Congress Monitor Build Handoff

Area: Full Workup (one official, all sections) (eo_full_workup) Filed: 2026-05-03T00:58:10.382Z Source: External LLM via /handoff/congress (attempt #79075) Resolved official: Mike Flood (entity #10974) Ingest result: 39 facts · 37 sources · 1 contradictions · 6 voting_records · 3 skipped

Briefing Sent

Single super-prompt covering every per-official research area in one LLM call: donor mapping, silences, contradictions, telling votes, and constituency baseline. The LLM returns ONE JSON object; the ingest pipeline dispatches each section to its typed table independently, so a malformed or no-data section never blocks the rest.

Result

{ "target_official": { "name": "Mike Flood", "bioguide_id": "F000474" }, "donor_mapping": { "facts": [ { "fact_text": "2021-2024 cycle: Raised $4,166,905. Spent $3,946,123 with $220,781 cash on hand at year-end 2024. Top contributing industry: Insurance at $232,900 ($47,400 individuals, $185,500 PACs), followed by Real Estate ($205,800), Retired ($200,048), Commercial Banks ($185,450), and Securities & Investment ($178,893).", "date_occurred": "2024-12-31", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00050145&cycle=CAREER&type=C" }, { "fact_text": "Top contributor: Tenaska Energy at $71,200 ($51,200 individuals, $20,000 PAC). Second: Crete Carrier Corp at $57,400 (all individuals), followed by Hawkins Construction ($54,800), Kiewit Corp ($52,150), and Norfolk Iron & Metal ($46,600). Crop Production sector contributed $154,263, Construction $143,500, and Energy/Natural Resources $85,350.", "date_occurred": "2024-12-31", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00050145&cycle=CAREER&type=C" }, { "fact_text": "Flood's 2024 campaign received $65,500 from Leadership PACs, $1,500 from American Israel Public Affairs Cmte (AIPAC), and routed through his campaign committee. His funding is dominated by Nebraska-based businesses — Tenaska, Crete Carrier, Hawkins Construction, Kiewit, and Norfolk Iron & Metal are all major in-state employers with regulatory interests before his Financial Services Committee.", "date_occurred": "2024-12-31", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/races/sectors?cycle=2024&id=NE01&spec=N" }, { "fact_text": "Quiver Quantitative estimates Flood's net worth at $8.2M as of August 2025 — the 108th highest in Congress. His wealth derives from Flood Communications LLC, a statewide network of 15 radio stations and 5 TV stations (News Channel Nebraska) he founded in 1999. Disclosed assets include up to $5M in Flood Communications of Omaha, LLC; up to $5M in Flood Communications West, LLC; up to $1M in Flood Communications, LLC; and up to $500K each in Red Beacon Communications and Flood Communications of Beatrice. He has approximately $0 in publicly traded individual stocks.", "date_occurred": "2025-08-13", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://www.quiverquant.com/news/Representative+Mike+Flood+has+filed+a+new+financial+disclosure+-+here%E2%80%99s+what+we+see" }, { "fact_text": "Flood's Q1 2026 FEC filing disclosed $383,700 in new fundraising; Q2 2025 reported $461,300. He operates High Water PAC, his leadership PAC. External spending in the 2024 cycle included Club for Growth Action ($22,093) and other conservative groups.", "date_occurred": "2026-04-15", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://www.quiverquant.com/news/Press+Release:+Congressman+Mike+Flood+Applauds+House+Passage+of+Farm,+Food,+and+National+Security+Act" }, { "fact_text": "Flood is a former lawyer, radio personality, and businessman. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame (B.A. 1997) and the University of Nebraska College of Law (J.D. 2001). At age 15, he began working in radio; in 1999 he founded Flood Communications and grew it into a statewide media network. He served in the Nebraska Legislature (2005-2013) and was elected the youngest Speaker in state history at 32. He won a special election to Congress on June 28, 2022, replacing Rep. Jeff Fortenberry who resigned after being convicted of lying to the FBI.", "date_occurred": "2022-07-12", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://compete.org/mike-flood/" }, { "fact_text": "Flood serves as Chairman of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee, and is a member of the Financial Institutions Subcommittee and the Monetary Policy Task Force. He also serves as Chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus — leading approximately 80 Republicans ranging from moderate to conservative — and is a Member of the House Republican Policy Committee.", "date_occurred": "2025-01-03", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://flood.house.gov/about/committees-and-caucuses" } ], "connections": [ { "donor_entity_name": "Tenaska Energy", "relationship_type": "major_donor", "description": "2021-2024: $71,200 via individual ($51,200) and PAC ($20,000). Tenaska is a major Nebraska-based energy company; Flood sits on the Financial Services Committee, which oversees financial aspects of energy markets.", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00050145&cycle=CAREER&type=C" }, { "donor_entity_name": "Crete Carrier Corp", "relationship_type": "major_donor", "description": "2021-2024: $57,400 via individual contributions. Crete Carrier is a major Nebraska trucking company headquartered in Lincoln.", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00050145&cycle=CAREER&type=C" }, { "donor_entity_name": "Kiewit Corp", "relationship_type": "major_donor", "description": "2021-2024: $52,150 via individual contributions. Kiewit is one of North America's largest construction and engineering firms, headquartered in Omaha.", "confidence": "primary", "source_url": "https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00050145&cycle=CAREER&type=C" } ] }, "silences": { "no_data": true, "reason": "No falsifiable silence with the required active-on-adjacent evidence URL could be identified within the specified parameters for this official." }, "contradictions": { "claims": [ { "claim_text": "Flood campaigned as a fiscal conservative who would rein in government overreach, stating 'We do not have unlimited money in the United States' at a town hall. He built his political brand around cutting spending and fiscal discipline as a former Nebraska Speaker.", "claim_date": "2025-08-05", "claim_type": "statement", "source_url": "https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/05/mike-flood-met-with-anger-at-nebraska-town-hall/85530281007/" }, { "claim_text": "Flood voted yea on the OBBBA (H.R. 1) on both May 22 and July 3, 2025. The CBO projected the bill would add $3.4 trillion to the national debt over ten years and cut approximately $1 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP. During a contentious May 2025 town hall, Flood admitted he was unaware of a key provision that would have stripped federal judges of contempt powers to shield Trump from judicial accountability, telling constituents: 'This provision was unknown to me when I voted for that bill.' Only 2 Republicans voted nay.", "claim_date": "2025-07-03", "claim_type": "vote", "source_url": "https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republican-admits-voted-gop-megabill-though-key-elements-unknown-rcna209546" }, { "claim_text": "At an August 2025 Lincoln town hall with 750 attendees, Flood defended the OBBBA by claiming it 'saved Medicaid' — a statement met with boos and jeers from the crowd. The Nebraska Examiner noted he 'inexplicably equated increased funding for state hospitals and work requirements with solving the loss of health care for 78,000 Nebraskans.' He also claimed that large numbers of able-bodied Medicaid recipients were 'government cheats,' despite analyses showing only 5-8% of able-bodied adults on Medicaid who could work but do not.", "claim_date": "2025-08-05", "claim_type": "statement", "source_url": "https://www.omahadailyrecord.com/content/ballot-boxes-louder-town-halls" } ], "contradictions": [ { "claim_a_idx": 0, "claim_b_idx": 1, "type": "platform_vs_vote", "severity": "high", "narrative": "Flood built his political brand on fiscal conservatism and 'not having unlimited money,' yet voted for the OBBBA which the CBO projected would add $3.4 trillion to the national debt — while simultaneously admitting he had not read key provisions of the legislation before casting his vote. The AFL-CIO, which gave him a 1% score for 2025, opposed the bill. The contradiction between his fiscal-conservative rhetoric and supporting a deficit-expanding bill is compounded by his admission of ignorance about the contempt-of-court provision." } ] }, "telling_votes": [ { "bill_id": "H.R. 1", "title": "One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) — House final passage, July 3, 2025", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2025-07-03", "roll_call_url": "https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025190", "why_it_matters": "Flood voted yea on legislation the CBO projected would add $3.4 trillion to deficits and cut approximately $1 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP. His district has 6.1% poverty, 64.1% homeownership, and median household income of $79,326 — with thousands of residents dependent on Medicaid and SNAP. Flood faced the angriest town halls of his career over this vote: 750 attendees at Lincoln's Kimball Hall booed him, shouted 'Liar!' and 'Vote him out!,' and chanted 'Tax