Five Year Report
Table of Contents
Mensaje del Senador Ossoff [ES]
Dear Reader,
As Georgia’s U.S. Senator, I strive to serve with excellence, humility, and a relentless focus on results for our State.
Here are some of the results my team and I have delivered for Georgians in my fifth year as your Senator:
Every day, I am focused on Georgia families’ safety and health, especially the health of newborn babies, young children, and mothers. I’ve worked to prevent massive increases to health insurance premiums, supported our Nation’s preeminent scientists and researchers at the CDC, fought to protect hospitals and nursing homes from Medicaid cuts, and helped restore critical Federal resources to protect foster children.
To lower housing costs for Georgia families and protect renters, I launched an investigation into large, out-of-state corporations who have bought up single-family homes in Georgia, driving up prices, and won bipartisan support to require a Federal investigation of the housing affordability crisis.
I’ve led oversight to protect civil and human rights, exposing abuses in immigration detention through a series of hard-hitting investigations and passing bipartisan legislation to solve unsolved lynchings.
I have fought tirelessly for Georgia’s servicemembers, veterans, and military families, working across the aisle to upgrade VA facilities, secure a pay raise for military personnel, and deliver the most funding for Georgia military construction projects since 2010.
I’ve championed Georgia’s economic development and worked to protect the historic investments in Georgia’s infrastructure delivered through the bipartisan infrastructure law, while opposing the costly and self-destructive trade wars that are hurting small businesses and driving up prices.
I have continued to champion Georgia’s farmers, ranchers, and growers, helping lead a bipartisan effort to protect producers from predatory competitors across the globe and securing key agricultural funding priorities in appropriations legislation.
To strengthen public safety and protect Georgia kids, I introduced and passed bipartisan bills to prevent human trafficking and child abuse, support victims of violent crime and domestic abuse, protect our kids online, and hold social media companies accountable to report evidence of trafficking and abuse.
My team and I have provided highly responsive constituent services to thousands of Georgians, helping seniors access Medicare and Social Security, ensuring veterans receive their benefits, solving passport and visa problems for constituents, and more.
We are here to help however we can.
— Senador Jon Ossoff
Get Help From the Office
If you need assistance with any aspect of the Federal Government — ranging from issues with the VA, Social Security, Medicaid, Passport delays, and more — you can reach our casework team from our website’s Services section, or call the Atlanta office at 470-786-7800.
Protecting Georgians’ Health
In 2025, Senator Ossoff remained focused on keeping Georgia’s families safe and healthy.
Throughout the year, Senator Ossoff fought to protect Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which millions of Georgians rely on to afford life-saving health care.
In June, months before the tax credits expired, Senator Ossoff offered an amendment to the Trump budget bill to extend them, but Republican Senators blocked Senator Ossoff’s amendment.
In July and in August, Senator Ossoff spoke alongside affected Georgians and warned about the upcoming premium hikes and urged Congress to take action. In December, when the Senate debated legislation to extend the tax credits, Senator Ossoff passionately spoke from the Senate Floor to urge all Senators to put politics aside and extend the ACA tax credits before they expired.
Over the summer, Senator Ossoff fought the “One Big Beautiful Bill’s” (OBBB’s) trillion-dollar cut to Medicaid. 70% of Georgia seniors in nursing homes are on Medicaid, half of all births in Georgia are covered by Medicaid, and 40% of all children in Georgia are covered by Medicaid.
A study commissioned by the American Hospital Association found that Georgia rural hospitals could lose $540 million over 10 years as a result of the OBBB’s Medicaid cuts. And already, Georgia is feeling the effects of the bill.
In October 2025, St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital’s Labor & Delivery unit in Lavonia, Georgia, closed after hospital officials said Medicaid cuts in President Trump’s budget law “solidified” their decision. And in August, Evans Memorial Hospital in southeast Georgia warned they may have to cut their Intensive Care Unit (ICU), according to the hospital CEO, which he said is a direct result of the Medicaid cuts in the Trump budget law.
At the beginning of 2025, Senator Ossoff vigorously opposed the confirmation of U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. During the confirmation process, Senator Ossoff argued against his confirmation on the Senate floor. Over the summer, after yet another round of cuts to Georgia’s CDC, Senator Ossoff called for RFK Jr.’s resignation.
In the wake of the Administration’s indiscriminate firing of critical public health employees at the CDC in the spring, Senator Ossoff blasted the Trump Administration’s decision and led a push demanding the rehiring of vital public health staff.
When the Trump Administration reportedly shutdown a critical maternal health data system at the CDC, Senator Ossoff again led a fight to protect the CDC’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), amid a worsening maternal health crisis in Georgia, which has already one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country.
This summer, Senator Ossoff joined a group of Senators slamming HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for firing the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which they warned puts Georgia families at risk.
