Since taking office, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and his office have worked hard to help people across the State of Georgia, from solving issues with Federal agencies, to delivering Federal resources for key community projects, to investigating and uncovering abuses against the most vulnerable Georgians.
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.
Here’s what Georgians are saying about Senator Ossoff’s constituent services operation:
Malinda Graham (Hinesville, GA): “I recently reached out to Senator Jon Ossoff’s office regarding an issue I was facing with the IRS, and I am incredibly impressed with the support and assistance I received. From the moment I contacted his office, the staff was attentive, professional, and genuinely concerned about my situation. Senator Ossoff’s team went above and beyond to ensure that my issue was addressed promptly. They took the time to understand the specifics of my case and provided clear guidance on the steps I needed to take. Their communication was excellent; I was kept informed throughout the process, which alleviated much of the stress I was experiencing. What stood out the most was Senator Ossoff’s commitment to his constituents. It was evident that he prioritizes helping everyday Americans navigate complex bureaucratic challenges. Thanks to his office’s efforts, my IRS issue was resolved more quickly than I anticipated. I wholeheartedly commend Senator Ossoff for his outstanding service and dedication. His support not only made a difficult situation manageable but also reinforced my confidence in our elected officials. I am grateful for his commitment to helping constituents and ensuring that we have the resources we need to succeed. Thank you, Senator Ossoff!”
Cynthia Barren (Atlanta, GA): “I reached out to your office twice and your staff came through for me both times. Thank you so much.”
Bobby McGill (Lavonia, GA): “I have been trying for years through multiple avenues to get my military records, especially my Ngb22 discharge record, with absolutely no success. Your office got it done in a very short period of time. I commend everyone that was involved in accomplishing this task. Thank you for everything.”
Dominic Ottaviano (Athens, GA): “(Your staffer) has been absolutely incredible in her assistance and follow up.”
Baboucar Mbye (Marietta, GA): “They really help me regarding my case. Thank you so much.”
Joy Rogers (Cartersville, GA): “Thank you for your work.”
Svitlana Badalov (Alpharetta, GA): “Dear Senator Ossoff, I would like to sincerely thank you and your team for your help in resolving the issues with my father’s case. Thanks to your assistance, he has now received his work permit. Your support has made a significant difference for our family, and we truly appreciate the time and effort you dedicated to helping us.”
Lan Tran Pham (Calhoun, GA): “Senator, you’re the politician who truly cares the people you represent. I am not saying this for myself, I’ve seen you and your staff came through for many other people. I thank you and your staff, you will always have my support. Thank you SIR.”
Robert Gabel (Cumming, GA): “I would gladly tell everyone to contact you and your office. The help I have been given has been very professional and does get results. Thank You for your help in this matter.”
Deborah “Debi” Bruggemeier (Cherry Log, GA): “Dear Senator Ossoff, I am writing to tell you what a stellar job (your staffer) did for our family helping my daughter, Hollie Bruggemeier, get her very complicated social security benefits. We have only been residents of GA for 6 years. I am the mom of 4 children, three adopted from China. I am 68 years old, so not typical to have young children at my age. My youngest, Hollie is special needs, with both physical and developmental issues. Shortly after moving to GA my husband passed suddenly and unfortunately, I had a lot to figure out going forward, most importantly, Hollie’s future. Fast forward a few years, I finally applied for Hollie’s social security. It was a nightmare to say the least. I was desperate for help, so I decided to reach out to your office. Within just a couple of days, (your staffer) reached out to me. She has been my rock through this incredibly arduous process. (Your staffer), a compassionate, communicative, get things accomplished young lady, she pushed and pushed and finally got us our resolve. Please acknowledge her- she is special. In closing, thank you so very much for advocating for our kids.”
Gregory Goodwin (Ivey, GA): “Quick and efficient responses. Thank you all so much!”
Janet Brock (Jasper, GA): “It’s the first time in 72 years I do believe someone heard me, responded to me, and the situation was handled EFFICIENTLY. I have a different appreciation for Senator Ossoff and his office team. Thank you.”
Brian Leary (Marietta, GA): “(Your staffer) did a very good job asking me about the issue and then following up. I am glad I received my lost funds. I only hope that you will keep pushing for fixes and improvements at the US Post Offices.”
Tina Spitler (Douglasville, GA): “(Your staffer) who helped me secure my Father’s VA benefits was responsive, supportive and helped to obtain the benefit”
Tracey Axnick (Lawrenceville, GA): “Great job! Solved my problem that I’ve had for four years Really appreciate it!”
Williams (Winson, GA): “I greatly appreciate the help Senator Ossoff’s office provided in getting the IRS to send us a tax refund from 2022. I hope he follows up to get the IRS to explain why a family had to wait until 2025 to get a tax refund from 2022. Thank you very much”
Karen Davis (Dubin, GA): “I was very pleased that Senator Ossoff’s team was able to resolve my issue in a timely manor. I appreciate their help and encourage others to seek their assistance when needed.”
Howard Payton (Atlanta, GA): “Staff was very responsive and helpful!”
Pamela Mehr (Calhoun, GA): “I was extremely satisfied by both items you helped me with.”
Iris Meyer (Decatur, GA): “The office responded quickly and was very helpful. They brought our passport issue to a successful resolution very quickly. Senator Ossoff and his team are doing a great job helping Georgia families!”
Lori Cavagnaro (Decatur, GA): “The office responded quickly and was very helpful. They brought our passport issue to a successful resolution very quickly. Senator Ossoff and his team are doing a great job helping Georgia families!”
Buckley Terpenning (Atlanta, GA): “I approached Senator Ossoff’s office about a privacy from drones issue. I did not expect such thorough and considerate follow through and I am very pleased with the results.”
Linda Bailey (Lawrenceville, GA): “Dear Senator Ossoff, Thank you so much for your kind note and for the support your office provided regarding my concern with the IRS. I am deeply grateful for the time, care, and attention your team dedicated to helping resolve my case favorably. It means a great deal to know that I have a representative who truly listens and takes action on behalf of constituents. Your commitment to service is evident, and I feel fortunate to have had your office’s support during this time. Please extend my sincere thanks to your staff as well. I won’t hesitate to reach out again should I need assistance in the future. With heartfelt appreciation, Linda M. Bailey”
William Chitwood (Rocky Face, GA): “Very responsive. Thank you. I did appreciate the assistance with the VA. All financial issues regarding my deceased Aunt’s account with the VA are now resolved.”
Lola Orr (Lawrenceville, GA): “(Your staffer) was great. I believe that she is the reason why I receive timely information (for SSA). (Your staffer) showed compassion and eagerness to help. I really appreciate the assistance from her and Senator Ossoff’s office. Thanks! Lola Orr”
Amanda Cadena (Richmond Hill, GA): “I am very happy with this office in the help after our flood. (Your staffer) is wonderful to work with and followed through even afterwards. Thank y’all so much!”
Venus Reynolds (Powder Springs, GA): “The response time from your team in general is amazing. They are very professional, kind, and responsive. My issue with GA DOL has now been expedited and I have a hearing 12/13/24.”
Gilda Watters (Atlanta, GA): “You provide excellent service with courteous, caring and professional team members.”
Belinda Sherley (Quitman, GA): “I’ve already recommended several people to contact your office for assistance. Y’all have been so helpful!”
Mildred Malloy (Hampton, GA): “Thank you Senator Ossoff for your assistance in obtaining both documents that I needed. You and your staff are to be highly commended for the prompt handling and proven results for me. Your immediate response was so very much appreciated.”
Nicole Capaccio (Bonaire, GA: “(Your staffer) was our advocate when our family needed it the most. She continuously followed our SSDI claims process until it was resolved. She repeatedly contacted us via email and phone and we were never left ‘in the dark’ from the day she got involved in our claim. We truly believe that if it was not for her relentless follow-ups with the S.S.A., we would be going on 3 years with no resolution. Thank you all!”
Kyekyenika Terrell (Douglasville, GA): “Thank you so much for being responsive to your community. It gives faith that our elected leaders can actually serve the people.”
Ciji Townsend (Atlanta, GA): “Thank you for quickly helping us secure a passport appointment to ensure my toddler was all set for our family vacation. It’s such a wonderful feeling to know our Senator is ready and willing to support constituents in a bind!”
Aysun Kahraman (Atlanta, GA): “I received a notification email from USCIS, and when I checked my account, I saw that my I-485 application has been approved. This is such a meaningful moment for me, and I am truly grateful. I want to sincerely thank you, Senator Ossoff, and the entire casework team for standing by me and supporting me through this long and difficult process. Your help made a real difference in my life, and I will always remember it with gratitude. Warm regards, Aysun”
Anthony Walker (Fayetteville, GA): “Dear Senator Ossoff, Thank you so much to you and your representative who assisted me with my concerns with the VA. Once your office contacted the VA, I started receiving phone calls to address many of my issues. I hope I never have to contact your office again with VA complaints, but only to commend you for your outstanding service to the people of Georgia. I am much appreciative for what you have done for me concerning the VA. God bless you and your administration. Sincerely, Anthony Walker
Crystal Bobo (Hiram, GA): “I just wanted to thank you so much. I believe if it was not for you I would not have got this far with them. Have a great day!!!”
Karla Toney (Jonesboro, GA): “Senator Ossoff’s team provided prompt and supportive assistance towards my case and concerns. There assistance lead to me being able to get the assistance I needed from the Agency in question. Senator Ossoff’s team has always shown concern for Georgia Citizens and in making sure Citizens of Georgia are treated with dignity and that GA Citizens concerns are treated with a sense of urgency. Thank you for your service Senator Ossoff and your team.”
Steven Knox (Dallas, GA): “I had the pleasure of working with (Sen. Ossoff’s staffer) from your Atlanta office. I had a First-Class letter with tracking disappear in the Atlanta USPS system. It took 2.5 months for my letter to go from Dallas GA to Farmington CT. During the course of that time, I gave up hope a few times. Actually, resolving myself that the letter was gone. (Your staffer) gave me hope and kept pursuing it and sure enough it showed up 2.5 months later, intact. Thank you, Senator, for having such a wonderful staff.”
As the Senate’s chief investigator chairing the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations between 2021-2022 and the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights from 2023-2024, Senator Ossoff took on corruption, abuse, and misconduct impacting the health and safety of Georgians and all Americans.
Senator Ossoff led an eight-month bipartisan investigation into the mistreatment of military families in privatized housing, finding grave risks to the health and safety of servicemembers and their families and has worked to improve conditions for military families living in privatized housing on Georgia’s installations.
At an April 2022 hearing, Sen. Ossoff’s Subcommittee heard testimony from Samuel Choe, an active duty United States Army Officer, who at the time was serving at the rank of Captain at Camp Humphreys, South Korea. Prior to his field as a communications Officer, he served as an intelligence analyst from 2010-2015. He had been stationed in the following locations in the specified capacities: Fort Campbell KY, 2010-2013, Camp Parks, Dublin CA, 2013-2015, Camp Walker South Korea, 2016-2018, Camp Humphreys South Korea, 2018-2019, Fort Gordon GA, 2019-2022. Captain Choe testified that while living in their housing unit at Fort Gordon, his daughter was diagnosed with severe atopic dermatitis, better known as eczema, after living in Balfour Beatty housing that her physician believed was likely caused by untreated mold growth in their home.
Sen. Ossoff’s Subcommittee also heard testimony from Jana Wanner, whose spouse is in the Army as Sergeant First Class and was stationed at Fort Gordon in Augusta, GA. They have 2 children, one with special needs, who are enrolled in the Department’s Exceptional Family Member Program. Warner testified that after waiting in a hotel for over 2 weeks, they were offered a home that had an active leak from the refrigerator, cigarette butts scattered on the stairs, as well as dirt and roaches on the kitchen floor.
Heather Hall, CEO and founder of the nonprofit Military Housing Coalition and resident of Fort Moore, later told The Georgia Recorder: Hall said she credits Ossoff with helping bring a 22% increase in the housing allowance for the ranks who were dealing with the most problems about two years ago.
In spring 2023, Sen. Ossoff also held a follow-up hearing to receive testimony from Ft. Gordon families about the state of housing conditions on post and released a report about conditions.
One Ft. Gordon resident, Joy Viera, stated that she and her family had to move out of their home the day after moving in because of raw sewage, including fecal matter, backflow into their bathrooms, as well as sewage water leaking into their kitchen and dining room. These issues were not fixed before the family’s move in, although Ms. Viera stated that Balfour Beatty technicians she spoke with acknowledged that the company knew about the home’s sewage and plumbing issues before her family moved in.
One Fort Gordon resident, Erin Greer, reported that the HVAC ducts in her home were not property connected to vents. Ms. Greer stated that the HVAC system was not circulating air throughout the house and that she believed the gap allowed condensation to pool in the vents, exacerbating mold growth. The experiences of these Fort Gordon residents raise ongoing concerns about the quality of Balfour Beatty’s repairs and maintenance workmanship.
Tenants’ reports of shoddy maintenance work are corroborated in part by information provided to the Office of Senator Ossoff from a subcontractor, Joe Nirenberg. Mr. Nirenberg, who conducted repairs at Fort Gordon as recently as January 2023, reported significant quality control issues with repairs to on-base housing. Mr. Nirenberg repaired homes on Fort Gordon in the aftermath of a late December cold snap that resulted in burst pipes.
In one case a Ft. Gordon resident, Ashley Porras, reported that Balfour Beatty was initially reluctant to test for mold; the resident resorted, through her attorney, to hiring an independent, third-party inspector.
