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Meeting with Coloradans
Meeting with Coloradans in Steamboat Springs, Fraser, and Edwards
What I did: This week, I traveled to Fraser, Steamboat Springs, and Edwards to see how Coloradans are working to improve their communities and learn what I can do to help.
Fraser Affordable Housing & Child Care Tour: On Thursday, I met with Fraser, Winter Park, and Grand County elected officials and community leaders to tour the St. Louis Landing Housing Development. I also had the opportunity to discuss the critical shortage of affordable housing and child care in Colorado and Fraser River Valley and ways to help future generations succeed in this challenging economic climate.
Routt County Affordability Roundtable: I met with Routt County community leaders to discuss barriers to economic opportunity in mountain towns and rural resort communities. I heard how these communities are already working hard to address challenges when it comes to housing, child care, transportation, health care, and food security. I look forward to working together and making progress.
Berlaimont Hike: On Friday, I hiked the Berry Creek Road Loop while discussing the Berlaimont Estates, a 688-acre inholding in Eagle County where developers are proposing to build 19 luxury homes and a year-round paved road through critical winter wildlife habitat in the White River National Forest. Last week, I introduced an amendment that would have prohibited the use of federal funds to authorize, permit, or construct this project. While this amendment did not receive a vote, the fight is not over, and I remain committed to stopping this project.
2. Fighting to Appeal Trump’s Denial of Disaster Relief for Western Colorado
What’s happening: Last month, President Trump chose to deny two disaster relief requests: one for destruction caused by the Lee and Elk fires that burned more than 150,000 acres and the other for record-breaking rainfall which caused catastrophic flooding, debris flows, and river bank erosion in Southwestern Colorado. President Trump’s rejection of this relief is particularly disappointing because all of these events meet the statutory and practical criteria for a Major Disaster Declaration as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) administrative and legal threshold for federal assistance. The damage has been incredibly harmful to residents and local economies across these communities, with no federal support for recovery.
Last week, Governor Polis submitted an appeal to FEMA in hopes of getting the people of Western Colorado the federal disaster assistance they deserve. Failure to address the underlying damage now will increase costs to taxpayers and place residents, businesses, and economies at risk. Federal assistance at this stage is not only necessary for recovery, it is essential to prevent foreseeable damage in the years ahead.
What I believe: President Trump's decision to deny Colorado’s request for critical federal assistance is unacceptable. Western Slope communities are in serious need of help after the life-threatening flooding and historic wildfires. A disaster is a disaster, regardless of where it took place. President Trump must recognize this reality.
What I’m doing: This week, I led the full Colorado Delegation in urging President Trump to support Governor Polis’s appeal of Trump’s denial of these major disaster declarations. I will never stop working to help protect these communities, reduce future federal and local costs, and ensure that rural Coloradans are not left to shoulder the financial burden of disaster recovery alone.
3. Continuing to Stand Up for Colorado Child Care
What’s happening: Earlier this month, President Trump chose to freeze over $300 million in vital support for Colorado families based on unsubstantiated claims of fraud. The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) helps finance the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, which provides care for over 27,000 children across the state. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds support over 50,000 children, nearly half of whom are under the age of 6. Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) programs provide funding for prevention and intervention services to around 14,400 kids, out-of-home placements for over 6,000 children, and to Colorado’s Division of Child Welfare where they conduct over 30,000 child maltreatment investigations. These programs serve as a lifeline to so many Colorado families, and without them, communities across the state will suffer. This week, a federal judge temporarily issued another 14-day pause on freezes to these supports, but this is not a permanent solution.
What I believe: In a state like Colorado, which ranks fifth in highest child care costs across the country, these dollars have a real effect. They help lower costs for families and support the broader economy. This is especially important as families continue to face rising costs. Any lapse in funding from these programs would have serious consequences for many child care centers operating in compliance with the updated guidance and the Colorado families depending on them.
What I’m doing: Last week, I led a bipartisan effort among members of Colorado's delegation to demand immediate answers for these targeted cuts. Without this funding, child care centers will shutter, and working families could be left with nowhere to turn. The President must release these funds now.
4. IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK
- Last week, Senator Hickenlooper and I introduced a resolution honoring Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a former U.S. Senator for Colorado, who passed away on December 30, 2025. Ben Nighthorse Campbell was a trailblazer, not just for Colorado, but for the entire country. I was proud to see his life and accomplishments honored through the unanimous passage of our resolution, and I thank my colleagues for coming together to recognize his achievements.
- On Saturday, I was horrified to hear that ICE killed another person in Minneapolis. This violence is wreaking havoc on our communities, and it must stop. Masked ICE agents patrolling cities across America, breaking into homes without warrants, detaining children, and tearing families apart is never how law enforcement should operate. Next week, the Senate may vote on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill. This legislation hands ICE a blank check without sufficient safeguards or accountability. I refuse to bankroll Kristi Noem's cruel agenda. That's why I will be voting NO on the DHS funding bill.
- I recently joined 11 of my Senate colleagues in sending a letter to express concern over the Trump Administration’s so-called “modernization” plans for national park access, including several alarming partisan, polarizing initiatives that undermine the spirit of the National Park System. National parks are national treasures and were intended to exist as spaces where people, regardless of background and political affiliation, can come together and enjoy the outdoors. President Trump’s changes are a thinly veiled attempt to use our nation’s most iconic landscapes to promote himself, divide Americans, and disparage our shared history.
- Last week, I reintroduced the Advancing Cutting Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act, legislation to foster cutting-edge innovative agricultural research and development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Strengthening American leadership in agricultural research and driving real breakthroughs requires sustained investment. As Colorado’s family farmers and ranchers face persistent drought, higher costs, extreme weather, and increased global competition, the ACE Agriculture Act focuses those investments on practical tools that help producers adapt to a changing climate and agricultural landscape.
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