Senator Ossoff also brought Republicans and Democrats together to add several other key CDC provisions into the bipartisan appropriations bill, including a new requirement that the Department of Health and Human Services submit detailed plans before transferring any functions away from the CDC and sustaining critical CDC programs for chronic diseases and to combat maternal mortality.
Following the horrific August shooting at the CDC Headquarters in Atlanta, where the gunman tragically killed DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose as he bravely intervened, Senator Ossoff demanded Secretary Kennedy take immediate action to ensure a safe and secure environment for the CDC workforce and the highly sensitive facilities they operate.
While fighting back against the Trump Administration’s efforts to erode public health, Senator Ossoff continues to work across the aisle in the Senate to find common-sense solutions to support public health and keep Georgians healthy.
In February, Senator Ossoff introduced a bipartisan bill with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to help more veterans in rural areas get transportation to VA health facilities and access the health care benefits they’ve earned.
In March, Senator Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan Rural Health Focus Act to continue improving and supporting rural health through the CDC’s Office of Rural Health. Through the Office of Rural Health, the CDC partners with rural communities to address health disparities and challenges unique to rural public health. This legislation will strengthen rural health infrastructure and authorize grants to improve health outcomes across rural Georgia.
In April, Senator Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan Resident Education Deferred Interest Act (REDI Act) to reduce the shortage of medical professionals in Georgia. The bill would allow recent graduates of medical school to defer their student loan payments without interest while they serve in a medical or dental internship or residency program, aiming to attract more young professionals to go into the medical field.
Rural hospitals in Georgia and across the country face unique challenges protecting critical information technology systems without the same level of resources as larger hospitals. Rising cyber threats, including ransomware attacks, place rural hospitals and their patients in a vulnerable position. That is why, in July, Senator Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act to create new strategies and training resources to boost the number of cybersecurity and digital security professionals in rural hospitals across Georgia and nationwide.
Senator Ossoff also continued his ongoing investigation into the impacts of Georgia’s 6-week abortion ban.
During an oversight session in March, two Georgia women described how Georgia’s abortion ban impeded their doctor’s abilities to provide medical care, leading to life-threatening infections.
In April, Senator Ossoff released a new report finding that Georgia doctors are being forced to wait for women to develop life-threatening infections before terminating nonviable pregnancies due to the State of Georgia’s abortion ban.
In June, Senator Ossoff released a new report, with assistance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), finding that Georgia’s six-week abortion ban threatens to worsen the State’s already severe OBGYN shortage.
In 2025, Senator Ossoff also continued his work to protect Georgia kids and babies.
In April, Senator Ossoff demanded answers from baby formula producers Abbott Nutrition and Mead Johnson about recent reports of toxic chemicals found in formula after a recent study by Consumer Reports found that multiple Abbott Nutrition infant formulas tested had high levels of lead while others contained high levels of inorganic arsenic. The same study found high levels of lead in some Mead Johnson formulas tested, while others also had high levels of inorganic arsenic.
In May, in a U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration hearing, Senator Ossoff pressed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Martin Makary on the safety of infant formula, including the reported firings of scientists within the agency who work to prevent infant formula contamination.
Protecting Health
Fighting Corruption & Exposing Human Rights Abuses
In 2025, Senator Ossoff continued his vigorous Congressional oversight to protect human rights and expose corruption.
In April, after years of oversight of Georgia’s foster care system, Senator Ossoff sounded the alarm when the Trump Administration abruptly cut key Federal grants for foster care programs in Georgia and nationwide. According to experts, the administration’s decision threatened the ability of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and volunteers to support children who have faced abuse, neglect, and instability.
Following sustained pressure from Senator Ossoff and child welfare advocates across Georgia, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reversed course and reinstated the funding.
In early 2025, Senator Ossoff launched an investigation into reported human rights abuses in U.S. immigration detention. As part of the investigation, Senator Ossoff’s staff interviewed and received credible reports of abuse from dozens of witnesses and sources, including correctional staff, law enforcement officials, attorneys, detainees and their family members, doctors, and nurses; conducted site inspections of Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-, HHS-, and Bureau of Prisons (BOP)-administrated facilities; and analyzed public reports and court records.
Senator Ossoff’s first report, The Abuse of Pregnant Woman & Children in U.S. Immigration Detention, uncovered 510 credible reports of human rights abuse against individuals held in DHS, BOP, and HHS facilities, county jails, and federal buildings across 25 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, at U.S. military bases (including Guantánamo Bay in Cuba and Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti), and on chartered deportation flights. Among these reports are 41 credible reports of physical and sexual abuse of individuals in U.S. immigration detention, 14 credible reports of mistreatment of pregnant women, and 18 credible reports of mistreatment of children. Credibly reported or confirmed events to date include deaths in custody, physical and sexual abuse, mistreatment of pregnant women, mistreatment of children, inadequate medical care, overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions, inadequate food or water, exposure to extreme temperatures, denial of access to attorneys, and family separations.
