Jon Ossoff was elected to the U.S. Senate in a runoff election in January 2021. The Atlanta Democrat is seeking reelection to a second term.
Here are his stances and record on key issues.
Affordability
Ossoff blames President Donald Trump for rising costs from tariffs, the Iran war and health insurance.
Ossoff says the cost of living is going up because of Trump’s policies. Georgians see the consequences in their rent, power bills, groceries and healthcare, he says.
Ossoff cites recent news that 350,000 fewer Georgians signed up to receive healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act this year. The 27% decrease came after Republicans in Congress passed a government funding bill that ended COVID-era healthcare subsidies.
Ossoff says he supported bills that helped Georgia residents save money. He voted for measures that capped the cost of insulin at $35 per month and required drug companies to negotiate lower costs for seniors on Medicare.
Immigration
Ossoff supports deporting criminals who are living in the United States illegally.
But he says he’s “outraged” by immigration agents who have killed American citizens, raided homes without warrants and profiled people based on skin color and accents. He says Georgians and Americans deserve preservation of their civil rights, civil liberties and human rights.
As a senator, Ossoff has supported legislation related to immigration problems at the border. He co-sponsored a bill, which passed in 2024, that requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop technologies that detect and prevent drug trafficking. He also supported pending bills that increase penalties for human smuggling at the border and that require interagency coordination to prevent child trafficking.
Ossoff was also one of 12 Senate Democrats who voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act signed by Trump, which gives federal immigration agencies broad authority to detain migrants accused of a variety of crimes.
Ossoff says his investigations found more than 1,000 credible reports of human rights abuses in immigration detention facilities during the first year of the Trump administration.
Iran
Ossoff opposes the United States’ war on Iran, saying it has weakened the economy and national security.
He says Trump started the war without evidence of an imminent threat, clear objectives, a plan for the aftermath or consent of Congress.
Ossoff accuses Trump of lying to the public about the war’s justifications and progress.
He says the war has depleted the United States’ military equipment, and he says rising gas prices have “supercharged” inflation.
Meanwhile, Ossoff says Iran’s regime remains intact, its missiles and drones aren’t destroyed, and it still possesses a stockpile of uranium.
Healthcare
Health spending in the United States recently reached all-time highs, which Ossoff says is a consequence of Trump’s policies.
The Republican-controlled Congress ended subsidies last year that were available to people buying health insurance online through the Affordable Care Act. As a result, the cost of health insurance plans rose significantly. Hundreds of thousands of Georgians have dropped their health insurance coverage.
Ossoff voted with a majority of Democrats to block federal funding legislation because it did not extend the subsidies, prolonging last year’s government shutdown.
Ossoff says hospitals, clinics and nursing homes are facing financial strain because of cuts to Medicaid, the state and federal healthcare plan for the poor and disabled.
Ossoff says he was able to deliver federal funds to Georgia, including money for hospitals across the state, including clinic construction in Albany, Fort Valley and Warwick, a new emergency department in Berrien, and equipment for several other hospitals.
Trump’s economic policies
Ossoff says Trump promised to lower prices but did the opposite.
Instead, the cost-of-living is increasing in costs for housing, utilities, food and healthcare, he says.
Ossoff says Americans are paying higher prices while the Trump family’s wealth has grown by billions of dollars.
Ossoff criticizes Trump for job losses. Trump imposed hefty tariffs on a variety of countries last year, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February that federal law doesn’t authorize him to levy tariffs.
The U.S. economy has lost about 80,000 manufacturing jobs since Trump took office, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Ossoff says Trump’s health spending cuts are responsible for skyrocketing health costs while the rich received tax cuts. He says the tariffs, which are taxes on imported goods, contributed to higher costs for everyday items.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
