Opening Volleys Fired as Biden, House GOP Begin Debt Ceiling Battle That May Last Till Summer “There is not a proposed bill to vote on or even look at to make a decision. I think the president, GOP, and Dem leaders in Congress should negotiate and agree to raising the debt limit along with a commitment to reduce spending.”--Rep.… Read more »

After back-to-back years of significant spending increases for defense, Congressional hawks may face stiffer opposition in the year ahead, with pushback from members of both major political parties.  Opposition to defense spending increases from one wing of the Republican Party emerged during the protracted process to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as Speaker of the… Read more »

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) today voted no on a Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded through December 16, 2022. He released the following statement: “Continuing Resolutions are a blow to military readiness because they delay military training, modernization, and decrease recruitment and retention efforts. Instead of extending funding into 2023,… Read more »

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) today released the following statement after voting against H.R. 5376, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This $740 billion spending package raises taxes and redirects hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare to insurance companies; gives $80 billion in new funding to the IRS; and hires an additional 87,000 IRS agents to audit… Read more »

When the Pentagon released its 2023 budget request on March 28, a graphic was shown to reporters breaking down the $773 billion in spending by department—and the Air Force led the way, with $243.1 billion in its accounts. But when Air Force officials spoke to journalists later that afternoon, their budget documents showed just $194 billion, with an extra $40.1… Read more »

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) on April 26 sponsored a bipartisan bill that would require an independent study and report on the effect of pass-through budgeting on organizations and elements of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). The Defense Budget Transparency Act of 2022, H.R. 7574, which is cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Kaialiʻi Kahele (D-HI), aims to improve public understanding of how… Read more »

Washington, D.C.—Reps. Don Bacon (NE-R-02) and Kaialiʻi Kahele (HI-D-02) have joined together to introduce H.R. 7574, the Defense Budget Transparency Act of 2022, to improve public understanding of how tax dollars are being allocated in the U.S. defense budget. The bill directs the Secretary of Defense to prepare a report on the extent and impacts of “pass through” budgeting and… Read more »

With many lawmakers already pushing to increase the top line of the Pentagon’s fiscal 2023 budget, top defense officials acknowledged April 5 that their budget request was based off inflation rates that were “incorrect.” At the same time, they argued, the $773 billion request would be enough to pursue the Defense Department’s goals of modernization to match the threat of China… Read more »

Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), a veteran and member of the Armed Services Committee, talked about President Biden’s fiscal year 2023 budget proposal and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Watch the full interview here. Read more »

Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) hosted a tele-town hall on March 2, 2022 for the people of Nebraska's Second Congressional district to discuss the latest issues in Congress and around the world, including the tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the Afghanistan withdrawal, health care, and much more. Listen here. Read more »