Senator Ossoff’s second report of his ongoing investigation into human rights abuses in U.S. immigration detention, Medical Neglect & Denial of Adequate Food or Water in U.S. Immigration Detention, uncovered 85 credible reports of medical neglect, including cases that reportedly led to life-threatening injuries and complications, and 82 credible reports of denial of adequate food or water, including cases that reportedly led to malnutrition or dehydration.
Senator Ossoff also continued his work to keep vulnerable children safe and prevent human rights abuses in the foster care system.
In February, Senators Ossoff and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the bipartisan Generate Recordings of All Child Protective Interviews Everywhere (GRACIE Act) to bring transparency and improve outcomes for children involved with Child Protective Services, including Georgia’s Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS). According to Senator Ossoff’s U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Human Rights Majority Staff 2024 report on abuse and neglect in Georgia’s foster care system, Georgia DFCS failed to make “concerted efforts to assess and address the risk and safety concerns relating to the child(ren) in their own homes or while in foster care” in 84% of reviewed cases, including a failure to conduct initial assessments that accurately assessed all risks and safety concerns.
The bipartisan bill would create a new Federal grant program through the U.S. Department of Justice for costs directly associated with conducting and storing interview recordings. States would be eligible for the Federal grant only if state law requires that all child welfare forensic interviews be recorded through electric audio recording, body camera video or any other reasonable recording method.
Senator Ossoff stood up to overreach by the administration that threatens civil or human rights.
In the fall of 2025, Senator Ossoff spearheaded an inquiry into numerous Federal courts’ reported failures to uphold Americans’ civil rights as they await a full trial. According to a recent study, in numerous Federal courts across the country, judges jail defendants without lawyers at initial appearance hearings, in violation of their civil rights. According to the study, proceeding unrepresented at an initial appearance severely disadvantages defendants, leading to increased pretrial detention rates.
Senator Ossoff also continued his work to fight corruption and ban Congressional stock trading.
Senator Ossoff introduced an amendment during a Senate Rules committee markup to ban stock trading by United States Senators, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
As part of his ongoing efforts in the Senate to protect civil rights, Senator Ossoff introduced and passed his Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Reauthorization Act through the Senate. The bipartisan bill with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) would strengthen and extend the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board’s authority through 2031 to help ensure the public release of records related to Civil Rights cold cases from 1940 through 1979 and help enable states and local authorities to release records in their possession.
Fighting Corruption
Making Housing More Affordable and Protecting Tenants
Senator Ossoff remains focused on lowering housing costs for Georgia families and protecting tenants from dangerous conditions.
This spring, Senator Ossoff launched an investigation into large, out-of-state companies buying up Georgia homes and driving up home prices.
In 2023, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “American Dream for Rent,” detailed how out-of-state companies are buying up family homes and turning them into rental properties, driving up home prices and making it more difficult for families to purchase homes themselves. According to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report in 2024, large companies now own 1 of every 4 single-family rental homes in metro Atlanta, the most impacted region in the country.
As part of the investigation, alongside a Georgia State University professor, Senator Ossoff unveiled new data that the share of single-family rental homes in metro Atlanta owned by large corporations has now increased to 30%, including nearly 70% of single-family rental homes in Henry County alone.
Senator Ossoff heard testimony at an oversight session exposing the mistreatment and abuse of Georgia renters living in single-family homes owned by large, out-of-state companies.
Senator Ossoff brought Republicans and Democrats together to require a Federal watchdog investigation of conditions at rental units that receive financial support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Senator Ossoff also won bipartisan support to pass an amendment directing a Federal watchdog investigation into the housing affordability crisis and to help identify solutions to the crisis.
Lowering Housing Costs
Supporting Georgia’s Servicemembers and Their Families
This year, Senator Ossoff joined the Senate Appropriations Committee and became the top Democrat on the Senate Military Construction and VA Appropriations Subcommittee, positioning him to fight for Georgia’s military installations and deliver for Georgia’s servicemembers and their families.
In his new position helping lead the Subcommittee, Senator Ossoff played a key role crafting a bipartisan military construction & VA funding bill that includes the most funding for Georgia military construction and quality-of-life construction projects since 2010.
The bipartisan bill included a $30 million increase over the President’s request for oversight and maintenance of privatized military housing — providing $10 million for the Army, $10 million for the Navy, and $10 million for the Air Force to work claims and conduct investigations and oversight of privatized housing conditions.
The bipartisan bill included $45 million for Army projects, solely intended to be used to complete barracks at Fort Stewart; $127.4 million to build a new elementary school at Fort Benning; $166 million for construction of new facilities at Fort Gillem; $119 million to expand the Trident Refit Facility in preparation for the new Columbia-Class submarines at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base; $8 million for aircraft hangar design at Fort Stewart; $17.5 million for the 23rd Security Forces Squadron Operation Facility and $3.5 million to design a new simulator for the upcoming F-35A jets at Moody Air Force Base; $28 million for a new control tower at Robins AFB; $27 million for a Dining Hall & Services Training Facility and $11.4 million for a C-130J Corrosion Control Facility at Savannah International Airport; and $3 million to design a new gate at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
Senator Ossoff also secured key wins for Georgia in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a pay raise for junior-enlisted personnel and several key authorizations for projects across Georgia installations.
