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A Note from Me:
Last weekend, Colorado lost Nathan Matthews, a wildland firefighter. Five lives have now been taken by this relentless fire season. Our hearts are with every family, every crew, and every community carrying this unimaginable loss. We will never take their service and sacrifice for granted.
2. Fighting for a Durable Colorado River Solution
What’s happening: On Friday, the Federal Government released a long-awaited final environmental impact statement (FEIS) that analyzes a range of options for post-2026 Colorado River operations. This comes after more than three years of unsuccessful negotiations among the seven Colorado River Basin states. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) has yet to release a plan for how it intends to operate the Colorado River system in the coming years.
What I believe: I am disappointed that the Department of the Interior could not develop a seven-state consensus agreement. The most durable solution to this crisis is one that all seven Basin states can agree to, and that takes into consideration real hydrologic conditions throughout the entire Colorado River Basin. While the FEIS is an important step, the Basin States need to see what the BOR is proposing for the next two years before they can properly respond to this proposal.
3. Protecting 1,700 Acres of Public Land
What’s happening: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently announced its plan to construct an eight-foot chain-link and barbed-wire fence around the 1,700-acre Table Mountain Field Site and Radio Quiet Zone. Due to the potentially harmful effects on wildlife and irrigation infrastructure, the local Boulder County community has vocally opposed this construction.
What I believe: Major decisions regarding public lands cannot be made without local cooperation. The Department of Commerce must work with state and local partners to protect wildlife, migration corridors, and irrigation infrastructure as the NTIA pursues its new fencing plan.
What I’m doing: On Tuesday, I led Senator John Hickenlooper and Congressman Joe Neguse in urging the NTIA to address the requests of Boulder County, the City of Boulder, and local residents and to coordinate with the appropriate state and local agencies to mitigate the potentially harmful effects of this project. We must support the community’s requests, and I will continue to do everything I can to push the Administration to consider their concerns.
4. Holding Russian Oil Purchasers Accountable for Funding Putin’s Ukraine War
What’s happening: This week, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to advance the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation I co-sponsored to impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and his enablers across Russian industry and financial institutions, the Russian shadow fleet, and firms supporting Russia’s defense industrial base. I have supported a version of this bill for over a year. The legislation also includes my bipartisan SEED Act, which provides early childhood educators with the same $350 tax deduction available to K-12 teachers.
What I believe: For the past four years, the Ukrainian people have fought bravely against Putin’s aggression, showing us what it looks like to fight and die for democracy, for their country, and for the West. As Putin rejects negotiations and continues attacking civilian and military sites across Ukraine, our bipartisan sanctions bill will impose greater pressure on Putin to end his unprovoked war. We must move this bill now, as Ukraine seizes the battlefield momentum and increasingly takes the fight to Moscow. I am pleased to see the Senate take the first steps to get this done.
What I’m doing: I voted this week to advance this bipartisan sanctions bill and joined my colleagues to meet again with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where we discussed the importance of passing this bill and surging U.S.support to Ukraine. We must do everything we can to back the Ukrainian people in their fight – including by passing this sanctions bill and my legislation to ensure U.S. intelligence-support and strengthen drone cooperation with Ukraine. Backing Ukraine today is our best deterrence against authoritarian ambitions tomorrow.
5. IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK
- On Wednesday, I joined U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to introduce legislation to help state, local, and Tribal government agencies monitor worsening air pollution caused by wildfires and make more informed public health decisions. Colorado is facing one of the most severe wildfire seasons to date, with Coloradans not only fearful of fire growth and destruction, but also the health risks that come with poor air quality. We need legislation like this to ensure all Coloradans can keep themselves safe and informed during the wildfire seasons ahead.
- On Thursday, I celebrated the Senate Finance Committee passage of the bipartisan Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act, which includes four key provisions based on my legislation that would provide taxpayers with greater certainty, flexibility, and relief when dealing with the IRS and the tax filing process. This legislation is the most significant IRS reform proposal in decades, and will bring greater transparency and accountability to the tax filing process – while also removing barriers that disproportionately affect low-income families. I am glad to see the Finance Committee advance this legislation and hope to see it pass the full Senate without delay.
- On Tuesday, the Trump Administration cut off asylum seekers’ access to plead their case via interview. This rule undermines due process and turns its back on people fleeing persecution. America is strongest when we uphold our laws and values. We cannot deny vulnerable people a fair chance to seek protection guaranteed under U.S. law.
- On Tuesday, Jay Clayton, President Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, was confirmed by the Senate. I opposed this nomination and am concerned Clayton lacks the independence necessary to successfully lead our intelligence community. Although I recognize his prior public service, Clayton’s repeated deference to the Trump White House – whether in indulging Trump’s false claims about the integrity of our election system, including our gold standard elections in Colorado, or his improper issuance of subpoenas to reporters who wrote a story that President Trump disliked – suggests his top priority will be placating President Trump. I will continue to press Clayton to not follow in the footsteps of other Cabinet officials who have surrendered their personal reputations to curry favor with the President. Our national security depends on it.
- Last Friday, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) voted to gut Tribal consultation and protections for historic sites. From national landmarks like Mesa Verde to local treasures such as the Redstone Coke Ovens, Colorado’s Historic and cultural sites are irreplaceable, and once they are gone, they are gone forever. These changes to the National Historic Preservation Act are not designed to make historic preservation better or to deliver the projects that our communities need most. They are designed to pave the way for Trump’s vanity projects in D.C., from putting his name back on the Kennedy Center to concealing his mistakes at the reflecting pool. I demand that ACHP work with Tribes and States to preserve and improve the consultation process –– not disregard the federal government’s critical responsibilities to Tribal Nations and our history.
- Thursday was the 61st anniversary of President Johnson signing Medicare and Medicaid into law. Decades later, these two vital programs remain a lifeline for 2.3 million Coloradans. On this anniversary, I'm fighting to protect against the Trump Administration's attacks on health care, especially their efforts to slash Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans through Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act. I will not sit back and let Trump decimate these vital programs.
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