Mark Cohen is running for the U.S. House because he is tired of being left behind by the two party system which is more interested in lining the pockets of the tech billionaires than actually fighting for the people of the 3rd District. He is an Air Force vet with an advanced degree in Agriculture Law and teaches Karate in Ogallala.
Push to amend the Packers and Stockyards Act to change the “harm to competition” standard so a plaintiff does not have to prove harm to the entire industry Work to fund the USDA and the DOJ Antitrust Division, and to make them enforce the law Fight to mandate standardized packer contracts and USDA transparency reporting Work to restore Biden-era rules on competition in the meatpacking industry Push for campaign finance reform and to overturn Citizens United Work for a new farm bill (there has not been a new one since 2018) Fight to preserve and expand rural mental health funding and oppose cuts to rural health services Support right to repair legislation so farmers can fix their own equipment
Oppose unilateral tariffs that harm Nebraska’s agriculture export markets without achieving concrete, measurable results Support expanding free and fair trade agreements that open markets for Nebraska corn, soybeans, beef, pork, and other commodities Scrutinize every trade deal for its specific impact on Nebraska agriculture before casting a vote Support MCOOL for beef and pork Work with allies to address China’s unfair trade practices through coordinated multilateral pressure rather than unilateral tariff wars that backfire on American farmers Fight for stable, predictable trade policy so Nebraska farmers can plan for the future without worrying that a presidential tweet will close their markets overnight
Protect and increase federal funding for Ogallala Aquifer research, monitoring, and conservation programs Fight for Nebraska’s interest in interstate water compact negotiations and enforcement Support rural water infrastructure programs that help small communities maintain reliable water supplies Treat water security as the agricultural and economic security issue it is - not as an environmental abstraction
Fight to ensure BEAD program funds and other federal broadband investments reach the most underserved rural areas in Nebraska – not just the easiest and cheapest to serve Support enforceable buildout requirements and accountability measures so providers cannot pocket federal money without delivering service Push for accurate broadband mapping so federal resources go where they are actually needed Support expanding telehealth access for rural Nebraskans as a direct beneficiary of improved broadband Treat rural broadband as the economic development issue it is – as critical to the future of rural Nebraska as rural electrification was to the twentieth century Call out providers who take federal money, promise service, and fail to deliver
Fight to increase funding for USDA Rural Development housing programs and streamline their application processes for small communities Support a rural set-aside within the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program with simplified requirements for small markets Push for a targeted federal rural housing rehabilitation program to bring vacant and deteriorating homes back to productive use Support tax incentives for employers who build or finance workforce housing in rural communities Work to reduce bureaucratic barriers that make federal housing programs impractical for small rural communities Make the case in Washington that rural housing is good policy and a wise investment
Work to restore Medicaid funding Oppose tax cuts for the wealthy that harm healthcare and rural communities Support the Affordable Care Act Fight for strict regulation of insurance companies Always support preventative care
Vote against any bill that cuts Social Security for Medicare benefits, regardless of what it is called or how it is packaged Support lifting the payroll tax cap so the wealthy pay the same percentage as working Nebraskans, funding Social Security without benefit cuts Oppose any effort to privatize Medicare or convert it to a voucher system Support expanding Medicare’s authority to negotiate prescription drug prices Fight to protect rural hospital Medicare reimbursement rates, which are a lifeline for rural communities Call out politicians from either party who use misleading language to disguise benefit cuts
Support increased federal funding for rural mental health services, including grants to recruit and retain mental health providers in underserved communities Push for federal support of farm stress programs, including hotlines, peer support networks, and integration of mental health services into agriculture extension programs Support telehealth expansion and interstate licensure compacts that allow mental health providers to serve rural patients across state lines Demand accountability from pharmaceutical companies that allow mental health providers to serve rural patients across state lines Fight to protect and expand veteran mental health funding, including suicide prevention programs specifically designed for rural veterans Oppose any cuts to Medicaid that would reduce coverage for mental health services – in rural Nebraska, Medicaid is often the only coverage available for mental health treatment