Please find a summary below of wins Senator Ossoff helped secure for Georgia in this year’s NDAA:
- Military Pay Raise: Authorizes a 3.8% pay raise across the board for military personnel.
- Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay: Authorizes $119.03 million for the construction of a Trident Refit Facility at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.
- Moody AFB: Authorizes $35 million for the construction of an 23rd Security Forces Squadron Operations Facility at Moody AFB.
- Robins AFB: Authorizes $28 million for the construction of an Air Traffic Control Tower at Robins AFB.
- Ft. Benning: Authorizes $22.375 million for the construction of the Dexter Elementary School at Ft. Benning.
- Savannah Air National Guard Base: Authorizes $11.4 million for the construction of a C-130J Corrosion Control Facility; $27 million for the construction of a Dining Hall and Services Training Facility; and $3.8 million in planning and design funds for a Troop Camp at Savannah Air National Guard Base.
- Dobbins ARB: Authorizes $3.2M in planning and design funds for an Entry Control Facility at Dobbins ARB.
- Gillem Enclave: Authorizes $45 million for the construction of an Evidence Storage Building at Gillem Enclave.
In September, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed Senator Ossoff’s amendment through the Defense Appropriations Bill with bipartisan support to encourage upgrades to the Air Force Reserves’ C-130H fleet at Dobbins Air Reserve Base (ARB) to the new C-130J models – produced by Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia.
In May, Senator Ossoff introduced the Improving SCRA Benefit Utilization Act, a bipartisan bill to lower costs for Georgia servicemembers and their families by expanding access to financial protections and benefits available to active duty servicemembers and their families through the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), which provides legal and financial protections to active duty servicemembers, including National Guard and reserve members, and their families.
In March, Senators Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock launched an inquiry with the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) over reported delays and miscommunication impacting and generating uncertainty for Georgia’s servicemembers and their families when moving to new duty station through private contractors. They also raised concerns with the Department of Defense regarding conditions at military dining facilities and access to healthy food options on installations.
This fall, Senator Ossoff launched an inquiry with the Acting Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) requesting more information about reported plans to reduce services at Eisenhower Army Medical Center, which serves between 30,000 to 40,000 active-duty servicemembers, retired servicemembers, their families, and DoD civilians in and around the CSRA. Reported plans to reduce services include closing inpatient, emergency room, and operating room services at the medical center, which would force patients to get care in the community, putting more of a strain on the local health care system.
In February, Senator Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan Love Lives On Act to help spouses of deceased servicemembers retain survivor benefits upon remarriage.
In December of 2025, Senator Ossoff launched an inquiry with the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) demanding answers after the Trump Administration gutted support for children with special needs in Department of Defense schools, eliminating all special education and speech language evaluators at every DoDEA school, who provide evaluations and support for students with learning differences to ensure they receive tailored instruction in speech, math, and reading.
Servicemembers
Helping Georgia’s Veterans
Senator Ossoff continued to champion Georgia’s veterans to ensure they receive the benefits they earned through their dedicated service.
As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Senator Ossoff secured $150 million in the bipartisan funding bill for Grants for Construction of Veterans Cemeteries, a significant increase over the President’s request. After the bill became law, Senator Ossoff urged U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to ensure that the increased levels of funding Senator Ossoff secured for the construction of veterans cemeteries is quickly used to build a new veterans cemetery in Augusta, an effort he’s been working on for years with the local community.
In order to serve Georgia’s veterans, Senator Ossoff worked across the aisle to strengthen benefits for veterans. In August, Senators Ossoff and John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act to help disabled veterans’ small businesses thrive.
In February, Senators Ossoff and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act to help more veterans in rural areas get transportation to VA health facilities and access the health care benefits they’ve earned.
Senator Ossoff cosponsored the Helping Heroes Act to expand supportive services for families of disabled veterans, including children taking on caregiving roles for their parents, and in September, Senator Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan Major Richard Star Act to allow servicemembers who medically retired before 20 years of service to collect retirement pay from the Department of Defense and disability payments from the VA at the same time.
Senator Ossoff also pushed back against the Trump Administration’s actions that hurt veterans.
Earlier in May, Senator Ossoff held a press conference with Georgia Marine Corps veteran Samuel McCrary from Loganville, Georgia, to urge the Trump Administration to reverse its decision to cancel the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program and help Georgia veterans avoid foreclosure.
In the spring, Senator Ossoff led a group of Senators pressing VA Secretary Doug Collins to protect veterans, their families, and VA staff from unprecedented access to sensitive information by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”).
