SCOOP: Jon Ossoff's "stolen valor" roils Georgia Senate race: "Our veterans are not your political prop"

According to Sen. Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.), he “championed” the VA Home Loan Reform Act of 2025. According to others who worked on the bill, however, he had “absolutely nothing to do with this bill.”

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R., Wis.), a former Navy SEAL and lead sponsor of the bill, quickly fact checked Ossoff.

“This is a bald faced lie,” Van Orden explained, adding that Ossoff “had absolutely nothing to do with this bill, and I mean nothing. He did not even VOTE for it, it passed by UC. This disgusting and shameful behavior must stop. Veterans are not political props.” Ossoff is not listed as a cosponsor of Van Orden’s legislation, and it has no Senate companion legislation that Ossoff has signed on to either.

Ossoff has bizarrely spent months lying about his ties to Van Orden’s bill. At a recent press conference, he touted his “bipartisan bill signed into law by President Trump to help Georgia veterans from foreclosure,” according to a local news report. Back in July, Ossoff issued a press release about the legislation that he claimed to have “backed.”

Puzzlingly, Ossoff is not on the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, which did discharge the bill by unanimous consent, and he did not speak about it on the Senate floor when it was considered on the Senate floor in July, nor did he offer any amendments or discussion on it either. The bill was ultimately passed by unanimous consent.

Nevertheless, Ossoff took credit.

Ossoff, who is facing a competitive election next year, has successfully spun his lack of effort into glowing media coverage.

WSB-TV, a local Georgia outlet, falsely covered the bill as one that was “co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff,” for example. WRBL erroneously described the bill as one “that the U.S. Senator co-sponsored and supported.”

Both Ossoff’s Senate colleagues and his Republican challengers were quick to highlight his lies.

Sen. Tim Scott (R., S.C.), who also chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), explained that “what Jon Ossoff is doing is called hogwash. He had nothing to do with this Republican effort to assist Veterans. But now in his political desperation, he’s trying to take credit.”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R., Ala.) echoed Scott, explaining that Ossoff’s lies are “why Americans hate politicians. Jon Ossoff had nothing to do with this bill.”

Derek Dooley, who was recently endorsed by Georgia’s popular governor, Brian Kemp, called Ossoff a “typical politician” in the wake of Ossoff’s latest scandal.

“He didn’t cast a vote,” Dooley added. “He didn’t do any work. He just saw a chance for a headline. Stop using veterans as props.”

Both Georgia Republican congressmen who are challenging Ossoff used the faux pas to make the case against the senator as well. Rep. Buddy Carter (R., Ga.) called out Ossoff’s “pathetic, disgusting lies.”

“Congrats on showing Georgians you’re not above using veterans as props for your press stunts,” Carter added. “Your empty suit gimmicks spit in the face of people you claim to serve. How about spending less time on hair and makeup and more time actually working for Georgia?”

Rep. Mike Collins (R., Ga.), whose Senate bid was endorsed by Van Orden, explained how Ossoff “says one thing in Georgia, [and] does another in D.C.”