{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"House\", state = \"CO\" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-coffman-statement-on-un-vote", "Congressman Coffman Statement on UN Vote", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (CO-06) released the following statement regarding the United Nations vote on Israeli settlements:\n\"The decision of the US to abstain from the UN vote last week in addition to the comments by Secretary Kerry today is one that directly contradicts the US-Israeli relationship of mutual trust and support. Mixed messages in foreign policy on behalf of this administration undermines US interests and jeopardizes our relationships around the globe.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=7CCA8323-82E9-8B25-DEA4-65FDB9F22913", "Bennet Statement on National Monument Proclamation for Bears Ears", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Denver, CO - Today Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement after the administration proclaims Bears Ears a national monument:  \"This monument designation reflects the wishes of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, the Southern Ute tribe, and other Coloradans that we protect and preserve the beauty and culture of Bears Ears for future generations. This action is an important step forward in restoring our nation's commitment to our tribes by protecting land they regard as sacred and giving them more of a voice in its future management.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=AA284152-64A5-40C7-4161-9496854CAB89", "Bennet calls on Future Presidential Nominees, President-Elect Trump to Release Tax Returns", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Today Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet co-sponsored a bill requiring current presidents and future presidential nominees to release their tax returns in an effort to increase transparency and give the American public insight into any foreign deals.\r\n\"The American people deserve to know about the financial dealings, both foreign and domestic, of the person who serves as our commander-in-chief,\" Bennet said. \"Our democracy depends on the foundation of transparency that makes America unique and great.\"\r\nThe Presidential Tax Transparency Act requires all sitting presidents to release their most recent three years of tax returns to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). It also requires that, within 15 days of becoming the nominee at the party convention, presidential nominees must release their most recent 3 years of tax returns to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Should the sitting president or future candidates refuse to comply, the Treasury Secretary will be required to provide the tax returns directly to the OGE or FEC respectively for public release.\r\nFor nearly 40 year, since Watergate, candidates from major political parties have voluntarily released tax returns during the campaign.\r\nOriginal cosponsors of the Presidential Tax Transparency Act include: Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) Chris Murphy (D-CT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).\r\nA one-page summary of the legislative proposal can be found here. The bill text can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/coffman-spends-christmas-with-troops-in-afghanistan", "Coffman Spends Christmas with Troops in Afghanistan", "2016-12-29", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Aurora, CO) \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (CO-06) returned from Afghanistan where he spent Christmas visiting some of our deployed troops.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\u201cThis Christmas, I had the honor of visiting with our troops deployed in Afghanistan,\u201d said Coffman, a Marine Corps combat veteran. \u201cAny opportunity I have to thank our deployed service members for their work, especially around the holidays, is very important to me. I also want to thank the families of those deployed who don\u2019t have their loved one home for the holidays. I want them all to know that their service and sacrifice is appreciated.\u201d  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tCoffman led a bi-partisan Congressional delegation to Afghanistan to meet with deployed U.S. service members and their leadership. Congressman Coffman met with Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., who is in charge of Operation Resolution support in Afghanistan and also with the 1st Calvary Division commander, Major General John c. Thomson III. Site visits included the Al-Udeid Air Force Base, Bagram Airfield and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tCoffman has a combined 21 years of military service and serves on the House Armed Services Committee and House Veteran\u2019s Affairs Committee, where he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He is the only member of Congress to have served in both Iraq Wars.\n  \n\t###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-statement-on-russia-sanctions", "Gardner Statement on Russia Sanctions", "2016-12-29", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the below statement after the Obama Administration announced sanctions against Russia for its cyber activities and treatment of U.S. diplomats in Moscow:\r\n\"I welcome President Obama's eleventh hour effort to address Russia's growing aggression over the past eight years, however, the sanctions should have been announced and enforced sooner than the final days of his presidency. From Russia's dismemberment and occupation of Ukraine to its fecklessness in Syria that's led to horrific atrocities and indescribable suffering, Russia has a long history of provocative actions that have been met with years of failed U.S. policy instead of expedient strength. It has appeared as if the Administration turned a blind eye to Russian belligerence, including the mistreatment of U.S. diplomats in Moscow and Russia's attempt to influence our elections, until now.\"\r\nGardner immediately called for sweeping sanctions against Russia after the Administration publicly accused Russia of authorizing cyber attacks against the U.S. In July, Gardner joined his colleagues in introducing a bipartisan resolution that calls on Russia to cease provocative military maneuvers that endanger U.S. Forces and urges its European allies and the international community to continue to apply pressure on Moscow. Later that month, Gardner sent a letter to the Obama Administration questioning its silence on reports of Russia's harassment and violence toward U.S. diplomats.\r\nGardner added, \"Following the enforcement of the newly announced sanctions against Russia, the best path forward is the establishment of a permanent select committee on cybersecurity to not only investigate cyber issues, but also lead the charge on federal policy to keep pace with the evolving threat. It's important that Congress has the most effective structure in place to provide oversight of the Administration's cyber activities and strategy to deter and mitigate the cyber threat.\"\r\nGardner recently renewed his call for the creation of a permanent Select Committee on Cybersecurity, and stated he intends to introduce legislation to establish the committee early in the 115th Congress. \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1893", "Christmas 2016 Statement", "2016-12-25", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Christmas 2016 Statement \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 25, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      \u201cChristmas is a glorious time of year filled with renewal, hope, and love. The birth of our Savior shows us that no task is too difficult and that no burden is impossible to bear. In a new year sure to be filled with new challenges, let us remember and hold fast to the hope and joy that is here this blessed time of year. I wish you a very Merry Christmas.\u201d\u00a0- Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1892", "Hanukkah 2016 Statement", "2016-12-24", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Lamborn extends best wishes for a Happy Hanukkah and urges all to remember its importance and miracles.\r\nWhile Hanukkah (Chanukah) is a Jewish celebration, it is an important memory for all of us.\u00a0 The Hanukkah story is a testimony to the fact that God keeps His people, and will never permit their enemies to destroy them.\u00a0\r\nThe Seleucid Greeks were not trying to kill the Jewish people; rather they were seeking to annihilate the very Jewish way of life - by denying and utterly destroying the practices that the people had covenanted with God to keep.\u00a0 In turn, the Seleucids sought to impose Hellenistic customs and practices on the Jewish people.\u00a0 \r\nIn refusing to bow to this oppression, domination, and conformity, the Jewish people revolted and were miraculously successful in pushing back the Seleucid armies; liberating many towns, villages, and eventually - the Holy Temple.\u00a0 Because the Holy Temple had been desecrated, it was necessary to rededicate it and make it fit for Divine use. \u00a0\u00a0\r\nAt the rededication of the Holy Temple there was not enough holy oil to burn continuously as the law proscribed; however, it was deemed best to light the menorah rather than wait the eight days necessary to make more holy oil.\u00a0 The miracle of the oil was that the menorah stayed lit the entire eight days.\r\n\"This time of year is often a time of reflection, and a time of making commitments for the New Year.\u00a0 May we be thankful for our religious freedom as Americans, and the opportunity we have as a Nation and people to worship without fear.\u00a0 May we also consider rededicating ourselves for purposes that are higher than our own and to be true lights to the world.\"\u00a0- Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-statement-on-un-vote-condemning-israel", "Gardner Statement on U.N Vote Condemning Israel", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) today released the below statement urging President Obama to veto the United Nations (U.N) Security Council resolution condemning Israel:\r\n\"I implore President Obama to veto the U.N Security Council's resolution that condemns our friend and ally, Israel. A veto maintains the United States' longstanding policy to support Israel against consistent bias at the United Nations, and I urge President Obama to follow this policy by directing a U.S. veto of this misguided and counterproductive action and reaffirming that the United States stands with Israel.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-statement-on-us-abstaining-from-un-vote-condemning-israel", "Gardner Statement on U.S. Abstaining from U.N Vote Condemning Israel", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) today released the below statement following President Obama's decision to not veto the United Nations (U.N) Security Council resolution condemning Israel:\r\nOne of President Obama's last acts in office was to turn his back on our ally Israel. His days of emboldening our enemies and weakening our friends are thankfully coming to an end. After eight years of waffling on supporting one of our closest allies, President Obama's decision today marks his final betrayal of Israel.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1891", "The US Must Veto Anti-Israel UN Resolutions", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Congressman Lamborn urged President Obama to veto the UNSC biased anti-Israel Resolution.\r\nCongressman Lamborn issued the following statement:\r\n\"The United Nations Security Council anti-settlement resolution proposed by Egypt must be vetoed by the Obama Administration.\u00a0\r\nThe resolution condemns Israel and makes illegitimate findings in a long sought after effort to delegitimize, stigmatize and condemn Israel.\u00a0 The findings would make settlement activity illegal as a matter of international law in violation of previous agreements.\u00a0 It also unjustly and wrongly calls all Israel settlement activity, including in East Jerusalem, illegal under international law - finding that they constitute a major obstacle to the achievement of peace.\u00a0 \r\n\r\nThis is a false narrative and always has been.\u00a0 \r\nIt finds that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem have 'no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.'\r\nIt is exactly this type of reprehensible behavior at the United Nations that has disgusted so many.\u00a0 We should not allow the vitriol to seethe from the United Nations Security Council. The Palestinian Authority, and its allies, should be taken to task for wrongfully continuing to seek anti-Israel actions at the United Nations, and refusing to recognize the State of Israel.\u00a0\u00a0 \r\nOn November 30th of this year, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in his re-election speech that Palestinian Arabs will never agree to recognize Israel as a Jewish state or compromise on its peace demands.\u00a0 Abbas invited representatives from the terrorists groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad to attend the Fatah Congress.\u00a0\u00a0 Both organizations have called openly for the destruction of Israel and routinely plan and carry out terror attacks within the Jewish state.\u00a0 These outrageous statements and actions should not be rewarded.\r\nThe people of the United States are against this resolution, they are against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, they recognize Israel\u2019s right to exist, and the President of the United States should uphold his duty to act in the best interests of the United States and the will of the American people.\u00a0 \r\nTherefore, I am calling on President Obama to instruct the US Ambassador to the United Nations to veto this anti-Israel and anti-settlement resolution today, and if it is delayed, every future date.\r\nShould this resolution go forward and the Obama Administration fail to veto it, the United States Congress will be ready to remove funding from the Palestinian Authority, the United Nations, and support Israel\u2019s right to annex Judea and Samaria as a result of the Palestinian Authority\u2019s continuing to press unilaterally for the delegitimization of Israel and condemnations designed to place Israel in an unfair negotiating position.\"- Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=F15F8F18-6214-32BF-DADB-9E42BBBFA078", "Bennet Statement on Draft UN Security Council Resolution", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement on the UN Security Council Resolution submitted Wednesday by Egypt:\r\n\"We must continue to push for policies that support direct negotiations in pursuit of a two-state solution,\" Bennet said. \"If what is offered is a one-sided Security Council resolution that would undermine the prospect of direct talks, the Administration should veto.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://perlmutter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1542", "Perlmutter Releases 2016 End of Year Report", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Ed Perlmutter", "P000593", "perlmutter.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Perlmutter Releases 2016 End of Year Report \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Lakewood, Colo.-,\r\n        December 21, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Lakewood, Colo. \u2013 Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) released an overview of activity for 2016 including constituents services, events and legislation.\r\n\u201cOne of my greatest responsibilities is helping the hardworking people of the 7th Congressional District,\u201d said Perlmutter. \u201cMy staff and I are here to help constituents cut through red tape at federal agencies as well as to provide resources and information about a variety of issues. We look forward to continuing to serve the people of the 7th District in 2017.\u201d  \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIn 2016, on behalf of the 7th Congressional District, Rep. Perlmutter and his staff:\r\n \r\n    Hosted 30 events with more than 18,000 attendees\r\n \r\n \r\n    Completed 595 constituent services cases\r\n \r\n \r\n     Helped secure $550,350 in owed benefits and savings for constituents\r\n \r\n \r\n    Advocated for $31.8 million in funds supporting organizations, research and jobs in the 7th Congressional District\r\n \r\n \r\n    Answered 49,456 letters, emails and calls\r\n \r\n \r\n    Nominated 22 students to U.S. Service Academies\r\n \r\n \r\n    Drafted 5 pieces of legislation which became law in the 114th Congress\r\n \r\nIn addition, Perlmutter was awarded \u201c2016 Legislator of the Year\u201d by three organizations: Paralyzed Veterans of America \u2013 Mountain States Chapter; Jefferson County Economic Development Corp.; and United Veterans Committee of Colorado.\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/fbi-looks-into-congress-claims-va-lied-about-hospital-costs-0", "FBI looks into Congress claims VA lied about hospital costs", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "DENVER (AP) - The Justice Department is considering whether to investigate allegations that Veterans Affairs Department executives lied to Congress to conceal massive cost overruns at a $1.7 billion VA hospital under construction outside Denver.\nThe FBI\u2019s Washington field office is reviewing the allegations, the Justice Department said in a letter to Congress. The letter was dated Dec. 9 and made public Tuesday.\nThe FBI is part of the Justice Department.\nLawmakers accuse VA executives of lying when they testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee in 2013 and 2014 about the cost of the hospital in suburban Aurora. The current projected price tag is nearly triple the 2014 estimate.\nThe VA declined to comment on the lawmakers\u2019 allegations. In a written statement, the department said it has already acknowledged mistakes on the project and made changes to its construction practices.\nA bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers on the Veterans Affairs Committee asked for an investigation in September. The request came after the VA\u2019s internal watchdog office said Glenn Haggstrom, formerly the department\u2019s top official in charge of construction projects, knew the hospital cost was soaring but didn\u2019t tell Congress.\nThe lawmakers also asked the Justice Department to look into congressional testimony by Stella Fiotes, director of the VA\u2019s Office of Construction and Facilities Management.\nNeither Haggstrom nor Fiotes immediately return phone messages Tuesday.