EC Nebraska News

Rep. Don Bacon, currently serving in the U.S. Congress representing Nebraska’s 2nd district since 2017, shared his views on recent military budget and operational issues through a series of tweets. Born in Momence, Illinois in 1963, Bacon now resides in Papillion and has an academic background with degrees from Northern Illinois University and the University of Phoenix.

On June 6, 2025, Rep. Bacon addressed concerns about military infrastructure maintenance. He stated that "The GAO gave a failing grade to the military services on their maintenance of barracks and dormitories. Congress has stepped in to fix, but yet the Pentagon again decided to move funds away from dorms and barracks. It is not acceptable." This reflects ongoing challenges with resource allocation within the Department of Defense.

Later that day, Rep. Bacon expressed his apprehension regarding budget allocations for the Air Force and Space Force by stating "I'm concerned the White House budget request only calls for a minor increase to Air Force & decrease to Space Force budgets. If we're serious about countering China, we'd see sizable increase to both, especially when 20% of the Air Force budget goes to DoD agencies instead." His comments highlight strategic concerns amid global geopolitical tensions.

In another tweet posted on June 6, he discussed strategic defense capabilities: "During yesterday's Air Force budget hearing I discussed the Looking Glass mission which gives us the capability to command our ICBMs, bombers & submarines even if the White House or Pentagon were hit. We maintained 24/7 airborne alert with Looking Glass until the Cold War ended." This underlines historical defense strategies and their relevance today.

Don Bacon has been vocal about these issues as part of his role in Congress since succeeding Brad Ashford in 2017.