Summer is in Full Swing ☀️

July 16, 2023

Dear Neighbor, I hope all is well!

With summer in full swing in Colorado, I traveled back to Washington this week to close out July with three weeks of legislative action—but not before spending July 4th visiting with folks across our district.

I was proud to join Governor Jared Polis and Senator Michael Bennet in Loveland to announce an unprecedented $826 million investment in our state’s broadband infrastructure, which I helped secure last year through passage of the historic infrastructure bill. This funding will help make reliable, affordable internet more accessible for countless folks in Colorado’s rural communities, throughout the Western Slope, and truly in every corner of our state. Then, from one celebration to the next, Senator Bennet and I also attended the 125th Anniversary of the Colorado Chautauqua, a National Historic Landmark and staple of the Boulder community. For over a century this treasured open space and gathering center has emulated the spirit of our state — community, culture, and recreation!

Switching speeds, this week, I joined my colleagues in Congress in considering the annual defense spending bill, and as a member of the Rules Committee, successfully attached several priorities of importance to our nation’s service members and their families, including:

Improvements to military responsiveness & readiness;
Better housing accommodations for service members and their families;
Support for service members as they transition to civilian life; and
Stronger healthcare benefits for veterans and their families.

While I could not, in good faith, support certain aspects of House Republicans’ final bill, please know I have and will continue to advocate for service members and their families — protecting our communities and our fundamental freedoms.

LEADING LOCALLY

This week, I worked with two fellow Coloradans in Congress to introduce several bills of importance to families in our state, and across the country. First, we re-introduced the bipartisan Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act with Rep. Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs), a bill that addresses the terrible impacts the fentanyl crisis is having on our children and equips schools with the tools necessary to confront this issue head-on. Also this week, Rep. Petersen (D-Lakewood) and I introduced a bill to study and improve access to mental health care services for America’s farmers and ranchers. I will continue to work with my Colorado colleagues in both the House and Senate to advance the interests of our communities on the federal level.

WHAT ELSE HAVE WE BEEN WORKING ON?

I participated in a Judiciary Committee hearing with Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, focusing on the implementation of my bill, the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act. After successfully getting this bill signed into law, our work continues to strengthen antitrust enforcement across the board.
We welcomed the newly-elected Mayor of Colorado Springs, Yemi Mobolade, to Washington – excited to work with him to better support Coloradans across the state.
The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing with the current FBI Director. During this hearing, I called for an immediate update on the FBI’s efforts to better protect Americans from gun violence.
Our office was honored to have been recognized by Defenders of Wildlife for our work to preserve wildlife biodiversity and protect our country’s scenic public lands. The work continues!

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

Please stay safe, stay healthy, and stay hopeful!