\nHaggstrom and Fiotes told the committee that no cost overruns were expected and that the project would be finished at or near its budget of about $604 million, according to transcribed excerpts from the committee.\nHaggstrom retired in 2015, one day after he was questioned by VA officials about what went wrong, department officials have said.\nVeterans Affairs Committee chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said the Justice Department should investigate the two officials\u2019 testimony.\n\u201cThis case is a slam dunk, and it\u2019s imperative for Department of Justice officials to ensure justice is served,\u201d Miller said in a written statement.\n\u201cIt is an absolute fact that numerous VA officials repeatedly misled Congress regarding cost overruns,\u201d he said.\nRep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., a member of the committee, also said the FBI should investigate.\n\u201cIf they don\u2019t, and there are no consequences for federal officials of the executive branch to lie when they\u2019re under oath, then Congress simply cannot exercise its oversight,\u201d he said.\nInvestigations into the hospital project have said mismanagement, delays and lax oversight by the VA added hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost and delayed it by years.\nConstruction on the 184-bed facility is expected to be done in January 2018. It will replace an aging, overcrowded facility still in use in Denver.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-coffman-statement-on-berlin-terrorist-attack", "Congressman Coffman Statement on Berlin Terrorist Attack", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC --\u00a0U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (CO-06), an Iraq War\u00a0combat veteran and member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement in response to the terrorist attack in Berlin, Germany.\n\u201cOur thoughts and prayers are with the people of Berlin. This tragedy is a reminder that terrorism doesn\u2019t pause during the holiday season and that we must remain vigilant at all times. The U.S. stands with the German people and its government in condemning this attack, and we hope those responsible are swiftly brought to justice.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/degette-and-100-lawmakers-urging-trump-to-abandon-the-hyde-amendment", "DeGette and 100+ Lawmakers Urging Trump to Abandon the Hyde Amendment", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) and more than 100 other House Democrats joined forces to call on President-Elect Donald Trump to abandon the ban on women\u2019s reproductive health choices known as the Hyde Amendment and to remove related funding constraints.\nThe ban, which anti-choice members of Congress have inserted into annual spending legislation for four decades, prohibits federal funds in Medicaid and other health programs from being used for abortion. This restriction on millions of women\u2019s health care has predominantly hurt the under-privileged.\nIn a letter to the president-elect, the 108 legislators said, \u201cEvery person should be treated with dignity, compassion and respect \u2013 and that includes upholding a woman\u2019s right to make her own decisions about whether to end a pregnancy.\u201d\u00a0\nDuring the campaign, Trump pledged in a letter to an anti-choice group that he would make the Hyde Amendment law.\u00a0 The lawmakers asked him to forego that pledge and to \u201cdemonstrate your commitment to being a President for all people in the United States by eliminating the Hyde Amendment, as well as related abortion coverage and care restrictions, from your Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Budget request.\u201d\u00a0\n\u201cWe urge you to begin your presidency with a clear and bold statement that abortion coverage bans have no place in our public policy,\u201d they wrote. \u201cThis will send a strong message to Congress and the country that everyone should be able to decide when and how to start a family\u2014no matter their income, the type of insurance they have, or where they live.\u201d\nIn an op-ed and other public statements earlier this year, DeGette reaffirmed her commitment to passing the EACH Woman (Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance) Act, which would prohibit re-introduction of the Hyde Amendment. She intends to co-sponsor it again when the new Congress meets next year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://coffman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1750", "FBI looks into Congress\u2019 claims VA lied about hospital costs", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "DENVER (AP) - The Justice Department is considering whether to investigate allegations that Veterans Affairs Department executives lied to Congress to conceal massive cost overruns at a $1.7 billion VA hospital under construction outside Denver.\r\rThe FBI's Washington field office is reviewing the allegations, the Justice Department said in a letter to Congress. The letter was dated Dec. 9 and made public Tuesday.\r\rThe FBI is part of the Justice Department.\r\rLawmakers accuse VA executives of lying when they testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee in 2013 and 2014 about the cost of the hospital in suburban Aurora. The current projected price tag is nearly triple the 2014 estimate.\r\rThe VA declined to comment on the lawmakers' allegations. In a written statement, the department said it has already acknowledged mistakes on the project and made changes to its construction practices.\r\rA bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers on the Veterans Affairs Committee asked for an investigation in September. The request came after the VA's internal watchdog office said Glenn Haggstrom, formerly the department's top official in charge of construction projects, knew the hospital cost was soaring but didn't tell Congress.\r\rThe lawmakers also asked the Justice Department to look into congressional testimony by Stella Fiotes, director of the VA's Office of Construction and Facilities Management.\r\rNeither Haggstrom nor Fiotes immediately return phone messages Tuesday.\r\rHaggstrom and Fiotes told the committee that no cost overruns were expected and that the project would be finished at or near its budget of about $604 million, according to transcribed excerpts from the committee.\r\r\r\rHaggstrom retired in 2015, one day after he was questioned by VA officials about what went wrong, department officials have said.\r\rVeterans Affairs Committee chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said the Justice Department should investigate the two officials' testimony.\r\rThis case is a slam dunk, and it's imperative for Department of Justice officials to ensure justice is served, Miller said in a written statement.\r\rIt is an absolute fact that numerous VA officials repeatedly misled Congress regarding cost overruns, he said.\r\rRep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., a member of the committee, also said the FBI should investigate.\r\rIf they don't, and there are no consequences for federal officials of the executive branch to lie when they're under oath, then Congress simply cannot exercise its oversight, he said.\r\rInvestigations into the hospital project have said mismanagement, delays and lax oversight by the VA added hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost and delayed it by years.\r\rConstruction on the 184-bed facility is expected to be done in January 2018. It will replace an aging, overcrowded facility still in use in Denver.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://perlmutter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1538", "Perlmutter Works to Protect Employees and Work of NREL and Other National Laboratories", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Ed Perlmutter", "P000593", "perlmutter.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Lakewood, Colo. \u2013 Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) joined 26 members of the U.S. House of Representatives to send a letter to President-elect Trump expressing concerns over reports the Trump transition team has asked for personal information of employees at Department of Energy National Laboratories (DOE labs). The 27 members represent and/or sit on committees with jurisdiction over the 17 DOE National Laboratories.\r\n\u201cThe 7th Congressional District is home to the National Renewable Energy Lab which is the world\u2019s premier renewable energy and energy efficiency research lab and employs more than 1700 people,\u201d said Perlmutter. \u201cNREL and other DOE labs play a vital role in promoting technological innovation, research and development, energy independence and strengthening our national security.\u201d\r\nAs stated in the letter, the Trump transition team asked for \u201ca list of the top 20 salaried employees of the labs, the labs\u2019 peer-reviewed publications over the past three years, a list of their professional society memberships, affiliations and the websites they maintain or contribute to \u2018during work hours\u2019, according to The Washington Post. This was part of a larger set of questions asking DOE about which employees worked on the issue of climate change.\r\n\u201cStaff at our DOE labs go where the science takes them, and for that they should be praised, not punished,\u201d the letter states. The letter continues on to ask for specific questions that were asked of DOE about lab staff, the purpose behind them, and what the Trump transition team plans to do with any information obtained.\r\nClick here for the full letter.\r\n ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-tipton-demand-epa-reimburse-communities-impacted-by-gold_king-mine-spill", "Gardner, Tipton Demand EPA Reimburse Communities Impacted by Gold  King Mine Spill", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), along with Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-3), sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy today regarding the agency's decision not to fully reimburse affected states, local, and tribal governments that have been impacted by the EPA-born Gold King Mine disaster.\r\nIn the letter, Gardner and Tipton reminded Administrator McCarthy of a section of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act) they authored that requires the EPA to fully reimburse all state, local, and tribal government for response costs, regardless of the arbitrary deadline the EPA imposed on such payments.\r\nThe letter reads in full:\r\n\r\nDear Administrator McCarthy:\r\n\r\nWe write today to request the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) immediately issue full reimbursement for the costs incurred by several entities in Southwest Colorado to respond to the August 2015 Gold King Mine spill, in accordance with Section 5004 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act), which we sponsored, and the President signed into law. Earlier this month, EPA sent final decision letters indicating that the agency has no intention of making further response cost reimbursements. This is unacceptable, and inconsistent with your commitment to take full responsibility to affected states, local and tribal governments, and communities, and contrary to the newly enacted WIIN Act.\r\n\r\nThe justification cited by EPA in refusing to reimburse many response costs has no basis in law. The provision included in the WIIN Act makes that clear. The law specifically directs EPA to expedite reimbursement of all response costs incurred by state, local and tribal governments prior to September 9, 2016, if consistent with the National Contingency Plan under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. Therefore, Congress compels the agency to reimburse such response costs even if incurred after October of 2015. \r\n\r\nFurthermore, EPA should reassess all disallowed response costs while ensuring all reassessments and appeals are based on the recently-enacted law. Local and tribal entities should not have to be burdened with the appeals process when the law requires EPA to assist them in being made whole. \r\n\r\nAdditionally, we reiterate our calls for the U.S. Department of Justice and EPA to expeditiously process the more than 60 claims that are still pending under the Federal Torts Claim Act regarding the spill. The August 1, 2016, letter from EPA to state, tribal, local, and Congressional leaders stated that EPA and the Department of Justice hope to be responding to these claims in the coming weeks. It is completely inadequate that our federal government has not moved forward on a single claim related to personal injury or economic loss resulting from the spill it caused over 16 months ago. \r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1888", "Join the Congressional Leadership Program", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Doug Lamborn invites college students and recent graduates with ties to Colorado's Fifth District to apply for the 2017 Congressional Leadership Program. This unique opportunity gives students an opportunity to witness the legislative process firsthand and become involved in a dynamic congressional office for the duration of the summer. Whether you are hoping to launch your career in public service, or you are looking to gain insight into the process of governing, this opportunity will give you a fresh perspective and lasting memories.The application process is competitive, so please read through all of the instructions below. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Washington, D.C. office.\u00a0  \r\n\r\nDescription:\u00a0\r\nCongressional Leadership Program participants are held to a high standard of professionalism and expected to be responsible, focused, self-motivated, enthusiastic, and driven. CLP Participants will have the opportunity to serve and communicate with the constituents of Colorado\u2019s 5th District, as well as observe the legislative process and work side by side with full-time congressional staffers. The unique perspectives and insights gained through the CLP program are invaluable.\r\nRequirements:\u00a0\r\nApplicants must have completed at least one full year of college-level courses and be available to work full-time. We accept applications from all academic backgrounds. Strong writing skills, attention to detail, and flexibility are a must. We appreciate interns with a general knowledge of politics and government. Applicants must have ties to Colorado's Fifth District in order to be considered for the Congressional Leadership Program. Although internships are unpaid positions, interns are treated as full participants in the Congressional office.\r\nHow do I apply?\r\nInterested candidates should answer the following questions and attach a one-page resume for review. Please submit your questions and resume to\u00a0CO05Internship@mail.house.gov\u00a0along with your complete contact information. The application deadline for the Congressional Leadership Program is April 30th, 2017.\r\nQuestions:\r\n1. Please explain why you would like to participate in Congressman Lamborn\u2019s Congressional Leadership Program for 2017. (Please respond in 250 words or less.)\r\n2. Please respond to the following short-answer questions:\r\n \r\n    Which three public figures hold political views most like your own? Why?\r\n    Which public policy organizations are advocating policies most like your own?\r\n    With what political philosophy do your views most align?\r\n    What kind of background do you have? How did you become interested in government and politics? \u00a0\r\n    Drawing from your educational and professional experience, how would you demonstrate that you are capable of handling the responsibilities that accompany the CLP program?\u00a0\r\n \r\nWhat is the biggest problem facing America today, and what is one way you would address it?", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/column-let%E2%80%99s-cut-regulations-115th-congress", "COLUMN: Lets Cut Regulations in the 115th Congress", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I recently launched a project to cut unnecessary, overly burdensome rules from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and I need your help.\u00a0\nThe current CFR is over 75,000 pages long and full of regulations that are ridiculous, as well as regulations that are unnecessary and continue to stunt economic growth across our nation.\nFor example, did you know that it is a federal crime to leave the U.S. with more than $25 worth of nickels in your pocket? Or that it\u2019s illegal to sell mixed nuts if the nuts pictured on the label aren\u2019t in decreasing size order? These are examples of some of the absurd regulations you\u2019ll find in the CFR, but there are also federal rules that continue to kill jobs and hurt families, like the employer health insurance mandate, red tape that prevents veterans from getting medical care, and extreme energy efficiency standards that make refrigerators and hot water unaffordable.\nI started the Cut The Code Project, so we can take a hard look at the CFR and cut the regulations that are overly burdensome or just downright ridiculous. I firmly believe that some federal regulations are necessary for keeping our communities safe, but our regulatory environment has grown out of control.\nThe CFR is made up of the rules and regulations that the Executive Branch develops to enforce the laws in the U.S. Code. We\u2019ve repeatedly seen the Obama Administration overstep its authority and issue regulations that go well beyond the scope of the U.S. Code. Now, we have an opportunity to roll back the current regulatory regime that is holding our country back.\nI want to hear from constituents who may have experienced the negative effects of ridiculous or overly burdensome regulations. My team and I will take a look at the appropriate statutes and history of the regulation, and we\u2019ll determine if we can introduce legislation to cut it.\nThere is a form on my website, www.tipton.house.gov, where you can submit your ideas. And you can also share your ideas with my Washington, DC, office by calling 202-225-4761. If you\u2019d like to view the CFR, you can access it online at www.ecfr.gov.\nI look forward to reading your ideas!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://buck.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ken-buck-announces-app-challenge-winner", "Ken Buck Announces App Challenge Winner", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Ken Buck", "B001297", "buck.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release\nContact: Kyle Huwa, 202-225-4676\n\u00a0\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) announced the winner of the Congressional App Challenge for the Fourth Congressional District of Colorado. This competition gave students several months to develop their own software application. The winning app in the Fourth Congressional District was designed by Etash Kalra, a sophomore at Douglas County High School. Etash developed \u201cSpell Me,\u201d an iOS-based app that assists students in studying spelling words by allowing them to participate in a virtual spelling bee or spelling test.