Donald John Bacon (born August 16, 1963) is an American politician and retired military officer serving as the U.S. representative for Nebraska‘s 2nd congressional district since 2017. Before holding public office, he was a United States Air Force officer, retiring as brigadier general with stints as wing commander at Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, prior to his retirement from the military in 2014. His political constituency now includes all of Omaha and the areas surrounding Offutt.

Bacon is frequently described as a moderate centrist within the Republican Party.[2][3][4][5][6] As of 2021, he ranks 12th in bipartisanship among members of Congress according to Georgetown University’s Lugar Center. A member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which represents the most moderate of the five GOP factions in the House, Bacon was an original sponsor of the Naming Commission, which stripped the Department of Defense of names valorizing the Confederacy, and of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which established lynching as a unique hate crime, and voted to enact the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified the right to same-sex marriage. He was one of 37 Republicans who rejected attempts to overturn the 2020 election, and one of 35 who supported the committee to investigate the January 6th attack. He has repeatedly sparred with members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

An active voice on foreign policy in the House, Bacon is among a slate of U.S. representatives sanctioned by the Russian government, and was the first member of Congress to be hacked by the Chinese government.

Early life, education, and military career

Bacon is originally from Momence, Illinois, the son of Donald and Joan Bacon of Bourbonnais.[7] He grew up on a family farm in Momence[8] and graduated from Grace Baptist Academy in Kankakee in 1980.[7]

Don Bacon smiling in a military portrait
Portrait of Air Force Brigadier General Don Bacon

Bacon attended Northern Illinois University and gained a commission through the Air Force ROTC program, interning in Representative Edward Rell Madigan‘s Washington D.C. office during his senior year. In his military career he specialized in electronic warfare, intelligence, reconnaissance and public affairs, and also qualified as a Master Navigator.[9] He served as a Wing Commander at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, as a Group commander and Squadron commander at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona and an Expeditionary Squadron commander in Iraq.[10] Bacon has earned master’s degrees from the National War College of the National Defense University and the University of Phoenix. His final assignment was as Director of ISR Strategy, Plans, Doctrine and Force Development, AF/A2, Headquarters U.S. Air Force at the Pentagon from July 2012.[11]

Brigadier General Donald Bacon, 55th Wing Commander, salutes the men and women attending his final flight at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

In 2014, Bacon retired from the U.S. Air Force.[12] During his 29 years in the Air Force, he was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, two Legion of Merits and two Bronze Star Medals; he was selected as Europe’s top Air Force Wing Commander in 2009.[13] He served as an aide to U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry and assistant professor at Bellevue University before running for office.[14]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2016

In the 2016 elections, Bacon won the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district,[15] a primarily urban and suburban district in metro Omaha,[16] covering parts of Douglas and Sarpy counties.[17]

The general election race was considered a tossup, with Democratic incumbent Brad Ashford seen as having a slight edge.[18] After a 2005 videotape showing Donald Trump making lewd remarks to Billy Bush surfaced in October 2016, Bacon said that Trump could not win the presidency and should withdraw from the race in favor of “a strong conservative candidate, like Mike Pence.” But Bacon did not say that he would not vote for Donald Trump, since he did not “believe Hillary is the right person. I’m in a quandary.”[19]

Bacon narrowly defeated Ashford in the general election on November 8, 2016,[20][21] with 48.9% of the vote to Ashford’s 47.7%.[22][23] He was the only Republican to defeat an incumbent Democrat in the 2016 House elections.[24]

2018

Bacon was reelected in 2018, narrowly defeating progressive Democrat[25] Kara Eastman with 51.0% of the vote to her 49.0%.[26]

2020
Bacon (right) campaigning with then-Senator Ben Sasse on Election Day 2020

Bacon and Eastman faced off again in the 2020 general election. Bacon was reelected by a larger margin than in 2018, winning 51.0% of the vote to Eastman’s 46.2%, even as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won the district by 6.5 points.[27][28] He was endorsed by his predecessor, Democrat Brad Ashford, whom he defeated in 2016.[29]

2022

Bacon narrowly won re-election in 2022 against Nebraska state senator Tony Vargas.

