COLUMBUS – U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and two of the Republicans vying for the GOP nomination to challenge the incumbent Democrat next year highlighted Wednesday’s annual Georgia Chamber Congressional Luncheon.
It wasn’t a campaign stop for Ossoff and U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter of Savannah and Mike Collins of Jackson. Instead, the three politicians gave leading Georgia political and business leaders at the Columbus Trade and Convention Center their takes on issues facing Congress and their respective roles on Capitol Hill.
Ossoff, who is seeking a second six-year term in the Senate, criticized the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on America’s allies and adversaries alike since taking office this year.
“The tit-for-tat tariff war is alienating key international parties while paralyzing much of the business community with the uncertainty,” he said.
Ossoff said Trump’s massive budget bill the Republican-controlled Congress passed last month will hurt Georgia businesses by repealing clean-energy tax credits at a time Georgia has become a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing.
When Congress goes back into session next month following the annual August recess, Ossoff said he plans to introduce legislation providing tax credits to businesses that contribute to technical colleges.
Carter praised Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” for leaving federal tax credits for the nuclear industry intact even while repealing the clean-energy credits.
Carter said the most important step Congress could take to help businesses in Georgia and elsewhere would be to rein in federal red tape that is hampering business activity. He noted that the deepening of Savannah Harbor from 42 to 47 feet took 24 years to complete.
“We’ve got to do better than that,” he said. “We’ve got to have permitting reform.”
Collins, fresh off formally launching his Senate campaign Tuesday during a rally in his hometown, has been pushing to reform the federal Clean Act. He is sponsoring legislation aimed at streamlining permit requirements for water infrastructure projects.
Collins said he plans to introduce tort reform legislation when Congress returns to Washington next month to address skyrocketing insurance premiums. The General Assembly’s Republican majorities passed a bill this year overhauling Georgia’s civil litigation process.
“Until we’ve got tort reform on the federal level, we’re not going to fix this problem,” Collins said.
As part of Wednesday’s program, the chamber awarded its first annual Coolest Things Made in Georgia Award to Marietta-based Lockheed Martin for its new C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft.