Growing up and working on a farm in Illinois, Congressman Don Bacon learned first-hand how the value of hard work and commitment contributes to the success of a small business. He moved from the family farm to attend Northern Illinois University, from which he graduated with a Bachelors of Political Science in 1984, the same year he married Angie, the love of his life. They have three sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren. One year later, he began his military career by joining the U.S. Air Force and serving nearly 30 years, ultimately retiring as a Brigadier General.
During his career in the Air Force, Congressman Bacon specialized in electronic warfare, intelligence and reconnaissance. His career highlights include two tours as a Wing Commander, at Ramstein Airbase in Germany and Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska; group command at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona; squadron command in Arizona, and expeditionary squadron command in Iraq. In total, Rep. Bacon served 16 assignments including four deployments in the Middle East to include Iraq in 2007 to 2008 during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
The Second Congressional District, located on the eastern border of Nebraska, encompasses the Omaha metropolitan area which includes all of Douglas County and the suburban areas of western Sarpy County, where many family businesses and farms reside.
Nebraska’s farms and ranches utilize nearly 45 million acres, or 92 percent of the state’s total land area, and one in four Nebraska jobs is related to agriculture. In both our rural and urban communities, Nebraskan families and businesses depend on a strong agriculture economy.
We must continue to expand opportunities to trade our state’s top exports, such as soybeans, beef, and corn, while also supporting programs that provide certainty to farmers in need and to those who are hungry. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Bacon enjoys representing a state that is centered in America’s heartland and is committed to feeding the American people.
The 2018 Farm Bill
The 2018 Farm Bill provides Nebraska’s agriculture community with the resources they need to succeed, including affordable crop insurance, enhancements to trade initiatives, and $300 million in funding for animal disease prevention and management efforts. Rep. Bacon pushed for the establishment of the U.S.-only Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Vaccine Bank, in order to better prepare for and respond to the introduction of animal diseases into our Country—particularly FMD, which would devastate our animal agriculture sector.
I am committed to ensuring that Americans have access to quality affordable healthcare. Today, 71 percent of Americans like their healthcare plans, and we should focus on improving it for the 29 percent who don’t and for those without access to healthcare.
To do this, we must work across the aisle and work on legislation that lowers costs and pushes for more cures, pushes for more preventive care, promotes healthy living choices, and gives Americans the right to choose the healthcare plan that is best suited for their individual needs.
Specific Issues & Bills
Affordable Care Act (ACA):
Pre-Existing Condition Protection:
Co-Sponsor of H.R. 692 Pre-Existing Conditions Protection Act which prohibits application of pre-existing condition exclusions and to guarantee availability of health insurance coverage in the individual and group market, contingent on the enactment of legislation repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Prescription Drug Coverage
Retiring as a Brigadier General after serving nearly 30 years in the United States Air Force, Rep. Bacon’s extensive experience in national service has earned him a seat on the House Armed Services Committee, prioritizing the readiness of our nation’s military and the safety of the American people.
In Congress, Rep. Bacon is committed to enhancing America’s military readiness to deter and combat emerging threats through vital defense legislation, such as the National Defense Authorization Act, and by serving as Co-Chair of the Electromagnetic Warfare Caucus, the Airborne ISR Caucus, and the GPS Caucus.
Rep. Bacon’s defense priorities include:
• Ensuring military readiness to deter and defeat threats in air, land, sea, space and cyberspace.
• Providing for an effective, safe, reliable and secure nuclear deterrent.
• Increasing national biodefense readiness and surge medical capacity.
• Improving joint electromagnetic warfare readiness.
• Advancing the mission readiness and modernization of Offutt Air Force Base.
• Accelerating detection, diagnosis and treatments for traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress.
• Reducing the prevalence and destructive effects of military sexual assault.
• Improving the effectiveness of the military education enterprise.
• Caring for military families and survivors.
• Strengthening our network of military alliances and regional security partnerships.
I will support a Balanced Budget Amendment. We have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. We need to reduce the size of our bureaucracies in Washington, D.C.
Our veterans serve a whole career, volunteer to fight our wars, and spend countless months and years away from their families. We must maintain the promises we gave them when they volunteered. To do otherwise is a breach of contract.
The mission of the Climate Solutions Caucus is to educate members on economically-viable options to reduce climate risk and to explore bipartisan policy options that address the impacts, causes, and challenges of our changing climate. I am proud to be part of the Climate Solutions Caucus to further expand my knowledge on the potential impacts of climate change and find bi-partisan solutions.
Congressman Bacon does not support altering or reducing Social Security for those who are currently in or near retirement. With the average life expectancy increasing in the United States, The Congressman believes we should consider the possibility of adjusting current long-term policies to ensure the viability of Social Security for future generations.