\n\u201cI\u2019m so proud of Etash and all the students who participated in the Congressional App Challenge this year,\u201d Congressman Ken Buck stated. \u201cSTEM education is so important to our nation\u2019s future, and I\u2019m confident these student participants will play key roles in America\u2019s success.\u201d\nApp Challenge winners will be invited to Washington D.C. for #HouseOfCode, a chance to present their apps to Members of Congress and the tech community.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-statement-on-chinas-seizure-of-us-navy-equipment", "Gardner Statement on Chinas Seizure of U.S. Navy Equipment", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, today released the below statement on reports that China seized a U.S. Navy underwater vehicle in the South China Sea:\r\nThis brazenly hostile act is outrageous and must be met with a firm response. The U.S. Navy was operating in international waters conducting a standard exercise, and China should return the underwater vehicle immediately, said Gardner. As a start, I urge the Administration to recall the U.S. Ambassador to China until the U.S. Navy's property is returned and a formal apology is issued. The United States must send a message to China, unilaterally and through the United Nations, that if its hostile behavior in the South China Sea continues, there will be repercussions.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/house-approves-gardner-peters-american-innovation-and-competitiveness-act-headed-to-presidents-desk", "House Approves Gardner-Peters American Innovation and Competitiveness Act Headed to Presidents Desk", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC The U.S. House of Representatives today followed the U.S. Senate's action and approved the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, a bicameral, bipartisan legislative compromise originallyintroduced by Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Gary Peters (D-MI), along with John Thune (R-SD), and Bill Nelson (D-FL), that maximizes basic research opportunities, reduces administrative burdens for researchers, encourages scientific entrepreneurship, and promotes oversight of taxpayer-funded research. The legislation promotes diversity in STEM fields, incentivizes private-sector innovation, and aims to improve manufacturing. It most directly affects programs within the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).\r\nThis legislation marks the first major update to federal research and technology policy to originate in the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in more than a decade.\r\nThe House's passage of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act is a major step forward for the science and research community, and I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Johnson for working in good faith with the Senate to achieve this success, said Gardner. We've worked for more than 18 months with the scientific community, industry, universities, and other interested stakeholders to craft a bill that reflects the needs of America's science and technology enterprise and I will continue to work to ensure their needs are addressed in Congress. The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act has made science bipartisan again, and I look forward to the President signing this legislation into law and helping to keep America competitive across the globe.\r\nCutting-edge innovation and scientific research drive our economy forward by supporting new advances in manufacturing, creating new jobs and promoting our nation's competitiveness, said Senator Peters, Ranking Member of the Space, Science and Competitiveness Subcommittee.I am pleased that the House passed this bipartisan legislation that maximizes federal investments in basic science research, strengthens STEM education programs to build a skilled workforce and supports services that make small and medium-sized manufacturers globally competitive. I was honored to work with Senator Gardner to craft this legislation to help America stay ahead of the curve in our increasingly competitive world.\r\n\r\nHighlights of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act Maximizing Basic Research\r\n \r\nHighlights Peer Review: Reaffirms the appropriateness of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria used to evaluate grant proposals.\r\nKeeps Government Accountable to Taxpayers: Promotes transparency by requiring public notices of grants to justify the project's expenditures and confirm that they align with NSF's priorities.\r\nBroadens Research Opportunities: Updates NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to continue promoting groundbreaking research in states that receive relatively little federal research money.\r\nModernizes Existing Programs: Includes updates to the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) programs, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST's) laboratory and education outreach programs.\r\n \r\n\r\nAdministrative and Regulatory Burden Reduction\r\n \r\nReduces Paperwork Burdens: Establishes an inter-agency working group to provide recommendations on eliminating unnecessary paperwork for researchers and institutions.\r\nStreamlines Government: Repeals obsolete agency reports and unfunded government programs.\r\n \r\n\r\nScience, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics\r\n \r\nEnhances Scientific Community Input: Establishes a STEM Advisory Panel composed of academic and industry representatives to provide recommendations on federal STEM programs.\r\nPromotes Diversity in STEM Fields: Creates a working group to study how to improve inclusion of women and underrepresented individuals in STEM fields and reaffirms the necessity of broadening participation in STEM fields through NSF programs.\r\n \r\n\r\nLeveraging the Private Sector\r\n \r\nIncentivizes Private-Sector Innovation: Updates prize competition authority to encourage greater participation in federal prize competitions.\r\nExpands Opportunities for Public Involvement: Permits federal science agencies to use crowdsourcing as a tool to conduct agency projects.\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\nManufacturing\r\n \r\nEncourages Improved Manufacturing: Adjusts the federal cost-share ratio and implements new accountability and oversight provisions within NIST's Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program.\r\n \r\n\r\nInnovation and Technology Transfer\r\n \r\nBolsters Scientific Entrepreneurship: Authorizes the successful I-Corps program to help scientists move their research from the laboratory to the marketplace.\r\nReaffirms Importance of Commercialization: Directs NSF to continue awarding translational research grants and strengthen public-private cooperation.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/potential-russian-influence-in-us-elections-calls-for-bipartisan-inquiry", "Potential Russian Influence in U.S. Elections Calls for Bipartisan Inquiry, DeGette Says", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 In response to ongoing media reports that the U.S. intelligence community has found that the Russian Federation directed activities to influence the outcome of the U.S. elections in November, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), today called for a bipartisan inquiry that will present its conclusions to the public.\u00a0\n\u201cThe prospect of a foreign power meddling in U.S. elections should concern all Americans, along with those who support democracy around the world,\u201d DeGette said.\u00a0 \u201cGetting to the bottom of this alarming prospect is the job of an impartial inquiry with access to all the relevant facts, including highly classified information.\u00a0 Sorting through that information and presenting a coherent and responsible account must be an urgent priority for the U.S. government.\u201d\nTo meet these objectives, DeGette intends to cosponsor the recently-introduced Protecting Our Democracy Act (H.R. 6447).\u00a0 It would create a bipartisan and independent commission to interview witnesses, obtain documents, receive public testimony and, where necessary, issue subpoenas. The commission would be required to issue a final report with recommendations to Congress and the President within 18 months of the bill\u2019s enactment.\n\u201cIt is irresponsible to downplay or dismiss the information that has been presented by major media about this threat,\u201d DeGette said.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to defend the legitimacy of U.S. elections at the local, state and national levels.\u00a0 This is not a partisan issue. \u00a0Nothing less than the international credibility of our country as an example and leader in promoting democracy is at stake.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/tipton-acts-prevent-illegal-foreign-trade-practices-protect-us-steel-jobs", "Tipton Acts to Prevent Illegal Foreign Trade Practices, Protect U.S. Steel Jobs", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03), along with 42 other members of the Congressional Steel Caucus, recently sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) asking the agency to use its full authority to fight illegal foreign trade practices that have undermined the U.S. steel industry.\nIn recent years, foreign countries, especially China, have utilized a method called \u201cdumping\u201d to offer imported steel products at a price that is lower than the U.S. domestic price. This process has impacted American steel manufacturers, causing plants like Evraz Steel in Pueblo, CO, to lay off workers, while other manufacturers have had to close their doors completely.\n \n\t\u201cWe have worked hard in Congress to ensure that American manufacturers have a level playing field with foreign competitors, but countries like China are taking advantage of U.S. agencies\u2019 lax enforcement of existing trade laws,\u201d said Tipton. \u201cI have supported numerous pieces of legislation to protect U.S. steel jobs, and this letter to CBP is a reminder to the administration that Congress is committed to ensuring a level playing field for U.S. manufacturing.\u201d\n \nTipton supported the Trade Preferences Extension Act (H.R. 1295) and the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (H.R. 644), which were both signed into law earlier this year. The two bills reinforce Congress\u2019 intention to prevent steel dumping and protect American manufacturers when there is evidence that foreign dumping practices have negatively impacted their business.\nTipton has assured Colorado manufacturers that ensuring trade enforcement laws remain effective, while also giving agencies such as the CBP the proper measures to combat dumping and other harmful trade practices of foreign countries, will remain urgent matters for Congress.\n \n\t\u201cThe free market will dictate commodity prices, but it is important that we make sure U.S. manufacturers have the ability to compete globally,\u201d Tipton added. \u201cAs Congress continues to pass legislation that helps grow our economy and strengthen our domestic manufacturing base, we must also ensure that the agencies continue to faithfully execute the laws.\u201d\n \nThe full letter to R. Gil Kerlikowske, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, can be viewed here. Read more about Tipton\u2019s recent work to combat steel dumping here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/the-21st-century-cures-act-a-view-from-the-nih", "The 21st Century Cures Act  A View from the NIH", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The Cures Act, formally known as H.R. 34 or the 21st Century Cures Act,1\u00a0passed overwhelmingly in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in the waning days of the 114th Congress and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 13, 2016. Weighing in at nearly 1000 pages, this bipartisan bill is the product of years of hard work by Republican and Democratic lawmakers, in collaboration with a broad array of diverse stakeholders. As with any landmark piece of legislation, the complex negotiations leading up to its passage were challenging and intense. But the final provisions are well worth heralding, including increased support for state efforts to combat opioid abuse, new steps aimed at improving mental health services, and important changes affecting the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).\nHere, we focus on aspects of the Cures Act that are directly relevant to the NIH\u2019s mission \u2014 measures that will provide the agency with critical tools and resources to advance biomedical research across the spectrum from basic, curiosity-driven studies to advanced clinical trials of promising new therapies. Affecting everyone from researchers to research participants to patients suffering from numerous conditions, these measures will cut bureaucratic red tape that slows the progress of science, enhance data sharing and privacy protections for research volunteers, improve support for the next generation of biomedical researchers, exhort the NIH to extend its efforts to ensure inclusion of diverse populations, and provide the NIH with a bolus of additional funding over 10 years for key biomedical research initiatives.\nSome key measures reduce red tape. Policies generated with the best intentions sometimes have serious adverse consequences for research. Two needlessly obstructive policies have been undone by the Cures Act \u2014 one dealing with paperwork and the other with scientific meetings.\nThe first, the ironically titled Paperwork Reduction Act,2\u00a0was enacted when the Internet was nascent and paper still ruled. Its purpose was to limit government\u2019s ability to ask Americans to fill out endless forms, especially when those forms were required to receive government services or benefits. Minimizing needless paperwork and bureaucracy is an admirable goal. However, as applied to biomedical research, the law requires multiple levels of government review and public comment on any set of questions that NIH researchers propose to ask of 10 or more persons in a scientific study supported by contracts, the Intramural Research Program, and many cooperative agreements. This process rarely results in substantive changes, but it delays the start of research for 9 months, on average \u2014 dissuading investigators, especially trainees, from undertaking important studies. Through the Cures Act, lawmakers have now liberated science from this red tape by eliminating Paperwork Reduction Act requirements for NIH research \u2014 a step that will help speed the initiation of research and the generation of new knowledge.\nThe Cures Act\u2019s second major red-tape\u2013cutting measure provides much-needed relief from restrictions on support for scientific meetings. Because of a few well-publicized extravagant meetings attended by members of other federal agencies, restrictions were placed on federal employees\u2019 travel to meetings. Those restrictions applied to government scientists\u2019 travel to scientific meetings, severely hampering their ability to present their research and exchange ideas with other scientists.3\u00a0Scientists could not be confident that their travel applications would be approved, and requests for meeting attendance were sometimes denied. These travel restrictions generated senseless paperwork and, owing to the resulting delays in processing requests from multiple agencies, actually increased costs to the government. The Cures Act has removed these restrictions.\nOther measures in the bill relate to data sharing and privacy protection. Sharing data is essential for progress in biomedical research. Rapid data sharing was key to the success of the Human Genome Project, and that same commitment has been spreading across biomedicine in the past two decades, as advances in technology and \u201cbig data\u201d have enabled an entirely new level of data sharing and inquiry.4\u00a0Despite the clear value of sharing data, the NIH has been constrained from requiring in a straightforward way that NIH-funded investigators share their data. The Cures Act solves this problem by allowing the NIH director to require that data from NIH-supported research be shared, giving all scientists the opportunity to use these data as quickly as possible to advance biomedical research.\nThis new era of rapid and facile exchange of data also requires redoubled efforts to protect the privacy and confidentiality of information about research participants. People who volunteer for research need to be confident that scientists will do everything in their power to protect their private information. The Cures Act contains what we believe are the most significant advances in research privacy protections in two decades. Certificates of confidentiality, previously available to researchers upon request, will now be provided to all NIH-funded scientists conducting research that involves the collection of identifiable, sensitive information. The certificates will provide stronger protections against the disclosure of the names of participants or any other identifiable data gathered during research. In addition, the Cures Act will allow the NIH to withhold biomedical information about individuals that could be used to reidentify them through requests for records filed under the Freedom of Information Act.5\nCures Act provisions also support early-stage researchers. Today, the average age of a researcher receiving his or her first independent research grant from the NIH is 42. The NIH has been working hard to create additional opportunities for younger researchers, including dedicated awards for new and early-stage investigators. Though such efforts have proven valuable for encouraging individual researchers, they have not resulted in a lowering of the average age of independent investigators within the full NIH research portfolio. Provisions in the Cures Act will establish an office at the NIH to promote policies aimed at improving coordination and analysis of opportunities for new and early-stage investigators, as well as at attracting, retaining, and developing emerging scientists in priority research areas. Such efforts will include strategies for developing early-stage researchers who are women or members of other groups that are traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research careers. To provide further support to early-stage researchers, the Cures Act authorizes the establishment of additional programs to assist in the repayment of student loans and raises the cap on the repayment assistance available to researchers.