Other Georgians have also spoken out about poor conditions of military housing.
Michelle Smith, a mother over two children – who were both under the age of five during her interview with WSAV – spoke on the living conditions at Hunter Army Airfield. She said they had been dealing with mold in the home for months, and she filed complaints countless times that have gone unfulfilled. Though she didn’t have a medical diagnosis at the time, she believed the mold was making her family sick. “We’re stuck – like really stuck. I feel bad because I don’t know what to do anymore. And I feel so bad because I’m sitting here buying these lotions and stuff for my son’s eczema, and like putting it all over his back and just thinking I’ve got to get him out of this house, but I can’t. And it’s heartbreaking because I’ll take any of this going on with me, but with my boy…no,” Smith said. “When discussing her experience filing paperwork to find a resolution, Smith said, “I fill out all this stuff and I do the work orders I’m supposed to do, and then I’m the problem – like I’m being difficult, or I have too much time on my hands…those are things I’ve been told.”
Travis Wilson, an officer in the Chaplain Corps for the Army, and his wife Jaclyn moved into a home at Fort Jackson in December 2022 with their six children, according to the lawsuit filed against Fort Jackson Housing and Balfour Beatty Military Housing Management. Shortly after the Wilsons moved into their home, the lawsuit stated their upstairs toilet overflowed. While waiting for maintenance to fix the problem, “sewage overflow leaked through the ceiling and into the kitchen below” causing a “horrific” smell, according to the lawsuit. Sewage overflowed from the toilet again months later in March 2023. The lawsuit stated maintenance responded by removing the toilet and placing it in the adjacent bathtub, leaving the sewer pipe exposed. After this second overflow, the couple’s 4-year-old son was acting “very tired and lethargic” and his “face was drooping on one side.” When the family took him to the hospital for treatment, he was diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalitis, a rare disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. In children, it typically emerges following a bacterial infection. The lawsuit stated the Wilsons’ child, who frequently played on the floors in the home, was exposed to harmful bacteria from the open sewer pipe. They said in the lawsuit this exposure “caused and/or exacerbated ADEM” in their child. The Wilsons also claimed in the federal filing the housing providers engaged in false marketing by “promoting their residential properties as safe, habitable and fit to live in.” The lawsuit stated the marketing included photos of “an upscale neighborhood with modern looking houses” when they were actually “polluted and deficient.”
“Five to six months after we moved in, I started getting sick,” Carol, a woman we spoke with who wanted to remain anonymous out of caution for her husband’s job, said. “I was constantly having to go to the doctor. They would give me antibiotics that weren’t working. They were trying me on different inhalers that were not working.”… “There was this, like, orange stuff, running down the walls,” Carol said. Carol says maintenance crews weren’t exactly getting rid of the problem. “They came in. They painted over it. And you could see the drips where they painted over it,” Carol said. “It was just nasty.” “And about this time, we started noticing where the registers were, that there was this black stuff. And they came out and they said, ‘Oh no. That’s just dust. Just dust it.’” She says crews painted over the black stuff, too, but it would bleed through, so she started taking pictures.
Jason Shelsby, a disabled veteran who runs the ‘Fort Gordon Spouse FB page’, said: “There are hundreds of thousands of photos that we have online of mold, mildew, insect infestation, improper care, and maintenance, toilets even falling through the floor.”
“It’s awful,” Adrienne Yakuboff, a resident in the Fort Gordon housing units at Gordon Terrace, said. Yakuboff’s biggest reason for wanting military housing was still little – her son, Xander. “You know, safe community,” Yakuboff said. “You’re literally in the best gated community you could be.”
Kourtney Shelton, another Army wife whose child suffered from air trouble in her Fort Gordon home back in 2011. Evelyn Shelton stopped breathing in the incident. Kourtney believed she’d been breathing toxic air thanks to fuzz in the A/C vent and dirty air ducts... “These are babies,” Kourtney Shelton told News 12 back in 2011. “And who’s gonna be their voice? Somebody has to.”
Sarah Kline said: “That plea agreement was really just how Balfour Beatty maintenance employees, put a coat of paint and make everything look really pretty like the problem solved. Kline is the co-founder and community outreach director of the Armed Forces Housing Advocates, non-profit helping military families affected by housing issues. She spoke to me from Texas but will be in the hearing on Tuesday. “One of the families that I have been helping for over the year is actually testifying. I’m really excited that he’ll actually be able to share his story on record,” she said.
“The housing is not helping, equipping us with alarms, extra locks, higher fences. They refuse to help us in that department,” said Lauren Sackman, whose daughter drowned at Fort Gordon. She asked if she could install extra locks, door alarms and window alarms in their home when they moved in, but the housing company said it was against their policy. Sackman is upset that the company has such stringent rules. “When it comes to safety of our kids, I don’t think there should be any rules. I think we should be able to do what we need to do to keep them safe,” she said.
Liz Riley and her family are displaced, too. They are staying at the same hotel where Joy’s family is staying. Joy jokes her experience made her sick to her stomach, but Liz says mold in her home made her sick. She says it gave her a terrible rash that spread all over her body, but her hands were most affected. Liz Riley: “Couldn’t wash my son. Could barely change his diaper. Hurt to pick them up. Like, I couldn’t do anything. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced.”
Hearing all of this makes Haley Perez nervous. She lives in Gordon Terrace with her husband and two small children. “That’s a routine question I get every time I take my children for their routine check-ups. You live in these houses. Your children are being exposed to these things. Do you have any exposed paint? Is any flooring coming up? Are your vents cleaned out? It just goes to show how unhealthy the living conditions in these homes are.”
Amber Byne lives on post at Ft. Gordon, and she says, “We asked about the locks, and they said no.” “After what happened to Hannah, we decided we wanted the alarms on and the locks. We were turned down, and another family told me they were turned down, too,” Byne said. “It’s so close to our houses. And there shouldn’t be such easy access to a big body of water like that,” Byne said.
Laurie Spivey lives on post at Fort Gordon — but not for much longer. “We were planning to go ahead and leave at the end of our lease anyway, but the way it’s going down now, it’s like – whooof,” Spivey said. “You gotta go, pretty much.”
Specialist Kiara Boazman, a resident of Fort Stewart, spoke about her experience on base, stating that she had some experience with mold — only a Level 1 situation, she estimated — but never a larger-scale issue. For Boazman, the recent remediations have been good — she said she’s happy to see Fort Stewart working on the barracks. But that in the future, she thinks it would be best if the fort invested in new barracks or remodeling while residents are away on deployment, since those activities take time.
One military spouse – who spoke with WSAV on the condition of anonymity – said her family had been dealing with mold all over their home in Fort Stewart for a year and a half. At the time of the interview, she had two children under three, and her husband was deployed. She said that mold was growing in her son’s bedroom on his clothing and toys. She added that the issue was affecting not only her children’s physical health but her mental health as well. “The entire 18-month span that we have dealt with all of these issues has really dramatically hurt. It hurts, as a parent. As a military family member, as a dependent, we live a very inconsistent life, and the one thing that is provided to us as security and safety is housing. And we’re supposed to be able to trust it. But, it’s not. We can’t,” she said. “And there’s just mold growing all over my son’s sneakers, my husband’s gear, his brand new boots, OCPs, everything. And I’m like ‘What do I do?’ so, I contacted maintenance. They said, ‘Well, wash what you can, you can try and make a claim with us, and make us liable. But, there’s no guarantee we’re gonna help you,” she said.
Senator Ossoff also led multiple hard-hitting bipartisan investigations into crime, and corruption, and misconduct, exposing the sexual assault and medical abuse of women in U.S. Federal custody and misconduct at U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta.
At a July 2022 hearing, Sen. Ossoff’s Subcommittee heard testimony about abuse and misconduct within Atlanta’s Federal prison.
Terri Whitehead, Retired Senior Manager at U.S. Penitentiary-Atlanta, testified about the many abuses and gross mismanagement she personally witnessed while serving at United States Penitentiary (USP) Atlanta from August 2020 until she retired in December 2021 – earlier than she had planned.
Rebecca Shepard, a trial attorney with the Federal Defender Program, Inc. of the Northern District of Georgia, testified about the unacceptable conditions of confinement for clients who are detained pretrial—awaiting trial and presumed innocent—at the U.S. Penitentiary (USP) Atlanta.
At a September 2022 hearing, Senator Ossoff heard testimony from Belinda Maley, the mother of Matthew Loflin, who died because she testified authorities in the Chatham County Detention Center (“CCDC”) denied basic medical care to him.
Senator Ossoff later introduced and passed into law his bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act to strengthen oversight and improve conditions within federal prisons, which he introduced after leading multiple bipartisan Senate investigations into corruption, abuse, and misconduct within the Federal prison system.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been proud to champion efforts to enact meaningful, thoughtful prison reform to improve our entire criminal justice system,” said Ambassador Andrew J. Young, civil rights leader. “I commend and thank Senator Ossoff for his leadership in shepherding this historic bill to passage and now law. Senator Ossoff promised to fight for civil rights and human rights, and with this new bipartisan law, he is making progress to ensure equal protection under the law for all Georgians and all Americans.”
“Today, we witness a monumental stride toward justice and accountability within our federal prison system with the Federal Prison Oversight Act becoming law. This legislation represents not only a victory for those advocating for human rights but also a crucial acknowledgment of the urgent need to address the conditions within our prisons,” stated Gerald Griggs, President of the Georgia NAACP. “Our fight for transparency, humane treatment, and rehabilitation over punishment has gained a powerful ally in the form of this law. It is imperative that we continue to push for policies that ensure the dignity and rights of every individual, regardless of their circumstances. I commend the lawmakers and advocates who have tirelessly worked to bring this act to fruition and urge for its swift and thorough implementation. This law will shine a much-needed light on the inner workings of our federal prisons, holding them to a standard that respects the humanity of all individuals. It is a pivotal step in our ongoing mission to reform the criminal justice system and ensure justice for all,” Griggs concluded.
“We thank Senator Ossoff for his tireless work to establish a system for accountability in Federal Prisons,” said Andrea Young, Executive Director of the ACLU of Georgia. The ACLU is proud to be a partner in this effort. The independent oversight and transparency required in this new law will help protect the civil liberties and dignity of the people incarcerated in federal prisons and protect people in custody who initiate a complaint, investigation, or inspection from retaliation. This bipartisan law creates a model for oversight of our state and local prisons and jails.”
“This bipartisan legislation is a life-saving measure and will give people who are incarcerated in the federal system a rare opportunity to get help amidst such a deadly crisis,” said Rev. James Woodall of Lindsay Street Baptist Church and former State President of Georgia NAACP. “We are thankful for the bipartisan leadership and glad President Biden signed it into law.”
“For more than 35 years, Georgia Justice Project has represented, counseled, and walked alongside thousands of our neighbors who are touched by the prison system. We have seen up close how humane prison conditions are essential not only to respect the inherent human dignity of those living in prisons but also to address deep trauma, promote successful reentry, and enhance public safety. And yet, both federal and local prisons are in a state of crisis,” the Georgia Justice Project said. “We commend Senator Ossoff for his leadership authoring the Federal Prison Oversight Act, knowing both its impact to improve the federal prison system and the model it creates for states like Georgia who similarly seek solutions to improve prison transparency, accountability, and safety.”
“As Executive Director of the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda, we advocate for and work to advance meaningful criminal justice reform each and every day,” said Helen Butler, Executive Director of the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda. “I’m proud to support Senator Ossoff’s Federal Prison Oversight Act and see it be signed into law. Senator Ossoff’s criminal justice reform law will not only improve oversight of our Federal prisons, but also give family and friends more confidence their loved ones will be safe.”
“As President of the Bartow County NAACP, I thank and applaud Senator Ossoff’s leadership in authorizing and passing the Federal Prison Oversight Act,” Dexter Benning, President of the Bartow County NAACP, said. “This new law will help protect the civil rights of incarcerated individuals in Georgia and ensure they don’t fall harm to abuse and neglect and that all inmates are treated with dignity and respect. This legislation will also provide comfort to family members, knowing that their loved ones are being treated like human beings.”
“For far too long, Federal prisons have been able to subject the people they incarcerate to abuse, danger and catastrophic lapses in health and safety,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. “This bill is a necessary step to improve the humanity and dignity of the conditions within federal prisons. I thank President Biden for signing this bill into law and Sen. Ossoff for his leadership on this critical civil rights issue.”
“The Council of Prison Locals would like to thank Senator Ossoff, Senator Durbin, and Senator Braun, for spearheading this piece of Legislation. This bipartisan bill will bring more transparency to working conditions that our Federal Law Enforcement work in. Also, identifying the inadequacy of staffing within the Bureau of Prisons, including ratio of staff to inmates at each facility, the staff position vacancy rate at each facility, and the use of overtime, mandatory overtime, and augmentation instead of hiring funded positions,” said Steve Markle, National Secretary-Treasurer for the Council of Prison Locals, which represents more than 30,000 Federal law enforcement officers. “The Council of Prison Locals will continue to work with Members of Congress to create legislation that will provide safer prisons for both Law Enforcement and the inmates that are incarcerated within.”
“After all the headlines, scandals, and controversy that have plagued the Bureau of Prisons for decades, we’re very happy to see this Congress take action to bring transparency and accountability to an agency that has gone so long without it,” said Daniel Landsman, Vice President of Policy at Families Against Mandatory Minimums. “Thank you to Sens. Ossoff, Braun, and Durbin for championing this bill and for prioritizing the health and safety of the more than 150,000 people incarcerated in federal prisons, as well as of the tens of thousands of people who work in the same facilities.”
