Congress directed the Air Force and Space Force in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act to define their future force. The call to action aims to force the services to fully articulate their long-term vision and needs—perhaps justifying increased funding.   Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a retired Air Force brigadier general and ISR pilot, introduced that 2050… Read more »

The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed both chambers of Congress and is headed to President Biden’s desk for his signature. The $886 billion spending bill is a three percent increase over last year’s spending level. It authorizes $842 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD), $32 billion for the Department of Energy (DOE), with the rest scattered for national… Read more »

Lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee’s special military quality of life panel hope to have a slate of recommendations on new housing, daycare and support programs by the start of February. After that, it’ll be up to the rest of the committee to turn them into law. The quality of life panel — led by Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan,… Read more »

OMAHA, Neb. — Omaha is home to a nine-person U.S. Air Force and civilian team that spends most of its time planning for the enemies you can't see. They operate under C-STARS Omaha, which stands for Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills. "We are Air Force training platforms partnering with civilian medical centers to advance medical readiness training for medical… Read more »

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 15, 2023 MEDIA CONTACTS: Danielle Jensen  Maggie Sayers   Rep. Don Bacon on NDAA Passage WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Don Bacon voted with his House colleagues to support the final passage of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed with a bipartisan majority… Read more »

  Washington – Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03,) Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), introduced the bipartisanMilitary Personnel Confirmation Restoration Act of 2023to provide back pay for military officers whose promotions were delayed in the Senate. The… Read more »

Nebraska researchers are launching a two-year study of Congress’s involvement in nuclear weapons policy. The study is believed to be the first comprehensive look at the topic in more than 30 years. Carnegie Corporation of New York recently awarded a $428,000 grant to University of Nebraska–Lincoln political scientists Rupal Mehta, Geoff Lorenz and Ingrid Haas for a multi-method study of… Read more »

Colorado lawmakers are part of a bipartisan effort to protect the nation’s Air National Guard fighter squadrons. This spring, six house members, including Democratic Rep. Jason Crow and Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn introduced the Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act. The goal of the bill is simple: ensure a minimum number of Air National Guard squadrons. Without… Read more »

The same challenges in federal retirement processing have been around for years. Reliance on a paper-based system, insufficient staffing and incomplete applications. Those remain the top three barriers to getting federal employees’ retirement applications processed on time. A new report from the Office of Personnel Management's Office of Inspector General said the agency must… Read more »

Emmalee Gruesen considers herself a “a unicorn” among military spouses working for the federal government. She’s been able to keep steady employment as a program analyst with the Navy over the last eight years despite four moves with her husband, a naval officer. Instead, many military spouses have been forced to resign their federal jobs because of their spouses’ transfers, losing out… Read more »