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Hello everyone,
This week, I had the opportunity to visit with the broadband and communications professionals that serve our communities and kept us connected during the pandemic. I’m grateful for their leadership during what was a really difficult two years for our state and for the country.
But when you think about it, it should never have taken a pandemic to put broadband at the top of Washington’s agenda. I’ve been hearing about broadband since I was superintendent of the Denver Public Schools, and throughout the 13 years that I’ve been in the Senate. No matter where I go in the state – whether it’s on the Front Range, the Eastern Plains of Colorado, or the West Slope – broadband has come up again and again.
And once the pandemic hit, we saw kids in poor communities in Colorado, many of them rural communities, going to Wal-Mart parking lots to do their homework because they didn’t have internet at home. So that’s why a few months into the pandemic, I introduced the BRIDGE Act to deploy broadband networks that can meet the needs of our communities in the 21st century. And once the Senate started working on the infrastructure law, I worked very hard to add the BRIDGE Act to the final bill. And as a result, the $42.5 billion in broadband funding in the infrastructure law comes almost entirely from the BRIDGE Act.
Since the infrastructure law was signed by the president, we’ve been focused on its implementation, and we’ll keep the pressure on as the funding starts to flow to states and local governments.
As we head into Labor Day weekend, I hope you’ll take some time to appreciate some of the hard-won victories by organized labor – from the 8-hour work day to the minimum wage to the weekend itself. I’ll keep fighting until every American worker has a living wage and a safe workplace. And as always, please feel free to contact my office with questions, comments, or concerns.
Sincerely,
Michael
P.S. Colorado veterans exposed to toxic substances can learn more about the recently passed PACT Act and how to apply for benefits at VA.gov/PACT or by calling 1-800-MyVA411. There’s no cost to apply or process claims.
Please be aware of scams. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please contact vaoighotline@va.gov or call 1-800-488-8244.
MAKING CAMP HALE AND THE TENMILE RANGE A NATIONAL MONUMENT
This week, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Editorial Board endorsed my effort to make Camp Hale and the Tenmile Range a national monument. For over a decade, I have worked with Coloradans to pass the Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy (CORE) Act to protect over 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado, boost the state’s economy, establish new wilderness areas, and safeguard existing outdoor recreation opportunities for future generations. Last week, Senator Hickenlooper, Governor Polis, and Congressman Neguse and I urged President Joe Biden to use his Presidential authorities, including the Antiquities Act, to designate Colorado's Camp Hale and the Tenmile Range as the Camp Hale - Continental Divide National Monument and protect other landscapes included in the CORE Act, including the Thompson Divide and the Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. While we continue to fight to pass the CORE Act through Congress, we urge the president and his administration to take swift action and protect these landscapes for future generations.
WELCOMING FUNDING TO CAP ORPHAN OIL AND GAS WELLS IN COLORADO
In the past, Colorado communities have been left on the hook to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells that pollute our public lands. Last week, the Department of Interior announced that our state will receive an initial $25 million in grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This much-needed support, consistent with provisions in my Oil and Gas Bonding Reform and Orphaned Well Remediation Act, will help Colorado reduce harmful pollution from dangerous orphaned oil and gas wells, create good-paying jobs, protect our watersheds, and restore wildlife habitat in our state.
SUPPORTING THE STATE’S EFFORTS TO CLEAN UP GLENWOOD CANYON
Last summer, mudslides in Glenwood Canyon sent debris flowing onto Interstate 70 and into the Colorado River, shutting down this vital corridor for Colorado communities. This week, Colorado received nearly $10 million to help their cleanup and prevention efforts. Over the past year, Senator Hickenlooper and I have worked to secure necessary federal resources to repair Glenwood Canyon, restore the river, and support the communities that rely on them. There’s more to do to protect this important corridor, and we won’t stop until the work is done.
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