Jon Ossoff in GA Congressional representatives, past and present
On Principles & Values:
Early campaign pledge: "Make Trump Furious"
One topic Ossoff diligently avoided: Trump. Ossoff jumped into the 6th District contest earlier with a pledge to "Make Trump Furious," but the
30-year-old political newcomer has since largely distanced himself from that rhetoric in a bid to win over independents and wobbly Republicans.
Overall, Republican Karen Handel aligned herself with the president when asked about the biggest items on his agenda, but she also indicated she wasn't afraid of disagreeing with him.
She backed the Trump's proposal to temporarily block visitors from six primarily Muslim Middle East nations, but was also was critical of Trump's constant social media use.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia House debate
Jun 6, 2017
On Abortion:
Defend a woman's right to choose and Planned Parenthood
Jon will defend women's access to contraception and a woman's right to choose and fight any legislation or executive action that would allow insurance companies to discriminate against women.
Planned Parenthood provides essential preventative and reproductive health care services like cancer screenings, STD testing and low-cost birth control to millions of American women. Jon will defend Planned Parenthood in Congress.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Civil Rights:
Fight discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation
As our representative in Congress, Jon will fight tirelessly against discrimination, hate speech, or violence against Americans on the basis of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or place of birth.
Jon will stand up for due process and equal treatment under law for all of us, regardless of race or income level. Jon will honor law enforcement and stand up for Georgians who are mistreated by the criminal justice system.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Crime:
Task forces to fight organized crime & political corruption
When it comes to crime in America, we need to rethink our priorities. Jon is an experienced investigator who has successfully targeted organized criminals and corrupt officials. Violent crime, murder, rape, human trafficking, and corruption are rampant,
while we spend billions locking up nonviolent drug offenders. It just doesn't make sense.Jon will introduce legislation to empower task forces at the Department of Justice dedicated to fighting organized crime and political corruption.
He will work to give law enforcement the tools and resources they need to take down organized criminals wherever they are. Jon will work to reduce mass incarceration of nonviolent offenders, which punishes taxpayers and wastes American lives.
When it comes to crime in America, we need to rethink our priorities. Jon is an experienced investigator who has successfully targeted organized criminals and corrupt officials.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Drugs:
Locking up nonviolent drug offenders doesn't make sense
Violent crime, murder, rape, human trafficking, and corruption are rampant, while we spend billions locking up nonviolent drug offenders.
It just doesn't make sense. Jon will work to reduce mass incarceration of nonviolent offenders, which punishes taxpayers and wastes American lives.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Education:
Hire great teachers, and reduce class sizes
All Georgians--all Americans--should have the opportunity to reach their full potential. We should ensure our children and young people get the best education in the world.Jon will work in Congress to ensure our local schools get the resources they
need to hire and keep great teachers, to invest in technology to keep students learning at the cutting edge, and to reduce class sizes.
Teachers should be honored, given the support and tools they need to do their best work, and paid better.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Education:
Work to make college more affordable
Jon will work to make college more affordable. Student debt shouldn't prevent young Americans from saving, investing in their careers, and reaching their potential. Jon will work to reduce the burden of student debt on young Americans.
Jon will promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education for Georgia's students and professional education to qualify young Georgians for the workforce after high school.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Energy & Oil:
Human-driven climate change threatens global prosperity
There is a clear scientific consensus that climate change is driven by human activity and that it threatens global prosperity, health, and security. This is not just the opinion of activists; it is the studied conclusion of our country's distinguished
scientists. Our military and intelligence agencies agree. Jon will oppose efforts to undo the climate change agreement reached last year in Paris and will work to make the United States a global leader against climate change.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Environment:
Investigate failures to enforce environmental laws
Jon will be informed by scientists, not lobbyists, when it comes to environmental policy, and he will work to make Georgia a clean energy economic powerhouse.Clean air and clean water are not controversial. They are essential to our health, our
prosperity, and our quality of life. Jon will oppose and investigate failures to enforce environmental laws. He will support our national parks and work to conserve America's treasured wildlife and natural beauty.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Foreign Policy:
Defend the NATO alliance & multinational military exercises
While on Capitol Hill, Jon worked on classified naval, cyber, air, and counterrorism programs. He embarked with the US Navy during multinational military exercises, worked closely with senior officers to improve readiness and capabilities, and helped
draft annual defense legislation.Jon will investigate Russian interference in American politics and defend the NATO alliance, which remains essential to our national security. He will stand with our allies and oppose Russian meddling in Europe.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Free Trade:
Empower our community's businesses to compete globally
Jon has a Master's degree from the London School of Economics, where he specialized in trade relations between the US and China. Jon's training in economics and his international business experience will help him craft smart,
effective economic policy that empowers our community's businesses to compete globally, create good-paying jobs with benefits, and build Georgia into an economic powerhouse.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Government Reform:
Investigate corrupt politicians and organized crime
I lead a company that produces documentaries investigating corrupt politicians and organized crime. Our team has taken down human traffickers, exposed dozens of corrupt officials around the world, and uncovered atrocities committed by ISIS in Iraq.
