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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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