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“Over the past six years, Don Bacon has completely lost touch with Nebraskans — siding with his extremist GOP bosses and special interest donors over the hardworking folks he’s supposed to represent. Meanwhile Tony Vargas has spent his career helping working families get ahead, leading the fight to expand Medicaid, support small businesses, and lower costs for Nebraskans. Bacon has consistently placed Nebraskans last, and that’s why they’ll elect Tony Vargas this November.” – DCCC Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney
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To: Interested Parties
From: Johanna Warshaw, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: May 10, 2022
Subject: The Case Against Congressman Don Bacon
Nebraska’s Second Congressional District is one of the most competitive seats in the country, and this election cycle is no different. After six years in Congress, Don Bacon has lost touch with Nebraskans – repeatedly siding with his party over his constituents, voting against Nebraskans’ best interests, and using his congressional office to enrich his campaign and political allies.
Bacon’s disastrous record stands in stark contrast with Tony Vargas, a former public school teacher and state legislator who has spent his career helping Nebraska working families to get ahead. Vargas is the son of immigrant parents who sacrificed everything to give him a better life, and he has been a leader in the fight to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs, cut red tape for small businesses so they can grow, and protect consumers against predatory payday lenders.
It’s a devastating match up for Bacon in Nebraska’s “blue dot” district that went for President Biden by a whopping 6.3 percentage points in 2020. With Vargas’ record of fighting for working families and Bacon’s history of siding with his party over his community, Nebraskans will finally send Don Bacon packing this November.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Nebraska Public Radio: Build Back Better Act Passes Without any Nebraska Representatives’ Votes [Nebraska Public Radio, 11/19/21]
New York Times: “Mr. Biden’s success in carrying the Second District, which includes Omaha and much of its suburbs, went beyond the single electoral vote he picked up. He flipped the district by 8.75 percentage points after Mr. Trump had won it in 2016 — a larger swing than in any individual battleground state.” [New York Times, 7/10/21]
Omaha World-Herald: Editorial: Vargas is best choice to be Democratic nominee in Nebraska’s 2nd District [Omaha World-Herald, 4/21/22]
Lincoln Journal Star: Vargas reports $400,000 in early funding for House campaign [Lincoln Journal Star, 10/6/21]
The Hill: “Vargas, who is the first Hispanic Democrat elected to the legislature in Nebraska history, would become the state’s first Hispanic congressional representative if he won the seat.” [The Hill, 9/30/21]
AFTER 6 YEARS IN D.C., DON BACON HAS LOST TOUCH WITH NEBRASKANS
Bacon Puts Party Over Nebraskans
Six years in Washington D.C. have turned Don Bacon into an extremist politician who pledges unfailing loyalty to his party bosses. Whether it’s cozying up to Donald Trump and January 6 insurrectionists or helping his party slash Medicare benefits for seniors, Bacon has lost touch with the people he’s supposed to be representing in eastern Nebraska.
Bacon refused to hold Donald Trump accountable for his role in inciting the violent January 6 insurrection, which resulted in the death of 5 people and injured 140 law enforcement officers. He even went as far as to praise insurrectionists who attacked the police as “patriots” and “outstanding, wonderful people,” and even stated that “many of them are my friends.” When it came to uncovering the truth about the deadly insurrection and how we can ensure it never happens again, Bacon again sided with his party bosses and voted against creating a select committee.
Bacon also stood silently by as Trump threatened to cut Social Security and voted with GOP leaders to turn Medicare into a voucher program, which would devastate Nebraska seniors and families who have spent their lives paying into the system.
Corporate Special Interests and Don Bacon: A Match Made in Devastation
Bacon has been a reliable vote for the special interest groups that line his campaign coffers, even when it comes at the expense of Nebraskans’ health and safety.
Bacon voted “hell yes” to gut protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions and backed Trump’s lawsuit to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act, all while bankrolling his campaign with pharmaceutical industry cash. Bacon has received over $1.2 million from corporate PACs during his time in Congress and accepted $52,200 from the pharmaceutical industry. He later voted against crucial pandemic relief for Nebraska families and workers that reduced health care costs and expanded access to coverage.
After cashing in $40,000 from chemical manufacturers, Bacon voted against clean drinking water for Nebraskans – including Nebraska’s service members. He opposed legislation that will improve national drinking water standards and protect American families, military personnel – including those based in Omaha – and the environment from harmful ‘forever chemicals.’
Meanwhile, Tony Vargas has been a leader in the fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs and health care and help Nebraskans recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. He helped secure Medicaid expansion in the state – delivering quality, affordable health coverage to nearly 100,000 Nebraskans. After tragically losing his own father to COVID-19, Tony worked across the aisle to increase funding for public health departments and led bills to implement protections for workers in meatpacking plants, many of which were considered hotspots early in the pandemic.
Typical Washington Swamp Creature
Bacon’s time in D.C. has turned him into a typical Washington swamp creature who uses taxpayer dollars to enrich his campaign and political allies. Bacon was caught paying his top campaign strategist through his taxpayer-funded congressional account – a move that an ethics watchdog said “very likely appears to violate congressional rules.”
Bacon also used taxpayer funds to put a former lobbyist on the public payroll, then voted against a bill banning D.C. lobbyists from receiving loans meant for small business owners hit by the pandemic. It’s become clear that at the end of the day, Bacon is looking out for his lobbyist friends and political donors – not the people of Nebraska.
Bacon is Bad News for Nebraska Women
Bacon wants to make abortion illegal even in cases of rape and incest or to save the life of a mother – an extreme position that is out of step with the vast majority of Americans. He defended Texas’ draconian six-week abortion ban that put a bounty on anyone who helps a woman get an abortion, and he voted to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides access to basic health care like cancer screenings and birth control to thousands of Nebraskans.
Bacon has refused to return $16,400 in campaign cash from a Nebraska politician accused of sexually assaulting at least eight women, including a state senator. It’s no surprise given the fact that Bacon voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, a common sense bill that would strengthen and expand protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
PATH TO VICTORY
In 2020, Nebraska’s Second Congressional District was one of only a handful of seats won by a Republican congressional candidate that also went for President Biden – making it a top pick up opportunity for Democrats in 2022. It swung from Trump to Biden by 8.3 points – one of the largest Trump-Biden margins in any single battleground state, according to the New York Times.
Democrats have proved they can be successful in flipping the suburbs with the right candidate and message. The suburbs of Omaha are one of the fastest-growing areas in Nebraska, and with a strong candidate like Tony Vargas on the ballot, Democrats are well positioned to turn this congressional seat blue.
In the face of Tony’s strong challenge and changing demographics, Bacon will be unable to hide from the fact that he’s completely lost touch with Nebraskans – siding with his party bosses and special interests donors instead of the hardworking people he’s supposed to represent. It’s a losing battle for Bacon, who won’t be able to hang on to this seat come November. |
