A message from Senator Michael Bennet

Protecting the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs

What’s happening: Earlier this month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that the Rocky Mountain Industrials, Inc. (RMI) proposal to expand the Mid-Continent Limestone Quarry is complete, bringing the company one step closer to restarting operations and tripling the size of the quarry. These mining efforts have faced substantial pushback from local communities because the project could affect the hot springs' geothermal groundwater network, harming the Glenwood hot springs and the local economy. The Ute Tribes have enjoyed Glenwood’s hot springs as a place of healing since time immemorial, and the hot springs have made the community a key destination for visitors for over a century. 

What I believe: I believe putting the Glenwood Springs’ economic success and the hot springs, a Colorado landmark and one-of-a-kind resource, at risk would be shortsighted and irresponsible. We have an obligation to protect Glenwood’s future, the quality of life for local residents, and the cultural resources of the Ute Tribes. 

What I’m doing: On Thursday, I joined Senator John Hickenlooper and Congressman Jeff Hurd to introduce the Glenwood Hot Springs Protection Act. This legislation would prevent the BLM from expanding the Mid-Continent Limestone Quarry and protect the Glenwood Springs hot springs. I have supported the Southern Ute and the local community in opposing this quarry for years and will continue to fight for what is best for the residents of Glenwood Springs. 

2. Demanding More Assistance from FEMA for Wildfire Prevention and Response

What's happening: Since the beginning of this year, over 230,000 acres have burned from wildland fires across Colorado. Given these recent fires, the persistent drought across the West, and the above-normal wildfire activity expected to continue, states like Colorado have requested financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) to help cover emergency response, fire-fighting, and administrative costs. Following an FMAG declaration, states are also trying to access FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to help communities rebuild and mitigate future wildfire risks. However, many communities are still waiting for HMGP funding from previous wildfires, leaving them vulnerable to current and future disasters.

What I believe: Colorado has watched wildfires grow faster and more destructive, and we know communities across the nation are facing that same threat. In the midst of wildfire season, it is critical that FEMA is ready and able to respond to future wildfires and that FMAG and HMGP Post Fire funds are promptly approved and distributed to communities, including those in rural areas. 

What I’m doing: On Tuesday, I joined Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and seven of our senate colleagues in urging FEMA to ensure that all communities receive the federal resources they need to respond to and prevent wildfires. We must be prepared to recover and rebuild.

3. Fighting Against Trump’s Harmful Tariffs on behalf of Colorado Family Farmers and Ranchers

What's happening: Our country is in a moment of real crisis for family farmers and ranchers, including in Colorado. The American Farm Bureau Federation projects substantial losses for major crops this year, including soybeans, corn, and wheat, with many other crops far below their breakeven point. President Trump’s incoherent trade policies have only worsened this financial strain. Earlier this week, he imposed a 50 percent retaliatory tariff on a wide range of goods from Canada, one of our closest allies, including certain agricultural products. 

What I believe: Canada and Mexico purchase nearly $60 billion in U.S. agricultural products each year. They’re our two largest agricultural export markets and are among the most important markets for Colorado. At a time when our farmers are already stretched thin, we should be working to strengthen these trading relationships, not creating further uncertainty about whether farmers and ranchers will continue to have access to important markets by jeopardizing the bipartisan U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA).

What I’m doing: At a Finance Committee hearing, I questioned United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer about the Trump Administration’s reckless tariffs and its approach to USMCA negotiations, and laid out the pain they cause for Colorado family farmers and ranchers. I know Coloradans do not want partisan arguments about trade; they want real solutions, and I will not stop until that is achieved. 

4. Connecting Workers with Higher Wages

What’s happening: The U.S. labor force is in the midst of a generational transformation driven by unprecedented technological advances. Unfortunately, today’s workforce development system does not provide adequate funding for innovative solutions, including programs that evidence shows are most effective at providing workers with the skills to build sustainable careers. Many of these successful programs are ready and able to serve workers and communities, but remain severely underfunded. The current landscape also lacks the funding needed to build and test new business models to meet the diverse needs of workers and employers across the country. 

What I believe: I hear from veterans and single parents in Colorado who want to provide for themselves and their families but do not have the skills to earn a living wage. They want to build sustainable careers that pay living wages; we have the programs to train them, and Colorado's economy needs the skills and talent they can provide. The last piece of the puzzle is to invest in the workforce training programs that are proven to create economic mobility for workers of every background.

What I’m doing: On Wednesday, Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and I reintroduced the Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act to expand funding for evidence-based and innovative workforce development programs to ensure that workers have the skills needed to compete in a 21st-century economy. Coloradans deserve the tools to earn a living wage, and I will keep working to ensure that building a sustainable career is within reach. 

5. IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK

• On Monday, we remembered the 12 innocent lives taken in a senseless act of gun violence at a movie theater in Aurora. As we honor their memory, we must keep fighting for an America that no longer tolerates inaction. 
• This week, I joined my colleagues in demanding accountability from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), calling for transparent investigations, and holding DHS to account for its failure to deploy body cameras. We cannot let this violence become normal. Fatal shootings at the hands of DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are inexcusable. Instead of making communities safer, they have deepened fear and eroded trust in law enforcement.
• Last weekend, Iranian attacks killed four U.S. service members in Iraq and Jordan. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of these soldiers, and our country is forever grateful for their service and sacrifice. 
• On July 16, I joined Senator Hickenlooper and 15 Senate colleagues to reintroduce the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, comprehensive legislation to end the harmful federal prohibition of marijuana by removing cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances and empowering states to create their own laws. Congress should follow Colorado’s lead and bring our nation’s marijuana laws into the 21st century. This bill is long overdue and will help protect the legal cannabis economy as well as address historic inequities in our justice system.

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