Omaha, Neb.— Since elected to Congress in 2017, Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02), a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and retired Air Force Brigadier General, has championed legislation to benefit our nation’s military and Gold Star Families.

In 2018, Rep. Bacon’s first bill to pass the House of Representatives and become law, H.R. 3897, the Gold Star Family Support and Installation Access Act of 2017, was amended as Section 626 of the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill ensures families of service members killed during active duty can access military installations, memorial services, and any other on-installation services and benefits to which they are entitled.

Rep. Bacon also helped deliver paid parental leave in 2019 for federal workers through H.R. 6275, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2018, which was included as Section 7602 of the FY20 NDAA and became law on December 20, 2019. This provision provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all federal employees during the 12-month period following a child's birth or placement for adoption or foster care. H.R. 6275 is effective with respect to any birth or placement occurring after October 1, 2020.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 included a bipartisan provision to close a long-standing loophole that replaced tax rates on income from trusts and estates with the parent’s tax rate. When Rep. Bacon learned that this change to the “Kiddie Tax” also hurt Gold Star families, he quickly worked across the aisle to repeal this tax increase for military families by enacting a retroactive fix in the FY20 bipartisan Appropriations Act.

“As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and co-lead of the For Country Caucus, protecting our armed forces, federal workers, and Gold Star Families has been one of my top priorities,” said Rep. Bacon. “We’ve made real progress eliminating the Widow Tax and Kiddie Tax, providing parental leave for federal workers, and improving access to our bases for surviving military families. Cutting through the bureaucracy is never easy but I’m pleased by what we’ve been able to accomplish in a relatively short time.”

 “After serving nearly 30 years in the Air Force, I know first-hand the many sacrifices our Gold Star families and spouses have made while their loved ones have fought and continue to fight so that we keep our freedoms and rights that have today,” added Rep. Bacon. “They should be guaranteed those same protections and privileges that their family members gave to us. It is the least we can do, and I will continue to fight for them.”

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