2024

Bacon is running for re-election in 2024. Tony Vargas is expected to run again as the Democratic Party candidate in a rematch of the 2022 election. Former President Donald Trump has tried to recruit a populist Republican to primary Bacon, though none has emerged.[30]

Tenure

After his election, Bacon was sworn in to the 115th Congress in January 2017. During his first term he served on the House Agriculture Committee,[16] Homeland Security Committee and the Armed Services Committee.[31] During Donald Trump’s presidency, Bacon voted in line with Trump’s position 89.4% of the time.[32] The Lugar Center ranked Bacon 89th out of 435 House members in bipartisanship.[33]

Bacon was reelected in 2018 and served in the 116th Congress, continuing to serve on the Agriculture and Armed Services committees. His bipartisanship ranking rose to 15th out of 435.[34]

In 2021, Bacon was seated for his third term.

During the first year of Joe Biden‘s presidency, Bacon voted in line with Biden’s position 29.5% of the time.[35]

Following the 2022 midterm elections and announcements by members of the Freedom Caucus that they would oppose or demand concessions of presumptive House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Bacon announced he was willing to work with Democrats to elect a moderate Republican.[36]

In August 2023, the FBI revealed that Bacon was the first US lawmaker to be targeted in a cyberespionage intrusion by Chinese government hackers.[37] When asked about the intrusion, which Bacon said largely compromised campaign and personal email data, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC called the incident a “smear” and part of a “groundless narrative.”[38] The embassy denial included a complaint that the U.S. government had undercut China’s sovereignty with recent arms sales to Taiwan, an effort which Bacon had vocally supported.[38][39] A spokeswoman for Bacon’s office said it was likely a reason for the attack.[39]

Following failed House votes on bills to avoid a government shutdown beginning on October 1, 2023, Bacon said of Republicans in the Freedom Caucus who sought major concessions or pushed for a shutdown “some of these folks would vote against the Bible because there’s not enough Jesus in it.”[40]

Bacon voted against the October 2023 removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, calling it a vote “for chaos”, and “a good day for Russia and China.”[41] He supported Steve Scalise in his initial bid for the October 2023 House Speaker election, but voted against the subsequent unsuccessful bid by Freedom Caucus founder Jim Jordan, former President Donald Trump’s preferred candidate.[42] Following the first round of voting on Jordan’s nomination, Bacon revealed that his wife and staff were being harassed and threatened by phone and in public to push him to support Jordan, saying “there’s been a bullying campaign…they’re being told on certain cable channels that the world’s falling apart…and they feel like approved to cross these boundaries and to be wrong.”[43][44] He ultimately supported Mike Johnson‘s successful bid for the role.

Bacon supported the November 2023 expulsion of George Santos.[45]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Political positions

Armed services and foreign policy

Bacon at NATO facilities in Ādaži, Latvia with U.S. Army M109 howitzer and AN/TWQ-1 Avenger artillery crews

Bacon has been a member of the Armed Services Committee since taking office in 2017.

Bacon supported airstrikes in Syria in retaliation for the Assad government’s use of chemical weapons.[67] In 2019, Bacon voted for a resolution opposing Trump’s move to withdraw U.S. support for the Kurds in Syria, which exposed Kurdish militias to attacks from Turkey.[68]

At a Brookings Institution event in October 2017, Bacon stressed the importance of military readiness and called for U.S. Air Force crews to increase flight hours to enhance readiness. He also said the “gravest threat” to military readiness was the “partisan divide” in government, which had prevented necessary increases in spending.[69]

Bacon supports a stronger U.S. presence in the Balkans to counter Russia, which he has called a key adversary of the United States. He has expressed alarm regarding Russia’s activity in Ukraine and the Balkans, as well as Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections and attempted Russian interference in other nations’ elections.

In November 2017, Bacon told an electronic warfare (EW) conference that the U.S. military needed “to elevate the electromagnetic spectrum to an official domain of warfare—alongside land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace–and appoint general officers as EW advocates in all four services and to the joint staff.” He said the U.S. should re-intensify its EW capabilities, which he said had atrophied after the collapse of the Soviet Union.[70]

Bacon with President Barack Obama in 2009.

Bacon is a consistent supporter of Taiwan. In 2019, he spent time with Representative Salud Carbajal and former Speaker Paul Ryan in Taiwan to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act and open a new de facto Embassy. Bacon said, “we owe it to be clear that Taiwan is a success story and we have to support their democracy.”[71]
At the outset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Bacon said:

“Today starts a new and dark chapter in national security that is Hobbesian in nature where bullies will dominate weaker countries. Where might makes right, and dictators prey on their neighbors unless free nations band together and deter this threat.…We have entered a new cold war[72]

In April 2022, the Russian Federation sanctioned and banned Bacon in retaliation for U.S. participation in sanctions against pro-war members of the Russian Duma.[73]

In February 2023, Bacon signed a letter advocating for President Biden to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.[74]

Agriculture

Bacon meeting Prime Minister Kaja Kallas of Estonia in November 2023.