Senator Ossoff also continued his oversight of VA facilities that serve hundreds of thousands of Georgia families from his seat as the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.
In June, Senator Ossoff asked VA Secretary Doug Collins to reassure Central Georgia veterans that the Department is working to solve leadership problems at the Dublin VA and ensure veterans are protected from health safety issues. Senator Ossoff also pressed Secretary Collins to fill open primary care positions within Atlanta’s VA to reduce wait times and ensure veterans can access the care and benefits they’ve earned after an Inspector’s General report released June 12 found that there were 208 primary care vacancies at the Atlanta VA, including 67 providers, 42 registered nurses, 32 licensed practical nurses, 49 medical support assistants and 18 pharmacist positions short at the Atlanta VA.
Senator Ossoff also asked the VA Secretary about leadership challenges at the Augusta VA impacting veterans’ care.
In May, Senator Ossoff requested information from the Atlanta VA Medical Center about whether the Trump Administration’s mass firing of VA personnel has impacted Georgia veterans’ ability to access timely care at the Atlanta VA Medical Center (VAMC).
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Throughout the year, Senator Ossoff’s constituent services team assisted Georgia veterans with their casework needs. Senator Ossoff’s caseworkers helped veterans schedule critical timely appointments at the VA, secure copies of their service records necessary for civilian employment after service, access necessary upgrades to their homes to accommodate service-related injuries, and so much more.
Senator Ossoff’s constituent services team is available to help servicemembers, veterans, and their families cut through red tape to access the benefits they deserve. From resolving issues with their TRICARE and VA benefits, Social Security and Medicare, to helping obtain and renew passports, and more. You can reach our casework team from our website or by calling the Senator’s Atlanta office at 470-786-7800.
Georgia Veterans
Upgrading Georgia’s Infrastructure
Senator Ossoff continues working to upgrade Georgia’s infrastructure. Since passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law in fall 2021, Senator Ossoff has delivered billions of dollars in funding for projects across the State of Georgia.
Senator Ossoff confronted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Zeldin after the EPA cancelled a nearly $20M grant for Thomasville, Georgia, to build a health center and install new water infrastructure. In a Senate Appropriations Hearing, Senator Ossoff pressed Zeldin over the decision to terminate the grant, which Thomasville Mayor Todd Mobley said represented a “transformative opportunity to make vital health and safety improvements,” and Earl Williams, who leads the Thomasville Community Development Corporation, called a “game changer.”
In April, the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) announced it would terminate the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Water Science Center’s lease in Norcross, Georgia. Senators Ossoff and Rev. Warnock demanded answers from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) about impacts on water quality and supply, and after their pressure, the Department of the Interior reversed the termination.
In September, Senator Ossoff introduced the bipartisan American Energy Security Act to help cities and localities strengthen energy infrastructure and lower energy costs for families which would formally authorize the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure and Safety Modernization grant program for Federal grant funding to help communities replace and upgrade critical infrastructure, improving the safe and reliable transportation of fuel to families and businesses. Senator Ossoff later helped pass the bipartisan bill through the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee as part of the larger PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025.
In August, Senator Ossoff passed a bipartisan amendment in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development funding bill to strengthen car seat safety for children, directing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to produce the results of a study, required by the bipartisan infrastructure law, to examine the accessibility of car seats and booster seats.
In August, Senator Ossoff introduced and passed an amendment through the Senate Appropriations Committee to increase funding by nearly 50% for the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water grant program in the Senate’s draft appropriations bill, which helps reduce lead in drinking water by giving Federal resources to States and local communities for the removal of lead pipes and water treatment infrastructure improvements in schools and child-care facilities.
Infrastructure
Fighting for Georgia’s Farmers & Growers
Senator Ossoff continues fighting for Georgia farmers.
At the end of 2024, against all odds and with significant bipartisan maneuvering, Senator Ossoff successfully fought to pass a bipartisan disaster relief package that included $21 billion in agricultural disaster funding to help Georgia farmers, and farmers nationwide, recovering from the disastrous impacts of Hurricane Helene and other natural disasters. Throughout 2025, Senator Ossoff fought and pushed to see the funding get into the pockets of farmers.
In May during a U.S. Senate hearing, Senator Ossoff pressed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Rollins to expedite relief to Georgia farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene, and in July, Senator Ossoff sent a letter to USDA Secretary Rollins requesting answers on why they have still failed to finalize a block grant agreement for the Federal relief more than nine months after Hurricane Helene devastated Georgia’s agricultural communities — and more than six months after Congress appropriated disaster aid. As of the publishing of this report in January, 2026, Georgia’s block grant has still not been approved by USDA.
