Growing up and working on a farm in Illinois, Congressman Don Bacon learned first-hand how the value of hard work and commitment contributes to the success of a small business. He moved from the family farm to attend Northern Illinois University, from which he graduated with a Bachelors of Political Science in 1984, the same year he married Angie, the love of his life. They have three sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren. One year later, he began his military career by joining the U.S. Air Force and serving nearly 30 years, ultimately retiring as a Brigadier General.
During his career in the Air Force, Congressman Bacon specialized in electronic warfare, intelligence and reconnaissance. His career highlights include two tours as a Wing Commander, at Ramstein Airbase in Germany and Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska; group command at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona; squadron command in Arizona, and expeditionary squadron command in Iraq. In total, Rep. Bacon served 16 assignments including four deployments in the Middle East to include Iraq in 2007 to 2008 during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
The Second Congressional District, located on the eastern border of Nebraska, encompasses the Omaha metropolitan area which includes all of Douglas County and the suburban areas of western Sarpy County, where many family businesses and farms reside.
Nebraska’s farms and ranches utilize nearly 45 million acres, or 92 percent of the state’s total land area, and one in four Nebraska jobs is related to agriculture. In both our rural and urban communities, Nebraskan families and businesses depend on a strong agriculture economy.
We must continue to expand opportunities to trade our state’s top exports, such as soybeans, beef, and corn, while also supporting programs that provide certainty to farmers in need and to those who are hungry. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Bacon enjoys representing a state that is centered in America’s heartland and is committed to feeding the American people.
The 2018 Farm Bill
The 2018 Farm Bill provides Nebraska’s agriculture community with the resources they need to succeed, including affordable crop insurance, enhancements to trade initiatives, and $300 million in funding for animal disease prevention and management efforts. Rep. Bacon pushed for the establishment of the U.S.-only Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Vaccine Bank, in order to better prepare for and respond to the introduction of animal diseases into our Country—particularly FMD, which would devastate our animal agriculture sector.