In 2024, Senator Ossoff led an investigation into the abuse of pregnant women in prison, hearing testimony from Georgians. After the Georgia women testified to shocking abuse of pregnant women in Georgia’s prisons and jails. Sen. Ossoff introduced the bipartisan Births in Custody Reporting Act with Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) to protect pregnant women who are incarcerated.
Ms. Jessica “Drew” Umberger, who was incarcerated in Georgia, testified she was forced to undergo a C-section & later had to pay for the procedure, despite not wanting it. “I was most scared the morning I was to give birth. I was told by prison staff that because I had a c-section 18 years prior, it was Georgia Department of Corrections’ policy that I had to have another one. Even though I told them I wanted to have a vaginal birth, they told me it was not allowed. It is my strong belief that the prison staff wanted me to have a c-section to fit my birth into their hospital transport schedule. God had other plans,” Ms. Umberger testified [VIDEO CLIP HERE]. “I ended up with pre-eclampsia and had to be rushed to a hospital. This is where my trauma turned for the worse. I was dropped off with officers I did not know at a hospital and was in a surgery room surrounded by strangers: doctors who never examined me and nurses I’d never met. When I explained to the doctor that I was told I had to have a c-section but that I wanted a natural birth, the doctor said it sounded like ‘coercion’ to him.”
Ms. Karine Laboy, mother of Tianna Laboy, testified that her daughter gave birth “into a prison toilet” despite her daughter’s pleas for help.
Ms. Tiana Hill, who was incarcerated at Clayton County Jail, testified that she repeatedly told jail staff she was pregnant over a period of months, and testified that when she went into early labor, she was not assisted and gave birth into her underwear.
In the hearing, Sen. Ossoff also heard testimony from a doula and an advocate serving pregnant and postpartum women behind bars. Ms. Tabatha Trammell, Founder of Woman with a Plan, testified that she was pregnant while incarcerated in Georgia 40 years ago. “Throughout my pregnancy, I was in so much pain. I was always hungry because the jail and prison staff would never give me enough food. The guards took out their frustrations on us if we asked about the times that the snacks should be given out, or if the food was delayed — and it was often delayed — which is torture when you’re eating for two,” Trammell testified.
Senator Ossoff has prioritized protecting our nation’s most vulnerable children and in 2024 led a 13-month investigation into alleged human rights violations in the Georgia foster care system. This investigation resulted in a 64-page public report and the introduction of a bipartisan bill to increase transparency around “hidden” foster care placements. Throughout his investigation, Sen. Ossoff heard testimony from impacted Georgians about shortcomings in the State’s foster care system.
Judge Carolyn Altman, a juvenile court judge in Paulding County, testified before the Subcommittee on October 30, 2023, about the harms children experience when they are detained unnecessarily, explaining that they are “absolutely terrified…” and “there are a lot bigger, smarter, more violent children” in detention centers with them.
At the same hearing, Judge Nhan-Ai Simms, a juvenile court judge in Gwinnett County, testified that “when children are in these facilities, they are not receiving the services they need” including counseling and psychological evaluations, and that children’s safety is compromised due to understaffing at detention centers.
On October 25, 2023, former foster youth Mon’a Houston, who lived in the Savannah area, testified before the Subcommittee that she was arrested and taken to juvenile detention following an altercation at her group home. DFCS refused to pay her bail. Ms. Houston testified that one month later, she became eligible for release, but she was forced to stay in detention for an extra month because DFCS refused to pick her up.
Tiffani McLean-Camp, who was trafficked while in DFCS’ care, testified before the Subcommittee about the poor conditions she endured in DFCS placements. Ms. McLean-Camp was shuffled between group homes, detention centers, and foster homes, moving more than 20 times over 3 years in DFCS custody. Ms. McLean-Camp’s placements included a group home for victims of trafficking where she stated the staff fought other children in the home, used drugs, and prevented them from going to school. The conditions there made her feel like “an animal locked in a cage” and made her and other girls “want to run away.” Ms. McLean-Camp was also placed in a lock-down psychiatric facility for 8 months where, according to her testimony, she was overmedicated and kept in isolation. Ms. McLean-Camp testified that her caseworker never visited her in her eight months at the facility.
Polk County Chief Juvenile Court Judge Crystal Bice, who also attended the meeting, said that “Commissioner Broce asked judges to consider detaining children with special needs while DFCS looked for placements, even though doing this would be illegal.
Judge Jeremy D. Clough, a juvenile court judge in the Enotah Judicial Circuit, also attended the meeting and recalled that DHS requested that judges prolong children’s detention.
In an interview with the Subcommittee, former DFCS Deputy Chief of Staff Matthew Krull confirmed that children with complex needs who are placed in prolonged juvenile detention otherwise would have been placed in hotels or in DFCS offices due to lacking placements.
In an October hearing, Sen. Ossoff’s Subcommittee heard testimony from a Georgia mother, Rachel Aldridge, of Coffee County, testified that her daughter was murdered after she said DFCS informally placed the child “with plainly unsuitable caregivers.”
Professor Melissa Carter, Director of the Barton Child Law and Policy Center at Emory University and former Director of OCA, testified that “[i]n Georgia, historically high rates of turnover mean that new, inexperienced, and sometimes temporary contract workers are making critical safety decisions” and that “case managers are not properly trained or adequately supervised.
Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic Staff Attorney Brian Atkinson testified, “where children are poorly cared for, the child welfare system inadvertently plays a part in making [children] vulnerable to exploitation.
Emma Hetherington, Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the University of Georgia’s Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic (“CEASE”), testified that all of the children she represented reported “experiencing abuse and neglect while in the legal and physical custody of Georgia DFCS, including children placed in therapeutic foster homes, psychiatric residential treatment facilities, and CSEC [Commercially Sexually Exploited Children]-specific placements.
In an interview with 11Alive News Atlanta, Former Georgia Rep. Erica Thomas said she grew up in the foster care system. She is now the founder of Speak Out Loud, a nonprofit that advocates for foster children. “We have to find these children,” and that’s it,” said Thomas. “DFACs has to be held accountable for this. It’s not a piece of paperwork gone missing – these were children.”
In 2025, Sen. Ossoff helped successfully pressured the Trump Administration to restore Federal support for foster children that the Administration paused earlier in the year.
“We sincerely appreciate the support of Senator Ossoff and his team in following up on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) termination of grant funding for the National CASA/GAL network. The reinstatement of funding from DOJ will allow the National CASA/GAL network to continue our critical work on behalf of children who have experienced abuse and neglect and deserve a caring, consistent adult to speak for their best interests in the courtroom and in the community,” said Sally Wilson Erny, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, National CASA/GAL Association for Children.
“This funding is more than just dollars, it is hope for children in foster care. At Atlanta CASA, it means we can continue to stand up for children who need someone in their corner, making sure their voices are heard, and their needs are not overlooked. Restoring this support ensures our volunteers and staff can do what they do best fight for stability, safety, and brighter futures for every child we serve,” said Domonique Cooper, CEO, Atlanta CASA.
“We are deeply grateful to Senator Ossoff for championing this funding. His support ensures that CASA volunteers can continue to stand beside children in foster care, giving them a consistent voice and trusted advocate during their most uncertain times. This investment strengthens families and protects the well-being of our community’s most vulnerable children,” said Kate Blair, Executive Director of Savannah/Chatham CASA.
Senator Ossoff has worked to lower Georgians’ costs since taking office, including working to investigate large, out-of-state companies buying up single-family homes and raising housing costs for Georgia families, hearing Georgians’ concerns about inhumane conditions in rental properties, and delivering Federal resources to build more affordable housing.
“Doing right by the people and doing real work is at the core of the legislation me and the Senator pursue. I am humbled that the Senator and his staff have been so open to exploring creative ways to help Americans get access to housing with me. Me, the Senator and his staff have worked and had countless exhaustive meetings for two years to build housing measures that truly changes people’s lives. This bill does just that. The percentage of Americans in rental homes is at an all time high and owning a home is the American dream; Me and the Senator want to ensure that every American has a fair shot at that dream,” said Georgia State Representative Yasmin Neal (GA-74).
“I’m speaking publicly today, because tenants deserve to feel safe where they live. We deserve to feel heard when we report a problem, and we shouldn’t have to fight for years just to get the basic needs addressed,” said Patrick Colson-Price, a resident from Smyrna, GA. “It’s interesting, whenever you call Invitation Homes, their automated message begins with ‘Ready to live freer, question mark,’ but for more than three years, that has not been our experience. We felt restricted, ignored, unsafe, right in our own backyard. I do hope sharing my story, it can help shine light on the importance of accountability and encourage stronger protections for tenants everywhere and everyone deserves a home where they can feel at peace, not just in theory but in practice.”
“We’re not humans to them, we’re dollar signs. I felt so desperate that I withheld my rent, not to be defiant, but in hopes that someone from the property management team would finally reach out to me and repair the gas leak. And instead of support, I was issued a three day pay or quit notice. That was their response. Not concern, not accountability, just a reminder that I had no power and that I was at their mercy,” said Brooks-Wilhite, a disabled US Navy veteran, a working mother, and a resident of Stockbridge. “I quickly paid my rent, and in that moment, I felt completely worthless and small because they’re a big, multi-million-dollar corporation, and I’m just a disabled veteran trying to provide and protect my family, and I didn’t stand a chance. Senator Ossoff, I’m here today because this should never happen to another family. This wasn’t just frustrating, it was traumatic, and this happening to people all across Georgia.”
Esther Graff-Radford, Owner of Graff-Radford Law, LLC, who represents tenants, said the problem is systemic. “Their business model is to quickly purchase single-family homes, do a cursory inspection, rent the homes out as fast as possible, and squeeze families for rent and fees until they’re evicted or move out, and then the process repeats. As a result, the houses are not properly inspected or adequately repaired before they’re put on the rental market,” Graff-Radford said. “The companies will make cosmetic fixes like a fresh coat of paint to make the houses look good for photos or for walk throughs. But when my clients move in, they often discover gas leaks, a septic system that’s backing up into the house, sewage lines full of tree roots, termite damage, or water pouring in from the plumbing or from a roof that leaks.”
“Four months of daily exposure to raw sewage, floating, discarded food particles, fecal matter and blood was extremely hurtful and inhumane. Despite reports the management, my daughter was taking a shower while my upstairs neighbor flushed her toilet. The content of her bowel movements covered my daughter’s feet while she attempted to take a shower, to clean her body, instead found her feet covered in feces,” Miracle Fletcher, a former tenant in Atlanta, Georgia, testified. “This was a horrifying experience for my daughter and myself as a mother. At that moment, I felt the pain of being unheard all over my body, leaving me empty without recourse or support.”
“I can’t leave any food out, even to fix our plates, because if I do, there’ll be roaches in our food. If I fix anything to drink, we have to cover our cups and cans with a book or something heavy otherwise bugs will get into our drinks,” testified Latysha Odom, a tenant in Griffin, Georgia. “My youngest, two-year-old, does not want to go to the bathroom alone because of the roaches. It’s been several times that I or my girls have been in the tub, or the shower, and a roach will fall into the water. When we are ready for bed, we all climb into my bed because my six year was afraid to sleep alone. Even being in my room is still scary … my six-year-old falls asleep with her hands covering her ears.”
“My ceilings continued to collapse from water damage and leaking. Once the ceiling collapsed while my 11-year-old, then, who’s now 16, was in the shower. He was bathing and yelled for me. When I ran in there to him to see what was going on, he said the water was coming out of the out of the ceiling,” DeAnna Hines, a tenant in Morrow, Georgia, testified. “When I grabbed him to pull him out of the tub, the ceiling fell exactly where he was bathing at. I felt very hopeless and terrified that I couldn’t protect my child from a ceiling.”
“These aren’t just mere inconveniences—these are flagrant violations of human dignity and the right to live in safe and decent condition. And these violations are in direct conflict with HUD’s purposes and mandates. By not acting quickly, and with the full force of law behind, HUD has allowed these property owners to place their profit over the health and safety of children and their families,” testified Ayanna Jones, Senior Litigation Counsel at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.
“Habitat for Humanity Troup County is thrilled to announce our receipt of a HUD grant dedicated to addressing lead contamination and other hazards in the homes of eligible families in Harris, Heard, and Troup Counties in Georgia. Our commitment extends towards addressing the specific and disproportionate need for safe and healthy housing among protected class groups. These groups include individuals with disabilities, families with children, and underserved communities from the global majority,” said Sandie Pike, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Troup County, Inc. “With the support of this grant, we are poised to make a meaningful impact by providing assistance to 30 families in Central West Georgia. This aid will primarily benefit those with members diagnosed with asthma or lead exposure, individuals residing in Justice40 areas, families with an income at 80% or more of the Area Median Income (AMI) for their county, and those facing the most severe housing renovation needs. Our aim is to ensure that the most vulnerable among us have access to sustainable, affordable, and decent housing, aligning with our mission to create a community where everyone has a safe place to call home.”
Sophia Jenkins, CEO of Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity: “Thank you for joining us in our 28th House subdivision call Hannah Springs here in the city of love joy. Over the last 38 years Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity has built more than five neighborhoods in Fayette, Clayton and Henry Counties. We are small but mighty teams of board members office staff and McDonough resource staff worked hard with thousands of volunteers to provide safe, secure homes that our partner families can be proud of. We are planning to build eight more homes and 15 more home repairs in our coming fiscal year. That means 23 families will be more financially stable than they were last year. Children in those families will have more educational stability than they did last year. neighborhoods where families live will have more social stability and the community as a whole will have more economic investment causing stability in our communities.”
