Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) launched a digital ad on Friday tying Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) to the ongoing government shutdown — and the ripple effects it’s having on Georgia’s airports.
“Flights DELAYED. Military families NOT getting paid. And for what? To demand FREE healthcare of illegal immigrants,” the ad’s graphic declares.
According to Fox News, Collins, who has represented Georgia’s 10th Congressional District since 2023, is already gearing up for 2026, when he plans to challenge Ossoff for his Senate seat. His ad is the latest in a string of Republican efforts to hold Democrats responsible for the shutdown’s fallout, both nationally and at home.
“Crucial air traffic controllers are working without pay, travelers are facing delays, and government workers face uncertainty because Ossoff and Schumer are playing political games with our government. It’s time to stop the charade and end the shutdown now,” Collins said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Ossoff’s campaign fired back, accusing Collins and other House Republicans of avoiding their duties.
“Health insurance premiums are about to double, and the government is closed, but Georgia’s House Republicans, including Mike Collins, haven’t bothered coming to work in three weeks. They’re hiding in their districts to avoid votes on the Epstein Files,” an Ossoff spokesperson said, referencing upcoming congressional debates on healthcare subsidies and transparency surrounding Jeffrey Epstein.
The government entered a shutdown on Oct. 1 after lawmakers failed to agree on a federal spending plan for the 2026 fiscal year. The House passed a temporary funding bill to keep the government running through Nov. 21, but it stalled in the Senate as Democrats demanded an extension of COVID-era subsidies for Obamacare premiums set to expire this year.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has pushed back, arguing the subsidies are unrelated to the spending bill. Republicans, who currently hold 53 Senate seats, still need at least seven Democrats to break a filibuster.
As of Friday, the Senate had voted seven times on short-term spending extensions, with Ossoff siding with his Democratic colleagues in opposition each time.
With the stalemate now in its tenth day, more than 110,000 Georgia government workers are affected, including TSA agents and air traffic controllers. Collins pointed to shortages in those critical positions as a reason for mounting delays at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which saw 426 flight delays and nine cancellations on Thursday, according to FlightAware.
Senators left Washington on Thursday and are not expected to resume votes on spending measures until next week.
