TRIBUTE TO ANDREA YOUNG

On 2026-04-30, Senator Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA) delivered a floor speech titled "TRIBUTE TO ANDREA YOUNG" in the Senate. The speech addressed abortion and also covered taxes, foreign policy. It referenced legislation: S2165.

TRIBUTE TO ANDREA YOUNG

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 76 (Thursday, April 30, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 76 (Thursday, April 30, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S2165] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO ANDREA YOUNG Mr. WARNOCK. Mr. President, today I would like to recognize Andrea Young, a daughter of Georgia, upon her retirement as a transformational executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. As the daughter of civil rights icon Andrew Young and international children's advocate and civil rights activist Jean Childs Young, Andrea Young continues their legacy by living a life dedicated to public service. During her nearly 10-year tenure leading the ACLU of Georgia, her quest for a more perfect union produced a record of achievement and fighting the good and necessary fights, even when success was not always possible. Early in her career, Ms. Young was a legislative staffer for Senator Edward Kennedy. She served as floor manager and successfully fought the filibuster intended to derail the passage of legislation establishing the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. She also accompanied Senator Kennedy to South Africa during apartheid and played a key role in legislation that established economic sanctions against the apartheid regime. She later served as chief of staff to the first African- American woman elected to U.S. Congress from the State of Georgia. As chief of staff for a newly created congressional district, she developed a staff and legislative priorities, district offices, and constituent services. Before joining the ACLU of Georgia, she also created the operational structure of the Andrew Young Foundation, including initial staff and policy directives. Later, she served as adjunct professor teaching leadership courses at Morehouse College, the alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Georgia State University. She has also authored and contributed to several books, including ``Life Lessons My Mother Taught Me,'' ``An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and the Transformation of America,'' and ``Andrew Young and the Making of Modern Atlanta.'' Andrea Young became executive director of the ACLU of Georgia in 2017, at a time when it had a full-time staff of two. Under her leadership, the organization was transformed into a fully staffed, statewide civil liberties organization that has not only improved communities across all of Georgia but also Americans across the country. She brought a steady, disciplined approach to the work, aligning litigation, policy, communications, and community engagement strategies so the organization could respond clearly and consistently to challenges facing the State and country. During her tenure, Georgia was at the center of some of the most consequential civil liberties fights in the country. For example, she led the organization through major legal battles, including the successful challenge to Georgia's abortion ban, and stood firm in defending the right to protest and opposing efforts to criminalize peaceful assembly. Her greatest priority was protecting voting rights, the cornerstone of our democracy. While serving as executive director, the ACLU of Georgia secured a Federal injunction protecting voters from having their absentee ballots rejected without due process, successfully challenged the attempted removal of nearly 160,000 voters from the rolls, and expanded access to voting across the State. Her leadership and vision for a stronger democracy reached communities across Georgia through initiatives such as the Poll Worker Program and the Local Election Advocates and Defenders Program, which strengthened election operations and increased accountability at the local level. Her efforts to keep voters on the rolls as well as to prevent voting station closings or relocations made a difference in countless local and Federal elections across Georgia. We continue that work in this body as Federal lawmakers, and I am honored to count Andrea as an ally in our fight to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. Her lifetime of service has directly affected many provisions in this critical legislation, and her work has strengthened not only communities in Georgia but the rights of all Americans. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Andrea Young's service to the State of Georgia and to the country. ____________________