One of the homes is set for Tanjills Sawyer in Lovejoy, GA. She talked about what affordable housing really means to her. “It means that based on my income, that I could afford to pay the mortgage with no problem. I don’t have to worry about buying groceries or gas,” Sawyer said. She’s a bus driver who spoke with 11Alive between shifts. “I’m going back to work,” Sawyer said. “I’ve got to take the kids home!” Plus, Sawyer has kids of her own. Her rent payments weighed heavy on her. “I was looking for a place to move because my apartment had gotten too expensive. I couldn’t afford it,” Sawyer said. So, she started looking for a new apartment for her family. “I was going to downsize,” Sawyer said. “I was going to share a room with my daughter and let my son have his own room.” The new neighborhood is backed by $500,000 in federal funding. Sawyer will soon be moving into a new home. Ossoff announced the affordable housing project in her future front yard.
Sen. Ossoff has remained focused on expanding Georgians’ access to health care, lowering prescription drug costs, and making it more affordable to ensure every Georgian gets the care they need.
“We’re grateful for U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff for his support in securing this Federal funding that will allow us to expand and upgrade health care for families in South Central Georgia,” said Claire Byrnes, Senior Vice President for Ambulatory Services at Tift Regional Health System. “While Tift provides both Inpatient and Outpatient Dialysis, the Outpatient volume has risen 20% over prior year, stretching us beyond our current capacity. This equipment will allow us to more than double our capacity and is needed in order to continue to provide effective care with state-of-the-art clinical care machinery.”
“Community Health Care Systems is grateful to U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff for his support and advocacy in securing this Federal funding for our health care system. With 18 locations across East and Central Georgia, we will use this Federal funding to equip each of our clinics with a bariatric lift exam table and wheelchair accessible scales, reducing barriers to care for families in the region. This new equipment will allow us to continue to provide high-quality primary health care while mitigating the risk of falling and injury while examining patients and taking their vitals, and we’re grateful for Senator Ossoff’s help in delivering these upgrades for our patients,” said Carla Belcher, CEO of Community Health Care Systems, Inc.
The funding will have a far-reaching impact, according to LaGrange College President Dr. Susanna Baxter. “We are eager to use these funds to prepare more nurses to serve our state,” she said. “The classroom innovations and upgrades this grant furnishes will allow us to provide advanced learning that better simulates a real-world setting. It will make a huge difference to an expanded cohort of students. We are grateful to Senators Ossoff and Warnock for supporting this initiative throughout the appropriations process and for helping us send more nurses into the field.”
“More than 3 million children across the country go to school every day without the glasses they need,” said Vision To Learn Founder Austin Beutner. “Every child in every school, everywhere in the country, should have the glasses they need to succeed in school and in life. Senator Ossoff’s leadership is helping to ensure children in Georgia get the help they need.”
“CHI Memorial is incredibly grateful for Sen. Ossoff’s steadfast support of our new Ringgold Hospital, including his successful efforts to secure $1,500,000 for the project in the recently enacted federal appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024.” said Janelle Reilly, CEO, CHI Memorial. “With construction in Ringgold now underway and doors at the smart hospital scheduled to open in 2025, this funding is a welcome investment in the health and wellbeing of Catoosa County, as well as neighboring Walker and Dade Counties. CHI Memorial’s new, state of the art, 64-bed hospital will play a transformative role in improving healthcare accessibility and quality for families in North Georgia. We are proud to partner with Sen. Ossoff to strengthen the health and wellbeing of this community.”
“We are grateful for the support of Senators Ossoff and Warnock in making life-saving healthcare more accessible and sustainable for underserved residents in rural areas of Worth and Crisp County, GA. This project builds on the longstanding service of Crisp Regional’s existing rural health clinic by providing a new clinic facility, repositioned in the community to improve access, functionality, and visibility for health and preventive care,” said Crisp Regional Health Services President and CEO Steven Gautney. “As a result of this project, many rural residents will have greater opportunity to receive preventive care and ongoing care for chronic conditions,” Gautney continued. “This funding will build on a legacy of service and commitment to people residing in areas in and around Warwick, GA. This project is a highly sustainable example of taking an existing resource, improving it, and making healthcare more accessible and effective for rural communities.”
“Emory University Hospital Midtown is proud to play an important role in the Atlanta Regional Perinatal Center which serves 40 North Georgia Counties. As a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), we care for over 800 critically ill infants a year. Unique services we provide as a referral site for critically ill infants in the state of Georgia include special cooling therapy to reduce brain injury, continuous neonatal seizure monitoring and treatment, care of extremely premature babies born as early as 22 weeks gestation, and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS),” said Adam Webb, CEO of Emory University Hospital Midtown. “This funding allows us to update vital equipment to care for these sick babies including purchasing of updated cooling machines, all-in-one incubators that can be utilized to treat infants from the delivery room to the NICU, and a state-of-the art POCUS machine. Point of care ultrasound in particular will allow us to optimize timely diagnosis, care quality and clinical outcomes for our NICU babies. As Emory works with partners across the state to improve healthy outcomes for mothers and babies, we appreciate Senator Ossoff championing this important funding.”
“We are immensely grateful to Senators Ossoff and Warnock for securing $1,871,000 in Congressional Directed Spending funds for SGMC Health Berrien,” said Hilary Gibbs, Vice President and Chief Development Officer for SGMC Health. “This substantial funding will be instrumental in the completion of the new, state-of-the-art emergency room, scheduled to open this Fall, at our Nashville, GA hospital. The addition of this 26,000 square foot space will replace our outdated three-room ER with a modern nine-room facility, significantly enhancing our ability to meet the growing healthcare demands of Berrien and surrounding counties. This support is not just an investment in our hospital, but a profound commitment to the health and well-being of our rural communities. On behalf of SGMC Health and the communities we serve, we extend our deepest thanks to Senators Ossoff and Warnock for their pivotal roles in advancing rural healthcare.”
“We are grateful for the hard work of Senator Ossoff to make this a reality for our community. Chief Scarpa and the Columbus Fire-EMS will use this as part of the Columbus Correct Care initiative and will allow them to put the right resources in the right places to serve all of our community. We appreciate Senator Ossoff’s continued support of public safety,” said Mayor B. H. “Skip” Henderson III.
“The Columbus Fire-EMS Department is grateful for the opportunity to be the recipient of FY24 Congressionally Directed Spending secured by Senator Ossoff. These funds will be utilized to pilot a collaborative Mobile Integrated Healthcare program focused on high utilizers of the EMS system. This award will put resources into the community to support our Columbus Correct Care initiative of providing residents of Columbus, GA and Muscogee County the right resources at the right time to support their medical needs for emergency and non-emergency care. We are grateful to Senator Ossoff for his continuous support of Columbus and the Fire & EMS Department,” Columbus Fire and EMS Chief Salvatore J. Scarpa said.
“Over the Moon Diaper Bank provides basic necessities that families need to thrive yet often cannot afford. With the support of Senators Ossoff and Warnock and their teams, we will expand our mission to end diaper need in rural Georgia to promote healthier, sustainable environments for the children and families in our region,” said Katie Griffith, Over the Moon Executive Director and Founder. “We are incredibly grateful for this generous funding and the impact this important work will have in our coastal communities.”
“Without this federal money, we could never get to this point. Senator Ossoff’s dedication to this project into rural health care and rural medicine is just unbelievable, how he has delivered on this. So, we will come forth with a model that’s sustainable at some point, but to get us to this point, this federal funding is made possible, and we appreciate that very much,” said Steve Whatley, Randolph County Hospital Commission Chairman. “We have a long way to go, but this funding will help the Hospital Authority advanced our go toward reopening the hospital.”
Sen. Ossoff knows there’s no greater responsibility than serving our servicemembers and veterans.
“This legislation honors the sacrifice of our nation’s heroes by ensuring their surviving children have the educational opportunities they deserve,” said Ross Dickman, CEO, Hire Heroes USA. “By granting access to DoDEA schooling, this bill would provide much-needed support and stability to Gold Star families during difficult times. Hire Heroes USA is proud to support the Gold Star Children Education Act of 2024, and we thank Senator Ossoff for his leadership on this important issue.”
“The importance of the Investing in VETS Act cannot be emphasized enough. For veterans that own small businesses — veterans with disabilities — to be appreciated enough to be given 5% of government contracts is substantial,” said Patsey Schreiber, VFW Georgia State Commander and a former service-disabled veteran small business owner. “As a previous small business owner, I know what it was like to try and get into the government contract system, and it wasn’t easy. As a veteran with a disability, was even harder. So making this 5% change is apples and oranges for veterans that are moving forward into small businesses, and having the government look at them, and giving them, and awarding them what they have earned — a 5% percentage — is substantial.
“The Department of Georgia American GoldStar Mothers, firmly believe that all Gold Star children deserve equal access to the best educational opportunities, regardless of the circumstances of their parent’s death. No child should be separated from the supportive environment of their friends and educational community. It’s imperative that we do not place limitations on the term ‘Gold Star’ when it comes to education enrollment. Our fallen heroes’ children deserve nothing less than our full support and inclusion,” said Lisa Jenkins, President of Department of Georgia American Gold Star Mothers.
“TAPS is grateful to Senators Ossoff, Cramer and Rounds for introducing the Gold Star Children Education Act. This critical legislation would ensure surviving children have access to DODEA schools on a space available basis, regardless of whether they were enrolled in one when their parent passed. Staying connected to the military community is an important part of healing for our surviving families. TAPS is proud to support this legislation and we look forward to its swift passage,” said Bonnie Carroll, President and Founder, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).
“After the tragedy of losing a military parent, we owe it to our children to allow them to have continuity in their schooling, especially in the communities they feel most supported,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, Blue Star Families CEO. “We appreciate Senator Ossoff, Senator Cramer, and Senator Rounds’ commitment to ensuring this happens for our families.”
“I think that both (Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock) share our concerns with our veterans,” he said. “I think absolutely they’re gonna do everything possible. I’ve had more interaction with Sen. Ossoff’s office, and he’s got a great veteran services guy that gets it and is very present and is very involved.” “Having both of our senators focus on this over the next couple of years would absolutely be a great thing for Georgia. I don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat, you know, I think we can all agree on the fact that if somebody like our service members has already earned a benefit, they ought to be receiving it, right? I don’t think there’s any daylight between what we on my side of the aisle want to do for our veterans than anybody else.” Republican state Rep. Josh Bonner, a Fayetteville Republican and chair of the House Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee
“This is about folks like Colonel David McCracken, of Tyrone, Georgia, an Army Reservist deployed in defense of our country after 9/11. Colonel McCracken made it home from those deployments. He served his country; he did his duty with valor and bravery, but at the age of 45, when otherwise healthy, Colonel McCracken was diagnosed with brain cancer; a rare occurrence at his age. And 11 months later, he was dead, taken from a wife and three children. “This is about folks like Army Sergeant Jeff Danovich, who fought in Mosul in 2004. Where he lived just 100 yards from a burn pit. Like Colonel McCracken, Sergeant Danovich did his duty, he served in combat. He came home to his family. But just two years ago, Sergeant Danovich was diagnosed with leukemia. And when he filed for disability with the VA, because of his exposure to burn pits, his claim was denied.” –Sen. Ossoff, Senate floor speech, June 15, 2022
“It was very positive to be heard,” retired Army Col. Angela Odom told the MDJ after the press briefing. Odom said it was important to expand veteran access not just to breast cancer screenings, but all necessary kinds of care, especially behavioral health services. “There’s a gap,” Odom said. “It doesn’t seem that (behavioral health services run by Veterans Affairs) has a good succession plan.”
Helping veterans move their missed payments to the end of their loan is vitally important, Pat Frey, vice president of Home for Good at the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, said while speaking after Ossoff at the news conference. “When we look at the number of veterans who are experiencing all other kinds of issues, having this community and having a home makes it easier to deal with the other issues,” Frey said. Frey’s family benefited from having access to a VA loan, she said. Her father, who was a combat veteran, bought a home with Frey’s mother through a VA loan. After his death, her mother kept the home with “no fallout,” Frey said. “That touched me, partially, and I know it touched many of those in my community,” Frey said. “It will continue to leave a legacy.”
Back in the 1990s, Moody was placed on the Base Realignment and Closure list which meant it was set to be shut down. But community members like Lucy Greene, who, in 1991, co-founded the Moody Support Committee, led a successful effort to spare the base. Greene said she sees the new F-35 mission as a positive sign that the Air Force values Moody’s role in national defense, and that aircraft will be lifting off for years to come. She said that means more for the community than national pride or the infusion of dollars from people working on or near the base. “The impact of the base is far-reaching, beyond the economic impact,” she said. “We have so many of the spouses and families who are involved in our community, and they bring in so much knowledge and experience to our area.” Greene said U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff personally called her to break the news. Ossoff pushed for the new aircraft, which was announced last year and is set to begin arriving in 2029.
“It is a privilege to join Senator Ossoff as his guest at the President’s Joint Address to Congress this evening,” said Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander-in-Chief Al Lipphardt. “On behalf of the VFW, we’re grateful to Senator Ossoff for his partnership in working to strengthen services for veterans in Georgia and across our great Nation, and I look forward to our continued work with him and his office to ensure those who served have access to the benefits they have earned and deserve.”