Previously, I was a senior national security staffer in the U.S. Congress, working with our military and intelligence community to keep Georgians safe while investigating wrongdoing by government contractors.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Health Care:
Defend Medicare and Medicaid and affordable health care
It is in our strong national interest that every American have quality, affordable health care. Whether it's a newborn just home from the hospital, a mother battling cancer, or a veteran returned from overseas, our health isn't negotiable.
Our quality of life, our strength, and our prosperity depend on it. It's time to move beyond the tired, partisan debate over health care policy, agree on some basic principles, and solve problems:- No American should suffer or die from
preventable or treatable illness.
- No American should be unable to make ends meet from out-of-control medical bills.
- No business should go under or lay off employees because it can't keep up with health insurance premiums.
Jon will work to
defend Medicare and Medicaid, ensure young people can stay on their family plan, prevent discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions, and ensure veterans swiftly get the care and benefits they've earned.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Homeland Security:
Don't undermine private communications & strong encryption
Jon is a former national security professional who understands the threats America faces and the complexity of international politics.When he was a national security staffer on Capitol Hill,
Jon held a top secret security clearance and worked with our military and intelligence community to keep Georgians safe.
Jon will oppose legislation or executive action that undermines Americans' access to private communications and strong encryption.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Immigration:
Unconstitutional to slander or ban entire religious groups
Jon's mother is an immigrant who became a small business owner, an American citizen, and a champion for women's rights. America should welcome those strivers who, like our own forebears, seek the opportunity to work hard, play by the rules, and build
better lives in America.Jon believes it is a violation of core American principles to slander entire religious groups and that it's unconstitutional to ban anyone from entering our country on religious grounds.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Jobs:
Minimum wage should be a living wage
- Jon will go to work to ensure that health insurance premiums don't cripple businesses or force them to lay off employees.
- Jon will defend equal pay for equal work and fight any effort to allow wage discrimination against women or minorities.
- Jon believes the minimum wage should be a living wage. He will support an increase in the federal minimum wage indexed to cost of living and implemented at a pace that allows employers to adapt their business plans.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Social Security:
A civilized nation cannot abandon its elders to destitution
Our country decided long ago that America's seniors will not be neglected or forgotten. A civilized, prosperous nation cannot abandon its elders to destitution or homelessness, or allow them to go without health care.Medicare and Social Security are
vital programs that reflect our values and our commitment to honor and support seniors. Seniors paid for these benefits throughout their lives. Many still count on these critical programs. We should honor all seniors as if they are our own family.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Tax Reform:
Reduce tax burden on small businesses & simplify tax filing
Jon is a small business owner, executive, and entrepreneur. He knows what it means to grow a company, meet a payroll, and balance budgets. Jon will stand up in Congress for a dynamic, forward-looking, fiscally responsible economic policy that maximizes
opportunity for entrepreneurs, workers, and investors.Jon will work to level the playing field for small businesses so they can grow and create jobs that will empower Georgians to strive, save, send our kids to college affordably, and retire
comfortably.