Fight for legislation to offer student-loan forgiveness for teachers who commit to five years in rural districts Establish a pay floor so starting teachers in NE-03 aren’t driven out of the profession by better-paying jobs across the state line Increase taxes on billionaires and large corporations which will facilitate grants to Land-Grant Institutions such as the University of Nebraska Fight for federal spending on vocational training, agricultural education, and community engagement so we meet the needs of all rural students Work to improve broadband access to ensure that al students have reliable internet access Making sure public funds are used for public schools only Restore the Department of Education
Bring back Eisenhower-era progressive tax system with higher rates on higher incomes and higher corporate taxes Fund grants to state and local governments to buy down property taxes the way Nebraska’s own school tax credits already do
Oppose tax cuts that add to the deficit without corresponding spending reductions or revenue increases elsewhere Support raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans and on corporations that use offshore strategies to avoid their fair share Oppose cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid as a budget-balancing tool Support full Pentagon financial audits and real accountability for defense contractors Call out politicians from either party who claim to care about the deficit while voting to increase it Support a budget process that is honest about tradeoffs rather than one that hides them behind accounting gimmicks and deadline extensions
Oppose one-person train crews; require minimum two-person freight train crews Support stricter railroad safety regulations Support more robust paid sick leave for railroad workers
Oppose Central Bank Digital Currencies that gives the government real-time visibility into Americans’ financial transactions, allows programmable restrictions on spending, or enables the government to freeze funds without a court order Require explicit congressional authorization before the Federal Reserve can issue any retail CBDC Protect the legal status of cash as a payment option and oppose policies that accelerate its elimination Support tiered banking regulation that reduces burdens on community banks and credit unions while increasing oversight of systematically important megabanks Support an independent audit of the Federal Reserve to increase transparency and public accountability Reinstate and strengthen safeguards for systematically important financial institutions to ensure that banking failures do not become taxpayer bailouts Examine and reform the Farm Credit System to ensure it is actually meeting the credit needs of Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers Refuse campaign contributions from the largest financial institutions, so Wall Street doesn’t own my vote before I cast it Never support any legislation that eliminates your right to use cash
Introduce single subject bills End the use of continuing resolutions and omnibus bills Banning the trading of individual stocks by House members (buying AND selling) Uncap the limit of representatives Fight for the creation of more districts in each state
Fight to protect Article III of the Constitution Call out when other legislatures cherry pick the Constitution Call out politicians when they claim that opponents have “weaponized the judicial system” Call out politicians when they claim that an investigation into their side is politically motivated, but that also encourage the criminal justice system to silence and punish opponents
Mandate the recording and public streaming of all federal court proceedings, including oral arguments and sentencing hearings, with exceptions only for narrow defined national security needs or to protect the safety of specific witnesses Mandate that all internal correspondence between each justice / judge and each other justice / judge and his or her clerks pertaining to a matter should be available to the public after a decision is announced Mandate that all federal judicial opinions, including memoranda orders and unpublished decisions that carry binding legal weight, must be made immediately and freely available in a centralized, searchable public database Reform the process for judicial discipline to include public access to all complaints, hearings, and findings, ensuring that judges are not above the very laws they interpret Support a constitutional amendment that would allow Congress to overturn presidential pardons
Oppose mental health checks for owners of AR-15’s and similar so-called “assault style” rifles Call out politicians’ contempt for the rule of law, pardoning of felons, militarization of law enforcement, violations of the Posse Comitatus Act Oppose the march toward a global surveillance state
Support families, not governments Stop the use of simplistic labels in the House Protect citizens from government overreach into medical procedures that politicians believe might be used for abortions Educate young people about sexual health Make birth control available if they choose to be sexually active
Allow gay couples to enter the same legal relationships the law allows anyone else to enter Make measured legislation regarding athletics Support legislation for single-occupancy bathrooms in public buildings