Bacon has been a member of the House Agriculture Committee since 2017. In 2019, he urged the United States Army Corps of Engineers to streamline its response to the 2019 Midwestern U.S. floods and pushed to fund levies to shore up flooded farmland and Offutt Air Force Base.[75]

Bacon supported the 2018 Republican-led omnibus Farm Bill which legalized the commercialization of Hemp products.[76]

Abortion

Bacon is firmly against abortion.[14] He is a co-sponsor of the Life at Conception Act, which would guarantee “equal protection for the right to life of each born and preborn human person” under the 14th Amendment.[77]

In 2017, he voted for legislation to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy[32] and to repeal a rule requiring state and local governments to distribute federal funds to Federally Qualified Health Centers even if they perform abortions,[32] a measure aimed at defunding Planned Parenthood.[78] Bacon said he supported redirecting funds to community health care centers that do not provide abortion services.[78]

Civil rights

In 2019, Bacon and Representative Seth Moulton introduced The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2019. The bill specified lynching as a unique deprivation of civil rights, and would for the first time make it a federal crime. The bill’s language was incorporated into the 2020 Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which passed the House but was blocked by Rand Paul in the Senate.[79] A later version became law in 2022.

Bacon expressed support for “most of” the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. He supported mandatory wearing of body cameras by police officers while on duty and a national registry for police misconduct, but opposed ending qualified immunity provisions for officers.[80] He also criticized provisions ending the Department of Defense 1033 program, which allows the transfer of surplus military equipment to law enforcement agencies, saying, “if our police are encountering a serious threat, I don’t want an equal fight for them.”[80] He ultimately voted against the legislation in a mostly party-line vote.[81]

The Naming Commission

After the murder of George Floyd, Bacon and Anthony Brown introduced legislation to rename Department of Defense assets that valorized Southern confederate leaders or values. Alongside companion legislation introduced in the Senate by Elizabeth Warren, the bill resulted in the creation of The Naming Commission through incorporation into the omnibus National Defense Authorization Act. When asked about the bill, President Trump insisted that he would “not even consider” the proposal, to which Bacon replied in The New York Times, “you’re wrong—you need to change… we’re not the party of Jim Crow.”[82][83][84] Trump vetoed the NDAA for reasons he said included funding for the commission, after which Congress delivered the only veto override of his presidency.[84]

LGBT rights

On July 19, 2022, Bacon and 46 other Republican representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, codified the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.[85] He said he does not believe “the government should dictate who can marry each other based on gender, race, or ethnicity.”[86]

Drug policy

In 2018, Bacon said that he opposed marijuana legalization as a personal matter, but that he supported decriminalization at the federal level and believed that states should be permitted to make the decision.[67][87] Bacon supported the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp production.[76]

Economic issues

Bacon with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2023.

In 2017, Bacon voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[88] Bacon has expressed support for raising the full retirement age for eligibility for Social Security for Americans now under age 40.[87]

Environment

Bacon has said, “I don’t think we know for certain how much of climate change is being caused by normal cyclical changes in weather vs. human causes. I support legislation that allows for continued incremental improvement in our environment, but oppose extreme measures that create significant economic and job disruption.”[89] He is a member of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus.[53]

Gun policy

In 2018, Bacon said he would support a ban on bump stocks.[67] In 2021, he introduced legislation to enhance penalties for engaging in illicit straw purchases of firearms.[90]

Health care

Bacon favors repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare,[91] and opposes proposals for Medicare for All or single-payer healthcare.[67] In May 2017, he voted for the American Health Care Act of 2017, Republican health-care legislation that would have repealed large portions of the ACA.[92][93]

Immigration

Bacon campaigns with Charlie Kirk at a pro-Trump event in Omaha in 2020.

