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Fighting for Affordable and Accessible Health Care for All Coloradans
What’s happening: We are less than three weeks away from the expiration of critical Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that millions of Americans, including 225,000 Coloradans, rely on to afford their health care. Without these tax credits, working families across Colorado will see their health care premiums skyrocket in 2026. On Thursday, Republicans once again blocked the opportunity to extend this lifeline and prevent this looming health care crisis.
What I believe: No one should have to worry about whether they can afford the care they need – yet without these tax credits, families across Colorado will see their health insurance premiums double, triple, or even quadruple. That is the difference between getting care and having to go without. Health care is a right, and I believe it should be universal. However, Donald Trump and Republicans have made their position clear: they have no intention of working with Democrats to ensure working families can actually afford the care they need. Coloradans deserve far better.
What I’m doing: For years, I’ve led the fight to provide a public, low-cost health care option and make the ACA tax credits permanent through my Medicare-X Choice Act, which I reintroduced last week. Earlier this year, I also cosponsored a resolution to restore transparency to the Department of Health and Human Services, which passed an initial vote in the Senate this week. I will continue to fight for the affordable health care Coloradans deserve, and I'm recommitted more than ever to fight for universal health care in this country.
2. Standing Up Against President Trump’s Lawless Pentagon
What’s happening: In recent months, President Trump has deployed U.S. troops into American cities, carried out reckless and unauthorized actions in the Caribbean, and emboldened U.S. adversaries around the world at the expense of our allies. Secretary Hegseth leaked classified battle plans and continues to withhold information about the administration’s strikes in the Caribbean. Last week, President Trump released a National Security Strategy dripping with disdain for our closest allies, and abandoning America’s political and moral leadership in the world to the detriment of our future security and prosperity.
What I did: I have voted for 15 previous National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) under both Democratic and Republican Presidents. But on Thursday, I voted against advancing this year’s NDAA. Although this bill contains important measures for Colorado I fought hard to secure, I cannot, in good conscience, rubber-stamp President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s lawless Department of Defense.
3. Closing the Revolving Door of Lobbyist Influence in Washington
What’s happening: Our democracy faces a serious problem: the buying and selling of influence. I have been pushing to prohibit former Members of Congress from registering as lobbyists since 2010, when I first introduced my Close the Revolving Door Act. Since then, the amount of money spent on lobbying and the number of lobbyists have only grown, including the number of former Members of Congress who are registered lobbyists.
What I’m doing: On Thursday, in the Rules Committee, I called for a vote on an amendment to ban former Members of Congress from registering as lobbyists for the entirety of their retirement from public service. Unfortunately, Republicans unanimously blocked my amendment. I will not stop pushing for this amendment to become law to close the revolving door of lobbyist influence in Washington.
4. IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK
- This week, I joined Representative Joe Neguse to celebrate final passage of our Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act. This bill will provide vital funds to rural and mountain communities across Colorado.
- I led my Colorado Democratic Congressional colleagues in urging Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to protect religious groups by streamlining and improving the process for Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) applicants. As religious groups across the United States gather for the holiday season, the importance of this program cannot be overstated. The Trump Administration must ensure NSGP allows nonprofits and religious organizations to better protect the people they serve.
- I urged U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz to address persistent staffing shortages and mounting setbacks to wildfire risk reduction efforts across the nation, including stalled hazardous fuel reduction projects in Colorado. I will keep pushing to ensure the U.S. Forest Service has adequate staffing to reduce wildfire risk throughout the West.
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