Support legislation legalizing and regulating marijuana for adults Work with other legislators to get the root cause of citizens using mind altering substances Objectively consider the evidence and find consensus on common sense solutions to balance many competing interests, including a citizen’s right to liberty
Co-sponsor and vote for comprehensive federal data privacy legislation that gives Americans meaningful rights over their own data Support legislation prohibiting the government from purchasing Americans’ data to circumvent Fourth Amendment protections Support federal farm data rights legislation that ensures farmers own the data generated on their land Support federal restrictions on foreign adversaries purchasing American farmland and critical infrastructure Oppose any legislation or executive action that gives unaccountable private individuals access to Americans’ personal and financial data held by the federal government Demand real congressional oversight of government surveillance programs and intelligence agencies Push for federal standards governing the use of AI surveillance tools, facial recognition technology, and predictive policing systems
Support legislation that makes it illegal for a law enforcement officer to conceal their face or badge number without a court order or in specifically defined narrow circumstances Support legislation that makes it illegal for a law enforcement office to scan a person’s face using facial recognition technology without a warrant or informed consent Support legislation that ensures the right of all Americans to record law enforcement activities if it does not clearly impair the ability of an officer to do their job
Fight to make the United States stand up to Russia and punish Russia and other foreign actors for interfering in our elections Work to restore the damage the current administration has done to NATO Press to get to the bottom of the trillions of dollars the Pentagon can’t account for Make sure we are prepared to deal with 21st century threats Work to keep our alliances in the Pacific and in Asia strong, and to deter Chinese military and economic aggression Push for higher taxes on the super-rich and the large corporations such that they pay their fair share of our military spending Push to investigate misuse of our military Speak out to end the culture war this administration employed to attack our servicemembers and veterans, to deprive minority servicemembers of the recognition they deserve, and to limit the access of our servicemembers to books
Fight to fully fund the VA and hold it accountable for delivering care to veterans in rural areas Strengthen the VA Community Care Program so rural veterans can access quality care near their homes Expand telehealth and mental health services specifically for rural veterans Oppose any cuts to SNAP, housing assistance, or other programs that veterans depend on Support full implementation of the PACT Act with adequate VA funding and staffing Speak plainly when politicians wave the flag while voting against veterans – because that hypocrisy deserves to be called out Work to reinstate the ability of the VA to provide abortion counseling and care
End “one-size-fits-all” immigration policy Work for sensible immigration reform that recognizes that immigrants are critical to Nebraska’s agricultural and other industries Push to cut ICE funding to Biden-era levels Oppose detention of suspected illegal immigrants without Due Process
Support legislation that closes the pay gap, strengthens enforcement of equal pay laws, and requires transparency in compensation so that workers know if they’re being shortchanged Call out politicians telling you they support women while voting to eliminate the programs women rely on Support Paid Family Leave Invest in childcare infrastructure in rural communities the same way we invest in roads and bridges Protect and fund federal programs that fund rural domestic violence services, legal aid, and survivor support Oppose attempts to regulate women to inferior roles in the military
Push for a workable agricultural visa system that reflects the reality of how Nebraska’s economy works Oppose the mass deportation of long-term residents that tears families apart Fight to protect and expand rural healthcare access for every Nebraskan, regardless of what they look like or where they were born
Strengthen antitrust enforcement, taxing the wealthy fairly, and directing that revenue into programs that build affordable housing Fight for legislation that allows Americans to discharge student loan debt in bankruptcy just like any American who qualifies for bankruptcy can discharge consumer or medical debt Strengthen unions, protect collective bargaining rights, and ensure security for workers displaced by automation Require informed consent for data collection, set meaningful limits on what corporations can do with your information, and ensure that AI development doesn’t leave your rights behind
Defend religious liberties for everyone Oppose any effort to establish a government-preferred religion Protect religious institutions’ freedom to govern themselves Defend equal access, not preferred access, for every faith
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!
Campaign Headquarters
916 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274