Today’s newsletter highlights include:
- Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler talks about her future.
- Georgia lawmakers consider funding psychedelics research.
- U.S. Rep. David Scott faces committee challenge.
Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff late Wednesday joined more than a dozen other Democrats who voted for a pair of measures that would have blocked the sale of certain types of tank ammunition and mortar rounds to Israel.
The measures brought by independent Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders failed amid opposition from the White House, most Senate Democrats and the GOP caucus. And even if it had succeeded, the weapons purchases represented only a slice of the overall U.S. military assistance to Israel.
But the votes — and the backlash that followed — served up dual reminders about Ossoff’s reelection bid.
The first is that the Israel-Hamas war will continue to test Ossoff, Georgia’s first Jewish U.S. senator, as he tries to balance his roots in the progressive wing of his party’s caucus with the growing conflict in the Middle East.
Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC
Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC
And second is that with the 2026 campaign already underway, Republicans are going to pound Ossoff on every controversial vote long before he has any announced GOP opponents. Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon pronounced it “absolutely stunning” that both Ossoff and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock voted for the restrictions. And at least a half-dozen GOP officials referred us to the vote.
Dov Wilker, regional director of American Jewish Committee Atlanta, said it would be an understatement to say they are disappointed with the votes of Ossoff and Warnock.
“It’s a sad day for the Jewish and pro-Israel community,” he said.
Ossoff explained his dissenting votes in a floor speech by invoking Republican President Ronald Reagan’s decision to block the sale of cluster-type artillery shells to Israel in 1982 to protect innocent lives.
“And Israel, faced by President Reagan’s ultimatum, adjusted its policy to accommodate America’s demand. The United States remained Israel’s closest ally, and the world kept turning,” Ossoff said.
He noted Reagan’s decision is “not a perfect mirror image” of Israel’s plight now, but he said no foreign government — no matter how close an ally — is simply entitled to U.S. weapons “with no strings attached.”
“In the pursuit of America’s national interests, to use the leverage that comes with the provision of arms … is not just sometimes necessary, it’s expected and appropriate,” he said.
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Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
GOOD MORNING! Georgia’s legislative session starts in 53 days. Here are three things to know for today:
- A hand-count audit of Georgia’s election results confirmed President-elect Donald Trump won the state, the AJC’s Mark Niesse reports. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is set to certify the results on Friday.
- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is the new chair of the Republican Governors Association. He’ll hold the office for the next year, Greg Bluestein writes.
- Federal officials have accused a former Georgia election worker of mailing a letter that threatened to bomb a polling place, the AJC’s Alexis Stevens reports.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
LOEFFLER’S FUTURE. Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler told the “Politically Georgia” podcast on Wednesday that she’s ready to serve President-elect Donald Trump’s administration however she can.
But she also has big plans in 2025 if she doesn’t get the call from Trump as she positions her Greater Georgia political operation to focus on a slate of mayoral races and prepare for the 2026 campaigns.
And she continued to dance around questions over whether she’s interested in running for governor or challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in the midterm elections.
“I’m not a politician so I don’t think in terms of election cycles. I’m a businesswoman so I think in terms of what problems there are to be solved,” she said. “But right now I know that 2025 holds a lot of problems to solve. We have municipal elections coming up.”
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
MONEY TALKS. Atlanta’s 16 City Council members are in line for a possible raise that, if approved, would earn them at least $121,500 per year.
Meanwhile, the roughly two dozen members of Atlanta’s state legislative delegation make a little over $25,000 per year, plus expenses.
Might that pay disparity convince some state lawmakers to jump from the Gold Dome to City Hall? Not necessarily, says state Rep. Scott Holcomb, D-Atlanta. He says most people who run for office aren’t driven by the pay, but by a desire to help neighbors and communities.
“Plus,” he said, “an open seat or a flippable district is a bigger driver than pay.”
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Georgia lawmakers got a raise a few years ago. And there are other benefits that come with the office, including a pension. Still, Georgia lawmakers are part time, as are most state legislators in the United States. The idea is to have a “citizen legislature,” made up of people who work real jobs in the real world.
But that also makes it harder for some people to run for office, said Bryce Berry, a public school teacher who just got elected to the state Legislature in November. He says he’ll be living on a tight budget once the session starts in January.
“There’s a deep distrust in government because we have people in government that don’t reflect the people,” he said. “The state House is not working class.”
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
WHAT A TRIP. What could make Georgia lawmakers willing to spend $5 million studying ecstasy and magic mushrooms? Military veterans, specifically their mental health.
A bipartisan panel of state lawmakers on Wednesday endorsed a proposal to spend up to $5 million researching the effects of psychedelic therapies on things like post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other mental health issues that have plagued veterans.
