSNBC
Around the 9-minute mark of the broadcast, Warnock recounted the razor-thin margins of the previous Congress and the decisions he believed mattered most:
“We passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill.
We passed the largest investment in veterans in a generation.”
It was a rare, direct acknowledgment of the scale of federal commitments flowing toward veterans — health infrastructure, benefits modernization, community support, and long-term resources.
He continued:
“When I look at the work that we were able to do last Congress, I’m proud of the people of Georgia for setting me to represent them… With that margin, look what we accomplished. We passed the American Rescue Plan.”
What followed was a list of targeted relief efforts — support for cities, small businesses, families, and communities recovering from the pandemic — all part of a legislative period that marked a major pivot toward veteran investment nationally.
WHY THIS FLASHBACK MATTERS NOW
National Invest In Veterans Week® has since expanded into one of the most far-reaching veteran advocacy ecosystems ever built — spanning:
• 40+ U.S. and international “Veterans” domains
• Multi-market syndication
• Congressional recognition
• A global platform for veteran-owned businesses
But back in 2023, this televised moment showed something critical:
America’s investment in veterans is not a side note — it is a national priority acknowledged at the highest levels of government.
Warnock’s statement didn’t become a headline at the time. Today, viewed through the lens of NIVW®’s rapid growth and international reach, it reads like an early marker of a broader movement.
A movement now embodied by National Invest In Veterans Week®.
WATCH THE ORIGINAL CLIP (ARCHIVE)
Source: Internet Archive
https://archive.org/details/MSNBCW_20230923_200000_Symone/start/540/end/600
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“As an educator committed to professional growth, I fully endorse National Invest in Veterans Week® for recognizing that veterans are vital economic assets who deserve tangible support in entrepreneurship and workforce development.”