In August 2017, Bacon and five of his House colleagues urged Trump to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for undocumented youth brought to the United States as children (also known as “Dreamers”), “until we can pass a permanent legislative solution.”[94][24] In 2019, he voted for legislation to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented youth.[95]

Bacon has expressed support for construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall supported by Trump.[96] Bacon voted against legislation to end the December 2018–January 2019 government shutdown by appropriating funds without money for a border wall.[32] He said that Trump’s attempt to circumvent Congress by declaring a national emergency to redirect money from military construction to building a border wall was not “the right way to go” because it infringed on congressional powers,[96] but voted against a House resolution to overturn the emergency declaration and against overriding Trump’s veto of legislation that would have overturned the declaration.[32]

In 2017, Bacon reintroduced the Kerrie Orozco Act, which would “allow the spouses of first responders, killed in the line of duty, access to a quicker process of becoming an American citizen.”[97]

Impeachment

In 2019, the House voted on two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump. Bacon voted against both articles.[98]

In 2021, the House voted on one article of impeachment against Trump for incitement of insurrection after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bacon voted against the article.[99]

In 2023 Bacon voted for the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, but said he was skeptical of the efforts to impeach, stating that he thinks Biden did engage in corruption, but that impeachments are bad for the nation and generally hurt the election successes of the party bringing the proceedings.[100]

Infrastructure

Bacon initially said he would support President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and criticized Republicans for opposing it, but during negotiations he said he could not commit to voting for the bill.[101] Ultimately, Bacon was one of 13 House Republicans to break with their party and vote with a majority of Democrats in favor of the legislation.[102]

Israel

Bacon supports an “ironclad partnership” with Israel and endorsed the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.[103][104] Bacon voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[105][106]

2020 presidential election

In a December 2020 Washington Post survey of the 249 Republican members of Congress, Bacon was one of 37 who acknowledged Joe Biden as the legitimate President-elect.[107]

Bacon did not join congressional Republicans who sided with the Trump campaign’s attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election. He voted to certify both Arizona’s and Pennsylvania’s votes in the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count.

On May 19, 2021, Bacon was one of 35 Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.[108] Before the vote, he was one of only a few Republican lawmakers who openly expressed their support for the commission.[109]

Postal Service

Bacon was one of 26 Republicans to vote with the Democratic caucus for a $25 billion relief bill for the U.S. Postal Service at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.[110]

Electoral history

Republican candidateDemocratic candidateOther candidate
   
YearCandidateVotesCandidateVotesCandidatePartyVotes
2016Don Bacon141,06648.9%Brad Ashford (Incumbent)137,60247.7%Steven LairdLibertarian9,6403.4%
2018Don Bacon (Incumbent)126,71551.0%Kara Eastman121,77041.5%
2020Don Bacon (Incumbent)171,07150.8%Kara Eastman155,70646.2%Tyler SchaefferLibertarian10,1853.0%
2022Don Bacon (Incumbent)112,66350.8%Tony Vargas106,80748.6%

Sources:[111][112][113]

Personal life

Bacon and his wife Angie (née Hardison)[7] have four children and six[114] grandchildren. They live in Papillion, Nebraska.[115] Bacon is a Roman Catholic.[116]

