Friends,
This is a challenging time for many Americans. Each day seems to bring more troubling news from Washington.
A climate change denier now runs the EPA. The President has lodged repeated attacks on our free press and independent judiciary. Questions persist about Russian interference in our elections. Hateful rhetoric has inspired violence in our communities.
From conversations with constituents and even my own daughters, I know these actions can be difficult to understand and even tougher to explain to our children.
But the energetic engagement over the past few weeks should give us hope. Thousands of Coloradans have contacted my office to express their frustrations and share their perspective.
In your calls and emails, we've heard your fears about losing health insurance and anger at nominees who lack qualifications for their appointments. But we've also heard your resolve to stay engaged, speak out for our values, and challenge Congress and this Administration when they fall short of the high standards we demand from our government.
Tonight's Address
Tonight, President Trump will address a joint session of Congress. To the extent he offers constructive, bipartisan proposals to reform our tax code, rebuild our infrastructure, and create good-paying jobs, he should and will have partners in the Senate.
But if he continues to divide and demonize, he will find strong opposition and strong advocacy for America's deepest values and traditions -- not just in Congress, but in communities across Colorado.
If you don't hear an agenda tonight that you believe Coloradans deserve, there are several ways you can speak up:
What You Can Do
- Share your stories. If the Administration's policies have affected you or someone you know, write to us. Send us photos and videos on social media. Help us tell your story. Your postcards from the Women's March in January inspired us to launch our Instagram account. In the months to come, we hope to continue sharing your stories on our website and on the Senate floor, because representatives in Washington need to hear the real-world consequences of their choices.
- Contact your elected officials. Whether this is at the local, state, or federal level, when you feel strongly about a particular issue, pick up the phone or grab a pen. We do our best to respond to everyone who contacts our office. Without a doubt, your engagement increases pressure on lawmakers to challenge the Administration's questionable actions. Click here to find and contact your elected officials.
- Write a letter to the editor. Elected officials read state and local papers to gauge public opinion, so make your voices heard. Most Colorado papers accept letters between 150 - 300 words in length. Below are links to submit letters to a few Colorado publications:
- Organize in your communities. Find local organizations fighting for the issues you care about and volunteer. Make calls. Go door-to-door. Reach out to friends or family members who have never been involved in politics but want to engage. In democracies, power resides in citizens who organize.
What I've Been Doing
To hold the Administration accountable, I have:
- Challenged the President's travel and refugee ban, which offends the best traditions of our nation and makes us less safe by inflaming anti-American sentiment around the world.
We've also continued to deliver results for Colorado:
- Introduced a bill to streamline the FDA's process for inspecting medical devices, which can help bring faster relief to patients across the country.
- Introduced the SAVE Act to allow banks to consider savings from energy efficiency when they approve mortgages.
- Invited the Outdoor Retailer Show to Colorado and introduced five bills with Senator Gardner to strengthen protections for public lands in Colorado.
- Celebrated the contributions of immigrants and African Americans to our country at a naturalization ceremony in Fort Collins and the annual Marade in Denver.
- Met with immigrants and refugees groups, community organizations, Latino and African-American leaders, LGBTQ community members, teachers, business leaders, and health care professionals to hear their concerns and bring their insights back to Washington.
Other Updates & Actions
One of the best ways to stay connected with our office is to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Medium. You can also sign up for this newsletter.
But we also want to connect with Coloradans face to face. Just recently, we set up regular meetings with groups that protested at our offices. We want to hear from everyone, even those with sharply different views. Over the next two months, we plan to hold additional meetings to hear from even more Coloradans.
We appreciate all of the work you have been doing to fight for Colorado and the values we hold. Our common-sense, can-do approach remains a model for the country.
Thanks for the opportunity to represent you,
Michael
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