Nebraska For Us, advocates travel to Washington to call for a fairer tax code

Eight Nebraskans make an appeal to Congressman Don Bacon’s office in-person

OMAHA, Nebraska (April 15, 2025)—Nebraska For Us and a group of advocates have returned home after a cross-country trip to the U.S. Capitol to urge Congressman Don Bacon to protect key programs at risk of deep and harmful cuts to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. The visit came at the height of a news-filled week—from a House budget vote advancing a budget framework for an extension to the 2017 GOP Tax Law to Congressman Bacon’s introduction of a bill to curtail tariff authority and subsequent vote on a rule to hold off action on tariffs for the time being.

On Thursday, April 10—just hours after the budget vote—Nebraskans from many walks of life had the opportunity to meet with a member of Congressman Bacon’s staff to share their concerns about the safety of programs including Social Security, Medicaid, SNAP, funding for education, and much more. They also called on him to support a fairer tax code that supports working class and middle income Nebraskans rather than giving more tax handouts to the wealthy and big corporations.

“I am worried about what will happen to Medicaid if the hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed cuts ultimately make their way into the final bill,” Omaha taxpayer Vanessa Chavez Jurado said. “My sister’s life-altering stroke has made Medicaid a necessity she cannot go without. As she navigates the new reality she has faced in recent years, the last thing she and my family should have to worry about is whether her healthcare will remain intact. I know we are not alone in these fears.”

“After more than 30 years as an educator, I now serve my community at a local food pantry and see the need for food growing every single day,” Omaha volunteer Tamara Bailey said. “Costs at the grocery store keep going up. If SNAP faces cuts of any kind, it will strain food pantries and nonprofits across the metro that are already fighting to keep up with the increased demand from our community.”

“We are not living in a crisis right now, but we can certainly see one coming,” Omaha Social Security recipient Sharon Williamson said. “My husband and I live on a fixed income and are already facing challenges with monthly expenses getting even higher. We need breathing room.”

“There is something to be said about having interactions with real people face-to-face versus through social media or virtual meetings,” Nebraska For Us State Director Angie Lauritsen said. “We would like to thank Congressman Bacon’s staff for being so generous with their time and allowing Nebraskans to be heard out in-person. The status quo is not working for these Nebraskans, and tax breaks favoring the highest earners are not trickling down to the rest of us. Something has to change.”

Nebraska For Us focuses on federal economic policies that impact working class and middle income Nebraskans, specifically with the potential extension or expansion of the 2017 GOP Tax Law and cuts to programs Nebraska families rely on. The status of this legislation, along with other policies, will be discussed at our CD2 Community Town Hall next Wednesday, April 16.