Senator Ossoff also continued his bipartisan work to promote Georgia’s key agricultural industries and help Georgia farmers sell more products.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Ossoff secured key wins in the bipartisan agricultural funding bill for several of Georgia’s agricultural industries:
- Vidalia onions: $500,000 increase in funding specifically for Vidalia onion breeding to help develop a disease-resistant crop
- Avian health: $65 million in funding for poultry and avian health research efforts in Georgia and nationwide
- Pecans: $5 million for pecan genetics research; $4.75 million for pecan processing research; language that directs USDA to prioritize increased market access of domestic pecans into India; and language that encourages USDA to support U.S. pecan producers through developing new value-added markets for pecan and pecan-based products
- Citrus: Language urging USDA to engage with growers in areas of emerging citrus production — like Georgia — to provide extension services regarding citrus greening and to continue working to reduce transmission and enhance immunity to greening in citrus trees
- Peanuts: $3 million for peanut nutrition research and language encouraging USDA to work to develop solutions that will allow increased market access for domestic peanuts into the European Union
- Specialty crops: $205.5 million for the Specialty Crop Pests Program, $15 million for the Minor Crop Pest Management program (IR–4), and Specialty Crop Research Initiative language encouraging USDA to support research that would boost mechanization and automation of labor-intensive tasks in specialty crop production and processing
- Aflatoxin: $1.75 million for research into mitigating the risk of aflatoxin, including for corn
- Cotton: $15.5 million to strengthen pest eradication and control efforts for cotton
- Local meat processing: Language supporting investments in local meat processing, directing USDA to report to the Appropriations Committee with updates including the status of Federal investments in local meat processing, the status of plants receiving funding, and economic impact of USDA programs
- Veterinary programs: $4 million for the Veterinary Services Grant Program, $10 million for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, and $6.25 million for the National Veterinary Stockpile
- Domestic shrimp: Language encouraging USDA to support the domestic shrimp fishing and processing industry in the face of unprecedented levels of imported shrimp, and funding for a Seafood Industry Liaison at USDA
- Support for HBCUs: $89 million for research (Evans-Allen program), $72 million for Extension Services, $30 million for Education Grants, $21.5 million for facility improvements, $10 million for scholarships, and $10 million for Centers of Excellence at 1890 Institutions
Continuing his impressive record of fighting for Georgia’s pecan industry, Senator Ossoff, along with a bipartisan group, urged the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to prioritize American pecan producers in ongoing trade negotiations with India and to extend the deadline for trade talks with India.
In June, Senator Ossoff successfully pushed the USDA to purchase Georgia grown pecans, announcing a $24 million investment.
To help protect Georgia’s forestry industry from pine beetle infestation, Senator Ossoff introduced the bipartisan Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act to help Georgia foresters recovering from pine beetle infestations.
In August, Senator Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan United States Citrus Protection Act to support and protect Georgia’s citrus growers by banning imports of fresh citrus from China, which can often undercut domestic citrus producers and hurt the rapidly growing citrus industry in Georgia.
In February, Senators Ossoff and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the bipartisan Forest Data Modernization Act, which would modernize and improve the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis program to ensure reliable data is available to inform forest management decision making.
Senator Ossoff also cosponsored the bipartisan Buying American Cotton Act, which would incentivize the consumption of products made with U.S. cotton.
Senator Ossoff cosponsored two bipartisan bills to protect Georgia farmers from Chinese manipulation and from cyberattacks — the bipartisan Securing American Agriculture Act to help mitigate potential Chinese market manipulation of critical agricultural products like vitamins, veterinary pharmaceuticals, and crop protection tools and the bipartisan Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025 to help address the growing threat of cyberattacks on Georgia’s food and agriculture sectors.
Georgia Farmers
Creating Georgia Jobs & Making Georgia the Clean Energy Leader
Senator Ossoff continued working to create more jobs across Georgia and protect Georgia’s economy.
According to a study from January of 2025, since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, Federal manufacturing incentives Senator Ossoff championed had benefited Georgia more than any other state, creating over 43,000 Georgia jobs and attracting over $31.2 billion in private investment across the state. Reporting from The Atlanta Journal Constitution had also found the GOP’s tax bill could make EVs more expensive and hit Georgia’s auto sector.
Senator Ossoff raised serious concerns before Congressional Republicans passed their budget law that eliminated these Federal manufacturing policies.
In 2025, the Trump Administration implemented a chaotic tariff regime, wreaking havoc on Georgia’s business and agricultural sector and raising costs for families.
In the fall, Senator Ossoff urged the administration to repeal its tariffs. According to an ADP report covered by NBC News, small businesses cut 120,000 jobs in November, and another economic report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas in November found there were over 1.1 million layoffs in 2025, the most layoffs in a year since the 2020 pandemic.
This fall, the Senate passed a bill to stop President Trump’s tariffs that are hurting Georgia families. After the vote, Senator Ossoff and Georgia’s Democratic Congressional Delegation urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the bill for a vote in the House.