\nIt is essential that biomedical research reflect, and provide a benefit to, the entire U.S. population. The Cures Act encourages diversity by setting out a path for the NIH to continue and expand its efforts to allow Americans of all stripes to participate in and benefit from NIH-funded biomedical research. These efforts will be aided by the NIH\u2019s collection and posting of more detailed information about the participants in NIH-funded research, specifically the inclusion of key demographic groups defined by characteristics including sex, age, and minority status. The NIH is also encouraged by the legislation to carry out focused efforts to improve research related to sexual and gender minority populations, as well as work aimed at understanding and reducing health disparities between different populations.\nThe Cures Act provides multiyear funding for three highly innovative scientific initiatives launched by the Obama administration: the\u00a0Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN)\u00a0Initiative, the\u00a0Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI), and the Beau Biden\u00a0Cancer Moonshot. It also includes a promising new research initiative focused on regenerative medicine\n\n\tEach of these initiatives has its own set of audacious goals, but their basic aims are as follows. BRAIN is a sweeping effort to build technology and knowledge across an array of disciplines to elucidate how circuits in the brain function in real time and what goes wrong in disease. PMI is a transformative research infrastructure that will enable and simplify research across all diseases. Its centerpiece, dubbed All of Us, is a longitudinal cohort study involving 1 million or more Americans. The Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot is an ambitious plan to double the rate of progress in the fight against cancer, making more therapies available to more patients, while also improving our ability to detect and prevent cancer. The Cures Act regenerative medicine program is focused on clinical research using adult stem cells, including autologous stem cells. It features an innovative funding mechanism that requires a match from the grant or contract awardee.\n\tCongress has made it clear that these focused investments are not intended as a substitute or offset for supporting NIH research through the regular appropriations process. Although the decision about the overall fiscal year 2017 funding level for the federal government to support all NIH research across disciplines and disease areas has been postponed until April 2017, the Cures Act funding is available now and will be used right away to support groundbreaking research. We remain optimistic that strong support for the NIH budget will be reflected in the ultimate decisions about the fiscal year 2017 budget and beyond.\n\tIn the meantime, Congress has provided an enormous gift to science in the form of the Cures Act, a gift that reflects a deep confidence in the promise of biomedical research to make discoveries and develop cures in the 21st century. All those who made this gift possible \u2014 the President and Vice President, lawmakers, stakeholders, and most of all, patients \u2014 deserve our heartfelt thanks.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/degette-slaughter-pallone-hail-final-rule-protecting-women-s-health", "DeGette, Slaughter, Pallone Hail Final Rule Protecting Womens Health Services Under Title X", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) today hailed the Obama Administration\u2019s final rule barring states from withholding federal family planning funds in a discriminatory manner from clinics that provide women\u2019s reproductive health services. They noted that the rule issued today will shore up efforts across the country to safeguard women\u2019s access to services protected under Title X, which have been in place for more than 25 years. Title X is the only federal program focused solely on providing family planning and related preventive services.\n\u201cTitle X-supported programs provide vital care for uninsured, low-income and young people nationwide,\u201d said DeGette, co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. \u201cThis updated regulation protects millions of people seeking access to these essential services. Given the intensifying attacks on women\u2019s access to them at both the state and federal level in recent months, such protection is more important than ever.\u201d\n\u201cWomen\u2019s health care services will be under unprecedented assault from a Trump Administration, Republican leaders in Congress, and conservative state legislatures across the country. But men in blue suits and red ties shouldn\u2019t determine what women can and should do when it comes to their own health or bodies. The Obama Administration\u2019s actions today will protect state health care providers from political attacks that could cripple their ability to provide life-saving and preventative health care services to millions of Americans,\u201d said Slaughter, co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \n\u201cMillions of Americans rely on Title X-supported health clinics to access critical health services like cancer screenings, HIV tests, and reproductive health services,\u201d Pallone said. \u201cUnfortunately, Republicans have placed politics before health care by attempting to limit which providers women can access to meet these needs.\u00a0Today\u2019s action will protect women\u2019s access to quality health care services by ensuring that quality of care and not politics govern which health providers can receive Title X federal funding.\u201d\nThe new regulation clarifies and reinforces that health care providers may not be excluded from federal funding for reasons unrelated to their qualifications to perform Title X-funded services, which include contraception and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, fertility, pregnancy care, and breast and cervical cancer screening. \nIn early October, DeGette, Slaughter, and Pallone wrote to HHS Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell supporting the proposed update to the Title X family planning program. In\u00a0their letter, they noted that at least 14 states have taken official action to target and exclude otherwise eligible providers from the Title X program. Last year, Title X\u2019s network of health care providers served more than 4 million women, men, and young people with family planning and other preventive health care services including Pap tests, breast exams, HIV testing, and contraception.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://polis.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398253", "Polis statement on crisis in Aleppo", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Jared Polis", "P000598", "polis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Polis statement on crisis in Aleppo  \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 14, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      WASHINGTON \u00a0\u2013 Today, Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) released the following statement regarding the ongoing crisis in Aleppo, Syria.\u00a0  \r\n\r\n\"In light of these atrocities, I believe that we cannot continue to sit idly by,\" Polis said. \"Over the last five years, we have seen the devastating cost of inaction, and as Americans, we have a responsibility to lead. I call on President Obama to use all channels at his disposal to negotiate a cessation of hostilities in East Aleppo with the Russian, Iranian, and Syrian governments and consider emergency airlifts and the creation of safe zones. Deescalating the conflict will provide immediate relief for the civilians who are trapped, and allow for their evacuation to North Aleppo \u2013 an important step towards fragile safety. It is incumbent upon the international community to demonstrate our capacity for decency and dignity. With history as our guide, we must act to prevent atrocities. We must stand with Aleppo and do everything in our power to protect and secure the fundamental human rights of the Syrian people.\"\r\nThe escalating threat to civilian lives in Aleppo, Syria is an immense and imminent human rights disaster. At least 50,000 civilians are still trapped in their homes, besieged by heavy bombardments. Eastern Aleppo is being specifically targeted for violence by government forces. Reports of murder, violence, and retaliation against insurgents and innocent civilians are widespread.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/21st-century-cures-act-s-passage-also-suggests-a-cure-for-gridlock", "21st Century Cures Acts Passage Also Suggests a Cure for Gridlock", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congratulations are due to Congresswoman Diana DeGette and a bipartisan team of lawmakers who managed what seems increasingly difficult in these days of hyper-partisanship and Washington gridlock: passage of a major bill full of promise for the American people.\nPresident Barack Obama is expected to sign the 21st Century Cures Act, which received massive support in both the House and Senate in recent days, after years of work on the part of DeGette, the Denver Democrat, and Republican Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan.\nAs other wise souls have noted, getting a major bill that deals with health care passed with bipartisan support after the animosity left by the Democrats-only passage of the Affordable Care Act is no small accomplishment.\nSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the bill\u2019s passage \u201cthe most significant legislation passed by this Congress.\u201d\nWe\u2019ve cheered for the legislation, arguing, as DeGette and Upton have observed, that the status quo for getting new drugs and medical devices to the marketplace in this country takes far too long, despite past congressional efforts. Researchers at the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, for example, found that in 2014 the cost of bringing a new prescription drug to market topped $2.6 billion and more than 10 years.\nThe long, costly slog contrasts with major advances in biotechnology and biomedicine.\nThe 21st Century Cures measure intends to streamline the approval process within the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s review of new treatments. It also provides means to combat opioid addiction and bolster mental health care.\nThe measure also helps fund the so-called \u201ccancer moon-shot\u201d effort that Vice President Joe Biden has launched and helps fund research into brain diseases like Alzheimer\u2019s.\nDeGette worked with Upton to hold numerous public discussions in Colorado and other states, as well as policy discussions with medical and policy experts, to better understand the challenges and build support for solutions.\n\u201cFred and I worked with everyone we could think of,\u201d DeGette told us recently.\nNo effort is without its critics, and the 21st Century Cures Act has them. Progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren argue the legislation gives too many concessions to the pharmaceutical companies. Lawmakers will need to keep a watch on this worry going forward.\nDespite its critics, the bill achieved the amazing in gaining overwhelming support from both sides of the political divide.\nBecause of that support, this legislation\u00a0is likely to serve as a model for future lawmakers intent on seeing their work not only make it to the president\u2019s desk, but remain successful. As Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander told The New York Times, \u201cThe next administration or the next Congress will not be repealing the Cures Act, because we have taken the time to work out our differences, and create a consensus of support.\u201d\nWe look forward to the results and offer our thanks to DeGette for her leadership on this issue.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/new-21st-century-cures-law-is-proof-that-bipartisanship-can-work-wonders", "New 21st Century Cures Law is Proof That Bipartisanship Can Work Wonders, But Partisan Plans for Health Care Reform Could Undermine Important Progress", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "President Obama has just signed the 21st Century Cures Act into law. This landmark legislation makes significant investments in biomedical research. It will lead to new treatments for some of the most vexing medical challenges, including diseases that touch many Americans, such as Alzheimer\u2019s and cancer.\nBut without health insurance coverage, millions of people might not be able to access the new treatments that we worked so hard on a bipartisan basis to enable under Cures. No amount of ground-breaking discoveries will save people who can\u2019t afford to pay for treatment.\nThe promise of Cures is threatened by partisan plans for health insurance coverage in this country ranging from repealing the Affordable Care Act to block-granting Medicaid and converting Medicare into a privatized voucher program.\nRepublicans in Congress are racing to repeal the ACA without any plan to preserve people\u2019s care. Experts at the Urban Institute estimate that nearly 30 million people could lose coverage under the Republican plan, including 588,000 in Colorado.\nThe ACA is not perfect. Congress can and should work together to improve it and work toward solutions that make premiums less expensive while still ensuring quality coverage.\nBut we must not deny health insurance to millions of people who need coverage most, especially families and patients suffering from disease. Taking this reckless step would return us to the days when people across this country had to choose between life-saving treatments and paying for groceries or the rent.\nThroughout the entire Cures process, members of Congress were unified behind one goal: to modernize the way we discover, develop and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients. Our objective was to improve patient health, restore hope and ease suffering.\nWe worked hard to resolve our often significant differences over this bill. Republicans and Democrats alike sacrificed and compromised in order to achieve a greater good for the American people. This strong bipartisan commitment to biomedical innovation truly represents Congress at its best.\nCongress must acknowledge, however, that without access to health insurance coverage, millions of Americans will not benefit from new and life-changing innovations. In fact, they may not be able to access the medicines and care they already rely on today.\nWe cannot let this happen. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to preserve the gains we\u2019ve just made in modernizing medicine in this country.\u00a0In the same spirit of bipartisanship that brought 21st Century Cures to the president\u2019s desk, let\u2019s work together to improve health coverage in the United States.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/tipton-asks-constituents-help-him-cut-regulations-115th-congress", "Tipton Asks Constituents to Help Him Cut Regulations in the 115th Congress", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03) has launched a project to \u201cCut The Code\u201d in the 115th Congress and is asking constituents for their help. The Cut The Code Project is an effort to roll back ridiculous, outdated, or overly burdensome regulations that have impacted constituents in the Third Congressional District of Colorado.\n \n\t\u201cThe current Code of Federal Regulations is over 75,000 pages long and filled with regulations that are stunting economic growth across our nation,\u201d said Tipton. \u201cMy office wants to hear from people who have experienced the effects of a ridiculous or unnecessarily burdensome regulation. We\u2019ll take a look at the appropriate statutes and history of the regulation, and we\u2019ll determine if we can introduce legislation to cut it.\u201d\n \nThe Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is made up of the rules and regulations that the Executive Branch develops to enforce the laws in the U.S. Code.\nConstituents who would like to submit ideas to Tipton can do so online at www.tipton.house.gov or by calling 202-225-4761.\n \n\t\u201cFor the past several years, the Executive Branch has overstepped its authority and issued regulations that go well beyond the scope of the U.S. Code. We have an opportunity to roll back the current regulatory regime that is holding our economy back,\u201d Tipton added. \u201cI look forward to reading everyone\u2019s ideas.