Celebrating Camp Hale, Project Kickoffs, and More...

Dear Neighbor, As we enter an unprecedented seventh consecutive session week in Congress (and 20 days without a Speaker of the House), and as I depart back to Washington D.C. today to continue my efforts to end the dysfunction, it was wonderful being back home in Colorado this past weekend! Meeting with constituents and visiting with folks in communities across our incredible district — from Idaho Springs to Eagle County — reminded me just how fortunate I am to represent our community in the House and renewed my sense of purpose to restore common sense, empathy, and hope in our political system. And visiting one of our fantastic Colorado pumpkin patches yesterday with my wife Andrea and our kiddos Natalie and Josh made the weekend extra special! 

On Saturday, I started the day by joining Senator Michael Bennet and folks from White River National Forest and Summit County to initiate a decades-long agreement to expand affordable housing for families in our mountain communities. Together, we marked the start of a 50-year lease for the 11-acre Dillon Work Center Administrative Site—a project that meets the moment for families across Summit County. I am proud to lead an effort in Congress to build on and ensure the continuation of programs like these to help increase much-needed access to affordable housing elsewhere in our district, and for Coloradans and Americans across the country.
 
Next, we gathered at the proposed Sandy Treat Jr. Overlook to mark one year since our successful effort to designate Camp Hale a national monument and kick-off the monument public engagement process. Sandy Treat Jr. was one of the first soldiers at Camp Hale and preserving this historic landscape was one of his life’s greatest passions. In Colorado, access to the outdoors is a way of life. And as a lifelong Coloradan and a father, I know that the protection of these treasured landscapes for generations to come is an important priority for us all.
 
For over a decade, Colorado’s mountain and rural communities, small businesses, recreation groups, ranchers, and conservationists worked together in this effort to protect our public lands, honor the legacy of Camp Hale, and secure outdoor recreation opportunities. As we work through the next steps of the monument planning process, we will continue to consult with one another on the best path forward. 
 
Over the coming days, please know that I’ll continue to do everything I can to work across the aisle and convince my colleagues to join us on a bipartisan path forward to open the House of Representatives and get back to the business of governing!

UPDATE ON TABOR REFUNDS

This week, I led Colorado’s congressional delegation on a bipartisan basis in submitting a public comment letter to the IRS, urging the agency to follow 30 years of precedent and not tax TABOR refunds. The following day, I was grateful for the opportunity to speak directly with IRS Commissioner Werfel about our efforts, and stress the importance of ensuring Coloradans’ TABOR refunds remain non-taxable. We will always put the people of Colorado first!

WHAT ELSE HAVE WE BEEN WORKING ON?

• Excited to announce $1,400,000 in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been awarded to Eagle County, Colorado. The investment will go toward reducing energy burdens for underserved households in the state’s rural mountain communities—by boosting clean energy production and cutting energy bills, we are delivering on our promise to lower costs for everyday American families and folks across Colorado’s 2nd District. Learn more HERE. 

• I joined Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper in a letter to USDA and USFS urging they prioritize allocating funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to address forest and watershed health in national forests on Colorado’s Western Slope, which serve as headwaters for rivers and streams extending beyond state boundaries. Read the letter HERE. 

• For months I’ve called on the EPA to release its final determination concerning emissions from leaded aviation fuel — and last week did so, publishing a groundbreaking report on the same. For years, schools, neighborhoods, community centers, and households located near General Aviation Airports, like RMMA, have been continuously exposed to this pollution—with the science clearer than ever, the regulatory agencies must act quickly to stop the use of leaded aviation fuels and protect our communities. Learn more HERE.

Should you need any assistance from our office, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

Please stay safe, stay healthy, and stay hopeful!