“Transportation options that many urban dwellers take for granted are non-existent in rural areas. These veterans cannot just “call an Uber” to get to the VA doctor,”said Nancy Springer, Associate Director, National Legislative Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars. “VFW strongly supports this bill that would expand an already existing grassroots program and help more rural veterans access their earned medical benefits. We applaud Senator Ossoff and Senator Collins for introducing this bill and call for its swift passage.”
“Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) proudly supports the Asuntos rurales Veteranos Transportation to Care Act,” said Jose Ramos, WWP’s Vice President of Government and Community Relations. “Rural veterans experience unique challenges that impact their ability for accessing healthcare options through VA. This bill will provide clarity to VA’s definition of “rural” to ensure more areas across the country are eligible for grant programs that support veterans and their transportation needs. We thank Senator Jon Ossoff’s leadership on this issue and the bill’s co-sponsors for their efforts on behalf of the veteran community.”
“Our nation’s 2.4-million veterans living in rural areas face difficulties accessing VA health care that those living in urban and suburban areas do not. Chief among them is transportation to the department’s nationwide medical facilities,” said Nancy Espinosa, DAV National Commander. “The nearly 300,000 veterans living in areas considered highly rural face even greater obstacles and deserve increased attention to assistance in accessing VA’s high-quality health care. DAV is proud to support the Asuntos rurales Veteranos Transportation to Care Act as it would help the VA provide all rural veterans better access to treatment. We applaud Sen. Ossoff’s leadership in introducing this important legislation that will help ensure our nation keeps its promises to America’s veterans.”
“The Investing in Veteranos Entrepreneurial Talents Act is a crucial piece of legislation that seeks to raise the federal contracting participation goal for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) to 5 percent. This change will align the participation goals for SDVOSBs with those of Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) and Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Small Businesses (SDBs), creating a more equitable playing field for small businesses,”said Chanin Nunvatong, Executive Director of The American Legion. “Senator Ossoff has shown great leadership on this issue, and the American Legion fully supports this act as it will provide much-needed recognition and support for SDVOSBs and veterans who have served our country with distinction.”
“They stood up VASP, which allows veterans to refinance their homes at 2.5 percent, which would address the affordability issue of the cost of living increasing. It would also give veterans a way to remain in their home and avoid foreclosure. The problem I’m seeing now with ending this program is that it would put about 80,000 veterans at risk of foreclosure. It’s silly to me that they would end the program without a replacement prior to,” said Georgia Marine Corps veteran Samuel McCrary from Loganville. “I think it needs to be reinstated until the replacement can be found that would serve the same purpose in keeping veterans in their homes.”
Sen. Ossoff has been working to bring both parties together to keep Georgia families safe.
“The Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council extends our deepest gratitude and appreciation to Senator Ossoff and his office for granting our CDS request for $3M to support critical domestic violence services in Georgia. This invaluable project will direct necessary grant funds to domestic violence victim-serving agencies to provide immediate shelter and related victim services such as therapy, counseling, and legal advocacy; and promote community awareness and education. This grant funding will also aid in building capacity around trauma-informed practices and engage victim service providers in training efforts to strengthen and improve the provision of services to victims of domestic violence,” said Jay Neal, Executive Director for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council “The 47 certified DV shelters that serve all 159 counties in Georgia have had to develop innovative strategies to meet the growing request for services such as emergency shelter/housing, counseling, emergency food, clothing needs, financial assistance, and legal advocacy. However, for many agencies, these efforts are not enough to meet all requests for services and to ensure that victims not only receive help for their basic human needs but are met with a continuum of care that addresses domestic violence trauma and other social determinants of health that impact safety and security. The grant award will support domestic violence victim-serving agencies in meeting the complex needs of victims of domestic violence and their dependents on their journey to seek safety, stability, and healing.”
“This is an absolute game changer for East Macon, making it safer for everyone and connecting them to our larger community,” said District 3 Commissioner Elaine Lucas, who has long advocated for improved pedestrian safety. She helped create the local Pedestrian Safety Review Board, which makes recommendations on ways to create safer roads. “I want to thank our Senators for looking out for us, our Pedestrian Safety Review Board for making this project a priority, and our staff for all the work they put into creating the plan.”
“Public safety is our community’s priority, and we want to thank our federal legislators for getting the funding needed to truly begin addressing pedestrian safety along one of our busiest roads,” said Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller. “With the East Macon Loop and these improvements, we will be creating a safer environment for all people, as well as connecting them to other services and opportunities.”
“We are grateful to receive this funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program,” said East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham. “Creating a safety action plan is essential to ensuring our streets are safer for everyone. This grant will strengthen our efforts to address key safety concerns such as pedestrian protection, traffic flow improvements, and accident prevention while improving mobility throughout East Point.”
“We are very grateful to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Georgia congressional delegation for their support,” said Jim Durrett, executive director of BCID and president of the Buckhead Coalition. “The Safe Streets and Roads for All funding is essential to help us transform this section of Lenox Road and provide safe, easy access for pedestrians and cyclists to reach the Buckhead and Lenox MARTA stations and many other locations in the Buckhead core”.
Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman: “I want to thank Senator Ossoff and Congressman Bishop for being here today, but I want to talk about the HELPER 2023 Act, that’s part of legislation that Senator Ossoff and Marco Rubio, Senator Marco Rubio out of Florida that they’re both working on in a bipartisan manner. This is a great help for law enforcement, medical workers, education folks. This, this will help us to give them the dream of owning a home. Owning a home is the American dream. But it’s so difficult for many people. But through the HELPER 2023 Act it will allow healthcare workers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, police officers, deputy sheriffs, educators the opportunity to purchase a home without putting down a down payment, without paying the mortgage insurance. Owning a home is very difficult. It will allow the first line officers of our field of work to purchase a home and to stay in our county in our county and city. This is an FHA loan that will be available to them. This is sort of like a VA loan, but it’s a VA loan for health care workers, law enforcement officers, educators and so we’re one step closer to the American dream.”
Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis: “Listen the HELPER Act is going to be a game changer for law enforcement. It’s going to allow our young police officers to purchase a home in the communities they live in. And that’s the key, for us to get our police off to live in the communities that they serve. And this is going to be a game changer. It’s paramount that they’re putting this together, the HELPER Act right now, because we’re having a very difficult time recruiting police officers throughout the nation. And this is gonna be a game changer.”
Henry County Chair Carlotta Harrell: “As your county chairwoman, I stand before for you today in full support for the passage of Senator Jon Ossoff’s bipartisan HELPER Act to assist first responders in purchasing their own home. This legislation is not just about policy. It’s about compassion, community, and empowerment. We live in a wonderful county, and we have the finest public safety professionals serving our residents and business. Unfortunately, some of those professionals who serve the community cannot afford to buy a home in the community in which they serve. That’s just wrong. This act will go a long ways in assisting our public safety with needed steps and assistance to home ownership. As the chair of the Henry County Board of Commissioners, I have made it my mission in working to find solutions to affordable housing and to advocate on the local, state and federal levels. I am proud to support Senator Ossoff and other legislators, am proud to sign in support of such important and necessary legislation. By supporting this bill, we’re not just making a statement, we are making a difference and in the lives of those who serve our communities. Let’s stand together in support of this initiative to ensure that those who so selflessly serve Henry County can enjoy living here in Henry County.”
Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett: “This is very simple for me the law of reciprocity says as you give it should be given back to you. This is certainly a timeframe where the officers here and the law enforcement professionals here in this county give every single day, sacrifice every single day. This is an opportunity to show them, what we stand with them, what we support them, how we support them, and what they need in this timeframe to ensure that our community is safe. To ensure that they’re covered from an economic standpoint, to ensure that they don’t they don’t have any concerns as they go forth each and every day to perform the jobs at a very high level that we need them to without having concerns economically. So this bill absolutely makes sense holistically.”
Henry County PD Chief Mike Ireland: “Thank you, [Sen. Ossoff], for spearheading this. This is a wonderful bill. On behalf of the public safety team in Henry County, the entire public safety team, I want to thank you for spearheading this. This is going to be an amazing bill that will support a lot of our young public safety responders that we have. Thank you.”
“Bainbridge Public Safety Department is very grateful to receive this FY23 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG),” said Bainbridge Public Safety Director Frank Green and Fire Chief Doyle Welch. “The emergency equipment the City of Bainbridge will be purchasing with this grant money is vital to Public Safety’s everyday emergency operations and firefighter safety as well as public safety. This AFG grant will provide our agency with the means of replacing antiquated Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) equipment and becoming current with NFPA standards.”
“The funds from the AFG grant will be used to upgrade some of our equipment and to purchase much-needed items that we need to add to our existing fire engines,” said Donalsonville Fire Chief Dean King. “The equipment that will be replaced is 20-30 years old, some of it being donated to us by other fire departments. The new equipment that will be purchased includes an electric smoke exhaust fan, several thousand feet of 2.5″ and 3″ hose, fire attack nozzles for different size hoses, adapters for the hose, and several items of loose equipment such as axes, Halligan bars, and pike poles that will allow us to better serve the needs of our community.”
“Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services is one of only two dozen departments out of about 25,000, who are both ISO-1 and accredited for 25 years or more. This Assistance to Firefighters Grant, was made available due to the efforts of Senators Ossoff and Warnock. This grant will allow the brave men and women of our CFEMS to continue to serve our Citizens in the most extreme emergencies by ensuring they are physically prepared and ready for the challenge. The citizens of Columbus are grateful to Senators Ossoff and Warnock for working to make this grant available,” said Columbus Mayor B.H. “Skip” Henderson, III.
“The Columbus Fire-EMS Department is grateful for the opportunity to be the recipient of this Assistance to Firefighters Grant award. These funds will be utilized to support our department’s Health and Wellness program by replacing obsolete fitness equipment in all of our fire stations,” said Chief Salvatore J. Scarpa, Columbus Fire & EMS. “The health and well-being of our firefighters is our top priority. This award will allow us to support our efforts to promote firefighter fitness and readiness to serve the citizens and visitors of Columbus and Muscogee County. We are grateful to Senator Ossoff for offering a letter of support to include in our grant application package. His continuous support of Georgia’s fire service is genuinely appreciated.”
“The City of West Point is pleased to have received a grant through the Federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The grant will be used to make much needed improvements to the city communications network,” said West Point Mayor Steve Tramell. “Firefighters respond to all type emergencies and interdepartmental and external communication are essential to provide a rapid and quality service to the public. This grant will provide a high level of operational equipment to support the city staff’s effort to render aid when called. Thanks to Senator’s Ossoff and Warnock for their support of the AFG program and the assistance it provides.”
We are excited to receive news of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant award to the Blackshear Fire Department,” said Blackshear Fire Chief Bucky Goble. “The funding will be used to replace our self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Our current units are over 15 years old. This grant will get the department into breathing apparatus that meets the current NFPA standard. The department will also purchase a compressor/filling station for refilling the SCBA cylinders.”
“The Town of Toomsboro is very thankful and excited to receive the Fire SAFER Grant,” said Toomsboro Mayor Joyce Denson. “Already the Grant has proven to make a significant change for the safety, health, and security of the community. Not only for the Town of Toomsboro but for the surrounding cities in Wilkinson County as well. Fireman Christopher Landrum was hired as the Recruitment and Retention Coordinator. Through his dedication and perseverance, we have an increase in Volunteer Firefighters, and networking with surrounding counties have helped with training and education to maintain certification, and a good ISO rating.”
“The Fire department can’t be happier to receive this grant to be able to give the volunteer fireman what they need to serve their community to the best of their ability and to maintain a very high level of safety to do so,” said Crawford County Fire Chief Randall Pate.
“Without these programs there is no way a small fire department could ever purchase this life saving devices,” said Allentown Mayor Robert Davidson.
“We are very grateful to our congressional delegation, including Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. The grant award for funds for the purchase of a new ladder fire truck is great news for the City of Cleveland,” said Cleveland Mayor Josh Turner. “Our citizens can rest easy knowing that our fire fighters are equipped with the equipment needed to keep our citizens safe. Additionally, the economic development impacts of this ladder truck will be tremendous as it enables existing business owners and developers for current and future projects to grow and thrive in our community.”
“When it comes to public safety, ensuring that our employees have the right tools and resources is imperative to providing the highest level of customer service, especially during an emergency. On any given day, the brave men and women of the Forest Park Fire and Emergency Services Department are called upon to protect human life and property from fire and other disasters, while also maintaining a focus on operational efficiency for our residents and businesses,” Forest Park Mayor Angelyne Butler, MPA said. “These Federal funds will help bolster the department’s ability to respond to major accidents or even structure fires, and I personally would like to commend Chief Latosha Clemons and her entire staff for the exceptional job they have done serving our community.”
“It is with great pleasure the announcement of the 2022 Assistant to Firefighter Grant award EMW-2022-FG-08531 in the amount of $362.857.14. It is through this grant funding that communities, like ours here in Banks County, are able to sustain our response needs to our community, and this additional Fire Unit will meet many needs we currently have. Without funding of this nature, many of our Citizens would go without proper and timely responses in their times of need. The importance of this grant can’t be shown as needed. This piece of equipment will be serving our Citizens in years to come,” said Banks County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charles Turk. “These grants could not become a reality without the support of our elected officials like Senator Ossoff and Senator Warnock. We can’t express our gratitude for this continued support to the Public Safety of Banks County. We look forward to working with them in the future on additional projects that affect our community as this one has.”