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1880", "Denver Post Op-Ed: The GOPs Obamacare wish list", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Congressman Doug Lamborn Many Americans are questioning the future of Obamacare after the election of Donald Trump. President-elect Trump made it clear during his campaign that one of his top priorities is to repeal and replace the ill-fated healthcare law. This message clearly resonated with many voters. A new poll shows that 58 percent of Americans support repealing at least some of Obamacareand 40 percent believe President Obama's signature law should be repealed in its entirety. So where do we go from here? Republicans in Congress are coalescing around Speaker Paul Ryan's Better Way plan for healthcare reform, a prudent and practical plan that will revive our healthcare system, put patients first, and provide access to quality coverage and care for all Americans. Overall, Obamacare has been very unpopular, expensive, and unworkable. However, some individual portions of the law are supported by Americans. Republicans will undoubtedly incorporate these popular aspects into the next generation of healthcare. These policies will: allow children to stay on their parents' insurance plan until age 26, prohibit lifetime limits on insurance coverage, protect those who suffer from pre-existing conditions, incentivize, though not mandate, employers to offer healthcare coverage, and make refundable tax credits available. In addition, Republicans want to reduce the decision-making power of Washington bureaucrats, and allow individual consumers more healthcare choices. Here are some of our concrete ideas to reduce regulations and mandates while promoting consumer choice: Re-adjust age-rating ratios  \r\nUnder Obamacare, the ratio was moved from a five-to-one ratio to a three-to-one ratio, meaning that an older person's insurance premium could not cost more than three times that of a younger person's premium. This has had the dual effect of bringing older, sicker individuals into insurance pools while increasing costs on younger individuals. Many younger enrollees decided to simply leave the market rather than subsidizing older and sicker enrollees, which has created shortages. Republicans are proposing to considerably relax the age-rating ratio. Make HSAs more available to all  \r\nHealth savings accounts (HSAs)are tax-advantaged saving accounts where funds can only be used to help pay for healthcare-related expenses. HSAs incentivize good stewardship of how the money in the account is used because any unused funds at the end of a year are rolled into the next year. They also promote competition within the market and are a great option for those who don't need frequent medical care. Promote insurance pooling  \r\nMany small businesses would like to offer their employees health insurance, but are unable to do so because of prohibitive costs. Under the GOP alternative to Obamacare, small businesses could pool their resources together even across state lines to offer association health plans. If labor unions and corporations can already do this, it's only fair that America's small businesses be allowed the same benefit. Reform medical liability  \r\nDoctors shouldn't be forced out of business because of frivolous lawsuits, nor should healthcare facilities be shut down over litigation. Without substantive medical liability reform, our healthcare sector will continue to face increased costs, which in turn will increase the price of other healthcare services. We need to empower the states to take the lead in implementing much-needed reforms that address real grievances while reducing the cost of defensive medicines. Protect conscience rights  \r\nAmericans should be allowed to conduct their lives in accordance with their respective consciences. A better way forward includes making permanent key amendments like the Weldon Amendment and the Hyde Amendment. The former prohibits federal funding from states that discriminate against individuals or organizations that exercise their conscience. The latter is a longstanding amendment that precludes taxpayer funds from paying for abortions or insurance coverage used to pay for abortions. Both protections are nonnegotiable and vital to any Obamacare alternative. There is a clear pathway forward for our country in a post-Obamacare United States. The right path is forged with more state responsibility, more robust choices in healthcare for consumers, less restrictive regulations and costly mandates, better quality coverage, more innovation, and protection for deeply held convictions and beliefs. The journey will be difficult. Dismantling a law that is far-reaching and incredibly complex will take time and require backbone. But Republicans have the right ideas for fixing our healthcare woes, ideas that prove there is a better way forward for healthcare in our great country.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-renews-call-for-permanent-select-committee-on-cybersecurity-", "Gardner Renews Call for Permanent Select Committee on Cybersecurity", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, today renewed his call to establish a permanent Select Committee on Cybersecurity in the U.S. Senate in light of reports that the Intelligence community concluded Russian hackers attempted to influence the presidential election:\r\n\r\nCybersecurity policy is one of the most significant and complex challenges facing Congress, yet the Senate's current structure to address cyber attacks remains inefficient. According to the Congressional Research Service, at least 19 standing committees between the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have held hearings related to cybersecurity. That's why I'm renewing my call for the creation of a permanent Select Committee on Cybersecurity, which would be narrowly focused on providing oversight of our strategy to protect sensitive data, defend our networks, and to deter malicious cyber actors, said Gardner. Recent reports from our intelligence community concluded that Russia attempted to influence the U.S. presidential election, serving as yet another reminder of the host of emerging threats in cyberspace. These allegations must be thoroughly investigated, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to address the sanctioning of Russia and specifically, bad actors identified following an investigation.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-approves-gardner-peters-american-innovation-and-competitiveness-act", "Senate Approves Gardner-Peters American Innovation and Competitiveness Act", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC The United States Senate approved the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, a bicameral, bipartisan legislative compromise originallyintroduced by Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Gary Peters (D-MI), along with John Thune (R-SD), and Bill Nelson (D-FL), that maximizes basic research opportunities, reduces administrative burdens for researchers, encourages scientific entrepreneurship, and promotes oversight of taxpayer-funded research. The legislation also promotes diversity in STEM fields, incentivizes private-sector innovation, and aims to improve manufacturing. It most directly affects programs within the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).\r\nBeginning in July of 2015, Gardner and Peters led the Senate Commerce Committee's innovation and competitiveness working group on ways to update federal science and technology research policy. The working group was designed to facilitate a dialogue between leaders on federal science and technology research and gather feedback to consider in developing the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act\r\nAmerica is at its best when it empowers our entrepreneurs and innovators with the tools they need to keep America competitive and at the forefront of cutting-edge research and development, said Gardner. The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act has made science bipartisan again. It is a collaborative, bipartisan effort that updates and enhances federal research and technology policy. It highlights STEM education and incentivizes entrepreneurship and private sector development, while at the same time enhancing oversight of federal agencies to ensure the most effective use of resources. This legislation paves the way for our country to grow our economy and create good-paying jobs, and its passage represents a significant step forward. Research and innovation are the cornerstones of the American economy, generating new discoveries that become major industries, create jobs and keep our nation internationally competitive,said Senator Peters, Ranking Member of the Space, Science and Competitiveness Subcommittee.I was honored to work with Senator Gardner, Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson on this bipartisan legislation that takes important steps to improve STEM education efforts, boost small and medium sized manufacturers, and encourage entrepreneurs to turn their discoveries into new businesses that strengthen America's competitive edge and keep us at the forefront of the global economy.\r\nHighlights of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act Maximizing Basic Research\r\n \r\nHighlights Peer Review: Reaffirms the appropriateness of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria used to evaluate grant proposals.\r\nKeeps Government Accountable to Taxpayers: Promotes transparency by requiring public notices of grants to justify the project's expenditures and confirm that they align with NSF's priorities.\r\nBroadens Research Opportunities: Updates NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to continue promoting groundbreaking research in states that receive relatively little federal research money.\r\nModernizes Existing Programs: Includes updates to the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) programs, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST's) laboratory and education outreach programs.\r\n \r\n\r\nAdministrative and Regulatory Burden Reduction\r\n \r\nReduces Paperwork Burdens: Establishes an inter-agency working group to provide recommendations on eliminating unnecessary paperwork for researchers and institutions.\r\nStreamlines Government: Repeals obsolete agency reports and unfunded government programs.\r\n \r\n\r\nScience, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics\r\n \r\nEnhances Scientific Community Input: Establishes a STEM Advisory Panel composed of academic and industry representatives to provide recommendations on federal STEM programs.\r\nPromotes Diversity in STEM Fields: Creates a working group to study how to improve inclusion of women and underrepresented individuals in STEM fields and reaffirms the necessity of broadening participation in STEM fields through NSF programs.\r\n \r\n\r\nLeveraging the Private Sector\r\n \r\nIncentivizes Private-Sector Innovation: Updates prize competition authority to encourage greater participation in federal prize competitions.\r\nExpands Opportunities for Public Involvement: Permits federal science agencies to use crowdsourcing as a tool to conduct agency projects.\r\n \r\n\r\nManufacturing\r\n \r\nEncourages Improved Manufacturing: Adjusts the federal cost-share ratio and implements new accountability and oversight provisions within NIST's Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program.\r\n \r\n\r\nInnovation and Technology Transfer\r\n \r\nBolsters Scientific Entrepreneurship: Authorizes the successful I-Corps program to help scientists move their research from the laboratory to the marketplace.\r\nReaffirms Importance of Commercialization: Directs NSF to continue awarding translational research grants and strengthen public-private cooperation.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=C7297A93-0232-E5E5-021B-2A7C3696B884", "Bennet-Authored Measure to Expedite Gold King Mine Reimbursements Passes Senate", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Yesterday the Senate passed a bill to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) with a measure sponsored by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet to expedite the reimbursement of emergency response costs assumed by States, Indian tribes, and local governments following the Gold King Mine spill.\r\n\"For the last sixteen months, we've been pushing the EPA to reimburse the State, Indian tribes, and local governments that responded quickly to the Gold King Mine spill,\" Bennet said. \"We were disappointed last week when the agency announced that it did not plan to pay back more of the money that local communities spent responding to the spill. The bipartisan amendment that we included in the Water Resources Development Act will require the EPA to pay communities back for more of their costs. It also ensures the EPA continues to work with local communities to develop a long-term water monitoring program for the Animas River and authorizes funding for the program. We look forward to the President signing this bill into law and will work with southwest Colorado to make sure they receive the reimbursements they are due.\"\r\nIn September 2016, the Senate passed a bill to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) with a measure sponsored by Senator Bennet to expedite the reimbursement of emergency response costs assumed by States, Indian tribes, and local governments following the spill. A similar provision was included in a bill that the House passed on Thursday and that the Senate passed on Friday.\r\nSenator Gardner (R-CO), Tom Udall (D-NM), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and John McCain (R-AZ) joined Bennet to introduce the bipartisan amendment. The measure requires the EPA to make decisions on claims within 90 days and allows for claims that include costs incurred beyond October 31, 2015. It also establishes a long-term water quality monitoring program and authorizes funding to pay for the program.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-priorities-included-in-water-resources-development-act-wrda", "Gardner Priorities Included in Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  The U.S. Senate approved the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), legislation that included language authored by Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) to expedite payments to entities that assumed response costs associated with the Gold King Mine spill and direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work with affected states, Indian tribes, and local governments on a long-term water quality monitoring program of the rivers contaminated by the spill.  In September, Gardner led a group of bipartisan Senators in introducing an amendment to WRDA with Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and John McCain (R-AZ) on the Gold King Mine spill. Gardner worked to secure the amendment in legislative text that expedites the payments of response costs assumed by states, Indian tribes, and local governments. It also requires the EPA to pay for the response costs within 90 days if the costs are consistent with federal law. Lastly, the legislative language establishes a long-term water quality monitoring program and authorizes the EPA to reimburse the states, Indian tribes, and local governments for this monitoring activity. It has been over 16 months since the EPA released three million gallons of contaminated waste water into the Animas River, yet states, tribes, and local governments had still not been fully reimbursed for response costs incurred as a result of this EPA-born disaster, said Gardner. The passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which includes a provision I authored to reimburse states, tribes, and local governments for costs associated with the Gold King Mine spill, is a step forward for the communities affected. I have worked with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure this language is a part of the final legislation and I'm proud we were able to secure its inclusion in the final bill. I look forward to the President signing this legislation into law and finally bringing relief to the states, tribes, and local governments that have been at a financial loss because of the EPA's lack of accountability.\r\n###\r\n\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/cures-act-gains-bipartisan-support-that-eluded-obama-health-law", "Cures Act Gains Bipartisan Support That Eluded Obama Health Law", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 With self-congratulatory zeal and smiles all around, huge bipartisan majorities in Congress have just passed legislation to speed the discovery of cures for killer diseases. At the same time, Republican leaders have been devising a strategy to undo the Affordable Care Act, which has done more than any law in a generation to treat people with those diseases.\n\u201cIt is a real contradiction,\u201d said Dr. Otis W. Brawley, the chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society.\nIn recent years, few major bills have commanded as much support as the 21st Century Cures Act, which sailed to passage by votes of\u00a0392 to 26\u00a0in the House on Nov. 30, and\u00a094 to 5\u00a0in the Senate a week later. Once it is signed by President Obama on Tuesday, as the White House has said it will be, the law will allow for money to be pumped into biomedical research and speed the approval of new drugs and medical devices. It also includes provisions to improve\u00a0mental health\u00a0care and combat opioid abuse.\n\u201cThis is the most significant legislation passed by this Congress,\u201d the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said on Thursday. By contrast, he once referred to the 2010 health law as \u201cthe single worst piece of legislation that has been passed in the last half-century.\u201d\nEllen V. Sigal, the chairwoman of Friends of\u00a0Cancer\u00a0Research, an advocacy group, said \u201cthere\u2019s a disconnect\u201d between efforts to pass the Cures Act and to repeal the Affordable Care Act.\n\u201cMost people voting and lobbying on Capitol Hill have\u00a0health insurance,\u201d Ms. Sigal said. \u201cIntellectually, they may know that some people are suffering without insurance. But do they have empathy? Those who are insured may not emotionally understand what it is like for those who are not insured. We live in our own bubble.\u201d\nLawmakers have their own explanations.\nFor one thing, the two health care efforts vastly differ in size. At a cost of $6.3 billion, the Cures Act is not small, but the Affordable Care Act cost hundreds of billions of dollars and affected every facet of medicine \u2014 from insurance coverage to delivery of care. It was bound to be more difficult to enact.\nThe Republican authors of the Cures Act \u2014 Representative Fred Upton of Michigan and Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee \u2014 went to great lengths to work closely with Democrats, led by Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado and Senator Patty Murray of Washington. The cooperation paid off.\n\u201cWe had bipartisan buy-in from Day 1,\u201d Ms. DeGette said.\nBy contrast, the Affordable Care Act was\u00a0adopted in 2010\u00a0without a single Republican vote \u2014 either because, as Democrats have said, Republicans refused to cooperate; or, as Republicans have said, because it was jammed down their throats.\n\u201cWe have been like the Hatfields and McCoys ever since, shooting each other,\u201d Mr. Alexander said.\nMr. Alexander, deeply frustrated by his dealings with the Obama White House in 2010, learned from that experience. \u201cThe next administration or the next Congress will not be repealing the Cures Act,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause we have taken the time to work out our differences, and create a consensus of support.\u201d\nThe American Cancer Society supported both the Affordable Care Act and the current biomedical research bill, and sees the two efforts as intertwined.\n\u201cThe Cures bill includes incredibly important reforms to get treatments to people faster,\u201d said Dr. Brawley, the top medical officer at the society. But he added, \u201cWe need to get those treatments to all people faster,\u201d and he emphasized the word \u201call.\u201d\nThe surge in spending on medical research will almost surely lead to new treatments, which could include some extraordinarily expensive drug therapies. To get such treatments, patients would need to have not just insurance, but good insurance coverage. (Some drug companies offer prescription assistance programs to help defray the costs.) A repeal of the Affordable Care Act could leave millions without access to the benefits of the biomedical research bill, Democrats have said.