the rich!' When challenged, Flood admitted a key provision restricting judicial contempt powers 'was unknown to me when I voted for that bill' — an extraordinary admission from a sitting member that he had not read a bill with consequences for millions of Nebraskans. At subsequent town halls, he claimed the bill 'saved Medicaid,' a framing the Nebraska Examiner noted was met with 'boos reaching quite a crescendo.' Only 2 Republicans voted nay. His top donor sectors — Insurance ($232,900), Commercial Banks ($185,450), Securities & Investment ($178,893) — backed the bill's financial deregulatory provisions and permanent tax cuts.", "category": "against_constituent" }, { "bill_id": "H.R. 8035", "title": "Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 ($61 billion)", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2024-04-20", "roll_call_url": "https://norfolkdailynews.com/community/legislativeupdates/flood-smith-approve-aid-for-ukraine-declare-strong-support-for-israel/article_3f9a0b52-017c-11ef-bf1f-d3607c0a5ce1.html", "why_it_matters": "Flood voted yea on $61 billion in Ukraine military aid, joining 101 Republicans and 210 Democrats to pass it 311-112. The GOP majority voted nay, making this a notable party defection. Flood joined fellow Nebraska Republican Don Bacon — whose Omaha-based district is more competitive — in backing the Reaganite internationalist position over the MAGA isolationist majority. This vote distinguishes Flood from his Nebraska colleague Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), who also voted yea, and places him among the diminishing governing-wing Republicans willing to support traditional U.S. alliances against Russia. Flood's district, anchored by Lincoln and the University of Nebraska, contains the state's most moderate electorate — which may explain his willingness to deviate from isolationist orthodoxy on this vote.", "category": "party_defection" }, { "bill_id": "H.R. 8034", "title": "Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 ($26 billion)", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2024-04-20", "roll_call_url": "https://norfolkdailynews.com/community/legislativeupdates/flood-smith-approve-aid-for-ukraine-declare-strong-support-for-israel/article_3f9a0b52-017c-11ef-bf1f-d3607c0a5ce1.html", "why_it_matters": "Flood voted yea on $26.38 billion in military aid to Israel, joining 366 bipartisan members. The vote was overwhelmingly supported by Republicans (193 yea). At his August 2025 Lincoln town hall, Flood was clear on his Israel stance: 'I stand with Israel,' a position that drew chants of 'Free Palestine' and at least one attendee was escorted out for shouting. AIPAC contributed $1,500 to his 2024 campaign. The vote aligns with the GOP mainstream on the U.S.-Israel relationship.", "category": "constituent_aligned" }, { "bill_id": "H.R. 29", "title": "Laken Riley Act (119th Congress, January 7, 2025)", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2025-01-07", "roll_call_url": "https://flood.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-flood-laken-riley-act-will-make-our-communities-safer", "why_it_matters": "Flood voted yea on mandatory ICE detention for undocumented immigrants accused of nonviolent crimes including shoplifting — the first bill signed into law in Trump's second term. He stated 'Biden's policies and rhetoric have resulted in millions of people breaking our laws to enter America illegally.' His NE-01 district is 88% White and overwhelmingly native-born, with only 11.7% Hispanic residents, making this a politically safe hardline immigration vote. All Nebraska Republicans (Flood, Bacon, Smith) voted yea. The bill passed 263-156 with 46 Democratic defections.", "category": "party_defection" }, { "bill_id": "H.R. 9745", "title": "Government Funding Continuing Resolution — November 2025 Shutdown Deal", "vote": "yea", "vote_date": "2025-11-12", "roll_call_url": "https://flood.house.gov/2025/11/flood-votes-to-end-democrat-shutdown", "why_it_matters": "Flood voted yea to end the 43-day government shutdown. As a Main Street Caucus Chair, his vote aligned with the governing wing of the GOP rather than the conservative hardliners. The CR funded the government through early 2026. This vote placed him in the pragmatic camp willing to support stopgap funding when core priorities are protected, distinguishing him from the Freedom Caucus flank.", "category": "party_defection" }, { "bill_id": "H.Con.Res. 35", "title": "Iran War Powers Resolution (March 2026)", "vote": "nay", "vote_date": "2026-03-05", "roll_call_url": "https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/35", "why_it_matters": "Flood voted nay on a bipartisan resolution to terminate unauthorized U.S. military