History of Don Bacon in Timeline
Don Bacon is an American politician currently serving as the U.S. Representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, a position he has held since 2017. Prior to his political career, Bacon served for 29 years in the United States Air Force, achieving the rank of Brigadier General. He commanded wings at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. His congressional district encompasses the city of Omaha and the area surrounding Offutt Air Force Base.
August 16, 1963: Donald John Bacon Born
On August 16, 1963, Donald John Bacon was born. He is now a U.S. Representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district.
1980: Graduated from Grace Baptist Academy
In 1980, Don Bacon graduated from Grace Baptist Academy in Kankakee.
1984: Interned in Washington D.C. Office
In 1984, Don Bacon interned in Representative Ed Madigan's Washington D.C. office during his senior year at Northern Illinois University.
1985: Entered the Air Force
In 1985, Don Bacon entered the Air Force, commissioning through the Air Force Officer Training School at Lackland AFB, Texas.
2005: Release of Trump Videotape
In October 2016, after a 2005 videotape surfaced showing Donald Trump making lewd remarks, Don Bacon said that Trump could not win the presidency and should withdraw from the race.
July 2012: Director of ISR Strategy
From July 2012, Don Bacon served as the Air Force's Director of ISR Strategy, Plans, Doctrine and Force Development at the Pentagon.
2014: Retired from the Air Force
In 2014, Don Bacon retired from the U.S. Air Force after 29 years of service. He was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, two Legion of Merits, and two Bronze Star Medals.
October 2016: Bacon Criticized Trump
In October 2016, after a 2005 videotape surfaced showing Donald Trump making lewd remarks, Don Bacon said that Trump could not win the presidency and should withdraw from the race.
November 8, 2016: Defeated Ashford in General Election
On November 8, 2016, Don Bacon narrowly defeated Brad Ashford in the general election, becoming the only Republican to defeat an incumbent Democrat in the 2016 House elections.
2016: Expressed Alarm Regarding Russian Interference
Don Bacon has expressed alarm regarding Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections and attempted Russian interference in other nations' elections.
2016: Defeated Ashford in General Election
On November 8, 2016, Don Bacon narrowly defeated Brad Ashford in the general election, becoming the only Republican to defeat an incumbent Democrat in the 2016 House elections.
January 2017: Sworn into 115th Congress
In January 2017, Don Bacon was sworn into the 115th Congress.
May 2017: Voted for the American Health Care Act
In May 2017, Bacon voted for the American Health Care Act of 2017, which aimed to repeal significant portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.
August 2017: Urged Trump to Preserve DACA
In August 2017, Bacon, along with five House colleagues, urged President Trump to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
October 2017: Stressed Importance of Military Readiness
At a Brookings Institution event in October 2017, Don Bacon stressed the importance of military readiness and called for increased flight hours for U.S. Air Force crews.
November 2017: Called for Elevated Electromagnetic Warfare Domain
In November 2017, Don Bacon told an electronic warfare conference that the U.S. military needed to elevate the electromagnetic spectrum to an official domain of warfare and re-intensify its EW capabilities.
2017: Reintroduced the Kerrie Orozco Act
In 2017, Bacon reintroduced the Kerrie Orozco Act, which aimed to expedite the citizenship process for spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty.
2017: Voted for legislation to ban abortion
In 2017, Bacon voted for legislation to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and to repeal a rule requiring state and local governments to distribute federal funds to Federally Qualified Health Centers even if they perform abortions, a measure aimed at defunding Planned Parenthood.
2017: Voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
In 2017, Bacon voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and expressed support for raising the full retirement age for Social Security eligibility for Americans under age 40.
2017: House Agriculture Committee Member
In 2017, Don Bacon became a member of the House Agriculture Committee.
2017: Became U.S. Representative
In 2017, Don Bacon became the U.S. representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district.
2017: Member of Armed Services Committee
Since taking office in 2017, Don Bacon has been a member of the Armed Services Committee.
December 2018: Voted Against Legislation to End Government Shutdown
In December 2018, Bacon voted against legislation aimed at ending the government shutdown by appropriating funds without money for the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
2018: Supported Ban on Bump Stocks
In 2018, Bacon expressed his support for a ban on bump stocks.
2018: Opposed Marijuana Legalization
In 2018, Bacon stated his opposition to marijuana legalization as a personal matter, but supported decriminalization at the federal level and the right of states to make their own decisions; he also supported the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp production.
2018: Re-elected to House
In 2018, Don Bacon was re-elected to the House, narrowly defeating Kara Eastman.
January 2019: Voted Against Legislation to End Government Shutdown
In January 2019, Bacon voted against legislation aimed at ending the government shutdown by appropriating funds without money for the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
2019: Introduced The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2019
In 2019, Bacon and Representative Seth Moulton introduced The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2019, which aimed to make lynching a federal crime.
2019: Response to Midwestern U.S. Floods
In 2019, Bacon urged the United States Army Corps of Engineers to streamline its response to the 2019 Midwestern U.S. floods and advocated for funding levies to reinforce flooded farmland and Offutt Air Force Base.
2019: Voted Against Impeachment Articles Against Donald Trump
In 2019, Bacon voted against both articles of impeachment against Donald Trump in the House.
2019: Voted for Pathway to Citizenship for Undocumented Youth
In 2019, Bacon voted for legislation to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented youth.
2019: Supported Taiwan
In 2019, Don Bacon visited Taiwan to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act.
2019: Voted Against Trump's Syria Policy
In 2019, Don Bacon voted for a resolution opposing Trump's move to withdraw U.S. support for the Kurds in Syria.