References

  1. ^ Tysver, Robynn (March 15, 2015). “Citing military and foreign policy as priorities, retired Brig. Gen. Don Bacon announces bid for Congress”. Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2023. He also made it clear that he plans to put his unusual last name to political use. (In the military, his nickname was Bits.)
  2. ^ Zurcher, Anthony (January 5, 2023). “Kevin McCarthy makes new concessions to rebels as third day of voting looms”. BBC News. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  3. ^ McCaskill, Nolan D. (December 7, 2022). “Will the GOP’s razor-thin House majority empower its shrinking centrist wing?”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Oprysko, Caitlin (November 14, 2022). “K Street eyes the power of the moderates”. POLITICO. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  5. ^ Hains, Tim (January 4, 2023). “Centrist GOP Rep. Don Bacon: McCarthy’s Team Is In “Preliminary Talks” With Democrats”. RealClear Politics.
  6. ^ Pengelly, Martin (November 16, 2022). “Republicans are already fighting with each other as they take House control”. The Guardian. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Lee Provost, Momence native elected congressman in Nebraska, Daily Journal (November 23, 2016).
  8. ^ Nebraska Rep. Bacon to serve on House Agriculture Committee, Associated Press (January 11, 2017).
  9. ^ USAF (MAY 2014). Brigadier General Donald J. Bacon. USAF Biographies
  10. ^ Don Bacon; Military Times; http://caucus.militarytimes.com/speaker/don-bacon/#.Wr6kR5PwbOQ
  11. ^ “Brigadier General Donald J. Bacon”. United States Air Force. November 1, 2014.
  12. ^ “Gen. Bacon set to retire”. The Daily Journal. July 12, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  13. ^ “Biography”. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Tysver, Robynn (April 26, 2016). “Don Bacon is a ‘fresh face’ in politics but hardly a political neophyte”. Omaha World Herald.
  15. ^ Don Walton (March 25, 2015). “Retired general bids for Ashford House seat”. Lincoln Journal Star.
  16. ^ a b Morton, Joseph (January 11, 2017). “Don Bacon, who represents the mostly urban and suburban 2nd District, gets seat on House Agriculture Committee”. Omaha World-Herald.
  17. ^ Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers: Primary Election May 10, 2016 Archived January 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Compiled by John A. Gale, Nebraska Secretary of State
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  19. ^ Tysver, Robynn, Don Bacon says Trump should step down, but he won’t rule out voting for him, Omaha World Herald (October 8, 2016).
  20. ^ Williams, Jack (November 9, 2016). “Bacon ousts Ashford in Second Congressional District”. netnebraska.org. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
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  24. ^ a b Gilchrist, Logan, Don Bacon spoke at UNL seminar, students skeptical about his motivations, The Daily Nebraskan (October 19, 2017).
  25. ^ Nichols, John (October 17, 2020). “Progressive Kara Eastman Is Pulling Ahead in Omaha’s Bellwether Congressional District”. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
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  28. ^ Marans, Daniel (December 15, 2020). “How Progressives Failed A Key Test In The Heartland”. HuffPost. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  29. ^ Morton, Joseph (October 7, 2020). “Republican Don Bacon wins endorsement of former rival, Democrat Brad Ashford”. Omaha.com. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
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  31. ^ “Congress Profiles: 115th Congress (2017–2019), Committee Information”. Office of the Clerk, United States House of Representatives. October 17, 2019.
  32. ^ a b c d e Tracking Congress in the Age of Trump: FivethiryEight (last accessed August 25, 2022).
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  40. ^ “House GOP in open warfare over doomed spending plan”. POLITICO. September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  41. ^ Bacon, Don [@RepDonBacon] (October 3, 2023). “I voted in support of Speaker McCarthy. With a four-seat majority, we must work as a team. The 8 GOP members who joined ALL the Dems voted for chaos, and to weaken the GOP for 2024. We have major budget decisions to make, the Farm Bill, the Defense Bill, and a broken border. All of these are now on hold. Today was a good day for Russia and China… but not for America” (Tweet). Retrieved October 3, 2023 – via Twitter.
  42. ^ Foran, Clare (October 18, 2023). “These are the Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan for speaker”. CNN News. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  43. ^ Dvorak, Gina (October 18, 2023). ‘Messing with the wrong people’: Bacon responds after wife, staff pressured amid contentious Speaker vote”. NBC News 6 WOWT. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  44. ^ Sanderford, Aaron (October 19, 2023). “U.S. Rep. Don Bacon says Jim Jordan got what he gave Speaker McCarthy”. Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  45. ^ Bacon calls for Santos’ resignation from Congress seat, November 16, 2023, retrieved December 25, 2023
