NE-01: Mike Flood (R) 

REPLACING:

Jeff Fortenberry (R)[i]

WORK HISTORY:

US House of Representatives (Representative, NE-01); Nebraska Legislature (Member, District 19); Jewell Collins & Flood Law Firm (Attorney); News Channel Nebraska (Owner / Founder)[ii]

EDUCATION:

BA, University of Notre Dame; JD, University of Nebraska College of Law[iii]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Fighting Biden’s Socialist Agenda; Protecting Life; Building the Wall & Enforcing Our Laws; Defending Our Freedoms; Securing Our Elections; Standing With Law Enforcement; Supporting Farmers & Ranchers; Opposing Mandates & Getting Back to Normal; Ensuring American Energy Security; Cutting Taxes & Red Tape; Creating Jobs & Rural Opportunity; Making Health Care Work; Strengthening Our Military; Keeping Our Promises to Veterans; Promoting Business Innovation[iv]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

A self-proclaimed “pro-life champion,” Flood has pledged to “work to ban abortions and expand prohibitions on taxpayer subsidies for abortion.”[v] In a press release in support of the recent Dobbs decision, Flood said he was “proud to have sponsored and passed the nation's first Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which banned abortions at 20 weeks, when babies can feel pain.”[vi] Notably, he has recently expressed support for exceptions to protect the life and health of the mother, although, as a member of the Nebraska Legislature, he sponsored and supported bills that would have banned abortions without exceptions for rape or incest.[vii]

ECONOMY, JOBS & TAXES:

During the campaign, Flood said that he will “protect President Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” and support additional tax cuts. He has stated that he wants to get rid of regulations “that kill jobs,” support “quality infrastructure,” and deliver “reliable, high-speed broadband” to rural communities. He also said that he supports “the innovators in fin-tech, medicine, and automation.”[viii]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

Flood has said that he will “work to increase competition and reduce the cost of health care while protecting patients with pre-existing conditions and seniors.”[ix]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

According to his campaign website, Flood supports completing construction of former President Donald Trump’s border wall, providing more funding for Customs and Border Protection and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and “clos[ing] loopholes” in US immigration laws. He also said that he opposes “amnesty and any pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.”[x]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

Flood has pledged to “work with law enforcement agencies to ensure our police officers are defended, not defunded” and provide “the tools needed to combat rising crime rates, fight human trafficking and opioid abuse, and keep our communities safe.”[xi]

GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS & ELECTION SECURITY:

Flood is a supporter of voter ID laws and “commonsense measures” to make elections more secure. [xii]

EDUCATION:

On student debt forgiveness, Flood has said the he opposes paying for college debt of Ph.D.s, doctors and lawyers “on the backs of waitresses, plumbers and electricians,” arguing, “If you take out a loan, you have to pay it back.”[xiii]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Flood has said that he will “fight the farm-killing Green New Deal” and that he opposes mileage taxes, carbon taxes, and “any other radical effort to shackle our economy.” He has criticized the Biden administration’s “anti-drilling and anti-pipeline policies,” advocated for an “all-of-the-above approach,” and supports “energy exploration and the use of reliable, affordable energy sources like ethanol, coal, and natural gas.”[xiv]

BIG TECH & DATA PRIVACY:

According to his campaign website, Flood believes that the US “must lead the tech revolution.”[xv]

GUN SAFETY:

Flood, who has said he will “oppose any attempt to infringe on Americans' fundamental liberties, including […] our sacred right to keep and bear arms,” has pledged not to restrict AR-15s.[xvi] [xvii] To bolster school safety, Flood has said that he supports hardening buildings, allocating funding for mental health facilities, and allowing local school boards to determine whether a given district’s teachers should be armed.[xviii]

FOREIGN POLICY:

Flood believes the United States should reshape policy towards China by focusing on protecting intellectual property; strengthening its presence in the South China Sea and Taiwan; moving manufacturing from China to the US; reducing espionage risks; and raising awareness and pressuring Beijing to end the CCP’s lack for human rights.[xix] Regarding Russia and the war in Ukraine, Flood has said he supported previous sanctions placed on Russian oligarchs, as well as providing Ukraine with weapons, intelligence, and humanitarian support. However, he has criticized the Biden administration’s solutions in region, arguing US policies have not been sufficient and the crisis has impacted US oil supply.[xx]