\nAnother factor in passage of the Cures Act was the relentless advocacy of Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, who helped lawmakers appreciate the possibility of a golden age of medicine \u2014 with an artificial pancreas for diabetics, a vaccine for\u00a0AIDS\u00a0and the use of\u00a0stem cells\u00a0to repair damaged heart tissue.\nRepresentative Steve Cohen, Democrat of Tennessee, said: \u201cMy secretary of defense is Francis Collins, because the true enemy of each and every one of us isn\u2019t somebody in South Korea or somebody in Iran or ISIS. It\u2019s cancer, it\u2019s Alzheimer\u2019s, it\u2019s AIDS, it\u2019s\u00a0diabetes, it\u2019s heart disease \u2014 all those dreadful, awful diseases that N.I.H. is looking for cures for.\u201d\nEven as Congress wrapped up approval of the Cures Act this week, Republicans were having serious discussions about how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act without interrupting coverage for the newly insured. Republicans say they feel an obligation to move fast, because the law is crushing many families and small businesses with high costs.\nDemocrats say some Republicans want to repeal the president\u2019s signature legislative achievement just because it is called Obamacare. It would be \u201ca poke in his eye politically,\u201d said Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, who warned that a repeal could be \u201ccatastrophic to tens of millions of Americans.\u201d\nThe Cures Act would also increase access to mental health care, which has been a bipartisan goal since the fatal shootings in 2012 of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.\nBut Representative Frank Pallone Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, said the benefits of the mental health provisions \u201cwill be far outweighed by the catastrophic harm caused by individuals with mental illness if the Republicans move forward with their radical plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act.\u201d\nSponsors of the Cures Act toured the country, visited clinics, held hearings and listened to patients who recounted their struggles with cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s and dozens of other diseases. Patients and their well-organized advocacy groups proved to be more effective than the uninsured in lobbying Congress.\nIn debates on the Affordable Care Act, lawmakers have continually fought over the proper role of the federal government.\nRepublicans see the need for a federal role in conducting research and regulating drugs, but not in regulating the details of health insurance. Under the 2010 law, they have said, the Obama administration has issued so many regulations, bulletins, official policy statements and informal \u201cguidance documents\u201d that not even federal officials can keep track of them all.\nDemocrats have said the federal standards are needed to guarantee universal access to \u201cessential health benefits,\u201d and to prevent insurers from discriminating against those who are sick.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1879", "A WIIN for Water Issues", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A WIIN for Water Issues \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 9, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      This week, Congressman Doug Lamborn voted in support of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act:\"The most significant effect of this bill is that it forces the EPA to pay for the Animas River Spill that they caused in Colorado. Among other important items, this comprehensive bill will also provide resources to improve drinking water infrastructure, allow states to remove themselves from restrictive EPA coal ash mandates, and hold the EPA accountable.\"- Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)\r\n  \r\nPlease click HERE for more information on the WIIN Act\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/looking-forward-115th-congress", "Looking Forward to the 115th Congress", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "We\u2019re approaching the time of year when most people begin to think about their New Year\u2019s resolutions. As we look forward to all of the opportunities 2017 will bring, I think it\u2019s also important to take a moment to reflect on the progress we have made in the past year and identify areas where there is still work to be done.\nRepresenting the Third Congressional District of Colorado in the 114th Congress has been an honor. My primary focus this Congress has been on advancing policies that grow jobs, spur economic growth, and support health and safety in our communities.\nWithin the Financial Services Committee, we worked on the Small Bank Exam Cycle Reform Act, which was signed into law, and the Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk (TAILOR) Act, which is slated to be included in a larger regulatory reform package the House will pass next year. We hope the Senate can also pass and get it signed into law early next Congress. Both of these bills will support growth on Main Street, and bring more opportunities to families across our state.\nOutside of the Financial Services Committee, my focus has been on protecting our water rights, holding the EPA accountable for its reckless actions in Gold King Mine, and working to find solutions to the opioid epidemic that has devastated so many of our communities.\nI\u2019m proud of the bipartisan effort that resulted in the passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which was signed into law in July, and the 21st Century Cures Act, which has passed both Chambers of Congress and will soon be signed into law. During roundtable meetings in the communities that have been most devastated by the opioid epidemic, I heard from parents, health care providers, law enforcement officers, and others about the heavy toll the epidemic has had on almost every part of our society. Both CARA and the 21st Century Cures Act will have real-life, positive impacts on those who have been touched by opioid addiction.\nI was also proud to work with my Colorado colleague, Senator Cory Gardner, to make sure the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which will be signed into law before the end of the year, included a provision to expedite the process for states, local governments, and tribes seeking to recoup expenses they incurred after the Gold King Mine spill.\nFollowing the Gold King Mine accident, it is clear that we need a better approach when it comes to cleaning up contamination in old abandoned mine sites in the West. I will continue to work next Congress on Good Samaritan legislation that removes existing hurdles that discourage qualified Good Samaritan groups from conducting remediation.\nThere\u2019s also more work to be done on water rights in the 115th Congress. I\u2019m confident that the Water Rights Protection Act, my bill to protect Coloradans\u2019 privately held water rights from federal takings and interference, will make it across the finish line, as will important forest management provisions that I introduced in the Healthy Forest Management Act.\nOverall, our primary focus in the 115th Congress will be to roll back the unnecessary and overly burdensome regulations that have overrun states\u2019 rights and plagued our economy over the last eight years. With the House Republicans\u2019 Better Way Agenda as our guide, we have a real opportunity to get our country back on track. Our first order of business will be repealing and replacing Obamacare with a health care system that is actually affordable and accessible for Americans. Then we\u2019ll turn our focus to enacting the reforms we\u2019ve developed over the past year to fight poverty, restore Constitutional power, allow people to keep more of their hard-earned money, and rebuild our national defense.\nWe have a tall task ahead of us, but we\u2019ll hit the ground running in 2017. I hope you have a Merry Christmas, and a safe holiday season.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://buck.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ken-buck-joins-second-amendment-caucus", "Ken Buck Joins Second Amendment Caucus", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Ken Buck", "B001297", "buck.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. -\u00a0Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) joined the newly launched Second Amendment Caucus this week. This caucus serves as a community for members of Congress who strongly value the right to bear arms. They seek to prevent executive overreach that would curtail second amendment rights and to enable law-abiding citizens to possess and carry firearms.\n\u201cAs a former prosecutor and a Coloradan, I\u2019m eager to work with my fellow caucus-members to uphold our constitutional rights and empower law-abiding citizens to protect themselves,\u201d Congressman Ken Buck stated.\nCongressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) led the effort to relaunch the caucus. Congressman Buck joins him and several other founding members, including\u00a0Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Ted Yoho (R-FL), Brian Babin (R-TX), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Mark Meadows (R-NC), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Justin Amash (R-MI), Jody Hice (R-GA), Dave Brat (R-VA), Warren Davidson (R-OH),\u00a0James Comer (R-KY),\u00a0and Scott Perry (R-PA).\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=1718E141-E968-6FC3-5BC9-BEFBBD81EA3A", "Bennet Statement Regarding Gold King Mine Spill Decision", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement regarding the final decisions from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on outstanding costs related to the Gold King Mine spill. \"Since last August, we've been pushing the EPA to fulfill their long overdue commitment to the State, Indian tribes, and local governments who responded quickly to the spill,\" Bennet said. \"The communities in southwest Colorado paid money out of their own pockets to maintain drinking water, provide for extra staffing costs, keep the public updated, provide water for irrigation, and monitor water quality. Although we're relieved the EPA has finally ended its long drawn-out reimbursement process, it's disappointing that the agency has not reimbursed the communities for more of their costs. We will continue to fight for our measure to enable further reimbursements and establish a long-term water monitoring program.\"\r\nOn August 5, 2015, the Gold King Mine spill emptied three million gallons of contaminated wastewater into the Animas River, turning it bright orange and damaging communities downstream. Since the spill, Senator Bennet has worked to ensure that the EPA addresses all local communities' concerns and prioritizes funding for cleanup of the spill.\r\nIn September 2016, the Senate passed a bill to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) with a measure sponsored by Senator Bennet to expedite the reimbursement of emergency response costs assumed by States, Indian tribes, and local governments following the spill. A similar provision was included in the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act that the House passed on Thursday. Senator Gardner (R-CO), Tom Udall (D-NM), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and John McCain (R-AZ) joined Bennet to introduce the bipartisan amendment. The measure requires the EPA to make decisions on claims within 90 days, which the agency did on Thursday. The measure also allows for claims that include costs incurred beyond October 31, 2015 and establishes a water quality monitoring program.  The WIIN Act, which aims to improve the country's ports, dams, and other infrastructure, will now move to the Senate.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=3DDA894A-90DE-9508-26BF-4A41C30E6341", "Senator Bennet Announces New Colorado State Director", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced today that he has hired Julie Levy Duvall to head his Colorado operations, based in Denver.\r\n\"As a Colorado native with a wide-ranging background, Julie brings diverse experience and enthusiasm to our team,\" Bennet said. \"Her leadership and deep connection to Colorado will be invaluable as we continue to tackle the major challenges facing our nation and our state.\"\r\nPreviously, Levy served on the Durango 9R School Board, worked on community and economic development issues, was Director of Government and Public Affairs for BP America, and was Partner and COO at a financial services firm.\r\n\"I've always respected and admired the Senator's ability to bring people together and find common ground on the most important issues facing our state,\" Levy said. \"I look forward to supporting Michael and our office as we work on behalf of the people of Colorado.\"\r\nSenator Bennet won re-election this fall and will continue to focus on fighting the dysfunction in Washington D.C., while working to create more opportunities for all Coloradans.\r\nAs State Director, Levy will oversee statewide constituent services and community engagement, as well as the day-to-day operations of Senator Bennet's seven regional Senate offices, located in Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Durango, Pueblo, and Alamosa.\r\nRosemary Rodriguez will continue to serve the office as Senior Advisor to the Senator.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-statement-on-ferc-denial-of-jordan-cove", "Gardner Statement on FERC Denial of Jordan Cove", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) released the following statement today after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) announcement to deny a re-hearing for thereconsideration of the Jordan Cove Energy Project and Pacific Gas Connector Pipeline:\r\nOnce again FERC has denied theapplication of Jordan Cove to exportliquefied natural gas(LNG), shutting down their pipeline, and preventing them from getting the assistance they need to open the facility to be able to export LNG to our allies. This is nothing more than a misguided attempt to stop exporting LNG completely, a commonsense energy resource, out of the Rockies to our allies in the West.\r\nI wholeheartedly disagree with FERC's decision, and I will continue to work tirelessly to make sure that the federal government plays no role in deciding what types of energy are suitable for the marketplace. There is no sensible explanation for denying opportunities for economic growth and job creation.\"\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/president-obama-signs-gardner-shaheen-legislation-into-law-requiring-federal-government-to-measure-impact-of-outdoor-recreation-on-us-economy", "President Obama Signs Gardner-Shaheen Legislation into Law, Requiring Federal Government to Measure Impact of Outdoor Recreation on U.S. Economy", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  President Barack Obama signed into law legislation authored by U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to require the federal government to measure the impact of the outdoor recreation on the economy. Thebipartisan Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2015,introducedin October 2015 by Gardner and Shaheen will inform policy makers and business leaders on the jobs created, and the consumer spending driven by, the outdoor recreation economy. The House companion bill H.R. 4665 was introduced by Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). The billunanimously passed in the House and then theSenate in November.\r\n\r\nOutdoor recreation is a way of life in Colorado and is a major economic driver for many communities across the Centennial state, said Senator Gardner. It's time the federal government measures outdoor recreation's economic impact and I'm pleased President Obama has signed this bipartisan legislation into law. Policymakers in Washington will now have a powerful tool at their disposal that will benefit all Americans by highlighting the industry's economic benefits in Colorado and across the United States.\r\n\r\nI am proud that President Obama has signed this commonsense legislation into law, recognizing the outdoor recreation sector's important contributions to our economy, said Senator Shaheen. In the Granite State, we know that preserving our natural treasures isn't just good for the environment; it's also a smart move for state and local economies. Policymakers need to see the full picture of the role that outdoor recreation plays in supporting jobs and economic growth, and craft policy accordingly.\r\n\r\nThis new law will ensure that outdoor recreation is a permanent part of the U.S. GDP and will enable our industry to make the case that preserving public lands and investing in our nation's recreation infrastructure is a sustainable job creator and economic driver that is a hallmark of American values and ideals, said Amy Roberts, Executive Director of the Outdoor Industry Association.We appreciate the leadership of Congress in choosing to prioritize this bill with bipartisan, unanimous support for its passage during a very limited end of year session.\r\n\r\nThis is an exciting time for the outdoor recreation industry, which is such an important part of our local and national economies, said Jim Pisani, Global President for Timberland, headquartered in Stratham, New Hampshire. It was great to see the Senate and House come together in support of the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act, which was signed into law today by President Obama. We are grateful to Senator Shaheen and Senator Gardner for their leadership in driving this important, bipartisan legislation.\r\n\r\nUntil recently, the federal government did not measure the economic impact of outdoor recreation, despite independent estimates that this sector generates $646 billion in consumer spending each year and supports 6.1 million jobs. In April, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewellannouncedthat the Federal Recreation Council will work with the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis to assess the economic contributions of the outdoor recreation industry. TheOutdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2015ensures that this work continue in the future by requiring it in statute. The bill also requires that the Commerce Department submit a comprehensive analysis to Congress capturing the outdoor recreation sector's contribution to the economy.\r\n\r\n###?", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/degette-helps-secure-30-million-affordable-housing-grant", "DeGette Helps Secure $30 Million Affordable Housing Grant", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) today hailed the decision by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide a $30 million grant that she helped secure for affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization in Denver.