  46. ^ Autism Society of Nebraska [@AutismSocietyNE] (July 13, 2018). “Thank you Congressman Don Bacon for meeting with our board members yesterday. And thank you for joining the Autism Caucus” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  47. ^ “Don Bacon Baltic Caucus instagram post”. Instagram. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  48. ^ “Members”. House Baltic Caucus. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  49. ^ Don Bacon [@RepDonBacon] (August 20, 2020). “As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, I am committed to promoting CTE programs and good paying jobs. I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the NECA/IBEW training facility, which will help address our shortage of electricians!” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  50. ^ Order of the AHPEA [@OrderOfAHEPA] (July 3, 2017). “ICYMI | AHEPA welcomes news that U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) has joined the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues… fb.me/tHwVZecC” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  51. ^ Turkish Heritage Organization [@TurkHeritage] (March 20, 2017). “Congressman Don Bacon and Congressman Representative have joined the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations.Total Caucus #146” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  52. ^ “Bacon and Carbajal Join Civility and Respect Caucus”. U.S. Congressman Don Bacon. July 12, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  53. ^ a b “Climate Solutions Caucus expands to 24”. February 10, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  54. ^ Don Bacon [@RepDonBacon] (February 4, 2021). “I am a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, and I believe our nation needs to improve our foster care system. I have worked across the aisle to ensure that no child in foster care is forgotten and to help those aging out, get the assistance they need to succeed” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  55. ^ “Bacon Re-Joins Bipartisan For Country Caucus of U.S. Veterans”. U.S. Congressman Don Bacon. February 25, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  56. ^ Mikie Sherrill [@RepSherrill] (February 3, 2021). “GPS technology plays an integral part in nearly every aspect of modern society, including national security. I’m joining @RepDonBacon as co-chair of the bipartisan House GPS Caucus and looking forward to working with my colleagues to support this critical technology” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  57. ^ Don Bacon [@RepDonBacon] (April 26, 2019). “I am proud to have launched the Congressional GPS Caucus this year! I salute the Air Force in their commitment to this mission that transformed our national defense and the global economy” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  58. ^ “Membership”. motorcyclecaucus-burgess.house.gov. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  59. ^ “Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute”.
  60. ^ Don Bacon [@RepDonBacon] (August 20, 2020). “As a member of the Postal Preservation Caucus, I believe Congress must do everything in its power to protect and fund the U.S. postal service, which plays a vital role in our nation’s infrastructure and economy by employing thousands and delivering mail to all Americans” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  61. ^ “Featured Members”. Problem Solvers Caucus. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  62. ^ “Membership”. Republican Study Committee. December 6, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  63. ^ “Congressional Soccer Caucus”. U.S. Soccer Foundation. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  64. ^ Javlon Vakhabov [@JavlonVakhabov] (October 25, 2019). “Congressional 🇺🇿 Caucus members Rep. Trent Kelly (MS), Dem. Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Rep. Michael Guest (MS), and Congressman Rep. Don Bacon (NE) were briefed by Senator Safayev about upcoming parliamentary elections in 🇺🇿. Looking forward to 3rd Codel to 🇺🇿 coming November” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  65. ^ “Members”. Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  66. ^ “Members”. Congressional FFA Caucus. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  67. ^ a b c d Roseann Moring (April 29, 2018). “Guns, medical marijuana, Russia investigation are hot topics at Don Bacon town hall”. Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019.
  68. ^ Griffin Connolly, House Republicans break 2-to-1 against Trump on withdrawal of Kurd support, Roll Call (October 16, 2019).
  69. ^ Livingston, Ian, Reps. Don Bacon and Rick Larsen share their views on defense priorities and challenges; Brookings Institution (October 24, 2017).
  70. ^ Freedberg Jr, Sydney J; Spectrum (EW) Should Be A Warfighting Domain: Rep. Bacon; Breaking Defense; November 29, 2017; https://breakingdefense.com/2017/11/spectrum-ew-should-be-a-warfighting-domain-rep-bacon/
  71. ^ Morton, Joseph (April 17, 2019). “On trip with bipartisan delegation, Bacon calls Taiwan a success, says China shouldn’t isolate it”. The Omaha World Herald.
  72. ^ “Bacon Calls Out Putin, Russian Aggression Against Ukraine”. U.S. Congressman Don Bacon. February 21, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  73. ^ “Москва ввела новые санкции в отношении Оттавы и Вашингтона” [Moscow has imposed new sanctions on Ottawa and Washington]. TASS (in Russian). April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  74. ^ “Seven more lawmakers — including six Democrats — have signed on to a letter pushing Joe Biden to send F-16 jets to Ukraine”. Politico. February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  75. ^ Moring, Roseann (October 14, 2019). “Bacon: It’s ‘ludicrous’ that approval of Offutt levee work took 5 years”. Omaha World Herald. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  76. ^ a b Walton, Don (December 12, 2018). “Farm bill hailed by congressmen as good for Nebraska”. JournalStar.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