While it may sound radical, Georgia would be a little late to this party. Oregon and Colorado have already legalized psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in some mushrooms. And the federal government is funding research into their effectiveness.
Supporters had a setback earlier this year when federal regulators rejected an ecstasy-based treatment for PTSD, saying further study was needed.
State Sen. Ed Harbison, D-Columbus, said he was hesitant about the idea at first. But said he came around after listening to Vietnam veteran Bob Parsons, the founder of the internet domain registry GoDaddy, say how much it helped him.
“Maybe this is something that I can support as well,” he said.
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TIME TO APPLY. Georgia can’t give money away to farmers hurt by Hurricane Helene because the state Constitution won’t let them (it’s complicated). Instead, the Georgia Department of Agriculture set up a special fund to accept donations to help farmers who lost their harvests.
That fund — known as the Weathered But Strong: Georgia Hurricane Relief Fund — has already raised $1 million. The goal is to raise another $500,000 by the end of the year.
In the meantime, farmers can already start applying for assistance. The application window closes Dec. 31.
While $1.5 million sounds like a lot, it’s not nearly enough to make farmers whole. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has asked the federal government for $12.2 billion in aid. Of that, $6.5 billion would help farmers and agricultural producers.
On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., asked the Senate Appropriations Committee to approve aid quickly.
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Credit: Kent D. Johnson/AJC
Credit: Kent D. Johnson/AJC
LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Bentley Hudgins, Georgia state director of the Human Rights Campaign, and the AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu join the show to talk about transgender issues ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. And former AJC political columnist — and founder of this newsletter — Jim Galloway will give his thoughts on the news of the day.
Be sure to download the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. You can also listen live at 10 a.m. EDT on 90.1 FM WABE. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297.
On Wednesday’s show, former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler talked about why she is backing President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Then, the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman discussed the Georgia Court of Appeals canceling a hearing about the Fulton County election interference case against Trump and his allies.
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
CHALLENGE ON. California U.S. Rep. Jim Costa has told colleagues he will attempt to replace Rep. David Scott as the highest-ranking Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, according to multiple news reports.
Costa’s power play comes amid an extended absence by Scott, who is missing votes for the second consecutive week. He is at an Atlanta-area rehabilitation facility receiving treatment for a back injury. Scott said he will return to his congressional duties after the Thanksgiving break.
Costa is among the lawmakers who have publicly and privately questioned whether Scott, 79, can be effective in his leadership role given his age and health challenges.
Costa tried to unseat Scott in similar fashion in 2020 but was unsuccessful. That year Democrats were in the majority and Scott became the first Black lawmaker to chair the powerful committee.
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Credit: AP
Credit: AP
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden has invited the Boston Celtics to the White House to celebrate their 2024 NBA championship.
- U.S. Rep.-elect Brian Jack and the other newly elected House members will find out where their Capitol offices will be located via the highly anticipated lottery drawing of rooms.
- The U.S. House has morning votes scheduled before members depart for a weeklong Thanksgiving break.
- The U.S. Senate is expected to take more confirmation votes today after working late into the night to overcome procedural hurdles set by Republicans.
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Credit: Evan Vucci/AP
Credit: Evan Vucci/AP
HOME OFFICE. Some members of Congress, most of them Republicans in the U.S. House, sleep in their offices on Capitol Hill to save money.
But U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island, is making a pitch that sleeping where they work could also serve another purpose: more bipartisanship.
He outlined his theory, which also includes sweating it out with colleagues in the congressional gym, in an opinion piece for The Washington Post. Carter writes:
There's no official count of how many of us call the Hill home when we're in town, but I know at least a few dozen members who do. There's a bond among those of us who wake up on a cot or couch, brush our teeth over the same sinks, venture to one of the cafeterias for a hot cup of coffee, and, at the end of the day, fall asleep to the faint scratches of the building's worst tenants, the mice.
I submit that Congress would be more effective if every member slept in their office because there is inherent value in getting to know people across the aisle as people rather than as just the opposition.
Some folks might decry this practice as “rent-free living." However, if it maximizes Congress's productivity and camaraderie while respecting professional boundaries with staff, then it is a step worth taking.
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Credit: Rebecca Wright for the AJC
Credit: Rebecca Wright for the AJC
SHOUTOUTS. Transition:
- Liz Hausmann is the new chief of staff for Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Hausmann is a well-respected former Republican Fulton County commissioner and the first female chair of the Fulton GOP. Her hire is seen as a sign that Raffensperger is taking steps to shore up his office as he considers his own 2026 plans.
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AS ALWAYS, send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
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