December 2020: Acknowledged Joe Biden as President-Elect
In December 2020, Bacon acknowledged Joe Biden as the legitimate President-elect in a Washington Post survey.
2020: Did Not Side With Trump Campaign to Overturn Election
In 2020, Bacon did not join congressional Republicans who sided with the Trump campaign's attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.
2020: Expressed Support for George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
In 2020, Bacon expressed support for parts of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, including mandatory body cameras and a national registry for police misconduct, but opposed ending qualified immunity and the Department of Defense 1033 program; he ultimately voted against the legislation.
2020: Rejected Attempts to Overturn Election
In 2020, Don Bacon was one of 37 Republicans who rejected attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
2020: Biden Carried Bacon's District
In 2020, Joe Biden carried Don Bacon's congressional district in the presidential election, marking it as a swing district.
May 19, 2021: Voted to Approve January 6 Commission
On May 19, 2021, Bacon was one of 35 Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
2021: Introduced Legislation on Straw Purchases of Firearms
In 2021, Bacon introduced legislation aimed at enhancing penalties for illicit straw purchases of firearms.
2021: Voted Against Impeachment Article Against Trump
In 2021, Bacon voted against the article of impeachment against Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
2021: Voted to Certify Electoral College Votes
In 2021, Bacon voted to certify both Arizona's and Pennsylvania's votes in the United States Electoral College vote count.
April 2022: Sanctioned by Russia
In April 2022, the Russian Federation sanctioned and banned Don Bacon in retaliation for U.S. participation in sanctions against pro-war members of the Russian Duma.
July 19, 2022: Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act
On July 19, 2022, Bacon voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.
2022: Willing to Work with Democrats
Following the 2022 midterm elections, Don Bacon announced his willingness to work with Democrats to elect a moderate Republican as House speaker.
2022: Voted against the MORE Act
In 2022, Bacon voted against the MORE Act, which would have removed cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
2022: Won Re-election Against Vargas
In 2022, Don Bacon narrowly won re-election against Nebraska state senator Tony Vargas.
2022: Emmett Till Antilynching Act Becomes Law
In 2022, a version of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which incorporated language from a bill Bacon introduced, became law.
August 2023: Targeted by Chinese Hackers
In August 2023, the FBI revealed that Don Bacon was the first US lawmaker to be targeted in a cyberespionage intrusion by Chinese government hackers, compromising campaign and personal email data.
October 1, 2023: Comment on Government Shutdown
Following failed House votes on bills to avoid a government shutdown beginning on October 1, 2023, Don Bacon criticized Republicans in the Freedom Caucus.
October 2023: Vote on Speaker of the House
In October 2023, Don Bacon voted against the removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. He supported Steve Scalise initially and later Mike Johnson for the role. He also revealed harassment towards his wife and staff.
November 2023: Supported Expulsion of George Santos
In November 2023, Don Bacon supported the expulsion of George Santos from Congress for fraud.
2023: Voted for Impeachment Inquiry into Joe Biden
In 2023, Bacon voted for the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden but expressed skepticism, stating impeachments are bad for the nation.
2023: Bipartisanship Ranking
In 2023, Don Bacon was ranked 8th in bipartisanship among members of the House by the Lugar Center.
September 13, 2024: Pledged to Respect 2024 Election Results
On September 13, 2024, Bacon and Representative Josh Gottheimer released a bipartisan letter in which they pledged to respect the results of the 2024 presidential election, with five other Republicans signing the letter.
September 18, 2024: Signed Letter Supporting Change to Winner-Takes-All Election System
On September 18, 2024, Bacon and the entire Nebraska delegation signed a letter to Governor Pillen supporting changing Nebraska's presidential election system to a winner-takes-all method.
November 2024: Narrow Win Against Vargas
In November 2024, Don Bacon secured another narrow win in the general election, defeating Democratic challenger Tony Vargas.
2024: Supported Federal Abortion Ban
In 2024, Bacon supported a federal ban on abortion after 15 weeks with exceptions for the life of the mother and opposed the Nebraska Right to Abortion Initiative.
2024: Harris Carried Bacon's District
In 2024, Kamala Harris carried Don Bacon's congressional district in the presidential election, marking it as a swing district.
2024: Narrow Win Against Vargas
In November 2024, Don Bacon secured another narrow win in the general election, defeating Democratic challenger Tony Vargas.
January 2025: Seated in 119th Congress
In January 2025, Don Bacon was seated in the 119th United States Congress.
February 2025: Described Trump-Zelenskyy Summit as a 'Bad Day'
Following the White House meeting between President Trump and Volodymir Zelenskyy in February 2025, Don Bacon described the summit as "a bad day for America's foreign policy" and criticized Trump's stance on Russia.
March 2025: Criticized Trump Administration
In March 2025, Don Bacon said the Trump administration needed "more discipline" after advisor Elon Musk's remarks towards Senator Mark Kelly and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
June 2025: Bacon To Not Seek Re-election
In June 2025, it was reported that Don Bacon would not seek re-election in 2026 due to dysfunction in Washington, divisions in the Republican Party, and a desire to spend time with family.
2025: Cosponsored American Families United Act
In 2025, Bacon cosponsored the American Families United Act.
2026: Chose not to run for reelection
In 2026, Bacon chose not to run for re-election so he could spend more time with his grand-kids.
2026: Bacon To Not Seek Re-election
In June 2025, it was reported that Don Bacon would not seek re-election in 2026 due to dysfunction in Washington, divisions in the Republican Party, and a desire to spend time with family.
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