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Senator Raphael Warnock and Senator Jon Ossoff for their unwavering commitment to public safety and support through the Assistance to Firefighter grants. As an esteemed recipient of a substantial grant amounting to $134,000, The City of South Fulton Fire Rescue Department stands as a testament to their dedicated efforts,” said South Fulton Fire Chief Chad C. Jones. “This funding will facilitate the acquisition of 30 sets of personal protective equipment (turnout gear) essential for our firefighting operations. With this aid, we can ensure the safety and well-being of our courageous firefighters as they dutifully safeguard our city’s residents. We are honored to have been awarded this grant, as it will significantly enhance our capabilities and resources as a budding municipality and fire department.”
“This is an amazing accomplishment for the Forest Park Fire Department. As Fire Chief, it is my utmost desire to ensure the men and women have all the relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities to serve the city of Forest Park. Having the best tools, equipment, and vehicles most certainly strengthens our protection, response, mitigation, and recovery to our citizens,” said Forest Park Fire Chief Latosha Clemons.
The Arnoldsville Volunteer Fire Department is thankful and honored to receive the Assistance to Firefighters Grant. Receiving the AFG will enable us to purchase a much-needed new fire engine,” said Arnoldsville Fire Department Chief Heath Baker. “This will improve our capability to respond to fires and allow us to be better equipped to serve our rural community and surrounding area. Hopefully, this new equipment will also help with recruiting new volunteers that we desperately need.”
“We at Nicholson Fire and Rescue Department are very thankful to be named a recipient of the FY 2022 Assistance to Firefighter Grant award. The funding received from this grant will be used to purchase nine new self contained breathing apparatus with masks and extra bottles to replace older out of date units, positive pressure ventilation fans and K-12 rescue saws, fire hose, nozzles and hand tools,” the Nicholson Fire and Rescue Department said. “Without this grant we would not be able to purchase this equipment, so we are very blessed to be the recipient.”
“I and the entire City of Montezuma humbly thank Senator Ossoff’s generous efforts and the State for awarding our City this much needed grant,” Nealie L. Johnson, Mayor of the City of Montezuma, said. “The Firefighters Grant will allow the City of Montezuma to adequately equip our Firefighters as they bravely and professionally continue to protect the lives and properties of our valued Citizens.”
“The FEMA Assistance to Firefighters grant has assisted Laurens County in past years with much needed equipment. This grant is no different! It will provide Laurens County with funds to help replace aging equipment. It will assist by providing the fire department with 91 complete sets of turnout gear, 60 new self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA) and 120 SCBA cylinders to replace equipment that has reached the end of its manufactured life and has to be removed from service,” said Laurens County Fire Chief Joshua B. McCard. “We are grateful to receive this grant after several unsuccessful attempts in recent years. With the assistance from this grant, it quickly updates our department’s personnel with protective gear that will keep firefighters safer. This will allow for the firefighters to better serve Laurens County and its visitors daily knowing they are protected with gear that is up to standards.”
“This grant will allow Laurens County to acquire 60 new sets of turn out gear for our rural fire fighters, which were much needed. After several unsuccessful applications for these funds, I am most grateful to Sen. Ossoff and his staff for the role they played in helping us secure them,” said Jeff Davis, Laurens County District 3 Commissioner.
“Grady County Fire and Rescue applied for 48 SCBA’s and 37 sets of Turnout Gear. We are very appreciative to be awarded this grant and the impact it will have on our department and community. Grant purchases will be used to replace outdated equipment, some of which is 20 years old. Our firefighters will be outfitted in safer gear and upgraded breathing apparatus. This grant is assisting with our budget as these are some of the most expensive items to replace that also have expiration dates on them from their manufacturers. Turnout gear and breathing apparatuses are essential equipment for firefighters to perform their duties safely and effectively in our community. Being awarded this grant ensures that our firefighters will have the necessary equipment for years to come,” said Grady County Volunteer Fire Department Chief Richard Phillips.
“Senator Ossoff has always been a champion for firefighters. The HELPER Act will be a much-needed home buying benefit for our country’s firefighters, teachers, and other first responders. Georgia firefighters are thankful for Senator Ossoff’s leadership and continued support for Georgia’s firefighters,” said Nate Bailey, President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Georgia.
Sen. Ossoff knows that supporting Georgia’s number one industry is a top priority for Georgia.
“As a farmer, a rural state Senator and a Georgian I want to take this opportunity to join in with Senator Jon Ossoff and other members of our congressional delegation in support of their efforts to pass disaster funding legislation,” said Georgia State Senator Russ Goodman. “Food security is national security. Our farm families have been dealt a devastating blow of almost biblical proportions. They need help, we need help, our rural communities need help. It’s worth noting that we all need a farmer three times a day. We need to pass disaster legislation to ensure that our farm families stay in business, and I implore our friends in Washington to pass it before the end of this year.”
“The Georgia Pecan Growers Association deeply appreciates Senator Ossoff’s unwavering efforts to expedite funding through the Senate to support our pecan growers. In recent history, there has never been a more critical moment for our industry to receive this level of assistance. We are immensely proud to witness such strong support from every level of government—thanks to the leadership of our Governor, Agriculture Commissioner, and bipartisan leaders at the federal, state, and local levels,” said Mary Bruorton, Executive Director of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association. “It is vital to emphasize that our rural counties— the backbone of American agriculture—are the areas most in need of this relief. With the pecan industry facing an unprecedented economic loss of $614 million, the time for Congress to act is now.”
“Poultry growers in southeast Georgia were severely impacted by Hurricane Helene on a scale that is hard to imagine. We greatly appreciate Senator Ossoff and other members of Congress who are working to support a broad funding package to bring much needed relief to poultry producers and other agricultural sectors by the end of 2024,” said Mike Giles, President of the Georgia Poultry Federation.
“Georgia growers continue the monumental task of clean up and rebuilding after Helene. The financial impacts will be felt for generations but we can ease the burden by delivering meaningful relief before the end of the year. We appreciate the leadership of Senator Ossoff and the entire Georgia delegation in fighting for Georgia growers,” said Chris Butts, Executive Vice President of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.
“Agriculture is Georgia’s top industry, and the hardworking farmers who sustain it are facing unprecedented challenges, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Senator Ossoff’s testimony today highlights the urgent need for bipartisan action to deliver disaster assistance by the end of the year,” said Lindy Savelle, Executive Director of the Georgia Citrus Association. “Supporting this is not just about helping farmers recover—it’s about protecting Georgia’s economy and securing the future of rural communities across our state. Congress must act swiftly to provide the relief our agricultural industry desperately needs.”
“Georgia Cattlemen’s Association whole heartedly agrees with Senator Ossoff on the urgent need for disaster relief for Georgia cattlemen and farmers. I have seen the devastation myself and there is an urgent need as the Senator says. The need is great enough for a strong federal response. We support Senator Ossoff and join in his call for disaster relief for Georgia cattlemen and farmers,” said James Vaughn, Georgia Cattlemen’s Association President.
“Georgia’s dairy farmers appreciate Senator Ossoff for sharing our concerns with the full Senate Appropriations Committee today. Nearly one-third of Georgia’s dairy industry was significantly impacted by Hurricane Helene,” said Bryce Trotter, Executive Director of Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. “The infrastructure and production losses will be felt for months as our farms and cows recover from the stress and damage of the storm. Our producers need assistance to help meet the unique losses they have experienced. We are thankful for the bipartisan effort our Georgia delegation has made on behalf of the state’s farmers.”
“I am grateful to Senator Ossoff for continuing to draw attention to the farms and rural communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Family farms like mine were already behind the eight-ball going into 2024 and without disaster assistance, the viability of our farms and rural communities like mine (Lyons) is at risk,” said Chris Hopkins in Toombs County, who produces cotton, peanut, corn, small grain, and watermelon. “I am hopeful that Congress can put aside political and regional differences to give timely, essential aid to those who are at risk.”
“Georgia blueberry growers appreciate Senator Ossoff testifying before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee about the impact of Hurricane Helene on Georgia’s agricultural industry. He and his team have viewed blueberry production and bush losses across the state. This has impacted thousands of families and the economies of rural communities,” said Kevin Eason, Blueberry Grower in Alma, GA. “Senator Ossoff personalized the impact and every state and federal official that has toured the areas hit by the hurricane understand just how personal are these losses. We support the Senator’s efforts to get agricultural disaster assistance approved before Congress wraps up this session.”
“The City of Valdosta long suffers from a close to 30% persistent poverty rate and is surrounded by a vibrant agricultural community that almost reads exactly like the model the Senator has laid out in his bill. The City of Valdosta and its citizens and surrounding farms and farmers would all benefit greatly from this innovative piece of legislation. It is our belief that this type of plan will make a generational difference in health care outcomes and give the youth the nutritional balance needed for successful learning and life,” said Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson. “The Fresh Food Act of 2024 is a game changer wholly endorsed by myself and our citizens!”
“We are grateful for this partnership and Senator Ossoff’s commitment to bringing grocery stores to areas with limited to no access to fresh food in Atlanta and throughout the state,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
“Many Americans live in communities with little or no access to fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and other nutritious staples. The Fresh Food Act will help bring independent grocers into these our nation’s underserved communities and provide them with greater fresh food options and employment opportunities,” said National Grocers Association Chief Government Relations Officer and Counsel Chris Jones.
“Southwest Georgia is the breadbasket of the state, but so many of our rural communities lack access to fresh, sustainable foods produced here in their own backyards,” said Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District and Flint River Fresh Chairman Marty McLendon. “The Fresh Food Act introduced by Senator Ossoff brings productive policy to support the grassroots work within our local communities to address barriers farmers, local supply chains, and residents face.”
“Ninety-eight percent of disinvested neighborhoods in the city of Atlanta include census tracts defined as food deserts by the USDA,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “To address this, we must prioritize access to fresh, healthy foods with the realities grocers face when starting a business or expanding to new locations. This legislation moves us in this direction and stands to make a very meaningful impact on the city.”
“The opportunity to incentivize providing more fresh fruits and vegetables in rural areas is a win-win for consumers and farmers as well. As Georgia growers continue to face competition from rising imports, we applaud this effort to help bring healthy foods to those in underserved communities,” said Chris Butts, Executive Vice President of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.
“Senator Jon Ossoff’s Fresh Food Act of 2024 would be a gamechanger for underserved communities across Georgia and the country. This legislation represents a bold plan to incentivize local farmers, growers, and grocers to work together to address food deserts, chronic disease, and overall population health through access to fresh foods in all communities,” said Ben Moser, President and CEO, United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley.
“We’re excited to support policy that benefits our rural communities; when federal, state, and local efforts and objectives align, it’s always a win,” said Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District Executive Director Perri Cooper. “Our work at the District is built upon the health and conservation of our natural resources, and we can’t overlook that our local communities are one of the greatest resources we have.”
“Access to fresh, healthy food is a key ingredient in the fight against hunger in the United States. Right now, too many families across the nation lack access to fresh meat, dairy, fruit, and vegetables in their communities. Share Our Strength applauds Senator Ossoff’s leadership in the fight against hunger and encourages Congress to take quick action on the Fresh Food Act,” said Jason Gromley, Senior Director, Advocacy and Government Relations, Share Our Strength.
“The United Ways of Georgia acknowledges that over 1.4 million Georgians struggle with food insecurity. As such, we strongly support all efforts to help Georgians conveniently access healthy produce and fresh foods,” said Brittany Burnett, Chair of the United Ways of Georgia State Association.
“Grocery stores are one of America’s true community anchors, providing critical access points for fresh, healthy foods. But in far too many neighborhoods across the U.S., residents struggle with poor nutrition and food insecurity — often attributable to a lack of convenient supermarket access, sufficient budget for healthy foods, and education on the impact of food choices on our health,” said Mark Edwards, President & CEO, The Food Trust. “By providing financial support for healthy food retail operations through bills like The Fresh Food Act, we can ensure that more families have consistent access to reasonably priced, nutrient-dense foods; and that farmers, businesses and communities can thrive.”
“Georgia growers find themselves at a disadvantage because of the increase in imported fruits and vegetables. This program will enhance the competitiveness of Georgia’s growers and help insure we can continue to produce the highest quality fruits and vegetables here at home,” said Sam Watson, owner of Chill C Farms in Moultrie, Georgia, and President of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA). “We appreciate the work of Senator Ossoff and Congressman Bishop on addressing this critical issue.”
“Georgia’s fruit and vegetable farmers continue to face an un level playing field from rising levels of imported produce. This has resulted in our nation’s first agricultural trade deficit and will ultimately increase our reliance on other countries for fresh, healthy produce. This program can be a game changer for our growers helping level the playing field and ensuring a sustainable future for farmers while providing greater access to healthy foods for all,” said Chris Butts, Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) Executive Vice President.
“Congressman Bishop and Senator Ossoff understand the challenges faced by Georgia farmers who are dealing with an unprecedented challenge from imported fruits and vegetables. We agree that the time is now to address growing problem and we thank them for bringing forward this legislation,” said Bill Brim, owner of Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, Georgia. “We must level the playing field for our producers before we come dependent on others for our food. This pilot program can provide critical support for growers when imports surge during our marketing window and prices fall.”
“This funding will allow us to integrate gardening, cooking, and nutrition education into Flint River Fresh’s Garden-To-Cafeteria program in Dougherty County and dive deeper into creating excitement with Pre-K through 5th grade students about growing, preparing, and enjoying garden-fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Marty McLendon, Chairman of the Flint River Fresh Board of Directors. “We will improve the health of our children while exposing them to the importance of agriculture and protecting our natural resources, and together, we can tackle climate change, obesity, and hunger in Dougherty and other counties in Southwest Georgia. We’re grateful to U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff for his continued support of Flint River Fresh.”