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  78. ^ a b Morton, Joseph (November 4, 2016). “Don Bacon denounces claims in Democrats’ health care fliers, calls one attack ad ‘very vile’. Omaha World Herald. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  79. ^ “Bacon urges Senate action on bill making lynching a federal hate crime”. Ripon Advance. May 20, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  80. ^ a b Morton, Joseph (June 29, 2020). “Don Bacon says he supported much of the House police reform bill, but it needed fine-tuning”. Omaha.com. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  81. ^ “Roll Call 119, Bill Number: H. R. 7120, 116th Congress, 2nd Session”. Roll Call Votes, U.S. House of Representatives. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. June 25, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  82. ^ Neuman, Scott (July 24, 2020). “Despite Trump’s Veto Threat, Senate Approves Provision To Rename Military Bases”. NPR.org. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  83. ^ Edmondson, Catie; Cochrane, Emily (July 20, 2020). “Defying Trump, Lawmakers Move to Strip Military Bases of Confederate Names”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  84. ^ a b Liewer, Steve (June 11, 2020). “Rep. Don Bacon joins movement to erase Confederate names from Army bases”. Omaha.com. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  85. ^ Lai, Stephanie (July 19, 2022). “House Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill Amid Concern About Court Reversal”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  86. ^ thehill.com
  87. ^ a b Moring, Roseann; Sanderford, Aaron (October 17, 2018). “House candidates Don Bacon, Kara Eastman find little to agree on in World-Herald debate”. Associated Press. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  88. ^ “H.R. 1: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”. GovTrack. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  89. ^ Byrne, Michael (April 25, 2017). “Nebraska’s Climate Change Deniers”. Vice. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  90. ^ “Bacon proposes harsher punishments for straw purchases under new bill – Ripon Advance”. Ripon Advance. March 5, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  91. ^ Morton, Joseph. “Affordable Care Act repeal on fast track, but GOP replacement not yet in sight”. Omaha.com. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  92. ^ “How the House voted to pass the GOP health-care bill”. The Washington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  93. ^ “How every member voted on health care bill”. CNN. May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  94. ^ Walton, Don, Rep. Don Bacon urges Trump to protect DACA youths, Lincoln Journal Star (August 25, 2017).
  95. ^ Walton, Don (June 5, 2019). “Nebraska Rep. Bacon crosses aisle to vote for DACA protection”. Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  96. ^ a b Scott Simon, Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon On Border Wall, NPR, Weekend Edition Saturday (February 16, 2019).
  97. ^ Don Bacon to re-introduce Kerrie Orozco Act, KMTV (April 5, 2017).
  98. ^ O’Key, Sean; Wolf, Zachary (December 18, 2019). “How each member of the House of Representatives voted on impeachment”. CNN. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  99. ^ Swasey, Benjamin; Carlsen, Audrey (January 13, 2021). “The House Has Impeached Trump Again. Here’s How House Members Voted”. NPR. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  100. ^ “Optics of a Biden ‘revenge impeachment’ inquiry could hurt Republicans, GOP Rep. Bacon warns”. NBC News. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  101. ^ Solender, Andrew. ‘All Bets Are Off’: Republicans Walk Back Support For Infrastructure Bill After Biden Ties It To Social Spending Package”. Forbes. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  102. ^ Annie Grayer (November 6, 2021). “These 6 House Democrats voted against the infrastructure bill. These 13 Republicans voted for it”. CNN. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  103. ^ Magid, Aaron (June 19, 2017). “Meet the ‘Most Kosher Bacon’ in Congress”. Jewish Insider. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  104. ^ “Bacon Returns from Bipartisan Trip to Israel”. U.S. Congressman Don Bacon. July 5, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  105. ^ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). “House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  106. ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). “Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session”. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  107. ^ “Where Republicans in Congress stand on Trump’s false claim of winning the election”. The Washington Post. December 5, 2020.
  108. ^ LeBlanc, Paul (May 19, 2021). “Here are the 35 House Republicans who voted for the January 6 commission”. CNN. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  109. ^ Grayer, Annie (May 19, 2021). “House sends bill creating January 6 commission to the Senate”. CNN. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  110. ^ Morton, Joseph (August 21, 2020). “Bacon joins Democrats in supporting bill to give U.S. Postal Service $25 billion”. Omaha World Herald. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  111. ^ “Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers” (PDF). Nebraska Secretary of State. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  112. ^ “Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers” (PDF). Nebraska Secretary of State. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  113. ^ “Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers” (PDF). Nebraska Secretary of State. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  114. ^ “Meet Don | U.S. Representative Don Bacon”.
  115. ^ Robynn Tysver (March 25, 2015). “Citing military and foreign policy as priorities, retired Brig. Gen. Don Bacon announces bid for Congress”. Omaha World-Herald.
  116. ^ Jeff Diamant (January 3, 2023). “Faith on the Hill. The religious composition of the 118th Congress” (PDF). PEW Research Center. Retrieved April 5, 2023.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district

2017–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by

United States representatives by seniority
191st
Succeeded by