\u00a0\nThe HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grant\u00a0will help the Denver Housing Authority speed up the completion of the Sun Valley Homes redevelopment project. Last month, DeGette wrote a strong letter of support for the project to HUD Secretary Julian Castro.\u00a0\n\u201cThe Denver Housing Authority has a record of efficiently using federal funds to complete successful revitalization efforts that increase access to affordable housing,\u201d DeGette said. The Sun Valley project will both improve the livability of the area and more than double its housing capacity.\u201d\nThe Denver Housing Authority plans to replace 333 distressed units in the Sun Valley neighborhood and redevelop them into a mixed-income, mixed-model community of 750 new rental units. The project is expected to aid greatly in the city\u2019s efforts to expand affordable housing.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/house-clears-water-infrastructure-package-includes-gold-king-mine-spill-recovery-rural", "House Clears Water Infrastructure Package that Includes Gold King Mine Spill Recovery, Rural Water Provisions", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act (S. 612), a legislative package that includes a provision to establish a process for states, local governments, and tribes to recoup expenses they incurred after the Gold King Mine Spill, as well as provisions to ensure rural communities have access to clean drinking water.\n \n\t\u201cIn the year-and-a-half since the EPA released three million gallons of contaminated water into Cement Creek and the Animas River, my team and I have been working to make sure wronged parties are made whole and affected communities are compensated appropriately,\u201d said Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03). \u201cI was happy to work with my colleague from Colorado, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, to make sure this water infrastructure package included a provision that will help expedite pending claims and ensure the EPA continues to monitor the water quality in the affected areas.\u201d\n \nTitle IV, Section 5004 of S. 612 establishes a process for the payment of claims by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the reimbursement of costs that were incurred by states, local government and tribes following the Gold King Mine spill. The bill directs the EPA to submit all claims no later than 180 days after S. 612 is enacted. Section 5004 also directs the EPA to continue conducting water quality monitoring in the area.\nTitle II, Subtitle A of S. 612 says that it is the Sense of Congress that it should provide \u201crobust\u201d funding for the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act State Revolving Loan Funds (DWSRFs), both of which provide financing to eligible state and tribal entities for water quality projects. The bill also gives states and tribal entities more flexibility when it comes to using DWSRFs, as well as creates a program to assist small and underserved communities with drinking water services.\n \n\t\u201cWater is the lifeblood of rural farming and ranching communities, and it is arguably the most precious resource in Colorado,\u201d Tipton added. \u201cFor rural communities, families, and businesses, the ability to thrive depends on having reliable access to safe and affordable drinking water, and the clean drinking water provisions in this bill will have a big impact on the Third District.\u201d\n \nS. 612 is expected to pass the Senate and be sent to the president before the end of the year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/house-prioritizes-veterans-final-weeks-session", "House Prioritizes Veterans in Final Weeks of Session", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The U.S. House of Representatives passed several bills this week to ensure veterans have access to quality health care and support systems when they return home from service. The bills focus on increasing accountability within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), quality of care standards at VA facilities, and access to a spectrum of education and rehabilitation services for veterans. Congressman Tipton (CO-03) voted in support of the measures.\n \n\t\u201cNo matter what side of the aisle we sit on, we all agree that we want the very best for our veterans. The bills we passed this week will help us honor the men and women who have so nobly served our country,\u201d Tipton said. \u201cI know my colleagues in the Senate share our goals, and I hope they will act quickly to get these bills to the president\u2019s desk.\u201d\n \nOn Dec. 12, the House passed the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 (H.R. 6416) with a bipartisan vote of 419-0. The bill improves the VA disability program by removing red tape that often prohibits veterans and their families from receiving benefits. The bill also cuts red tape to create more opportunities for veterans to use their VA education benefits, increases the number of mental health practitioners that are able to treat veterans, and establishes a National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans.\nThe House also passed the Ethical Patient Care for Veterans Act (H.R. 5399) and the Faster Care for Veterans Act of 2016 (H.R. 4352).\nH.R. 5399 would require medical clinicians within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report unacceptable behavior from other VA clinicians directly to the appropriate state licensing board. Currently, the VA must determine whether a report of substandard practices should be referred to the state licensing board, and the internal process takes more than 100 days on average. The bill aligns VA reporting obligations with existing medical professional ethics standards.\nH.R. 4352 directs the VA to start a pilot program in at least three Veterans Integrated Service Networks that will allow veterans to schedule and confirm appointments at VA medical facilities online.\nThe House also passed the Improving Broadband Access for Veterans Act of 2016 (H.R. 6394) with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 411-4. The bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to assess veterans\u2019 current access to broadband internet service and determine steps that can be taken to increase access. A study by the Pew Research Center shows that less than half of Americans living below the federal poverty level have broadband internet access. There are more than 1.4 million veterans living below the federal poverty level, and 5.3 million veterans live in rural communities.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://buck.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ken-buck-votes-water-infrastructure-development", "Ken Buck Votes for Water Infrastructure Development", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Ken Buck", "B001297", "buck.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release\n\t\n\t\u00a0\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013\u00a0Today, I joined 235 of my colleagues in\u00a0voting\u00a0for the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, often referred to as WRDA (S. 612). This legislation will specifically benefit farmers and rural communities in the Fourth Congressional District by funding vital maintenance and improvements of the nation\u2019s ports and inland waterways. It also revises policies regarding water storage delivery. For farmers in the Fourth Congressional District, this infrastructure development will improve access to water and will assist in transporting crops to the appropriate markets.\u00a0\n\u201cWe must invest wisely and frugally in America\u2019s infrastructure, which is why I voted for the WRDA Act,\u201d stated Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04). \u201cGrowing a bushel of Colorado corn doesn\u2019t do anyone much good if you can\u2019t get that corn to the right market.\u201d\nAdditional investments in drinking and wastewater infrastructure will ensure that urban and rural communities have access to the water they need. The bill also allows individuals impacted by the Gold King Mine spill to make claims to the EPA for damages.\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1877", "Impeach IRS Commissioner Koskinen", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Lamborn released the following statement after the House voted to consider articles of impeachment for IRS Commissioner John Koskinen: The IRS intentionally and systematically used their position of power to target conservative groups based on their political beliefs. Though John Koskinen was brought in to restore the trust of the American people, he has continued to withhold evidence, ignore subpoenas, and stonewall congressional investigations into the IRS targeting scandal. \r\nThese actions all together indicate that IRS John Koskinen needs to be removed from office. I have been vocal throughout the past months pushing for Mr. Koskinen's impeachment, and I voted  to continue these proceedings. The evidence against the IRS Commissioner is sufficient to remove him from officewe do not need more hearings to determine what we already know. \r\n- Congressman Doug Lamborn, (CO-05)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1878", "Funding the Government", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Congressman Doug Lamborn voted in favor of the Continuing Resolution, which funds the government through April 28th, 2017. He released the following statement explaining his vote: \"The Continuing Resolution funds our most important national priorities. I am pleased that the CR provides funding for critical national security needs, like border security and immigration enforcement, as well as essential defense provisions to the Department of Defense and the Department of State to fix the military readiness crisis and combat ISIS abroad. The CR also increases funding to respond to natural disasters.  Additionally, I supported the CR to prevent transfers of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay and the resettlement of additional Syrian refugees in the United States. The Continuing Resolution will also set the stage for a smooth start to the Trump Administration by allowing more time for the President-elect to receive confirmation for his civilian and retired military appointments in the Senate. Despite these good provisions, the Continuing Resolution process is not perfect. I look forward to working with the unified Republican government in the new Congress in order to resume the orderly budget and appropriations process.\" - Congressman Doug Lamborn, (CO-05)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://perlmutter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1529", "Perlmutter, Gardner, Bennet Measure Paves Way for Commerce City Development", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Ed Perlmutter", "P000593", "perlmutter.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC The United States Senate today approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, which included a provision introduced byRep. Ed Perlmutter(CO-07) and Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Michael Bennet (D-CO)- the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Amendment. The NDAA will now head to President Obama's desk for signature. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Amendment allows for an environmental assessment to evaluate the removal of deed restrictions, which currently prohibit thedevelopment of things like transportation infrastructure or retail and housing properties, on land that Commerce City purchased in 2004.Commerce City has been working with federal and state regulators to prove the property's safety, butCongressional action was necessary to remove the deed restrictions and fully allow for residential or industrial use of the property.\r\nTheland was formerly a U.S. Army chemical weapons manufacturing facility, but was cleanedup and much of the property was used to establish the Rocky Mountain Arsenal NationalWildlife Refuge.Gardner, along with Bennet,introducedthe Rocky Mountain Arsenal Amendment to change current law to allow restrictions on the deed to be removed or modified if a risk assessment conducted under federal environmental law proves that the property is safefor these new uses. Perlmutterauthored similar languagein the House of Representatives.In July, Perlmutter, Gardner, and Bennet sent aletterto Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee respectively, and Congressmen Mac Thornberry (TX-13) and Adam Smith (WA-9), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee respectively, urging them to include the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Amendment in the final conference report of the NDAA.\r\nThe National Defense Authorization Act's inclusion of the Rocky MountainArsenalis central to Commerce City's potential development of the land it purchased nearly a decade ago,said Gardner.If the land is deemed safe for development, Commerce City has the opportunity to attract new businesses and jobs, boosting its local economy. This is the result of a strong bipartisan effort, and I look forward to President Obama signing the NDAA into law.\r\nFollowing an environmental review, this amendment allows Commerce City greater flexibility to move forward and continue growing its local economy,said Perlmutter.I appreciate the bipartisan effort with Senators Bennet and Gardner to secure passage of this important amendment for the future of Commerce City.\r\n\"This language will finally allow Commerce City to move forward with its development plans following an environmental review,Bennet said.These reforms will help boost economic development and create jobs in the community.\"\r\nAllowing residential development on the Victory Crossing property aligns with the city's vision to create a one-of-a-kind space for the community to gather as well as make a home,said Mayor Sean Ford.The world-class soccer stadium, the new Central Park rail station and the new RTD bus line are just a few examples of how this area continues to grow and we want Commerce City residents to enjoy those amenities too. For the past few years, the city has been working with federal agencies and partners to remove these land restrictions and we look forward to our continued partnerships to develop this area. Multi-family housing with further strengthen Victory Crossing, providing a sense of place and contributing to a vibrant community.  \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-meets-with-governor-nikki-haley-intended-united-nations-ambassador-nominee", "Gardner Meets with Governor Nikki Haley, Intended United Nations Ambassador Nominee", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today met with Governor Nikki Haley, President-elect Trump's intended nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.\r\n\r\n\r\nAfter meeting with Governor Nikki Haley, I'm convinced she will be an outstanding U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, said Gardner. We discussed many topics, including U.S. policy toward North Korea and agreed the current Administration's policy of strategic patience' has failed.I'm excited to work with Governor Haley and the Trump Administration to promote U.S. interests abroad and ensure the safety and security of all Americans. Throughout her tenure as Governor, Governor Haley has always put the people of South Carolina first, and I'm confident she will now put the American people first as she enters her new role as U.N. Ambassador.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-meets-with-secretary-elaine-chao-intended-transportation-secretary-nominee", "Gardner Meets with Secretary Elaine Chao, Intended Transportation Secretary Nominee", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today met with Secretary Elaine Chao, President-elect Trump's intended nominee for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.\r\n\r\nSecretary Chao has dedicated much of her life to public service and is a proven leader who knows how to get the job done, said Gardner. We spoke about the unique challenges Colorado faces when it comes to transportation and I am confident Secretary Chao will work to repair and strengthen our country's infrastructure. President-elect Trump's intended nomination of Elaine Chao is the right choice for Colorado and it's the right choice for this country. I look forward to working with Secretary Chao on behalf of the American people.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-approves-national-defense-authorization-act", "Senate Approves National Defense Authorization Act", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today, the U.S. Senate approved the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (NDAA), which provides funding for the Department of Defense (DoD).The legislation included language Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) authored that allows for the DoD to purchase rockets from any certified launch provider between now and December 31, 2022 so long as the provider offers the best value to the DoD. Gardner's fiscally responsible amendment to the NDAA promotes competition, protects our national security, and paves the way for assured access to space, which is critical to the detection of missiles, transmitting secure communication, and gathering intelligence. It is estimated that the amendment could potentially save the DoD as much as $5 billion.\r\n\r\nIt's critical the DoD has the opportunity to purchase affordable, reliable launch vehicles that assure our continued access to space and strengthen our national security. My amendment requires the DoD to purchase the most affordable rockets from certified providers. I'm proud I was able to work with my colleagues to ensure this provision was included in the final NDAA package, said Gardner. The NDAA also bolsters the safety and security of Coloradans and Americans across the country by prohibiting funds from being used to transfer or assist in the transfer of detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United States. Guantanamo Bay is tailor-made for terrorists, and Coloradans and Americans across the country have rejected President Obama's proposal to transfer detainees to American soil. I look forward to working with the incoming Trump Administration to ensure this ill-conceived plan is abandoned once and for all.\r\n\r\nGardner added, Supporting our troops on and off the battlefield has always been one of my top priorities and I was proud to vote in favor of the NDAA because it provides our troops with a well-deserved pay raise and the necessary resources to combat the growing threats our nation faces at home and abroad. I urge the President to swiftly sign this legislation into law.