Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has repeatedly stated that historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) can rely on him as an ally and that he will advocate for them in the Senate. However, when presented with the opportunity to send them $500 million, the Senator voted otherwise.
In March of 2025, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution (HR) 1968, which is known as the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act. The primary purpose of this bill was to continue providing appropriations for federal agencies, but it also enabled the Trump Administration to allocate $500 million in additional funding to HBCUs.
HR 1968 eventually moved to the Senate, where it passed with a tally of 54-46. Sen. Ossoff voted against it.
The Senator's Reasoning
The Senator issued a statement on X, explaining why he voted against it, writing, “The House bill irresponsibly fails to impose any constraints on the reckless and out-of-control Trump administration.”
“The Administration is gutting the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and the [Department of Veterans Affairs] while destabilizing the economy. Both parties in Congress must fulfill our Constitutional obligation to check the President,” he continued.
Ossoff also mentioned the cuts made to the National Institute of Health and the Army Corps of Engineers, but the primary motivation seems to be his opposition to the Trump Administration.
Sen. Ossoff Will Vote 'No' on House Budget Proposal pic.twitter.com/G98VrbuLIB
— Ossoff's Office (@SenOssoff) March 14, 2025
According to the senator's response, HBCUs appear to not have been a factor into vote, which critics are calling a broken promise.
A Questionable Record
Detractors argue that Ossoff has a reputation for saying one thing and doing something different. For example, the Senator openly promoted and supported HR 5371, which is another Continuing Appropriations bill, but he voted against its final passage.
In December 2024, the Senator voted in favor of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act and took credit for its inclusion of military pay raises. However, three months later, the Senator voted against a continuing resolution that included the very same military pay raises.
