Dear
Friend,
Back
the
Blue
Our
law
enforcement
officers
put
their
lives
on
the
line
every
day
to
protect
and
serve
our
communities.
They
are
always
there
to
help
others
and
deserve
nothing
less
than
our
gratitude
and
thanks.
Unfortunately,
Colorado
and
departments
across
the
country
have
seen
too
many
officer
involved
deaths
and
we
must
do
more
to
protect
those
who
protect
us.
Our
officers
should
not
be
put
in
harm’s
way
without
the
absolute
best
equipment
and
that
is
why
I
have
introduced
legislation,
which
will
make
it
easier
for
every
officer
in
the
country
to
purchase
body
armor
that
can
withstand
rifle
bullets.
I
will
work
with
members
on
both
sides
of
the
aisle
to
see
this
important
piece
of
legislation
signed
into
law.
|
I
also
took
part
in
the
National
Peace
Officers’
Wreath
Laying
Ceremony
as
part
of
National
Police
Week.
I
met
with
officers
from
Colorado
and
officers
from
around
the
country
to
thank
them
for
their
service
and
honor
the
law
enforcement
lives
we
have
lost
in
2017. It
was
a
humbling
experience
to
participate
in
this
ceremony
and
remember
the
law
enforcement
lives
we
have
lost.
Colorado’s
law
enforcement
community
has
experienced
tremendous
loss
these
last
few
months
and
I
want
every
officer
to
know
I
stand
with
them
and
have
their
backs.
Recognizing
Amache
as
a
Part
of
the
National
Park
System
During
World
War
II,
about
10,000
Japanese
Americans
passed
through
Amache
and
over
7,000
called
Amache
home.
According
to
the
National
Park
Service,
“the
cemetery,
a
reservoir,
a
water
well
and
tank,
the
road
network,
concrete
foundations,
watch
towers,
the
military
police
compound,
and
trees
planted
by
the
internees
still
remain.”
On
Saturday,
I
returned
to
Amache
and
spent
time
with
Japanese
Americans
who
were
interned
there
during
World
War
II.
It
was
a
powerful
experience
to
talk
to
people
like
Min
Tonai
who
told
me
about
living
at
Amache
all
those
years
ago.
I
recently
introduced
legislation
to
begin
the
process
of
making
Amache
a
part
of
the
National
Park
System
so
we
will
always
remember
this
dark
moment
in
our
history
and
pledge
to
never
let
anything
similar
happen
again.
Read
more
here.
My
Trip
to
Afghanistan
Recently,
I
traveled
to
Afghanistan
to
meet
with
our
troops
and
top
commanders. I
began
my
trip
meeting
with
top
U.S.
military
leaders
that
are
a
part
of
Operation
Resolute
Support,
and
visited
Fort
Carson-based
2nd
Infantry
Brigade
Combat
Team,
4th
Infantry
Division
in
Khandar,
Afghanistan
to
receive
an
update
on
their
mission.
I
also
visited
Bagram
Air
Force
Base
where
I
received
an
intelligence
briefing
from
special
operations
command
and
met
with
Air
Force
personnel
who
are
training
Afghan
pilots.
In
Kabul,
I
received
security
and
economic
briefings
from
U.S.
embassy
personnel
and
discussed
the
upcoming
Afghanistan
elections
with
John
Bass,
the
U.S.
Ambassador
to
Afghanistan.
It
was
incredible
to
visit
with
our
men
and
women
in
uniform,
many
of
whom
are
from
Colorado,
and
see
the
critical
mission
they
are
carrying
out
to
fight
the
global
war
on
terror
and
keep
us
safe.
I
am
in
awe
of
the
work
they
do
every
day
and
am
grateful
I
had
the
opportunity
to
thank
them
for
their
work.
Fort
Carson
Selected
for
New
Security
Force
Assistance
Brigade
Late
last
week,
Senator
Bennet
and
I
announced
that
the
U.S.
Army
has
selected
Fort
Carson
to
activate
a
new
Security
Force
Assistance
Brigade
(SFAB),
a
unit
whose
core
mission
is
to
conduct,
advise,
and
assist
operations
with
allied
and
partner
nation
forces. I
recently
met
with
the
Secretary
of
the
Army
to
highlight
the
importance
of
locating
the
4th
SFAB
to
Fort
Carson.
I’m
thrilled
that
this
is
becoming
a
reality.
It
further
demonstrates
the
important
role
Fort
Carson
has
for
our
national
security
and
military
readiness
as
the
men
and
women
of
this
brigade
will
contribute
to
missions
with
allied
nations
and
partners
around
the
world.
Recently,
I
also
visited
Fort
Carson
to
meet
with
Major
General
George
and
his
team,
along
with
community
leaders.
After
an
aerial
tour
of
the
installation
and
training
areas,
we
discussed
current
and
future
needs,
key
community
partnerships,
and
the
great
things
our
brave
4th
Infantry
Division
soldiers
are
doing.
