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Hello everyone,
It’s hard to believe that this week, America witnessed another horrific massacre. On Wednesday, a gunman walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and killed 19 children and two teachers. It was supposed to be their last week of school. They were looking forward to summer break — to seeing their friends and vacationing with family. That gunman robbed them of their futures.
Colorado is all too familiar with the tragedy of mass shootings. Columbine happened right before my oldest daughter was born. She’s now 22 years old, and her entire generation has grown up in the shadow of gun violence. They have grown up with a reasonable fear that they will be shot in their classrooms, or in their schools, or at a movie theater, or in any public place. And their generation will always bear the burden of a national government that did nothing to protect them. I didn’t grow up in an America with more gun related deaths than virtually any country in this world. And we can’t accept it for their America.
Unlike in Washington, Colorado legislators rose to the occasion and made tough choices after we suffered two of the worst mass shootings in our nation’s history. After the massacre in Columbine, we closed the gun show loophole. After the tragedy in Aurora, we strengthened our background checks.
I’m calling on my Senate colleagues to finally take action. We must do whatever we can to keep weapons of war out of our communities, pass universal background checks at the federal level, limit the size of magazines, and address our country’s mental health crisis.
This is a difficult moment for our country, and I hope that you’re setting aside time to take care of yourselves and your families. I encourage you to contact Colorado Crisis Services for support. Call 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255. And as always, please feel free to contact my office at any time.
Sincerely,
Michael
HONORING OUR SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS
As we head into Memorial Day and Military Appreciation Month comes to a close, I want to take a moment to express how profoundly grateful I am for our men and women in uniform.
The bravery of our servicemembers and veterans has allowed democracy to endure in America and spread across the globe as other nations draw inspiration from our example.
Tomorrow, we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. We owe it to them to strengthen the democracy they fought for and leave our country better off for the next generation.
CALLING ON THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO SUPPORT COLORADO’S SOLAR INDUSTRY
This week on the Senate floor, I called for a swift end to the Biden Administration’s solar tariff investigation, which has taken a sledgehammer to the solar industry in Colorado. Our state is a leader in this space, and Washington should be lifting up Colorado’s success as exactly the kind of progress we need. But the Department of Commerce’s investigation is driving our solar industry out of business.
This is a self-inflicted wound on America’s clean energy leadership, our energy security, and our economy at the worst possible moment. Instead, we should extend clean energy tax credits and clear the path for American solar, wind, and other types of clean energy deployment. So I’m calling on President Biden to swiftly end this investigation and provide long-term certainty for our businesses.
Watch my speech here.
(Speaking on the Senate floor)
ADDRESSING OUR COUNTRY’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS
Last summer, I convened a group of Colorado housing leaders with Senator John Hickenlooper to understand what our state needs to address the housing affordability crisis.
Based on the group’s recommendations, I urged the Appropriations Committee this week to make key investments in successful housing programs that help prevent evictions and boost the supply of affordable housing. As this crisis keeps growing, I’ll continue to push for strong affordable housing investments however I can.
SUPPORTING LOCAL CHILD CARE AND CLIMATE PROJECTS IN COLORADO
During stops in Loveland and Fort Collins on Friday, I had the opportunity to see first hand how federal funding I secured through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process will help tackle the challenges Coloradans face.
I stopped by the Boys & Girls Club of Larimer County in Loveland to see how it will use $1.5 million in funding to purchase a new facility and renovate it into a child care and family services center. For parents, guardians, and kids, this will be a much needed addition to the community where parents find themselves on multiple waitlists for childcare due to the shortage of options across Larimer County.
(Visiting the Boys & Girls Club of Larimer County)
Everywhere I go, I hear from Coloradans concerned about how climate change affects our state. Colorado State University (CSU) leads our nation in research and development to help us meet our climate goals. There, I saw how the school will use $1 million in funding to develop new agriculture technologies that will support our farmers and ranchers who are on the frontlines of climate change.
(Learning more about Colorado State University’s agricultural developments to help tackle climate change)
These are exactly the types of local projects Washington needs to support, and I look forward to seeing more projects soon.
VISITING THE NEW VA OUTPATIENT CLINIC IN NORTHERN COLORADO
I was honored to attend the ribbon cutting for the new Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) outpatient clinic in Northern Colorado this week. This will add much-needed capacity to serve veterans in the region. From mental health services to radiology, outpatient care, a pharmacy, physical therapy, dentistry and more, this clinic will serve as a one-stop shop for veterans living here. This is exactly the kind of high-quality care our veterans earned and deserve.
(Visiting the new VA outpatient clinic in Northern Colorado)
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