Click the picture above to see my floor speech concerning H.R. 1970, the Kerrie Orozco Act.

May 19, 2017

NE02

Last week I was in the district and it was packed with meetings, 25 in total, ending with nearly 300 constituents in attendance at a town hall. That was the third of seven town halls that I announced I was going to hold, and I look forward to hearing from constituents at the next four.

I also hosted round tables for healthcare and law enforcement professionals, and met with a variety of organizations: The Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, the Nebraska Bicycle Association, Nebraska CPA Society, Omaha Area Board of Realtors, Nebraska for the Arts and local mayors.

Some good ideas were shared at the North Omaha Economic Development Round table, and I was thankful to be able to stop by the Annual Empowerment Leadership Conference and the North Omaha “No Murders in May” banquet.

 I’ve always felt it was important to educate the next generation about the importance of civic duty, and the contributions of those who helped this country grow to be a world leader. I visited a class at Millard West High School to share my thoughts with them, and met with the Nebraska Spelling Bee Champion, Hannah Braganza. I know she will represent our great state well at the national competition.

Finally, I visited with the 55^th Wing and was a keynote speaker for the RC-135 Program Review at Offutt Air Force Base.

It was a busy week, and I enjoyed meeting with constituents from across the district.

Making Washington Work

In Washington this week, the 115^th Congress celebrated National Police Week; a celebration that began in 1962 to honor those law enforcement officers that have made the ultimate sacrifice.

As a firm supporter of our law enforcement, I have voted in favor of H.R. 115, the Thin Blue Line Act, which adds the murder of a state or local police officer as an aggravating factor for a jury to consider in deciding whether to give the death penalty in federal capital punishment cases. Our law enforcement puts their lives on the line every day to protect the rights and freedoms that we enjoy. This legislation sends a clear message that the stalking and killing of law enforcement officers will not be tolerated by the law.

I also voted for H.R. 1039, the Probation Officer Protection Act of 2017, which gives probation officers the authority, while in the performance of their official duties, to arrest a person if there is probable cause that the person has severely assaulted or impeded a fellow probation officer, in the performance of his or her duties.

I co-sponsored H.R. 1171, the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2017, which waives the five-month Social Security Disability Income waiting period for individuals with ALS. This legislation insures that those afflicted with this terrible disease can receive vital benefits that they otherwise would have to wait five months for.

In addition, I signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 672, the Combating European Anti-Semitism Act of 2017, which affirms that it is in the interest of the United States to combat anti-Semitism both at home and abroad. This bill helps us partner with multilateral bodies to ensure that European Jewish communities are secure.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Small Business Committee, and the Agricultural Committee, I will continue to work to enhance our military-readiness, cut costs, create opportunity for small businesses, and support our thriving agricultural industry.

Thank you for reading, and please feel free to visit our website at www.bacon.house.gov.

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