Senator Ossoff also introduced bipartisan legislation to help Georgians find jobs and protect Georgia’s small businesses.
In August, Senator Ossoff introduced the Skilled Workforce Act, which would incentivize companies to invest in equipment and facilities at local public high schools and technical and community colleges to help train workers.
In December, Senators Ossoff and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced the bipartisan Support Small Business Growth Act of 2025 to cut income taxes for qualifying small businesses with up to 15 employees. The bipartisan bill would create a new tax deduction for qualifying small businesses with fewer than 15 employees based on a percentage of wages paid to employees during the year.
In August, Senator Ossoff urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to follow through on Federal grant funding to upgrade Blue Bird Corporation’s manufacturing facility and bring jobs to Fort Valley, Georgia.
In May, Senator Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan Simplifying Subcontracting Act, which would simplify the process for small businesses to win Federal contracts.
This spring, Senator Ossoff delivered over $6 million in Federal funding to the Technical College System of Georgia through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to strengthen job training programs and give Georgians more economic opportunities through apprenticeships, or on-the-job training opportunities.
Creating Jobs
Strengthening Public Safety
Senator Ossoff continued his work to keep Georgians safe and protect kids.
This year the Senate passed Senator Ossoff’s bipartisan Preventing Child Trafficking Act. The bill requires the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services to implement Government Accountability Office recommendations regarding collaboration around child trafficking efforts and report on progress to Congress.
Senator Ossoff introduced the bipartisan Supporting Victims of Human Trafficking Act to support providers working with victims of human trafficking by providing them with additional grant funding flexibility.
Senator Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act, which passed the Senate in September. The bill closes loopholes that make kidnapping, sexual abuse, and child exploitation harder to prosecute.
Senator Ossoff cosponsored and gave a floor speech calling for the passage of the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act, bipartisan legislation designed to address a funding crisis for service providers for victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes.
To protect kids online, Senator Ossoff worked to bring Republicans and Democrats together to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), bipartisan legislation he cosponsored that would impose new requirements on digital platforms to protect children from being targeted online with harmful content.
In September, Senator Ossoff joined colleagues urging the Trump Administration to reverse funding cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the suspension of the K-12 Cybersecurity Government Coordinating Council at the Department of Education.
In April, Senator Ossoff passed the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act through the Senate to improve workplace safety and protections for prison personnel.
Senator Ossoff also introduced the bipartisan Stopping Prison Contraband Act to increase penalties for smuggling contraband phones into correctional facilities, a significant security concern.
In March, the Senate passed Senator Ossoff’s bipartisan Justice for Murder Victims Act, eliminating the “year-and-a-day” rule that prevents perpetrators from being held liable for homicides if their victim dies more than a year after the assault. This change reflects advances in medical care and ensures justice for families of murder victims.
To better protect Georgia businesses from organized retail theft, Senator Ossoff formally urged the Department of Justice to strengthen investigations and stop organized retail theft.
In a follow-up to their September 2023 inquiry, Senators Ossoff and Blackburn launched a bipartisan inquiry with the U.S. Attorney General and the FBI Director urging them to address chronic understaffing in positions aimed at addressing reported child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Public Safety
Enhancing Education for Georgia’s Next Generation & Championing Georgia’s HBCUs
In February of 2025, the Trump Administration announced it was canceling a scholarship program aimed at helping students study agriculture at HBCUs. Senator Ossoff publicly called on the Administration to reverse the suspension of funding, which he said has been a lifeline for HBCU students in Georgia at Fort Valley State University. After pressure from Senator Ossoff, the administration restored the scholarship program.
In August, Senator Ossoff introduced the Skilled Workforce Act to incentivize companies to directly invest in physical infrastructure and equipment at high schools, career academies, and technical colleges for local workforce development needs — with a goal of increasing private investment that helps train workers.
In April, Senators Ossoff and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the bipartisan Youth Sports Facilities Act to help build and upgrade sports facilities across Georgia, giving kids and families safe spaces to play while also supporting student mental health and boosting economic growth.
In February, Senator Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisan JOBS Act to help more students access and afford short-term job training programs.
Educación
Protecting Georgia’s Natural Resources & Expanding Tourism
For years, Senator Ossoff has worked to protect Georgia’s precious natural resources, including the beloved Okefenokee Swamp.
In January 2025, following Senator Ossoff’s push, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would expand the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge’s acquisition boundary by 22,000 acres.
In May, Senator Ossoff pressed the Trump Administration’s Department of the Interior in a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, securing a public commitment from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum that no part of the Okefenokee would be sold.
In June, Senator Ossoff welcomed the historic announcement of a land acquisition deal in which The Conservation Fund will purchase roughly 8,000 acres from Twin Pines Minerals, as well as the underlying mineral rights — effectively halting the proposed titanium mine near the swamp.
