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A Note from Me:
Colorado's intense and destructive wildfire season has left our state grieving the loss of the five wildland firefighters who gave their lives to protect others.
This week, I passed a bipartisan resolution honoring Emily Barker, Nicholas Hutcherson, Sydney Watson, Nathan Matthews, Nicholas Dale, and all those who serve on the front lines of wildland firefighting efforts in the United States.
This resolution rightfully honors the courage, sacrifice, and service of those who risk their lives to keep their fellow Americans safe during wildfires. Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, and fellow firefighters grieving the loss of these heroes.
2. Fighting for a Farm Bill that Works for Colorado
What’s happening: This week, the Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance the Republican Farm Bill. For Colorado, this bill would be a devastating blow to our already strained budget. It does little to meet the increasing demands caused by historic drought and worsening fire seasons across the West, and falls short on key issues such as nutrition, conservation, specialty crops, forestry, and Western agriculture.
What I believe: I am disappointed we could not get to a bipartisan Farm Bill. Colorado’s farmers, ranchers, and families need support now more than ever, and this bill fails to deliver. At a time when families are already struggling to afford groceries, Republicans are working to make SNAP even less accessible, all while placing the financial burden on states and ultimately on the backs of hardworking Coloradans. Current Farm Bill policies are not working for today’s agricultural economy and are simply reinforcing a broken status quo. We need to examine why that is, rather than just polishing around the edges.
What I’m doing: I remain committed to passing a Farm Bill this year and hope we can resume bipartisan negotiations in September. We still have time to fix the bill, and I will continue urging Chairman Boozman and his team to work with us to write a bill that meets the needs of Colorado, the West, and rural communities nationwide.
3. Providing New Tools to Mitigate the Pine Beetle Outbreak on Colorado’s Front Range
What’s happening: Colorado faces warming weather and prolonged drought, creating the perfect conditions for the spread of the mountain pine beetle in Ponderosa pine forests across the state. Recent surveys from the U.S. Forest Service and Colorado State Forest Service show a large and growing outbreak of mountain pine beetle on Colorado’s Front Range. While pine beetles and wildfire are part of the natural ecology of Colorado forests, warming climate conditions and decades of fire suppression have made this outbreak more severe, increasing hazardous fire conditions and putting watersheds and recreational areas at risk. The outbreak is especially concerning given its close proximity to highly populated areas.
What I believe: As we face extreme drought and historic high temperatures, Coloradans must work together to keep our forests healthy. We also need to prioritize providing new tools and resources for partners at every level to work together to address the growing outbreak and protect communities on Colorado’s Front Range.
What I’m doing: On Thursday, I introduced the Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act to mitigate Mountain pine beetle outbreaks, along with Senator John Hickenlooper and Representatives Brittney Pettersen and Joe Neguse. This bill will help prevent, monitor, and respond to mountain pine beetle outbreaks through grant opportunities and partnerships, providing partners with increased resources and a framework that focuses on responding to developing outbreaks before they cause widespread and extensive damage.
4. Celebrating Senate Passage of Russia Sanctions Legislation
What's happening: This week, the Senate took a significant step to support the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russian aggression by passing our Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. This legislation I co-sponsor will apply greater pressure on Putin to end his unprovoked war by denying him key oil and gas revenues and placing further sanctions on the architects of Russia’s war economy – which is already under strain thanks to the combined weight of existing U.S. and allied measures.
What I believe: The Senate took this vote at a key point in the war. Ukraine is seizing the momentum on the battlefield and increasingly taking the fight to Moscow. Only by demonstrating our firm resolve can the United States and our allies support Ukraine’s pursuit of a just and durable end to this war and successfully defend the principle of a Europe whole, free, and at peace.
Exciting News: My bipartisan Supporting Early-Childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act, which allows early childhood educators to claim the same tax deduction available to elementary and secondary school teachers, served as the legislative vehicle for passage of this legislation. As the former Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, I know firsthand how often educators dip into their own pockets to provide school supplies for their students. This bill ends an unfair double standard and ensures those who teach our youngest are not left behind.
What I’m doing: On Friday, I voted in favor of the Russia sanctions bill, with SEED as the vehicle. I have long been a supporter of the Russia sanctions legislation and am glad to see it pass the Senate. I urge the House to take up this bill as soon as possible when they return in September to support Ukraine, but also America’s educators. The Senate must also continue doing everything we can to back Ukraine, including by passing my intelligence and drone cooperation legislation.
5. IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK
- Today, Senate Republicans voted to confirm Trump's personal attorney as Attorney General and head of the Justice Department. Todd Blanche wants to ban abortion nationwide. He has given no legal guarantees that the $1.8 billion slush fund he created is dead, and he will continue to do whatever the President asks. His confirmation risks further politicizing federal law enforcement and the administration of justice in this country. I will do everything possible to hold him accountable to the rule of law.
- This week, I joined Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) to introduce the First-Time Homebuyer Empowerment Act. Across Colorado, too many young people and working families struggle to afford their first home. This bill would allow first-time homebuyers to use the savings they already have to cover a down payment and help put homeownership within reach.
- This week, I joined Senator Hickenlooper and Colorado U.S. Representatives Jason Crow, Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, and Brittany Pettersen in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding answers following last month's shooting by a GEO Group employee near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora that left one person injured. This incident, and the broader pattern of shootings involving DHS personnel across the country, undermine public trust and threaten community safety. There is no question that a thorough review of the Department's policies to help prevent similar incidents is necessary, and I will keep doing everything I can to combat this Administration’s inhumane immigration policies.
- On Tuesday, I joined Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and 36 Senate colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought demanding that the Trump Administration restore funding for the 223 energy projects canceled in October 2025. In July, the Administration admitted in court that it illegally canceled awards in states that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election. Once an administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly. This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country, not merely those who support the President.
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