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My Response to Governor Polis’ Decision to Reduce Tina Peters’ Sentence
Governor Jared Polis commuted former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters’ prison sentence for facilitating unauthorized access to voting systems, making her eligible for parole as early as June 1 after serving only part of her original nine-year term. Here is my statement:
“Tina Peters broke Colorado laws that protect our election security. She was convicted by a jury of her peers and should serve out her sentence like anyone else. Governor Polis made the wrong decision in reducing her sentence. President Trump and his acolytes will continue to undermine trust in our elections and Colorado must be clear-eyed and unwavering in standing up to this lawlessness. I'll always fight to protect our democracy.”
2. Ensuring the Colorado River Crisis Gets Promised Federal Funding
What’s happening: In January 2025, as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced $152 million for 17 Colorado projects to combat the Colorado River crisis, increase drought resiliency, and restore wildlife habitat. While only two projects initially received funding, the USBR announced another $47 million on Monday for four more projects. Still, $92 million for 10 additional projects remains outstanding, including for the Shoshone Permanency Project.
What I believe: Colorado communities, Tribal leaders, water users, and local advocates fought for years to secure these funds and to keep critical projects moving forward. The funding released will support the Pine River Indian Irrigation Project, drought-resilient infrastructure across the Southwest, and endangered species recovery efforts, which are all essential to Colorado’s future. While this is an important step forward, the Administration must release the full funding Congress approved.
What I’m doing: Last August, I joined the entire Colorado delegation in calling on top officials at the Department of the Interior (DOI) and USBR to release this previously awarded federal funding for the remaining 15 Colorado projects to help fight the Colorado River crisis. Today, I remain committed to ensuring that Colorado gets the certainty and resources we were promised.
3. Fighting for an Independent Federal Reserve
What’s happening: On Wednesday, I voted against Kevin Warsh’s nomination to serve as Chair of the Federal Reserve. An independent Federal Reserve is essential to a strong economy, and Americans deserve confidence that interest rate decisions are based on data, not political pressure. Our economic strength depends on a central bank free from political influence and a Chair able to make difficult decisions in times of crisis.
What I believe: I have no confidence that Kevin Warsh will provide the independence this role requires. Under his leadership, the Federal Reserve risks becoming more responsive to President Trump than to the American people, and to the needs of the American economy. That is one of the reasons why, for the first time in history, a nomination for Federal Reserve Chair advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee on a strictly partisan basis.
What I’m doing: I opposed Warsh’s nomination because Americans deserve a central bank focused on managing inflation, achieving economic stability, and serving the public interest, not one driven by the short-term desires of the President. This nomination jeopardizes the Federal Reserve’s ability to meet these fundamental responsibilities.
4. Reaffirming Bipartisan U.S. Commitments to Taiwan
What’s happening: This week, President Trump met China’s President Xi in Beijing. This meeting comes after Trump backed down and allowed advanced U.S. semiconductor exports to China following Chinese restrictions on rare earths and magnets – a move that weakened America’s technological edge and national security. Ahead of the summit, Trump also said he would discuss U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with President Xi and confirmed that they spoke about the issue “in great detail” breaking longstanding U.S. policy toward Taiwan.
What I’m doing: Ahead of the summit, Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) and I led 10 of our Senate colleagues on a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirming congressional support for long-running U.S. commitments to Taiwan. Additionally, the Senate Commerce Committee recently passed my bill to boost U.S.-Taiwan space ties, building on other legislation I’ve helped pass to strengthen this relationship.
What I believe: The U.S. commitment to and cooperation with Taiwan has long helped ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is essential to U.S. interests across the Indo-Pacific. I will continue working with my colleagues to deepen the U.S.-Taiwan partnership.
5. IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK
- This National Women’s Health Week, we must keep fighting to protect every woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. That includes defending access to Mifepristone – a safe, effective medication backed by decades of science – and protecting reproductive freedom nationwide, including access to abortion and contraception. I’ve fought consistently to protect these freedoms. They are essential and must be safeguarded for Coloradans and people across the country.
- On Tuesday, a federal judge in Colorado confirmed what we’ve been warning about: under President Trump, DHS and ICE agents are not properly trained and are carrying out warrantless arrests in violation of the law — disregarding people's rights. This ruling is significant. Federal law enforcement must be held to the same standards we expect from the best of our local police departments. DHS and ICE urgently need aggressive reforms to ensure their actions are grounded in law, respect due process, and restore public trust.
- On Thursday, a resolution I introduced with Congressman Jason Crow, recognizing the 10th anniversary of the Columbine Day of Service and remembering the victims of the horrific Columbine High School shooting, unanimously passed the Senate. Twenty-seven years ago, too many young lives were taken, and Colorado was forever changed. Since then, entire generations have grown up with the fear that a mass shooting could touch their own lives. That cannot be our normal. We must honor those we lost, stand with those whose lives were forever changed, and renew our commitment to preventing such senseless violence across America.
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