Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff pushed back Friday against Republican accusations that he exaggerated — and in some cases lied — about his role in passage of the VA Home Loan Reform Act, after social media posts and some local news reports described him as a champion or co-sponsor of the legislation.
Ossoff posted video of a news report and a caption saying he had "championed" the bipartisan measure intended to replace the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program. Multiple local outlets subsequently ran headlines saying the law was co-sponsored or championed by Ossoff. Republican senators and House members seized on the language, saying there is no record that Ossoff co-sponsored the bill, voted for it or spoke for it on the Senate floor.
The bill's lead sponsor in the House, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital that he was the sole sponsor and that the measure was considered and advanced without a roll-call vote — passing the House by unanimous consent and the Senate by voice vote. Congress.gov listings do not show Ossoff as a co-sponsor, and Ossoff is not a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, which originally reviewed the measure.
Republican criticism was sharp and public. "Sen. Ossoff had absolutely nothing to do with this bill, and I mean nothing," Van Orden said. "He did not even VOTE for it, it passed by UC. This disgusting and shameful behavior must stop. Veterans are not political props." Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called the effort "hogwash" and accused Ossoff of trying to take credit. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said Ossoff was using veterans "as props for your press stunts."
Ossoff's campaign responded by saying the senator had sounded the alarm after the Trump administration canceled the VASP program and later celebrated the passage of a bipartisan fix. "The Trump administration canceled the VASP program, and Sen. Ossoff sounded the alarm that its cancellation risked veteran homelessness, then celebrated the passage of a bipartisan bill to solve the problem," a campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "This is the best they’ve got?"
Van Orden and other Republicans have defended the legislation as necessary because they say the VASP program was fiscally irresponsible and endangered the VA home loan guarantee program. The bill signed by the president aims to replace the VASP mechanism with statutory reforms to the VA home loan servicing process.
The dispute over Ossoff's statements appears to have contributed to inaccurate local reporting in several Georgia outlets. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution and other local stations ran articles saying Ossoff "co-sponsored" or "championed" the measure; WSB Radio ran a headline asserting co-sponsorship. WRBL in Columbus, Ga., reported that Ossoff's team announced the president had signed a bipartisan bill "that the U.S. Senator co-sponsored and supported." Public congressional records show the bill was introduced in the House by Van Orden and proceeded through committee before being approved by voice vote in the Senate.
Ossoff, who won his seat after a 2021 runoff and is expected to run for re-election in 2026, faces an emerging Republican primary field that includes figures such as former University of Tennessee coach Derek Dooley as well as Georgia Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter. The disagreement over the veterans' bill adds to a broader pattern of political attacks and counters as potential challengers position themselves for the 2026 contest.
Both sides provided competing characterizations of the events: Republicans pointed to the legislative record and to the absence of Ossoff's name on the bill, while Ossoff's team said the senator's public comments reflected advocacy around the consequences of the VASP cancellation and support for the bipartisan solution. The dispute over language and attribution highlighted how lawmakers' public statements and local reporting can become focal points in political messaging and campaign contests.