Rebuilding
Our
National
Parks
There
is
an
urgent
need
to
address
the
more
than
$11
billion
dollar
maintenance
backlog
on
lands
managed
by
the National Park Service,
more
than
$220
million
of
which
is
here
in
Colorado. In
an
effort
to
address
this
problem,
the
Department
of
Interior
proposed
increasing
the
entrance
fee
at National Parks across
Colorado
and
the
country.
I
was
weary
of
this
plan
and
wrote
to
Secretary
of
the
Interior
Ryan
Zinke
saying,
“While
I
share
your
urgency
on
the
need
to
address
the park maintenance
backlog,
I
have
concerns
that
sudden
and
dramatic
increases
in
the
costs
of
passes
for
both
private
individuals
and
commercial
operations
could
have
unforeseen
negative
consequences
on
the
communities
that
rely
on
visitation
to
these parks to
keep
their
economies
thriving.”
Read
my
full
Op-Ed
in
the
Coloradoan here.
Northern
Colorado
Honor
Flight
Recently,
I
was
honored
to
welcome
veterans
and
their
families
from
Honor
Flight
Northern
Colorado
to
the
World
War
II
Memorial
in
Washington,
DC.
This
year
marks
the
10th anniversary
of
Honor
Flight
Northern
Colorado
bringing
veterans
to
the
nation’s
capital.
I
met
with
Vietnam,
Korea
and
even
a
few
World
War
II
veterans
and
thanked
them
for
their
service
to
our
country.
Our
veterans
are
the
very
best
America
has
to
offer
and
we
owe
them
for
fighting
for
the
freedoms
we
enjoy
every
day.
Continued
Focus
on
North
Korea
and
an
Asia
Strategy
The
United
States
recently
welcomed
home
three
American
hostages
who
had
been
imprisoned
in
North
Korea.
Under
the
previous
Administration,
I
was
a
vocal
opponent
of
their
‘strategic
patience’
strategy
and
advocated
for
a
maximum
pressure
doctrine
to
counter
North
Korea.
This
maximum
pressure
strategy
began
with
my
North
Korea
sanctions
legislation
and
the
Trump
Administration
has
carried
out
this
strategy
and
has
brought
North
Korea
to
the
negotiating
table.
We
must
continue
our
maximum
pressure
campaign
on
Kim
Jong
Un
until
we
achieve
our
ultimate
goal
complete,
verifiable,
irreversible
denuclearization
of
the
Korean
Peninsula.
The
Republic
of
Korea
is
a
friend
and
ally
to
the
United
States,
and
our
alliance
that
was
forged
in
blood
remains
ironclad.
I
support
the
ROK
government’s
desire
to
achieve
a
unified
Korean
Peninsula
that
is
peaceful,
democratic,
and
prosperous.
I
will
continue
to
work
with
President
Trump
and
Secretary
of
State
Pompeo
ahead
of
the
President’s
summit
with
North
Korea
and
will
do
everything
I
can
to
guarantee
a
successful
summit.
Farmer
Suicide
Prevention
As
a
fifth
generation
Coloradan
who
still
lives
in
a
tiny
town
on
the
Eastern
Plains
of
Colorado
that
is
totally
dependent
on
agriculture,
I
see
the
hardships
our
farmers
and
ranchers
experience
every
day.
When
I
was
a
kid
growing
up
in
the
1980s,
I
remember
Colorado
farmers
and
ranchers
facing
tough
times,
and
I’m
afraid
that
we
are
seeing
that
same
thing
happen
again.
My
friends
and
neighbors
are
filing
for
bankruptcy,
being
forced
to
sell
their
family
farms,
taking
on
more debt,
and
struggling
to
provide
for
their
families.
These
stories
break
my
heart
and
serve
as
a
reminder
that
we
need
to
be
there
for
our
farmers
and
support
our
rural
communities
during
times
of
hardship,
and
that
is
exactly
what
the
Farmers
First
Act
does.
This
bipartisan
legislation
will
make
sure
our
agriculture
community
doesn’t
feel
abandoned
and
alone.
The
forgotten
men
and
women
of
America
must
know
that
we
have
their
backs,
that
their
communities
have
their
backs,
and
that
we
will
always
strive
to
help
them.
While
this
legislation
is
a
good
start,
more
must
be
done
and
I
will
continue
to
work
with
my
colleagues
on
solutions
to
help
our
agriculture
community.
NREL
Industry
Growth
I
enjoyed
participating
in National
Renewable
Energy
Laboratory's
Industry
Growth
Forum
fireside
chat
with Senator
Michael
Bennet.
NREL's
cutting-edge
research
ensures
the
U.S.
remains
the
global
leader
in
energy
technology
and
grid
resiliency
and
I'll
continue
to
support
their
work.
Need
Help
with
a
Federal
Agency?
My
staff
is
available
to
assist
you
with
finding
out
the
status
of
a
case
and
requesting
additional
information
from
a
federal
agency.
I
have
offices
in
Denver,
Durango,
Pueblo,
Grand
Junction,
Fort
Collins,
Greeley,
Yuma,
and
Colorado
Springs.
Learn
more
about
how
we
can
help 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
Unsubscribe
|