Nebraska — 2nd District

Denise Powell

Supports middle-class tax relief and lowering costs

Powell focuses on bringing down everyday expenses for middle-class families while opposing broad tariffs and tax cuts for wealthy corporations. She advocates for expanding child tax credits, supporting small businesses, and combating corporate price gouging.

• Stop tariffs that increase costs for Nebraska consumers
• Build affordable housing for middle-class families
• Expand Child Tax Credit to $3,600 permanently
• Support small business growth and job training programs

“Every day, we see more of our friends and neighbors struggling to make ends meet while Donald Trump and MAGA extremists are focused on trade wars that are increasing our cost of living and passing massive tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk.”

Brinker Harding

Supports tax cuts and fiscal discipline

Harding emphasizes cutting taxes, curbing national debt, and lowering inflation by applying local budget-balancing principles to federal spending. He highlights his record of lowering Omaha's property tax levy three times on the City Council.

• Cut taxes and lower national deficit spending
• Lower gas and grocery prices by expanding domestic production
• Lower interest rates and create good-paying jobs
• Ensure US leadership in cryptocurrency and AI

“Unlike in Washington, we have balanced the City of Omaha’s budget every single year. On the City Council, I have voted to lower Omaha’s property tax levy three times.”

Denise Powell

Supports lower drug costs and public option

Powell advocates for protecting and expanding the Affordable Care Act, introducing a Medicare-like public option, and allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices. She also pledges to cap insulin costs at $35 per month for all Americans.

• Require Medicare to negotiate drug prices for more prescriptions
• Cap insulin costs at $35 per month for everyone
• Establish a Medicare-like public option for health insurance
• Prevent insurance companies from denying necessary coverage

“Take on big pharmaceutical companies by requiring Medicare to negotiate prices for more prescription drugs and capping insulin costs at $35 a month for everyone.”

Brinker Harding

Supports drug price caps and IVF access

Harding promises to hold pharmaceutical and insurance companies accountable so Americans pay international benchmark prices for prescription drugs. He also supports expanding access to affordable healthcare and IVF for families.

• Guarantee Americans pay the same low drug prices as other developed countries
• Make healthcare and IVF more accessible and affordable
• Protect Medicare and Medicaid for eligible citizens

“Take on Big Pharma and Big Insurance to guarantee Americans pay the same low prices for prescription drugs as other developed countries”

Denise Powell

Supports federal abortion rights and contraception

Powell is a longtime reproductive rights advocate who supports codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law. Her platform also guarantees federal protections for contraception and fertility treatments like IVF.

• Restore Roe v. Wade protections nationwide
• Pass the Right to Contraception Act
• Pass the Right to IVF Act to expand insurance coverage for fertility treatments

“Protect abortion rights for Nebraska women by fighting to restore Roe v. Wade into law nationwide.”

Brinker Harding

Supports affordable access to IVF

Harding explicitly pledges to make fertility treatments such as IVF more affordable and accessible for Nebraska families. His campaign issues page does not detail a stance on federal abortion restrictions.

• Make healthcare, including IVF, more accessible and affordable for Nebraska families

“Make healthcare, including IVF, more accessible and affordable for Nebraska families”

Denise Powell

Supports border security and path to citizenship

Powell advocates for increased border security technology and personnel alongside comprehensive immigration reform. She supports earned pathways to citizenship for Dreamers and long-term essential workers while demanding ICE oversight.

• Invest in border personnel, training, and technology
• Create a fair path to citizenship for Dreamers and long-term workers
• Hold federal immigration enforcement agencies accountable for abuses

“Invest in the people and technology needed to keep our borders safe, while also advocating for common sense, bipartisan immigration reform that provides legal pathways to citizenship for hardworking people”

Brinker Harding

Supports strict border enforcement and deportations

Harding prioritizes strong border enforcement, deporting illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes, and restricting safety-net benefits exclusively to citizens and legal residents. He also advocates for body cameras and identifiable uniforms for ICE agents.

• Deport criminal illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes
• Restrict Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid from non-citizens
• Require body cameras and identifiable uniforms for ICE agents

“In Congress, I will fight to keep our border secure, deport criminal illegal immigrants, rebuild our military to restore peace through strength”

Denise Powell

Supports term limits and ethics reforms

Powell proposes sweeping political reforms aimed at restoring trust in government. Her platform includes banning congressional stock trading, enacting congressional term limits, overturning Citizens United, and enforcing a Supreme Court ethics code.

• Ban Congressional stock trading
• Enact congressional term limits
• Pass an Ethics Code for the Supreme Court
• Overturn Citizens United and limit dark money

“Ban Congressional stock trading.”

Brinker Harding

Supports term limits, voter ID, stock ban

Harding promotes accountability by supporting term limits, banning congressional stock trading, halting lawmaker pay during shutdowns, and establishing nationwide voter ID laws.

• Enact congressional term limits
• Ban congressional stock trading
• Halt lawmaker salaries during government shutdowns
• Pass nationwide Voter ID laws

“Support term limits, ban congressional stock trading, and halt congressional salaries during government shutdowns”

Denise Powell

Supports long-term Farm Bill and trade fairness

Powell focuses on farm economic stability by urging the passage of a multi-year Farm Bill and opposing broad tariffs that harm Nebraska exporters. She supports targeted trade policies, Right to Repair laws, and expanded credit access for small farms.

• Pass a long-term Farm Bill
• Use tariff revenue to fund Farmer Bridge Assistance programs
• Advocate for Right to Repair for farm equipment
• Expand small farm loan access

“Pass a long-term Farm Bill, which Congress has repeatedly let expire.”

