Don Bacon is no stranger to a political fight, but the conflict on Capitol Hill seems to have reached a fever pitch. Coming out of a contentious government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, and then taking on a slate of censure votes, Congress seems more divided than ever.
“It’s like mob mentality in the House right now,” Bacon said, speaking to guests at the Pachyderm Luncheon in Omaha. “People are angry. They’re yelling at each other. It’s really not a pretty scene. And in the 20th century, we had five censures in 100 years. We tried to do four last week.”
The Shutdown and the cost of Health Care
Bacon described how the most recent government shutdown unfolded over the past few months. In September, he said, both parties had agreed that Congress needed a seven-week extension to finish all 12 appropriations bills. Then, Democrats ultimately voted against the continuing resolution in the House, in part because they “want to make this next election about health care.”
“About half of them were saying, ‘we want to extend the COVID-era tax credits for ACA,’” Bacon said. “Then you had others that would just be honest: ‘Don, it’s all about President Trump — we can’t stand him, and we’ve got to show our constituents we’re fighting.’ I think in the end, the vast majority fall into that latter category.”
Bacon said that “the ACA has not been working as advertised,” and health care costs rising $1,000 per person this year have put a spotlight on issues like extending ACA tax credits. Making reforms to the ACA has been a “hot potato” for Republicans in the past, however, but Bacon emphasized that the GOP has to be “the party of ideas.”
While Bacon said that there will not be any major changes to the ACA by the end of the year, he sees a chance to make some reforms by extending the ACA tax credits with “some Republican priorities on this extension.” These include income caps and sending funds directly to recipients rather than health insurance companies (via “ghost policies”), proposals put forth by Sen. John Thune (R-SD).
In the long-term, Bacon proposed creating separate pools for high-risk individuals to bring down premiums for others, as well as reforms to HSA accounts by offering employer matches to pay for health care directly.
Affordability and Impact on the Midterms
Some pundits predict an inevitable “blue wave” in 2026, but Bacon highlighted Republican wins on border security and the extension of the 2017 tax cuts in the recent “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which he believes will deliver an economic boost next year. He also pointed to Democratic infighting—citing a potential primary challenge to would-be Speaker Hakeem Jeffries—as a sign of disarray on the other side.
Recent polling, however, has swung sharply against Republicans. Bacon warned that affordability remains the party’s biggest vulnerability heading into the midterms, a factor he believes drove Democratic victories in Virginia and New Jersey earlier this month.
“We would have expected to lose between about 3-5%. We lost by 15%,” Bacon said. “And that’s because the other side, yeah, they hate each other, but they are fired up.”
Bacon singled out President Trump’s tariffs as a contributor to the affordability crunch. “There are some undercurrents because there’s instability on the tariff front,” he said. “And by the way, the people in the inner circle of the White House share that view. They’re just trying to figure out how to deal with it… They know they’re going to have to make some modifications on the tariff side.”
Trump’s Deal for Ukraine
Don Bacon spoke briefly on his retirement, describing himself as having “no gas” after working 13- to 14-hour days during the weeks towards the end of last year’s election. The final straw in his decision not to seek re-election was being denied a seat on the Nuclear Strategic Forces subcommittee.
Earlier this month, however, Bacon reportedly told Axios that he was “so angry” about an initial 28-point Trump peace plan for Ukraine that he considered resigning before his term ends. When asked about this plan during Q&A, Bacon took on a more sanguine tone. Trump’s plan had changed since last week, and Bacon suggested that Trump may have put the first plan forth to force a dialogue with the Europeans.
“I know the plan that was put out Thursday, to me, would have been Munich 1938 all over again,” Bacon said. “With that said, they’ve come back now with a better plan, and with European input … I think today we’re in a much better spot than we were on Thursday. Whether that was the president’s plan or it just happened serendipitously, I don’t know.”
Plans after Retirement
As Bacon prepares to leave Congress, his focus now turns to making a “third career” in Nebraska politics, one where he seems to be playing a role in local races. Bacon is already making personal appearances with Republicans running in “down-ballot” races for state legislature, such as Jay Jackson (LD-14), Taylor Royal (LD-18), and Chris Anderson (LD-20), as well as Lou Ann Godin, candidate for State Board of Education (District 8).
Hal Daub mentioned that Bacon has already bought a house in the Papillion area, where he has multiple children and eight grandchildren. This would suggest that the former Congressman will be putting down roots in Sarpy County for some time to come.
