Dear Friend,

I’m sickened and horrified by another apparent terrorist attack in France. The United States stands shoulder to shoulder with our oldest ally, and joins the world in mourning the victims during this time of immense tragedy.

Remembering the Late Senator Bill Armstrong

Earlier this week the U.S. Senate approved a resolution I introduced honoring the life of Senator Bill Armstrong, former United States Senator from Colorado. 

Born in Fremont, Nebraska, Senator Armstrong dedicated his life to public service. He served in the United States Army National Guard in Colorado, and went on to be elected to the Colorado House of Representatives at age 25. Senator Armstrong later was elected to the Colorado Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and then the United States Senate. Many people remember Senator Armstrong as a strong fiscal conservative who fought to rein in spending, lower taxes, secure better pay and benefits for men and women in the military, and make it easier for small businesses to succeed. After leaving the United States Senate, Senator Armstrong served the people of Colorado in a new capacity at Colorado Christian University for the past 10 years.

I took to the Senate floor to honor Senator Armstrong. You can watch my remarks here.

The full text of my resolution can be found here. 

My SCREEN FAST Act Headed to the President's Desk to be Signed into Law

I’m proud the House and Senate came together and approved the FAA Reauthorization Act that includes my SCREEN FAST Act, legislation that addresses airport security screening processes and keeps Americans safer. I share frustration with Coloradans and Americans across the country that have to cope with long security lines, and my SCREEN FAST Act will address this problem by providing TSA and airports the flexibility to best ease security lines, while preserving safety and enhancing security. The bipartisan FAA reauthorization package is yet another example that the Senate is back to work for the American people.

Learn more about my SCREEN FAST Act here.

Holding the EPA Accountable for the Gold King Mine Spill

As we near the first anniversary of the Gold King Mine spill, it’s important to note the EPA has not made a single payment to those harmed by the spill under the Federal Tort Claims Act, or fully reimbursed counties, local governments, and tribes for emergency response costs incurred as a result of the spill. It’s unacceptable that the EPA has resumed its work on the Gold King site, but has yet to live up to its promise to take full responsibility for the spill.

This week, Senator Hatch and I sent a letter requesting a hearing on the Gold King Accountability and Compensation for Taxpayers (ACT), legislation we introduced in May following reports that Colorado counties were not being fully reimbursed for the costs associated with the Gold King Mine spill.

I’m proud the Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved legislation I authored relating to the Arkansas Valley Conduit and Florissant Fossil Beds Monument, as well as the Bolts Ditch Access and Use Act. My Bolts Ditch and Arkansas Valley Conduit bills recognize Coloradans, not Washington bureaucrats, know how to best manage our state’s water resources, and I’m proud to return power to local Colorado communities.

 My Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument bill is commonsense legislation that will allow a generous private landowner to donate land to the national monument and provide additional recreational opportunities for the park’s visitors and habitat for its wildlife. I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to advance these three bills through the legislative process.

Learn more about these three important pieces of legislation here.

Earlier this week, an international arbitral tribunal issued a binding ruling in the case of the Republic of Philippines against the People’s Republic of China regarding the dispute over the maritime jurisdiction of the South China Sea. The tribunal, which sided with the Philippines and invalidated China’s “nine-dash line,” concluded in its decision “as between the Philippines and China, China’s claims to historic rights, or other sovereign rights or jurisdiction, with respect to the maritime areas of the South China Sea encompassed by the relevant part of the ‘nine-dash line’ are contrary to the Convention and without lawful effect.”

This ruling is important because it confirms that China's actions and claims in the South China Sea are contrary to international law. China must abide by the decisions of the tribunal and cease all reclamation and militarization activities in the South China Sea that violate the sovereignty of its neighbors and undermine peace and stability in the region. I urge the Administration to intensify the work with our allies toward a peaceful resolution of all outstanding claims and to routinely assert the international rights of freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.

I chaired a Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing on U.S. Policy in the South China Sea. You can watch my opening statement here.

Additionally, I spoke about the arbitral tribunal’s ruling on the Senate floor. You may view my remarks here.

In the News

Colorado Sen. Gardner joins push for EPA reimbursements  

July 14, 2016

Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner joined fellow lawmakers Thursday in a push to ensure faster Environmental Protection Agency reimbursement of counties for costs related to the Gold King Mine disaster.

Gardner and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) are requesting a hearing on the matter. They’ve introduced legislation — Gold King Accountability and Compensation for Taxpayers — to address concerns that counties were not being fully reimbursed.

“There are more than 60 federal tort claims relating to the Gold King Mine spill upon which the EPA has yet to act,” they said in a letter to ranking committee members. “This legislation also holds the EPA accountable by requiring the agency to pay for these claims out of its own budget, and it expedites the payout of emergency response costs assumed by tribes, counties, and local governments.”

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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