“It was my honor to join Sen. Ossoff as his guest for the State of the Union,” Marianne Brown said. “India’s 100% tariff on Georgia pecan exports shouldered a huge burden on Georgia pecan growers. I’m grateful to Sen. Ossoff for his help in getting the tariffs reduced and for his continued support of Georgia growers.”
“We applaud Senators Ossoff and Cassidy on the introduction of The Forest Data Modernization Act of 2023, which will support private working forests, the communities that depend on them, and the environmental benefits they provide,” said Dave Tenny, President and CEO of the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO). “This bipartisan bill is a crucial step towards enhancing the U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program to provide more reliable and relevant forest and forest-carbon data that private working forest owners need. Investing in modernizing the FIA program will support the forest stewardship, market innovation, and rural job creation while also promoting the economic, environmental, and climate benefits private working forests provide. We look forward to working with Senators Ossoff and Cassidy, and the full Congress, to strengthen forest stewardship by passing the Forest Data Modernization Act of 2023.”
“The Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) applauds Senators Ossoff and Cassidy for introducing the Forest Data Modernization Act of 2023. Our forests are critical to the survival, comfort, and progress of our society — cleaning our air and water while providing wildlife habitat and renewable products we use every day,” said Andres Villegas, President & CEO, Georgia Forestry Association. “Action by Congress on this act is important to Georgia’s 24 million acres of forestland, as it will help to modernize data collection, which will include a more frequent and accurate accounting of our forest resources — including above ground and below ground carbon storage and sequestration. The act will also provide a ‘one-stop’ resource for businesses and the public to access and leverage data and analysis to gain a better understanding of the role private and public forests play in sustaining our environment and economy. Most importantly, it will serve as a vital connection for forestry to the greater economy that is looking for solutions to meet increasingly important sustainability goals. Georgia is the #1 Forestry State in the Nation, and GFA is deeply grateful for Senator Ossoff’s leadership on this bill.”
“As a manager of timberlands throughout North America, F&W Forestry Services works with timberland owners to help them make management decisions that maximize the potential of private forests. Reliable data is at the center of these decisions and F&W is greatly encouraged by the introduction of the Forest Data Modernization Act of 2023 as it is needed to help meet the needs of advanced forestry practices that will continue to position our forests to be solutions to the challenges faced by current and future generations,” said Jody Strickland, Chief Business Officer of F&W Forestry Services in Albany, GA.
“As a multi-generational timberland owner based in Fargo, Georgia, Superior Pine Products is proud of the role our sustainably managed forests play in the environmental health and economic vitality of the communities where we operate,” said Scott Griffin, President & CEO of Superior Pine Products in Fargo, GA. “We are heartened by Senator’s Ossoff’s introduction of the Forest Data Modernization Act of 2023, as it will provide the data necessary for the value of our forests provide to be recognized beyond timber to include carbon, water and wildlife.”
“As a Georgia forest landowner, Stuckey Timberland fully supports the Forest Data Modernization Act of 2023. The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program provides critical landscape-wide data that supports sustainable forest management,” said Ken Eason, Vice President, Stuckey Timberland in Eastman, GA. “Better data helps forest owners make better-informed decisions. This legislation will overhaul the current program, which is outdated and in need of modernization to meet the increasing demands of stakeholders. This bill provides the necessary updates to the FIA program, including expanded mandates for forest carbon data collection and analysis, which will provide a complete carbon picture of our forests, including above and below-ground carbon.”
“The Forest Data Modernization Act of 2023, which will provide crucial data to help forest owners sustainably manage forests, is smart policy and Congress should enact this bill without delay,” said Troy Harris, Managing Director of Timberland and Innovative Wood Products at Jamestown. “Because Jamestown occupies a unique position as both a working forest owner and a real estate developer, we fully understand that building with wood is a natural climate solution. Our first-of-its-kind mass timber project at Ponce City Market in Atlanta is both innovative and environmentally friendly, and we have the data to show our carbon benefit. Other companies do not have Jamestown’s unique point of view, and most face challenges when seeking to build with sustainable and low-carbon materials as the carbon data they need to spec, verify, and report their carbon impact is not readily available. By ensuring the carbon data for forests and wood products is standardized and accessible, Jamestown and others would be able to better plan and provide valuable carbon information to key stakeholders – from lenders and investors to developers and tenants.”
“We are thrilled for this opportunity to demonstrate the latest technologies across Georgia’s commodities,” said UGA Tifton Campus Assistant Dean Michael Toews. “These labs and collaborative spaces will be within walking distance to horticultural, row, turf and citrus plots, providing stakeholders the ability to see and test technologies for adoption on their farms.”
“The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine and the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory are truly grateful for the leadership and support of Senator Ossoff, Senator Warnock, and Representative David Scott. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the Tifton Lab, as this funding will address critical infrastructure needs, upgrade outdated laboratory equipment, and integrate cutting-edge diagnostic technology. With this support, the Tifton Lab is poised to enhance its capacity to serve animal health, agriculture, and public health needs in South Georgia,” said Dr. Jesse Hostetter, Executive Director of UGA’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories in Tifton and Athens.
Sen. Ossoff has worked across the aisle to deliver Federal resources to upgrade Georgia’s infrastructure, creating jobs and making it safer for families to travel.
“We are grateful for Senator Ossoff’s unwavering support for Columbus. Water is one of our most precious resources and this provision will enhance our ability to protect that resource and deliver it to our citizens,” Columbus Mayor B.H. “Skip” Henderson III said.
“I believe this bill is a win for Columbus. It supports Columbus Water Works’ vision of leading the Chattahoochee Valley to health and prosperity by operating a first-class water utility,” Jeremy Cummings, President of Columbus Water Works said. “Having the access to these additional resources will help us face the challenges of our aging Water and Sewer infrastructure and is a first step in funding assistance for future projects.”
“This legislation is a perfect example of the importance of investing in cities’ critical infrastructure. A clean, safe and reliable water system is a cornerstone of healthy communities, and I thank Senator Ossoff, Senator Warnock and Congresswoman Williams for always championing this city,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Senator Ossoff for his leadership and commitment to addressing critical infrastructure needs in our community. The inclusion of a provision in the Water Resources Development Act, authorizing the Army Corps of Engineers to assist Effingham County and other coastal counties with the design and construction of water infrastructure projects,” said Damon Rahn, Chairman, Effingham County. “This milestone represents meaningful progress toward ensuring the resilience and sustainability of our region. Thank you, Senator Ossoff, for your dedication to this effort and for championing the needs of our community. Your work is deeply appreciated.”
“Chatham County applauds the recent passage and signing of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 by President Biden. This landmark legislation includes a critical provision authorizing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist coastal communities with the design and construction of water infrastructure projects, addressing essential stormwater, drinking water, and wastewater needs,” said Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis. “We are particularly proud that this provision originated as the Coastal Georgia Flooding Prevention Act, a bill Chatham County formally introduced to address the unique challenges faced by coastal areas like ours. Its inclusion in the broader legislation represents a significant step forward in supporting the resilience and sustainability of our local communities. This new authorization opens the door to enhanced collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers, providing Chatham County with additional resources and expertise to tackle critical infrastructure challenges. By investing in modern, sustainable solutions, we can better protect our residents, businesses, and natural resources from the impacts of flooding, aging infrastructure, and water quality concerns. We look forward to working with federal, state, and local partners to maximize the opportunities presented by this legislation and to ensure a brighter, safer future for Chatham County and the entire Coastal Georgia region.”
“This program provides an excellent opportunity to improve water and sewer infrastructure in the last rural county on the Coast of Georgia,” said McIntosh County Chairperson Catherine Pontello Karwacki. “McIntosh County is now experiencing demand unseen in past years.”
“We are thrilled to express our strong support for Senator Jon Ossoff’s provision in the Water Resource Development Act, which authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist Henry County in designing and constructing critical water infrastructure projects. Although funding is not attached to this provision, it is a significant step forward in our continuing efforts to ensure that Henry County has the modern, resilient infrastructure necessary to meet the growing needs of our community. Reliable access to clean and safe water is a fundamental requirement for the health and well-being of our residents, as well as for the growth and sustainability of our local economy,” said McDonough-Henry County Board Chair Carlotta Harrell. “Senator Ossoff’s commitment to addressing water infrastructure challenges demonstrates a deep understanding of the importance of proactive investments in our future. The collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers will provide us with the expertise and resources needed to enhance our water systems, making them more efficient and resilient against future challenges. We look forward to working closely with Senator Ossoff and leveraging this incredible opportunity to bring about positive change for the residents of Henry County. This is a testament to the power of community and leadership coming together to achieve common goals and improve the quality of life for all.”
“I would like to thank Senator Ossoff for his continued support of Clayton County,” said Chairwoman Dr. Alieka Anderson-Henry. “Through his efforts, we will be able to allocate in excess of $2.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending directly into the community to provide relief to our citizens from the devastating effects of flooding. The addition of this provision to the Water Resources Development Act is critical in expediting the design of projects aimed at saving the lives and property of Clayton County Citizens. Having congressional authorization for the involvement of the Army Corps of Engineers was a critical step and is further proof of Senator Ossoff’s continued commitment to Clayton County.”
“We are grateful to President Biden for signing the East Point Water Infrastructure Enhancement Act and his leadership and direct investment in strengthening local infrastructure. This signing would not have been possible without Senator Ossoff’s consistent and persistent advocacy for funding to help address East Point’s critical aging infrastructure needs,” said East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham. “His foresight to introduce, champion and shepherd the passage of this critical legislation puts East Point in the position to now pursue up to $20 million from the Army Corps of Engineers to assist with strengthening and enhancing our water infrastructure facilities and system. This is monumental for East Point and we are truly grateful to Senator Ossoff for ensuring authorization of funding that will positively impact East Pointers and our other water customers for generations to come.”
“Senators Ossoff and Warnock have been a stalwart supporter of local governments in Georgia, including securing this critical funding for EV chargers. This aligns perfectly with Athens-Clarke County’s commitment to transition to 100% clean energy, and demonstrates the power of local government and the Federal Government acting together,” said Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz.
“This investment in Dekalb county is a transformative step toward positioning DeKalb as a leader in sustainable transportation and development in the region,” said DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. “We are deeply grateful to Senators Ossoff and Warnock and Congressman Johnson for championing this critical investment through the bipartisan infrastructure law. By expanding our electric vehicle charging infrastructure, we are not only reducing our environmental footprint but also ensuring that communities throughout DeKalb benefits from cleaner air, economic growth, and a more sustainable future.”
“Once again, the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering for Atlanta and the entire Metro region. Millions of Georgia’s dollars are coming back to our state to make the world’s busiest airport more efficient, resilient and built for the future. Thanks to Senator Ossoff, Senator Warnock, Congresswoman Williams and the White House, ATL’s own fleet, employees, visitors and partners will have 50 new DC Fast Chargers to help promote good environmental stewardship and the overall wellbeing of our airport’s surrounding communities,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
“This grant award solidifies Georgia as a leader in both the manufacturing and deployment of electric vehicles across our state. Investing in Middle Georgia ensures that rural and disadvantaged communities will share in this prosperity,” said James A. Epps, Jr., Chairman of the Middle Georgia Regional Commission.
We are thrilled to receive this grant and will use it to enhance our position as a leader in the industry,” said Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) Interim General Manager Jan Lennon. “Expanding charging accessibility options for rental car companies, ride-share drivers, and ATL employees allows us to pursue our sustainability goals while improving air quality in traditionally underserved communities. By engaging in those communities, we aim to promote the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future.”
“LanzaJet is grateful to be a recipient of a FAA FAST grant. Federal support for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will be critical as we help to transform an 80+ year-old fossil fuel industry. SAF is the best opportunity aviation has to decarbonize and funding from this program helps advance the entire industry – providing an incredible opportunity to aviation, and to the farmers across America who are growing the feedstocks critical to supporting the SAF industry with feedstock and ethanol,” said Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet. “LanzaJet is leading the way with the world’s only ethanol-to-SAF plant in Soperton, GA. We thank Senators Warnock and Ossoff for co-sponsoring this legislation, ensuring the United States is poised to lead the way in SAF. Funding like this will be instrumental in achieving aviation’s net zero targets while also supporting domestic energy security and economic development by investing in rural communities across the country.”
“As the busiest airport in the world, we recognize the importance of advancing technology and sustainability initiatives,” said Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Interim General Manager Jan Lennon. “This grant will allow us to pursue initiatives in sustainable aviation fuel deployment at ATL to maintain our position as a leader in the industry.”
“We want to congratulate Senators Sherrod Brown, Bill Cassidy, Jon Ossoff, and Rick Scott for taking the initiative to ensure a level playing field for American solar manufacturing and protect American taxpayer investments. This bipartisan legislation will ensure Chinese-owned or headquartered solar companies do not have access to U.S. incentives while they receive massive market-distorting subsidies in China, including on many of the components they are building into end products in the U.S. Domestic production of these fundamental components, particularly wafers and polysilicon, is critical to building a robust U.S. solar supply chain and this legislation will help make that a reality,” said Mike Carr, Executive Director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition.
“The aviation industry’s ambitious sustainability roadmap depends on stakeholders across the value chain collectively exploring new technologies and innovating toward a more sustainable future for travel,” said Amelia DeLuca, Delta’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “From scaling existing fuel alternatives like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to unlocking the potential of clean hydrogen for e-SAF and direct propulsion solutions, we are committed to working with leaders to decarbonize the future of flight and commend our leaders in Washington for prioritizing hydrogen research and development in the final FAA Reauthorization bill.”