Jon will work in Congress to reduce the tax burden on small businesses and simplify small business tax filing. He will work to repeal wasteful, anti-competitive special interest
subsidies that make it hard for entrepreneurs to raise capital, enter the market, create jobs, and compete with larger firms who have lobbyists in Washington.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On War & Peace:
Avoid reckless, destabilizing missteps like the Iraq War
In Congress, Jon will push for a tough, smart foreign policy that protects our national security while avoiding reckless, destabilizing missteps like the Iraq War.As an investigative film executive, Jon has managed high-risk operations in conflict
zones. Last year, one of his investigative teams documented evidence of war crimes on the front line in Iraq. His teams have also exposed the corrupt theft and black market sale of foreign aid funded by American taxpayers.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On War & Peace:
Destroy ISIS without deploying regular US ground forces
Jon will oppose unnecessary military intervention overseas and will only support the use of force where US national security is at stake.Jon will back efforts to destroy ISIS without deploying regular US ground forces. He will work to ensure that law
enforcement, intelligence agencies, and the military have the resources and authorities necessary to prevent terrorism without sacrificing privacy and human rights. Jon will vigorously oppose the torture of detainees and prisoners of war in US custody.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Apr 21, 2017
On Principles & Values:
Supported by national anti-Trump neophyte networks
Ossoff, one of 18 candidates on the special election ballot, was lifted from obscurity on a wave of local and national anti-Trump sentiment. He raised a jaw-dropping $8.3 million, more than quadruple the haul brought in by the next-best fund-raiser,
the Republican Dan Moody. Much of that money came from angry liberals outside Georgia hoping to send Trump a message at the ballot box.Locally, Ossoff was aided by formal and informal networks of progressives that sprouted and grew like mushrooms
after Trump's victory. Many participants were political neophytes and women who had taken part in the anti-Trump marches after the inauguration. Hundreds of highly motivated volunteers knocked on doors, wrote postcards to voters and drove them to the
polls.
Georgia's Sixth District, which encompasses a number of majority-white suburbs north of Atlanta, is home to a well-heeled professional class. Ossoff's r‚sum‚, if not necessarily his politics, is the type that would make any soccer mom proud.
Source: N.Y.Times on 2017 Georgia 6th House special election
Apr 19, 2017
On Principles & Values:
Campaign slogan: Make Trump Furious
Though his campaign used the slogan "Make Trump Furious," Ossoff, in person, takes the opposite of a sound-and-fury approach. As a candidate, he tends to run more cool than hot, with a deliberative, professorial style somewhat similar to Barack Obama's.
He is unabashed about his support for traditional liberal causes, including abortion rights, but in television ads, he often emphasizes more anodyne positions, like fighting wasteful spending in Washington and creating more tech jobs at home.
Source: N.Y.Times on 2017 Georgia 6th House special election
Apr 19, 2017
On Principles & Values:
Interned for Rep. John Lewis and Rep. Hank Johnson
Ossoff's interest in politics was first stirred as a 17-year-old student at the Paideia School when he read John Lewis' autobiography and was moved to ask the congressman for a job. That turned into an internship in the Atlanta Democrat's Washington
office. As a student at Georgetown University, Ossoff volunteered for Hank Johnson's 2006 campaign to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney. After Johnson's congressional victory, Ossoff worked as a legislative aide to the new congressman.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia 6th House race
Apr 18, 2017
On Principles & Values:
Promises to move to 6th district after girlfriend graduates
Ossoff, a north DeKalb County native, does not reside in the 6th Congressional District, living just south of it so his girlfriend of 12 years, an Emory University medical student, can walk to work.
Members of Congress don't have to live in their districts, but Ossoff has said he will move to the 6th after she graduates.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia 6th House race
Apr 18, 2017
On Health Care:
Maintain funding for CDC pandemic infrastructure
Congressional candidate Jon Ossoff called on the other 17 candidates in the Sixth District race to unify in opposition to a provision of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) that would gut the health security infrastructure necessary to detect and fight
infectious disease outbreaks like Ebola and Zika.The provision would slash funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), devastating efforts to protect Georgians and the nation from deadly pandemics.
The massive cuts would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health fund, which is critical to preventing outbreaks of dangerous diseases like Ebola and Zika.
"This is a national security issue," said
Ossoff. "No matter where candidates stand on the overall bill, we should unite to protect Georgia families from the deadly outbreak of diseases like Ebola and Zika," said Ossoff.
Source: 2017 Georgia House campaign website, ElectJon.com
Mar 13, 2017
Page last updated: Aug 14, 2018