Taxpayer dollars at work: Okefenokee land, CDC funding, family farms

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On May 21, 2025, Ossoff pressed against the sale of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, securing a commitment from the Interior Secretary.

Credit: Screenshot

Note: In this recurring digital news series, GPB follows your federal tax dollars back to the state of Georgia. Neither Sen. Jon Ossoff nor Sen. Raphael Warnock is up for reelection this year — the former will run again in 2026 and the latter in 2028.

Georgia's U.S. senators worked on securing a commitment from the U.S. Interior Secretary not to sell the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, urged Senate leadership to protect the CDC by providing the agency funding, pressed the U.S. Department of Agriculture about funding delays that could impact Georgia family farms, and sought federal funding to upgrade Georgia airports.

Family farms

On May 15, Ossoff and his fellow Senate colleagues announced they were pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) about delays that could threaten Georgia family farms with bankruptcy.

According to a press release, the senators seek more information “about reporting that certain farm loans and loan guarantees must be cleared through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which could cause delays in critical funds for family farms across Georgia at a time when farmers continue facing economic challenges.”

“We write to express concern about a reported memorandum from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to require certain farm loans and loan guarantees to be cleared through Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees,” the group wrote.

Small businesses

On May 16, Ossoff announced that he is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation introduced by Sens. James Risch (R-Idaho) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) to support Georgia’s small businesses.

Per a press release, the Simplifying Subcontracting Act would simplify the process for small businesses to win federal contracts.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they deserve a fair shot at Federal contracts,” Ossoff said in a statement. “Our bipartisan bill will cut through red tape by ensuring that subcontracting solicitations are written in clear, accessible language — making it easier for Georgia small businesses to compete, grow, and create jobs in their communities.”

Okefenokee sale

On May 21, Ossoff secured a commitment from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum not to pursue any sale of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge at a U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing.

According to a press release, the questioning for a commitment comes after House Republicans approved an amendment to sell thousands of acres of public lands in the West.

“I know there’s been some public discussion about the sale of public lands. Can you give an unequivocal guarantee that you will not pursue any sale of any part of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge?” Ossoff asked Burgum, to which the interior secretary said, “Yes.”

Blue Bird manufacturing

On May 21, Ossoff urged U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright to support Blue Bird's manufacturing expansion in Fort Valley, Ga., at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.

In 2023, Ossoff, Warnock and U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop helped deliver a $80 million federal grant to Blue Bird to expand its manufacturing facilities and help build electric school buses.

According to a press release, the push comes after many grants nationwide have been canceled or delayed.

“There is growing demand from local school districts for electric school buses for all kinds of good reasons, and the Blue Bird Corporation wants to get in on this and be able to meet that market demand,” Ossoff said at the hearing. “They’ve invested $80 million of private capital to retool an aging manufacturing facility — to produce those electric school buses. That was met, matched by an $80 million federal grant from the Department of Energy. What I want to convey to you is how important this is to Middle Georgia.”

SNAP cuts

On May 24, the Albany Herald published an interview with Warnock warning rural Georgians that cuts to nutrition programs presented in a new spending bill, per a news release, will most affect "elderly, people with disabilities, children, farmers, and small business owners."

Specifically, Warnock highlighted how the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps people afford groceries, would impact rural Georgians "because the majority of Georgia counties with the highest rates of families who rely on SNAP are rural."

"There are people who work every single day and are still food-insecure," Warnock said in the interview. "The thing I want to emphasize is it will be rural Georgians impacted. What we will see is huge cuts in benefits. Small communities will be particularly hard hit."

Local lands

On May 28, Warnock and Ossoff announced $2 million in federal funding for revitalization projects in Brownfields Grants to clean up and revitalize local lands as a part of $267 million in Brownfields Grants throughout the country.

Per a press release, “Brownfields Grants are a powerful catalyst for local economic growth. Communities have previously used the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) grants to assess, clean up, and attract new development.”

“These federal funds will help our state get back on track by helping assess and eventually transform what are now uninhabitable areas, further strengthening Georgia’s economy,” Warnock said in a statement.

“Above all, this is about our communities’ health. No family in Georgia should live in fear of contaminants in their communities,” Ossoff said.

Airport upgrades

On May 28, Ossoff and Warnock announced more than $13 million in federal funding to be delivered under the bipartisan infrastructure law to upgrade Georgia’s airports.

According to a press release, the federal funding “will support a broad range of development and infrastructure projects across the state to help ensure Georgia’s airports have the resources they need to support local businesses and communities.”

Twenty-nine airports in Georgia are to receive funding.

“Georgia’s airports are a key driver of job creation and economic competitiveness,” Ossoff said in a statement. “Alongside Sen. Warnock, we are pleased to announce this funding through the bipartisan infrastructure law for airport upgrades across the State of Georgia.”

“This investment in Georgia’s aviation infrastructure is critical to our state and its economy,” Warnock said in a statement. “I will continue to do all I can to strengthen Georgia’s aviation economy.”

CDC funding

On May 29, Warnock led 29 Senate colleagues urging Senate leadership to protect the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by providing about $9 billion to support the agency.

Per a press release, Warnock, Ossoff, and 28 other Senate colleagues wrote a letter to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to “stress the importance of protecting the CDC’s national security and public health work.”

“These cuts will not make Americans healthy,” they wrote. “The CDC must remain the world’s preeminent public health agency and to do so, the CDC must have the tools it needs to continue its work. We support robust funding for CDC’s response efforts to domestic health threats, much of which flows through state and local public health agencies.”