“Aviation is the hardest sector to decarbonize. Even as we continue to develop options that can drop into our existing airlines, I’m thankful to Sen. Ossoff on his leadership in passage of this bill that makes longer-range investments to enable game changing capabilities for zero carbon aviation,” said Dr. Tim Lieuwen, Executive Director of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Strategic Energy Institute and Professor in its School of Aerospace Engineering.
“With our longstanding commitment to sustainability, Gulfstream applauds the Hydrogen Aviation Strategy Act and its focus on long term solutions to increasing sustainability in aviation and helping our industry meet established goals for carbon neutrality,” said Mark Burns, President of Gulfstream.
“With the support of this proposed CHIPS funding, Absolics will be able to fully commercialize our pioneering glass substrate technology for use in high-performance computing and cutting-edge defense applications. This effort is crucial in establishing a robust semiconductor advanced packaging ecosystem in the State of Georgia and restoring the U.S.’s leadership in semiconductor industry. Our new facility in Covington will not only enhance our ability to produce high-quality glass substrates but also create high-skilled jobs and drive innovation through our partnership with Georgia Tech,” said Absolics CEO Jun Rok Oh. “Absolics is proud to contribute to the resilience and competitiveness of the American semiconductor industry.”
“We are extremely grateful for Senator Ossoff’s continued advocacy for the City of College Park and our region. He intuitively understands our needs and is a tireless champion for the State of Georgia. These investments in our water infrastructure will go a very long way to serve the residents, visitors and businesses of the City of College Park,” said College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom.
“We express our deepest appreciation to Senator Ossoff for hearing our need and securing funding to aid in upgrading our pump station,” Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr. said. “It is imperative that we have adequate infrastructure, and we are pleased that we can upgrade the system to improve its environmental impact on Snapping Shoals Creek and sustain us for years to come. Our main focus is the people, and we want to continue improving the quality of life for our residents in the area as well as across all of Rockdale County.”
“The $700,000 grant that Senator Ossoff secured for the City of Cochran to improve our wastewater improvement projects, which are main sewer lift station repair and relocation of our belt press into the blower house at the treatment plant, will benefit our citizens for now and many years to come,” said Cochran Mayor Billy A. Yeomans. “Senator Ossoff and his staff worked with us, advising our staff on the progress at all levels. When the Budget was approved, and the President had signed it, he personally phoned, to inform me of the good news. It is great to know that Senator Ossoff is there to help a small community like ours when a need arises. Thank you, Sir, from a grateful City.”
“The Bear Creek Reservoir and water-treatment facility is a regionally-transformative project. Over the last 20 years, it has proven how regional cooperation and partnerships among local governments leads to wide, public benefit. This new investment will enable the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority and this facility to continue its success by expanding capacity and fulfilling a critical need to continue serving Northeast Georgia and its growing populations well into the future,” said Burke Walker, Executive Director of the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission.
“We deeply appreciate the bipartisan work in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to fund Whitfield County’s sewer expansion,” said Whitfield County Chairman Jevin Jensen. “The citizens are excited to see this expansion into residential neighborhoods to address our current and future need.”
“This is tremendous news for these residents and our entire community,” said McDuffie County Commission Chairman Charlie Newton. “We initially had to split the project into two parts to make sure we had appropriate funding. We didn’t want anyone to have to wait for sewer service in this area, so this money will absolutely help change the lives of these residents.” “The support we received from Sen. Ossoff’s office has been tremendous,” said Chairman Newton. “When we began discussing this specific need, they listened intently and worked with us to develop a potential funding plan. That was a year ago, and they have kept us in constant communication through the process to make the funding a reality. We appreciate their commitment and partnership on this effort. It allows us to completely fulfill a promise we made these residents years ago.”
“We are delighted that through the cooperation of Senator Jon Ossoff and Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, Bulloch County has secured $1 million in FY24 Congressionally Directed Spending for the County’s wastewater construction and expansion project,” said Bulloch County Chairman Roy Thompson. “Our collaboration with the Senators will allow the County to establish an affordable, safe, and healthy utility system.”
“These funds for wastewater infrastructure are vital to the County’s growth, housing choices and environment. Our congressional collaboration and relationships formed with Senator Ossoff and Senator Warnock are essential as Bulloch County becomes more active in seeking federal resources for different kinds of infrastructure that will be needed in the future,” Bulloch County Commissioner Curt Deal said.
“We are grateful to Senator Ossoff and Senator Warnock for their assistance,” said Bulloch County Commissioner Anthony Simmons. “Their staff in both Washington D.C. and in Georgia have also been very helpful to make sure our proposals were competitive and impactful.”
“Senator Ossoff continues to deliver much-needed federal resources to Savannah and Chatham County,” Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson, II said. “As Savannah experiences tremendous growth, it is imperative that we invest in our water infrastructure and increase our ability to provide sewer services as the need for these vital utilities grows.”
This year, Sen. Ossoff released several reports detailing the impact of Georgia’s abortion ban:
In 2024, Sen. Ossoff’s Human Rights Subcommittee convened a series of hearings about the dangers to Georgia women’s health and human rights caused by the state’s 6-week ban, risking the health of pregnant women who face complications and worsening the state’s shortage of OB-GYN doctors.
Dr. Suchitra Chandrasekaran, a maternal fetal medicine specialist who provides care for high-risk pregnancies, testified that Georgia’s abortion ban has hindered her ability to do her job and about how the ban will only worsen the state’s maternal morbidity and mortality rate. “The Georgia abortion ban limits the ability of myself and my colleagues to provide evidence-based care and counseling and significantly puts the well-being and lives of our patients at unnecessary risk,” Dr. Chandrasekaran testified. “The high maternal morbidity and mortality rates affecting the State of Georgia are well-known. One of the largest drivers of this rate is maternal cardiac disease. Yet Georgia’s ban forces women with very high-risk maternal cardiac conditions to carry their pregnancies, sometimes regardless of the dangers to a mother’s health.”
Dr. Nisha Verma, a Georgia OB-GYN, testified about her experience seeing doctors having to turn away patients seeking treatment from miscarriages because of the personal risks to doctors from Georgia’s abortion ban. “I struggle every day to provide necessary life-saving medical care. I’ve seen young pregnant moms with worsening medical conditions and couples whose deeply desired pregnancies are in the process of miscarrying be turned away or forced to leave their communities to access needed health care,” Dr. Verma testified. “In Georgia, where already over 50% of counties have no OB-GYN, where we have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, and where women like my patient, ‘V’, struggled to access prenatal care. These worsening workforce shortages are devastating for all aspects of reproductive health care.”
Dr. Aisvarya Panakam, a first-year resident who is from Georgia but who now lives in Boston, testified about her decision to not return home for her OB-GYN residency because of Georgia’s abortion ban and told the heart-wrenching story about treating a Georgia patient out of state whose fetus was diagnosed with severe genetic anomalies. “As a medical student in Massachusetts, I helped care for a Georgia woman whose fetus was diagnosed with severe genetic anomalies. Even though it was well understood that her fetus would die either in utero or soon after soon after delivery, she was unable to receive an abortion because her fetus still had a heartbeat,” Dr. Panakam testified. “It took her several days to arrange childcare for her young daughter and for her and her husband to come up to Massachusetts, get a hotel room, and get an appointment at the clinic that we were at. When she arrived to our clinic, her fetus had already passed and had been dead for several days. She was admitted to the ICU for a life-threatening clotting disorder called disseminated intravascular coagulation, as well as massive immune dysregulation in the form of sepsis. Georgia’s abortion ban jeopardized her life by delaying her access to care. She survived. Others have not.”
Ms. Mackenzie Kulik from Atlanta testified that she developed significant complications in her second trimester of pregnancy and that her doctor told her “off the record” that she had no chance of delivering a healthy baby and continuing her pregnancy would put her at risk of infection, but Kulik testified that her case “did not qualify for an exemption under Georgia’s abortion law,” so she had to travel out of state for “medically necessary care.” “My doctor turned to me and said that the next conversation we were about to have was completely ‘off the record.’ That it would not be in my visit notes, and I was not allowed to send follow up questions. Then, my doctor turned to me and told me that our baby was not going to make it, and that if we did not terminate soon the baby would either die in utero, she would die shortly after being born, or I was likely to develop an infection,” Kulik testified [DOWNLOAD VIDEO CLIP at 7:48]. “It was heartbreaking to hear this. Accepting that we were never going to meet or hold our baby girl. It was the thing I feared the most.”
Ms. Yasmein Ziyad from Morrow testified that she sought an abortion when she learned she was miscarrying; however, even though her pregnancy was not viable, she testified she was denied an abortion because her doctor feared losing his license or being prosecuted if he performed the procedure. “At my follow-up appointment, which would have me at eight weeks, the doctor confirmed the miscarriage. I asked again about the D&C, and he spoke around the topic, then stated ‘These laws. I don’t want to lose my license or be arrested,’” Ziyad testified [DOWNLOAD VIDEO CLIP HERE at 16:52].
Dr. Carrie Cwiak, an OBGYN in Atlanta, testified that her patients experience complications like sepsis and hemorrhage because their doctors were not able to perform medically necessary abortions under Georgia’s ban. “Physicians, myself included, have seen patients in the ICU, with sepsis, with renal failure, needing tube feeds, with hemorrhage, needing blood transfusions or a hysterectomy, who would not have been in those positions if we had been able to offer them care to avoid further harm,” Dr. Cwiak testified [DOWNLOAD VIDEO CLIP HERE at 24:55].
“Georgia’s six-week abortion ban made it impossible for me to receive the care that I needed, and my daughter and I almost died because of it,” Callie Beale Haper in Savannah said. Pregnant with twins, Beale Harper said she was denied urgently needed medical care after being told that carrying both twins to term would put her own life and the healthy twin’s life at risk and that she would have to seek medical care in another state because of restrictions under Georgia’s law. After four weeks of battling logistical and financial hurdles, Beale Harper received care in New York, but the delay in her care, caused by Georgia’s law, led to severe complications, she said.
“My doctors warned me that I was now at high risk of developing a life-threatening infection called sepsis, on top of my continued risks from blood loss, and that my situation would become life threatening. They also told me that miscarriage was inevitable. At 18 weeks, my baby would not be able to survive outside the womb—and since my water had broken, he could no longer grow inside me, either,” Avery Davis Bell, who lives in Decatur, Georgia, said. Davis Bell, a research scientist in genetics, said she had to wait hours, while passing blood clots and becoming septic, before being able to receive life-saving treatment.
In an interview, one survey respondent, Dr. Lara Hart, described a case in which a patient was forced to have an unnecessary hysterectomy because doctors waited for infection to set in instead of promptly terminating her previable twin pregnancy after her membranes ruptured. This was a wanted pregnancy, Dr. Hart said, but the fetuses had no chance of survival and, as Dr. Hart in Athens, Georgia, explained, “in this situation, you can save the mother or you can save nobody.”
Sen. Ossoff has been working to support Georgia’s small business owners across the state.
“Thanks to Senators Ossoff and Warnock, we are able to continue our growing efforts in supporting business owners in the CSRA with the expansion of our technical assistance and programming innovative initiatives at the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce and continue to carry out our mission to foster economic stability for businesses in the CSRA through advocacy, education, networking, discovery, and strategic partnerships,” said Ronic West, President and Co-Founder of the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce.
“The importance of the Investing in VETS Act cannot be emphasized enough. For veterans that own small businesses — veterans with disabilities — to be appreciated enough to be given 5% of government contracts is substantial,” said Patsey Schreiber, VFW Georgia State Commander and a former service-disabled veteran small business owner. “As a previous small business owner, I know what it was like to try and get into the government contract system, and it wasn’t easy. As a veteran with a disability, was even harder. So making this 5% change is apples and oranges for veterans that are moving forward into small businesses, and having the government look at them, and giving them, and awarding them what they have earned — a 5% percentage — is substantial.
“The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) is grateful to Senator Ossoff and Congressman Johnson for their support of the Small Business Contract Fairness Act. Their leadership in this critical area is crucial to the economic vitality of the small business community, not just in Georgia, but all across the nation,” said Stacey Key of the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council. “As the state of Georgia’s leading advocate for minority supplier inclusion in government and corporate supply chains, we wholeheartedly endorse this effort to stimulate the real engine of the American economy, by ensuring full inclusion of small businesses in federal contracting. My team and I stand ready to assist as this bill moves forward. Georgia is fortunate to have such visionary leadership at this pivotal moment in history.”
“The Urban League of Greater Atlanta enthusiastically endorses the Small Business Contract Fairness Act introduced by Senator Jon Ossoff and Congressman Hank Johnson because we believe in its potential for expanding opportunities for minority entrepreneurs who are the backbone of economic advancement in communities of color,” said Nancy Flake Johnson, ULGA’s president and CEO. “Promoting economic opportunity through small business ownership has been a core mission of the Urban League for more than 100 years. We are grateful to our elected representatives for their commitment to strengthening communities and leveling the playing field for small business owners.”
“The Investing in Veterans Entrepreneurial Talents Act is a crucial piece of legislation that seeks to raise the federal contracting participation goal for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) to 5 percent. This change will align the participation goals for SDVOSBs with those of Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) and Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Small Businesses (SDBs), creating a more equitable playing field for small businesses,” said Chanin Nunvatong, former Executive Director of The American Legion. “Senator Ossoff has shown great leadership on this issue, and the American Legion fully supports this act as it will provide much-needed recognition and support for SDVOSBs and veterans who have served our country with distinction.”
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