Brinker Harding

Supports year-round E-15 and ag economy

Harding emphasizes expanding market opportunities for Nebraska farmers through biofuel expansion. He supports year-round E-15 ethanol sales to lower fuel prices and bolster state agricultural production.

• Pass year-round E-15 fuel sales
• Lower gas prices through domestic biofuel expansion
• Support Nebraska agriculture

“Pass year-round E-15 to help lower gas prices and support Nebraska agriculture”

Denise Powell

Supports full police funding and social workers

Powell supports fully funding law enforcement agencies while expanding community safety solutions. Her plan pairs police resources with social workers, mental health training, and domestic violence prevention programs.

• Fully fund police departments
• Invest in officer training and mental health support
• Incorporate social workers into community response teams
• Reauthorize Violence Against Women Act

“Fully fund our police departments, providing access to training and mental health support for our officers, and investing in social workers to help expand the way we address the needs of our communities.”

Brinker Harding

Supports increased police funding and strict enforcement

Harding points to his Omaha City Council record, where he voted for record police pay increases that helped lower violent crime to historic 40-year lows. He opposes defunding police and advocates for strict law enforcement backing.

• Oppose defunding police and increase law enforcement funding
• Provide record pay raises for police officers
• Maintain strict prosecution of violent criminals

“In Omaha, we didn’t defund the police. We gave our heroes the record pay raise they deserve. As a result, we have driven Omaha’s violent crime rate to 40-year lows.”

Denise Powell

Supports universal background checks and red flag laws

Powell supports federal gun violence prevention measures to reduce firearm-related deaths. Her platform emphasizes universal background checks, red flag laws, and community intervention programs.

• Require universal background checks
• Pass red flag laws targeting domestic abusers
• Fund community violence intervention initiatives

“Save lives from gun violence by ensuring universal background checks to prevent convicted felons and gang members from obtaining guns, red flag laws to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, and fund community violence intervention programs.”

Brinker Harding

Opposes restrictions on self-defense

Harding emphasizes strong support for law enforcement and individual safety. His public statements prioritize community policing and crime reduction while backing constitutional rights.

• Stand with law enforcement to protect public safety
• Support rights to self-defense

“stand with law enforcement to keep our communities safe.”

Denise Powell

Supports public education and affordable childcare

Powell advocates for robust investment in public education, workforce development, and expanded access to affordable childcare. She opposes cuts to federal education programs and supports higher pay for childcare workers.

• Expand affordable childcare and childcare workforce
• Make $3,600 Child Tax Credit permanent
• Strengthen community colleges and vocational programs
• Protect federal research funding for state universities

“Expand affordable childcare, investing in new centers near the places where folks work, and advocating for legislation that expands Nebraska’s childcare workforce by paying these critical workers more without increasing costs for parents.”

Brinker Harding

Criticizes radical sex education in schools

Harding opposes what he characterizes as radical social agendas in primary education. He criticizes policies permitting radical sex education for young children and medical transition procedures for minors.

• Oppose radical sex education in early grades
• Oppose gender-affirming surgical procedures for minors

“Denise Powell supports radical sex education for kindergarteners, transgender surgery for children”

Denise Powell

Supports strong alliances and congressional oversight

Powell favors strengthening international alliances, restoring diplomatic programs like USAID, and ensuring strict congressional oversight over military operations. She advocates for strategic defense investments to counter China and Russia.

• Rebuild relationships with international allies like Canada and the EU
• Reestablish USAID diplomatic and development initiatives
• Require congressional oversight on military deployments

“Demand Congressional oversight of military measures, stopping Trump’s unchecked actions without a strategic plan and clear exit strategy.”

Brinker Harding

Supports peace through strength and rebuilding military

Harding advocates for a strong national defense posture to deter adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran. He criticizes past foreign policy missteps and stresses peace through strength.

• Rebuild military capabilities to deter foreign aggression
• Stand firmly against adversary movements by China, Russia, and Iran
• Protect US national security interests globally

“In Congress, I will fight to keep our border secure, deport criminal illegal immigrants, rebuild our military to restore peace through strength”

Denise Powell

Supports protecting Social Security and Medicare

Powell pledges to safeguard Social Security and Medicare from funding cuts or privatization, emphasizing their necessity as a core safety net for Nebraskans. She also commits to responsible deficit management.

• Protect Social Security benefits at all costs
• Defend Medicare against funding reductions
• Responsibly manage national deficits

“Protect Social Security at all costs to ensure the promise of a secure and dignified retirement for all Nebraskans.”

Brinker Harding

Supports preserving benefits for citizens and seniors

Harding supports protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. However, he explicitly opposes extending these safety-net benefits to illegal immigrants or able-bodied adults.

• Protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for seniors and disabled citizens
• Restrict safety-net entitlement access from illegal immigrants and able-bodied adults

“Protect critical programs like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare for single moms, veterans, the elderly, and disabled – NOT illegal immigrants or able-bodied adults”

Denise Powell

Supports expanding clean energy

Powell advocates for clean energy development as a mechanism to lower consumer utility bills while addressing climate change. She opposes federal retreats from global climate commitments.

• Expand clean energy production to reduce utility costs
• Protect natural environments
• Support international climate agreements

“Expand clean energy production to bring down costs in the short term while protecting our environment in the long run.”

Brinker Harding

Supports expanding American energy and biofuels

Harding focuses on achieving energy independence by expanding domestic oil, gas, and renewable biofuel production. He advocates for year-round E-15 ethanol sales to support local corn growers and reduce fuel prices.

• Expand domestic energy production
• End reliance on foreign energy supplies
• Pass year-round E-15 biofuel authorization

“expand American energy production to reduce our dependence on foreign countries”