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Hello everyone,
Wednesday was a historic day for Colorado and our nation.
For over a decade, I’ve worked with local officials, veterans, sportsmen, environmental groups, and so many others to advocate for protecting public lands across our state. This week, President Joe Biden officially designated Camp Hale and the Tenmile Range as his first national monument — a recognition that will bring more Americans to appreciate its extraordinary history going back to before Colorado was even a state.
Watch my full remarks at the dedication ceremony HERE.
According to the history of the Ute people, Camp Hale and the Continental Divide have long been their ancestral homeland in which they hunted and gathered plants for food, medicine, and spiritual uses. This designation honors their enduring connection to the land, and their rightful role in helping to manage it.
It also honors the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division, who fought in some of Europe’s most difficult terrain during the Second World War. The storied division trained at Camp Hale and pioneered a new type of mountain warfare. After the war, a number of its veterans returned to Colorado to build our ski and outdoor industries.
By designating Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, the President marked the significance of our land and its history, honored the service of our veterans, and offered their service the dignity of public remembrance.
For our nation’s newest national monument, Colorado will be forever grateful.
Sincerely,
Michael
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Colorado’s Hispanic community is a dynamic and vibrant group, whose traditions and culture are deeply woven into the fabric of our state. Latinos represent roughly one out of every five Coloradans and have contributed to the growth and development of our state for almost 400 years.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, I celebrated the many histories and cultures of our Latino communities by cosponsoring a resolution in the Senate recognizing September 15th to October 15th as Hispanic Heritage Month.
Expanding High-Speed Internet Access to Tribal Communities
Tribal communities too often find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide, and we cannot let anyone be shut out of the 21st century broadband infrastructure they need to compete and thrive.
Last year, I introduced the Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy (BRIDGE) Act to provide flexible funding to states, including billions to Tribal governments, to promote broadband access, speed, and affordability. The BRIDGE Act was later incorporated into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is now making the largest investment in U.S. history to deploy affordable, high-speed Internet across Colorado and the country.
This week, I welcomed almost $23 million in funds from the infrastructure law to help the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe connect their communities online and expand opportunities for families, farms, and small businesses.
Improving Health Care Access
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) extended health care to 35 million Americans, but because of a glitch in the law, many families have been denied affordable plans for years.
Under previous rules, working individuals who could afford coverage for themselves through their employer could not receive the support of insurance subsidies for other members of their family. This put many working families in a difficult position.
For years, I've proposed fixing the ACA's family glitch so more families could access affordable health plans. This week, the Treasury Department announced it would close the coverage gap in time for open enrollment next month — a win for millions of working families and their children, who will now have the support they deserve.
Making it Easier to Build Affordable Housing
The cost of housing is too high and squeezing working families across the country.
As part of federal efforts to support the construction of new and renovated affordable housing units, an ‘average income’ test was designed to ensure lower-income and working families would benefit most from federal support. However, the way this rule was written inadvertently discouraged developers from investing in affordable housing.
In an effort to stimulate housing supply, which we desperately need in Colorado, I called on the Biden Administration to update this federal guidance to accelerate affordable housing production and reduce pressure in our country’s tight rental market.
This week, they finalized a new ‘income-averaging’ rule which addresses this problem. I was glad to see President Biden heed our call.
Updated Student Loan Debt Relief Guidance
This week, the Department of Education previewed the Student Loan Debt Relief application form. The application will be available later this month in English and Spanish. Applicants are encouraged to apply before November; however, the application will remain available through December 31, 2023.
Ahead of the application opening, here’s what you need to know to keep your personal information secure and avoid scams:
- The application will be short and simple, and will be available online at a .gov URL.
- You won’t need to log in or provide any documents to apply.
- Federal Student Aid will reach out directly once you’ve submitted your application if you need to provide additional information.
- You will be able to fill out the application on both mobile and desktop devices.
You can preview the application HERE.
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