Don Bacon

“I am honoring Sue Morris for her years of service to Nebraska. She raised hundreds of millions of dollars to build major arts, sports, and community spaces. She also helped build a new medical center for our veterans.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sue Morris, a leader and a true champion of community transformation in Nebraska. For 25 years as president of Heritage Omaha, she shaped the culture and civic landscape of our region. Under her leadership, the organization realized over $1 billion of community projects and raised more than $750 million in private philanthropic funds. From the Holland Performing Art Center and the Joslyn Art Museum to the University of Nebraska Omaha’s Baxter Arena and Charles Schwab Field, her work has transformed our community. Sue’s approach to philanthropy is to always focus on stewardship, ethics, and deep community impact. She mastered the art of aligning a donor’s unique passion with a meaningful public need, viewing herself not just as a fundraiser but as a facilitator for the common good. Her recent work represents what she calls the crown jewel of her professional life. As president of the Veterans Trust, Sue spearheaded the development of the new Ambulatory Care Center at the Omaha VA Medical Center, which serves thousands of veterans across Nebraska and western Iowa. The Ambulatory Care Center was the first-of-its-kind public-private partnership under the landmark legislation known as the CHIP-In for Veterans Act, which Sue helped shepherd through Congress. Her efforts on behalf of veterans continue to see the CHIP-In for Veterans Act become the permanent pathway for construction of veterans’ healthcare facilities through public-private partnerships. After leaving Heritage Omaha in 2020, Sue served as an adviser at Nebraska Philanthropic Trust until retiring in July 2026. Today, Sue remains a vital force in our community, driven by a simple and enduring desire to make a positive impact.”

“I want the House to pass this defense bill. It gives our military the newest technology, including artificial intelligence. It also increases military spending to 4.5 percent of our gross domestic product so we can prevent wars and keep the nation safe.”

“Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. I thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership in compiling this bill. By the way, it passed with a huge bipartisan majority in committee. I also thank my friend and subcommittee ranking member, Mr. Ro Khanna, for his collaboration this year, and I appreciate the great subcommittee staff who do such a fantastic job. As we have seen across modern battlefields, technology is evolving at a faster rate than ever before. Artificial intelligence, cyber, quantum, biotechnology, and other emerging capabilities are changing the way wars are fought and won. The United States is the gold standard for scientific innovation, and it is of the utmost importance that we remain committed to equipping our servicemembers with the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art, and mission-relevant tools available. This year’s NDAA delivers on that promise by supporting our defense industrial base, our science and technology communities, and our warfighters. The FY27 NDAA helps lay the foundation for our future technological edge by providing budget certification authority for the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to enable better oversight of the military services’ S&T budgets and priorities. This bill also requires the Department to review, update, and modernize its policies on leveraging AI for military functions, ensuring more secure and robust development of AI capabilities. The FY27 NDAA also helps tackle the ``valley of death’’ by requiring more formal integration and technology transition between the Defense Innovation Unit and military services. Finally, this Defense bill importantly restores our defense spending to 4.5 percent of the GDP, which is critical to deter conflict and reinforce America’s commitment to ensuring security and stability around the world. This NDAA is a strong, bipartisan bill that takes care of our servicemembers and promotes U.S. military dominance, and I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 8800.”