Dear friend,
This week, the Nebraska congressional delegation and I welcomed notice of the selection of Omaha, home to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Nebraska Medicine, as a key pilot site designated to develop a federal program that will improve the nation’s ability to respond to future catastrophic events such as pandemics, natural disasters, or a direct attack on the homeland.
I received a letter from the Acting Undersecretary of Defense informing me of the decision. I had worked closely with Sen. Deb Fischer on authorizing language in the fiscal year 2020 and 2021 National Defense Authorization Acts through the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) took lead in securing initial funding for the pilot project through the House Appropriations Committee.
The multi-federal department pilot program will be led by the Department of Defense in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services to improve the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) and to improve medical surge capability in the nation. Other partner agencies include the Veterans Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Transportation. The letter states that Omaha was chosen because of the medical center’s leadership in meeting surge capacity, infectious disease control, readiness training, and education as a key partner in the nation’s effort to improve overall health security and medical preparedness.
As we work to bring an end to the current pandemic, it is absolutely critical that we simultaneously ensure the nation is medically prepared for whatever comes next. I am pleased with the decision and grateful for the teamwork of the Congressional delegation and the University of Nebraska that delivered this result.
Our vision for UNMC is the NExT project making it the nation’s center of excellence for pandemic research and readiness. This $2.5B project will result in 8700 high-paying jobs in Omaha.
You can read more here.
The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University released their final rankings for their Bipartisan Index, and I have been ranked 15th out of all Republicans, or top 3.4%.
This non-partisan tool measures the degree to which Senators and Representatives work across party lines on legislation. The Speaker of the House and Minority Leader are excluded from the rankings. Bacon was previously ranked in the top seven percent.
As a Member of some bipartisan caucuses, I have found many opportunities to sponsor and introduce legislation that has widespread bipartisan support. I’m proud to seek consensus across the aisle, while not compromising on my principles and the promises I have made to the citizens of the second district.
Data from all Congresses since 1993 are incorporated in the Bipartisan Index, and it looks at when a member of Congress introduces bills that succeed in attracting co-sponsors from members of the other party. It also looks at how often they, in turn, co-sponsor a bill introduced from across the aisle. The Index does exclude non-binding resolutions and ceremonial bills and is based on a formula applied uniformly to all members. It does not make any subjective statements or judgments about individual members or bills.
The full rankings can be found here.