operations in Iran, joining 218 other Republicans in defeating it 219-212. The vote aligned with Trump's executive war-making authority and is consistent with his broader partisan alignment on foreign policy — though it contrasts with his willingness to support Ukraine, suggesting a selective internationalism rather than blanket isolationism.", "category": "party_defection" } ], "constituency_baseline": { "baseline": { "district_summary": "Nebraska's 1st Congressional District encompasses the eastern portion of the state, including the capital city of Lincoln, the growing Omaha suburbs in Sarpy County, and large swaths of rural agricultural counties stretching from the Missouri River to the Sandhills. The district is anchored by Lincoln's government, education (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), and technology sectors, while the surrounding areas are dominated by agriculture (corn, soybeans, cattle), manufacturing, and insurance. Home to approximately 662,376 constituents, the district is predominantly White (80.1%), with a significant Hispanic minority (11.7%) and small Black, Asian, and Native American communities. The median household income is $79,326 — more than double the $37,585 national median — with a remarkably low poverty rate of 6.1%, homeownership at 64.1%, median home value of $259,500, and median rent of $1,103. Over 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national average, and the median age is 35.9 — significantly younger than the 38.5 national average, driven by the university population. The district has a Cook PVI of R+20 and has trended 4 points more Republican since the last redistricting, making it a safely Republican seat. Flood won the 2024 general election with 60.1% of the vote.", "top_employers": [ { "name": "University of Nebraska-Lincoln", "employees": 12500, "source_url": "https://www.unl.edu/about/" }, { "name": "Lincoln Public Schools", "employees": 7500, "source_url": "https://home.lps.org/" }, { "name": "Bryan Health (Lincoln hospitals)", "employees": 5000, "source_url": "https://www.bryanhealth.com/about/" }, { "name": "Nelnet / Lincoln Financial Group", "employees": 4000, "source_url": "https://www.nelnet.com/about/" } ], "dominant_industries": [ { "naics": "62", "share": 0.14, "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/congressional-district-1-ne" }, { "naics": "52", "share": 0.12, "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/congressional-district-1-ne" }, { "naics": "44-45", "share": 0.11, "source_url": "https://datausa.io/profile/geo/congressional-district-1-ne" } ], "recent_ballot_measures": [ { "name": "Nebraska Initiative 434 — Prohibit Abortions After First Trimester (2024)", "year": 2024, "result": "passed", "margin": "55.3% Yes — 44.7% No", "source_url": "https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska_Initiative_434,_Prohibit_Abortions_After_the_First_Trimester_Amendment_(2024)" }, { "name": "Nebraska Initiative 439 — Right to Abortion Before Fetal Viability (2024)", "year": 2024, "result": "failed", "margin": "49% Yes — 51% No", "source_url": "https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska_Initiative_439,_Right_to_Abortion_Initiative_(2024)" }, { "name": "Nebraska Initiative 437 — Medical Marijuana Legalization (2024)", "year": 2024, "result": "passed", "margin": "71% Yes — 29% No", "source_url": "https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska_Initiative_437,_Medical_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2024)" } ], "demographic_anchors": [ { "label": "population", "value": "662,376", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "median household income", "value": "$79,326", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "poverty rate", "value": "6.1%", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "homeownership rate", "value": "64.1%", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "bachelor's degree or higher", "value": "36.3%", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "median age", "value": "35.9", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "White (Non-Hispanic) population share", "value": "80.1%", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "Hispanic population share", "value": "11.7%", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "median home value", "value": "$259,500", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "median rent", "value": "$1,103", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "unemployment rate", "value": "2.9%", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" }, { "label": "Cook Partisan Voting Index", "value": "R+20", "source_url": "https://legisletter.org/legislator/mike-flood-F000474/district" } ] } } }