In August, Senator Ossoff passed an amendment through the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to encourage greater expanded protection of the Okefenokee Swamp, encouraging the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to acquire lands within the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge’s boundaries, which would expand hunting, fishing, and recreation access and help reduce fire risk in the Refuge and nearby communities.
As Atlanta prepares to host major events like the Super Bowl, College Football Playoffs, and the FIFA World Cup, Senator Ossoff urged Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to unfreeze Federal funding for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) program, which provides Federal funding to help urban areas strengthen public safety.
Likewise, Senator Ossoff and a bipartisan group of Senators are urging FIFA executives to strengthen resources for host cities working to prevent human trafficking ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Medio ambiente
Constituent Services Snapshot
Senator Ossoff’s constituent services team works to help families cut through red tape to access the services they deserve, from resolving issues with Social Security and Medicare, to helping families obtain passports, and ensuring servicemembers, veterans, and their families receive their benefits.
Since taking office, Senator Ossoff’s constituent services team has saved Georgia families over $60 million — getting them the refunds they deserve and putting money back in their pockets — and has helped nearly 7,000 individual Georgians solve issues with the Federal government.
In 2025 alone, Senator Ossoff and his team helped individual Georgia taxpayers, organizations, and businesses recover over $19 million owed to them by the IRS and other Federal agencies.
If you need assistance with any aspect of the Federal Government, you can reach Senator Ossoff’s casework team on our website or by calling or visiting one of Senator Ossoff’s offices throughout the state.
Here are just a few examples of how Senator Ossoff’s staff have helped Georgians this year:
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- A family-run restaurant filed an Employee Retention Claim (ERC) for 2020 and 2021 in order to keep their staff employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. After more than four years of delay, they contacted Senator Ossoff’s office, who then submitted an inquiry to the Taxpayer Advocate Service. After months of continued follow-ups with the IRS by the Senator’s team, their 5 tax period claims were processed, totaling over $145,000 in tax credits and an additional $22,000 in interest from the IRS’s delays.
- A 76-year-old U.S. Army veteran was attempting to file a Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) compensation claim after continued mobility issues from a leg injury he sustained while serving. After being told that there were no medical records from his service in the 1960s, he reached out to Senator Ossoff’s office for assistance. When the National Personnel Records Center confirmed they had no records of his in-patient care, the Senator’s team continued their inquiry over the course of a year on the veteran’s behalf to the VA Records Management Center to ensure his records were located, provided to him, and that his VBA compensation claim was fulfilled.
- A Georgia National Guardsman was working with the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource Center (GA VECTR) to help him apply for his VA benefits. He was unable to obtain a copy of his DD214, and the National Personnel Records Center did not have a copy on file. As a “last resort”, in his own words, the former Guardsman reached out to Senator Ossoff’s office who were able to contact the Georgia Department of Defense for his records to be obtained.
- One month after losing her husband, an 80-year-old widow of a U.S. Navy veteran came in person to one of Senator Ossoff’s office’s “Constituent Services in your Community” events seeking assistance with her VA survivor benefits, Social Security survivor benefits, and a previous year’s tax refund. The Senator’s team was able to assist her in submitting her claims with the VA, Social Security Administration, and IRS, and stayed in touch with her and to ensure her claims were approved in timely fashion. From all three of her claims, she received $34,196 of past due funds along with $4,504 a month from the VA and SSA.
- A 79-year-old Vietnam Veteran contacted Senator Ossoff’s office after facing delays in processing his entitlement payments for necessary automobile and adaptive equipment. The Senator’s team submitted an inquiry with the VA and learned that an Administrative Error Rating flag was put on his claim, four months after his vehicle had been delivered, that required additional review by the Rating Board which he had not been informed of. The Senator’s team continued to follow up with the VA until he was paid over $25,000 and received his vehicle.
- A patient of the VA Blind Rehabilitation Center was denied transportation to a community care appointment due to Veteran Transportation Program (VTP) policy, which states that transportation must be to the nearest appropriate facility capable of providing the required care. After reaching out to Senator Ossoff’s office, the Senator’s team urged the VA to properly consider his doctor’s initial recommendation for the facility’s specialized genetic testing and treatment not available at any other location. In response, the VA Augusta Health Care System approved transportation to and from his appointments for continued assessment and treatment.
- After becoming eligible for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) benefits, a retired Georgian received guidance to terminate her Medicare Part B benefits as she was also covered by TRICARE Prime. However, she later received a letter from the Defense Manpower Data Center stating that both Medicare Parts A and B were required to maintain TRICARE Prime while receiving SSDI benefits. She attempted to reinstate her Part B coverage, but was told she would have to wait until the 2026 enrollment period. Believing she was uninsured, she canceled upcoming medical treatments, and later reached out to Senator Ossoff’s office for help and clarity. The Senator’s team submitted inquiries to both the Social Security Administration and the Defense Health Agency, successfully requesting immediate reinstatement of her Part B and TRICARE coverage with no lapse.