Dear
Friend,
This
week,
the
President
delivered
his
final
State
of
the
Union
address,
which
served
as
another
reminder
that
the
President is
unwilling
to
work
with
Congress
and
intends
to
act
through
executive
action
to
fulfill
his
campaign
promises.
However,
the
many
challenges
that
the
United
States
is
facing
both
at
home
and
abroad
know
no
partisan
ideology,
and
our
strategy
to
address
them
shouldn’t
either.
We
must
have
solutions
for
everyday
Americans,
not
just
the
favored
beneficiaries
of
growing
bureaucracies.
Solutions
like
my
Four
Corners
plan
work
for
all
of
us,
not
just
some
of
us,
and
I
hope
the
President
will
join
me
in
pursuit
of
these
solutions.
Additionally,
President
Obama
acknowledged
that
"our
foreign
policy
must
be
focused
on
the
threat
from
ISIL
and
al
Qaeda,
but
it
can’t
stop
there."
I
couldn’t
agree
with
that
statement
more.
That's
why
I
was
shocked
that
the
President
made
no
mention
of
North
Korea’s
recent
nuclear
test
during
his
speech.
He
spoke
about
strength,
leadership,
and
the
power
of
our
example,
yet
his
policy
of
"strategic
patience"
toward
the
forgotten
maniac
in
Pyongyang
has
failed.
I
will
continue
to
fight
to
change
North
Korea's
behavior
through
legislation
that
imposes
broad
mandatory
sanctions
on
this
rogue
regime
that
has
no
respect
for
international
norms.
It's
time
for
the
United
States
to
make
good
on
its
rhetorical
promises
and
lead
through
action.
During
his
final
year,
I
urge
President
Obama
to
work
with
Congress
to
set
an
example
and
send
a
message
to
the
rest
of
the
world
that
America
will
not
tolerate
North
Korea's
pattern
of belligerence.
Please
watch
my
short
video
here.
I
also
joined
KOA
and
Bill
Bennett where
I
discussed
my
reaction
to
the
President's
address.
Click
on
the
links
to
listen
to
the
conversation.
Meeting
with
NATO
Defense
Officials
in
Europe
This
past
weekend,
I
visited
North
Atlantic
Treaty
Organization
(NATO)
installations
and
met
with
American
servicemen
and
women,
including
4th
Infantry
Division
troops
deployed
out
of
Fort
Carson.
Following
Russia’s
invasion
of
Ukraine,
the
NATO
alliance
received
a
serious
wake-up
call.
I
held
discussions
on
efforts
to
strengthen
NATO’s
eastern
flank
and
to
reassure
our
allies
that
the
United
States
stands
firmly
behind
its
NATO
commitment,
including
Article
5
of
the
NATO
Charter
regarding
collective
defense.
Our
resolve
to
defend
our
allies
and
our
values
must
be
unwavering.
I
was
also
pleased
to
be
able
to
visit
with
U.S.
soldiers
based
out
of
Fort
Carson
who
are
serving
their
country
across
Europe,
far
from
their
families.
Soldiers
from
the
Fourth
Infantry
are
tasked
with
the
incredible
responsibility
of
countering
Russian
aggression
in
Europe
as
part
of
Operation
Atlantic
Resolve.
In
the
News
Read
my
opinion
piece
that
appeared
in
the
Pueblo
Chieftain
recapping
my
first
year
in
the
Senate
below.
Senator
finds
his
first
year
eventful
January
9,
2015
As
I
reflect
on
my
first
year
serving
the
great
state
of
Colorado
in
the
U.S.
Senate,
I’m
proud
of
what
has
been
achieved
in
an
environment
that
is
too
often
plagued
by
gridlock
and
partisanship.
Although
we
have
much
work
ahead,
Congress
has
come
together
to
advance
major
legislation
that
is
good
for
Colorado
and
Americans
across
the
country.
This
past
year,
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs’
mismanagement
of
the
construction
of
the
VA
hospital
in
Aurora
led
to
significant
cost
overruns,
threatening
the
project’s
completion.
Congress
approved
the
project’s
final
spending
authorization
in
September,
paving
the
way
for
the
VA
to
deliver
on
the
world
class
medical
facility
it
promised
Colorado
veterans.
I
was
committed
to
ensuring
the
House
and
Senate
worked
together
to
prevent
the
project’s
shutdown,
and
have
remained
vigilant
in
calling
for
accountability
and
transparency
within
the
VA
to
make
sure
this
does
not
happen
in
the
future.
Read
the
full
Op/Ed
here.
GOP
Senator
hits
Obama
for
omitting
North
Korea
from
SOTU
January
13,
2015
Sen.
Cory
Gardner
(R-Colo.)
slammed
President
Obama
on
Wednesday
for
not
talking
about
North
Korea
in
a
State
of
the
Union
address
that
came
a
week
after
the
rogue
state
conducted
its
fourth
nuclear
test.
“During
his
final
State
of
the
Union
address,
President
Obama
acknowledged
that
‘our
foreign
policy
must
be
focused
on
the
threat
from
ISIL
and
al
Qaeda,
but
it
can’t
stop
there,’”
Gardner
said
in
a
written
statement
Wednesday.
“I
couldn’t
agree
with
that
statement
more.
That's
why
I
was
shocked
that
the
president
made
no
mention
of
North
Korea’s
recent
nuclear
test
during
his
speech.”
In
the
section
of
his
address
about
defense,
Obama
talked
mostly
about
the
fight
against
the
Islamic
State
in
Iraq
and
Syria
(ISIS)
while
giving
brief
mentions
to
China,
Russia
and
other
regions.
Read
the
full
story
here.
Thank
you
for
taking
the
time
to read
my
weekly
update.
If
I
can
be
of any
assistance
to
you,
please
contact my
Washington,
D.C.
office
at
(202)
224-5941.
Sincerely,
Cory
Gardner
United
States
Senator
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