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Hello everyone,
I spent most of the week back in Colorado following the Senate’s vote late Monday night to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Before the final vote, I spoke on the Senate floor about the broken, partisan process to confirm Judge Barrett and the need to overcome the powerful forces that cleared her path to the Supreme Court. In case you missed it, you can watch my remarks here or read them here.
This has been one of the worst fire seasons in Colorado’s history. The Cameron Peak Fire is the largest we’ve ever had, and the East Troublesome Fire is not far behind. I got a sense of the incredible scope of the ongoing fires after spending yesterday and today meeting with people impacted by the East Troublesome Fire on both sides of the Continental Divide, from Estes Park to Grand Lake. Over the past two days, I’ve heard from evacuees forced from their homes, along with the firefighters, first responders, local officials, and federal partners working day and night to keep our communities safe. I can’t thank them enough for their service to Colorado, and in the weeks ahead, I will do everything I can to make sure that our affected communities have the resources they need to get back on their feet.
Our state has been through a lot over the past decade, from the 2012 High Park Fire, to the 2013 floods, a global pandemic, and now, a fire season unmatched in our history. Every time, Coloradans have risen to the challenge to demonstrate our best qualities -- collaboration, ingenuity, and a selfless commitment to each other. Each week brings new reminders of how fortunate I am to represent our state.
If you want to learn more about our work, I’ve included some highlights below. As always, please contact my office if we can be helpful in any way.
Have a great weekend,
Michael
SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES IN THE PATH OF WILDFIRES
On Thursday I visited the temporary Area Command for the Rocky Mountain Region, which oversees the wildfires across our state. I had a chance to hear from local officials, who provided a helpful briefing about the ongoing wildfires and the status of containment efforts so far. Local officials and representatives from the U.S. Forest Service also updated me on their work to protect water supplies following the Cameron Peak Fire, which caused extensive damage to the Poudre River watershed supplying Fort Collins, Greeley, and residents in Larimer and Weld counties. I also joined Congressman Neguse for a visit to the Emergency Operations Command Centers in Estes Park to learn how partners from the local, state, and federal levels are working together to support our recovery efforts.
On Friday, I visited the Command Center in Grand County and also met with local officials to hear about their work to recover from the fires. Later that day, I visited with evacuees who lost their homes and all their belongings to the fires. They now face incredible hardship, and in moments like these, we have to come together and support our fellow Coloradans in need. This article provides a good run-down of how you can help.
(Emergency Operations Center in Grand County)
(Briefing in Estes Park)
EXPANDING BROADBAND IN NORTHWEST COLORADO
On Thursday, I announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $6 million to Yampa Valley Electric Association to expand high-speed broadband in Northwest Colorado. In April, I wrote USDA a letter to support their application and have worked over the years to increase federal broadband funding as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. With this new funding, YVEA will deploy a high-speed fiber network to connect 553 people, 27 farms, 27 businesses, and three post offices to high-speed broadband across Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt, Grand, and Eagle counties. We can’t rest until every Coloradan has access to affordable, high-speed broadband no matter where they live.
FOUR DAYS LEFT TO VOTE
The most important election of our lives is in four days. If you haven’t yet voted, at this point you should return your ballot to a drop box or in-person polling center to make sure it counts. You can find the nearest drop box or in-person polling center at GoVoteColorado.gov. Don’t delay and make a plan to vote today. And if you’ve already voted, reach out to one family member or friend every day between now and next Tuesday and make sure they cast a ballot and make their voice heard in our democracy.
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