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passed-bill-paves-way-for-commerce-city-development", "Senate-Passed Bill Paves Way for Commerce City Development", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC The United States Senate today approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, which included a provision introduced byRep. Ed Perlmutter(CO-07) and Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Michael Bennet (D-CO)- the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Amendment. The NDAA will now head to President Obama's desk for signature. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Amendment allows for an environmental assessment to evaluate the removal of deed restrictions, which currently prohibit thedevelopment of things like transportation infrastructure or retail and housing properties, on land that Commerce City purchased in 2004.Commerce City has been working with federal and state regulators to prove the property's safety, butCongressional action was necessary to remove the deed restrictions and fully allow for residential or industrial use of the property.\r\nTheland was formerly a U.S. Army chemical weapons manufacturing facility, but was cleanedup and much of the property was used to establish the Rocky Mountain Arsenal NationalWildlife Refuge.Gardner, along with Bennet,introducedthe Rocky Mountain Arsenal Amendment to change current law to allow restrictions on the deed to be removed or modified if a risk assessment conducted under federal environmental law proves that the property is safefor these new uses. Perlmutterauthored similar languagein the House of Representatives.In July, Perlmutter, Gardner, and Bennet sent aletterto Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee respectively, and Congressmen Mac Thornberry (TX-13) and Adam Smith (WA-9), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee respectively, urging them to include the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Amendment in the final conference report of the NDAA.\r\nThe National Defense Authorization Act's inclusion of the Rocky MountainArsenalis central to Commerce City's potential development of the land it purchased nearly a decade ago,said Gardner.If the land is deemed safe for development, Commerce City has the opportunity to attract new businesses and jobs, boosting its local economy. This is the result of a strong bipartisan effort, and I look forward to President Obama signing the NDAA into law.\r\nFollowing an environmental review, this amendment allows Commerce City greater flexibility to move forward and continue growing its local economy,said Perlmutter.I appreciate the bipartisan effort with Senators Bennet and Gardner to secure passage of this important amendment for the future of Commerce City.\r\n\"This language will finally allow Commerce City to move forward with its development plans following an environmental review,Bennet said.These reforms will help boost economic development and create jobs in the community.\"\r\nAllowing residential development on the Victory Crossing property aligns with the city's vision to create a one-of-a-kind space for the community to gather as well as make a home,said Mayor Sean Ford.The world-class soccer stadium, the new Central Park rail station and the new RTD bus line are just a few examples of how this area continues to grow and we want Commerce City residents to enjoy those amenities too. For the past few years, the city has been working with federal agencies and partners to remove these land restrictions and we look forward to our continued partnerships to develop this area. Multi-family housing with further strengthen Victory Crossing, providing a sense of place and contributing to a vibrant community.  \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/coffman-disappointed-in-f-35-basing-decision", "Coffman Disappointed in F-35 Basing Decision", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO) today expressed his extreme disappointment regarding the Air Force\u2019s announcement that Buckley Air Force Base (AFB) did not\u00a0make the list\u00a0to get the F-35 aircraft in the latest competitive\u00a0round. \u00a0\nThe F-35 is the Air Force\u2019s replacement for the F-16, which the Colorado Air National Guard currently flies out of Buckley. The F-16s are aging and under current plans, the Air Force will retire them by 2030. Without the basing of the new\u00a0F-35 aircraft to replace the F-16's, Buckley will probably no longer be able to maintain an active runway.\n\u201cWhile I am extremely disappointed by the Air Force\u2019s announcement today, this is not the end of the road,\u201d said Coffman. \u201cI will continue to work hard\u00a0for the long-term viability of Buckley and to highlight the advantages the 140th Wing of the Colorado Air National Guard brings\u00a0as a future home for the F-35.\u00a0 There will be additional rounds where Buckley will have an opportunity to\u00a0compete for the basing of the F-35.\"\nCoffman has\u00a0increased funding for the Department of Defense\u2019s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI). \u00a0REPI provides funds to acquire additional open space surrounding a base to\u00a0stop\u00a0encroachment. Encroachment is a significant concern for Buckley and the Air Force\u00a0as the City of Aurora\u00a0continues to grow. The F-35 has a larger noise signature than the F-16 so a larger buffer area is essential to give the Air Force the confidence of ongoing community support for F-35.\nBuckley expects to successfully compete for some of these additional Air Force funds to complete the\u00a0acquisition of its\u00a0planned\u00a01,000-acre open space\u00a0buffer zone along with matching contributions from the State of Colorado, Arapahoe County, and the City of Aurora.\nIn June 2016, Coffman led a bipartisan, bicameral letter sent to the Secretary of the Air Force to demonstrate the strong support from the State of Colorado for the basing the F-35 at Buckley.\u00a0 Signed by the entire Colorado Congressional delegation and Governor John Hickenlooper (D-CO), the letter calls out Buckley as an ideal basing option for the F-35 for a number of reasons. These include factors such as varying terrain for training exercises, strategic partnerships overseas, community support, and millions of dollars in renovations made to Buckley over the past 15 years.\n\u201cI look forward to continuing my strategic partnerships with state and local\u00a0leaders to best position Buckley for future missions,\u201d Coffman continued. \u201cI am absolutely confident that we can all work together to ensure Buckley is a strong contender when future F-35 basing decisions are made.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/coffman-statement-on-trumps-daca-comments", "Coffman Statement on Trump's DACA Comments", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (CO-06) released the following statement regarding President-elect Donald Trump's comments on those individuals currently eligible under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:\n\"I'm glad that President-elect Trump acknowledges that we need to preserve the principle of DACA for the young people who were taken here by their relatives, who grew up here, went to school here, and often know of no other country.\u00a0\u00a0They ought to be able to remain in this country, work or go to school, and live without the fear of deportation.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/tipton-supports-package-bipartisan-legislation-support-small-business-grow-economy", "Tipton Supports Package of Bipartisan Legislation to Support Small Business, Grow the Economy", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03) voted to pass bipartisan legislation that would improve access to capital for small business owners, ensure federal policies support entrepreneurs, and drive overall economic growth. The legislative package, the Creating Financial Prosperity for Businesses and Investors Act (H.R. 6427), is made up of six bills that each passed the full House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support as standalone bills.\n\u201cThe federal government should be in the business of empowering and encouraging our small business owners to expand, create jobs, and make important investments in their communities. Too often, federal regulations get in the way of these goals,\u201d said Tipton. \u201cAll of the bills in this legislative package will go a long way towards allowing our small businesses do what they do best: create jobs and generate economic growth.\u201d\nIncluded in H.R. 6427 are the SEC Small Business Advocate Act (H.R. 3784) and the Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act (H.R. 4168). The SEC Small Business Advocate Act establishes the Office for Small Business Capital Formation within the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), while the Small Business Capital Act requires the SEC to review recommendations generated at an annual small business forum of government and business experts. Both of these bills offer small businesses a larger voice in the discussion of federal regulation, ensuring that the government does not create hurdles impeding access to capital. Also included in H.R. 6427 are the following bills:\n Supporting America\u2019s Innovators Act (H.R. 4854)\n\tFix Crowdfunding Act (H.R. 4855)\n\tFair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act (H.R. 2187)\n\tU.S. Territories Investor Protection Act (H.R. 5322)\n The entire legislative package must now be considered by the Senate.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1876", "Pearl Harbor 2016 Statement", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Pearl Harbor 2016 Statement \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 7, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congressman Doug Lamborn has issued the following statement marking the 75th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor:\r\nSeventy-five years ago, a vicious sneak attack killed over 2,000 Americans and thrust our country into the midst of a deadly World War. Those heroes and the many millions who gave their lives defending liberty and the free world must never be forgotten. It is encouraging to know that their sacrifices were not in vain. For over seven decades, the United States and Japan have been allies, facing the challenges of the world together. Please join me in sending your thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of those who paid the ultimate price to protect our freedom, and let us pray that the hard-won peace endures forever.\r\n- Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=396D5728-BDDC-D7B9-461B-F6FB96572087", "Bennet Statement on 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today released the following statement on the 75th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor:\r\n\"Today, we honor those who sacrificed their lives 75 years ago in one of the most horrific attacks on U.S. soil,\" Bennet said. \"We owe a debt gratitude to those who perished on that day and to the monumental sacrifice of the Greatest Generation, whose service helped preserve freedom for Americans here at home and for millions around the globe. Their bravery inspires us to this day and it is in their honor that we commit to caring for all generations of servicemembers and veterans. We are grateful for the courageous Coloradoans who have served to keep us safe.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=A8ED495C-769D-E68C-4159-ED41763FE5F5", "Bennet, Senate Pass 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes several measures written by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate's health and education committee. The bill received bipartisan support from 94 senators.\r\nThe bill, now on its way to the President's desk to become law, is a step forward in advancing medical research and innovating drug approval so that patients have access to life-saving treatments. Bennet worked with several of his Republican colleagues on the committee to draft a number of provisions that would build on his past work to reform and modernize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They include strengthening research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and addressing the mental health crisis.\r\nThe bill includes more than $4.8 billion for the NIH and $500 million for the FDA. Bennet fought to ensure that the final bill included the funding necessary to implement key provisions. It also included $1 billion for states to combat the opioid abuse epidemic through prevention and treatment efforts.\r\n\"Researchers and life science companies in Colorado and around the country are developing new cures and treatments that can save and lengthen lives.\" Bennet said. \"The 21st Century Cures Act, developed by both the House and the Senate, will support the research that makes those breakthroughs possible and help us save even more lives.\"\r\nThe 21st Century Cures Act includes the following Bennet provisions: \r\n \r\nThe Promise for Antibiotics and Therapeutics for Health (PATH) Act, introduced with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), would permit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve an antibacterial drug for a limited patient population upon determining that the drug treats a serious or life-threatening condition and addresses an unmet need. In addition, the bill includes several provisions to guide appropriate use of antibiotics approved under this pathway, such as labeling and promotional material requirements. \"Superbugs\"-or bacteria that are substantially resistant or unresponsive to existing and available antibiotics-are an increasingly urgent public health threat, both at home and abroad. While antibiotic-resistant bacteria kills thousands of Americans each year, less than ten new antibiotics have made it to market since 2000. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are also a significant concern to our troops, affecting more than a third of returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, according to the Department of Defense.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe Medical Electronic Data Technology Enhancement for Consumers' Health (MEDTECH) Act, introduced with Senator Hatch, takes a risk-based approach and builds upon a Food and Drug Administration Safety Innovation Act Workgroup report released earlier this year. The report was commissioned by Bennet and Hatch through an amendment to the 2012 FDA reform law. Specifically, it would clarify the FDA's role regarding regulation of administrative and financial software, wellness and lifestyle products, certain aspects of electronic health records, and software that aids health care providers in developing treatment recommendations for their patients. As the rate of innovation rapidly increases in the medical technology industry, this bill provides greater clarity to ensure that businesses understand the rules of the road so that safe and effective products reach consumers as soon as possible.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe Advancing Breakthrough Devices for Patients Act builds on the successful \"Breakthrough Therapies\" pathway the Senate passed in 2012 from Senators Bennet, Hatch, and Burr. Both the 2012 legislation and the newly introduced bill share similar principles, such as an \"all hands-on-deck\" approach to devices targeted at serious or life-threatening conditions. It also complements and enhances the existing tools, such as priority review, currently in place for devices, with the goal of expediting the development and review of breakthrough products.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act, championed by Senator Bennet, reauthorizes a grant program for campuses and allows funding to be used for outreach and treatment of students with mental health needs. It also directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to create a public health awareness campaign around mental health and to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness for students. It would also establish an interagency working group on college mental health to discuss mental and behavioral health concerns and promote federal agency collaboration, which would support innovations in mental health services for students on college and university campuses.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe Mental Health First Aid Act was led by Senator Bennet and Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). This provision would require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to award grants to initiate and sustain mental health first aid training programs. These programs provide training on assisting individuals in mental health crisis to connect with appropriate behavioral health services and resources. Those who can be trained under the program include first responders, law enforcement personnel, teachers, school administrators, human resources professionals, nurses and other primary care personnel, students enrolled in school, parents of students, and veterans and veteran stakeholders.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-announces-30-million-grant-for-denvers-sun-valley-neighborhood", "Gardner Announces $30 Million Grant for Denvers Sun Valley Neighborhood", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) today announced the Denver Housing Authority will receive a $30 million Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant to build 750 mixed-income housing units, and increase business opportunities and access to jobs and education in Denver's Sun Valley neighborhood. The Sun Valley neighborhood is the lowest-income neighborhood in Denver where 83 percent of households live below the poverty line.\r\n\r\nGardner played an instrumental role in securing this grant for Denver. Gardner, in consultation with Mayor Hancock, advocated on behalf of the Denver Housing Authority and spoke with Secretary Julin Castro by phone to express his support for this project.\r\n\r\nI'm thrilled the Denver Housing Authority will receive $30 million to revitalize Denver's Sun Valley neighborhood, said Gardner. As the Department of Housing and Urban Development was considering this grant application, I spoke with Secretary Castro and explained how important this funding is to this Denver community. The local government and its key partners put together a major revitalization plan for this neighborhood and this grant will allow the plan to move forward. Whether it's the 750 new housing units or the increase in access to quality jobs and education, we will see tangible benefits for individuals and families in this community as a result of this grant. I was proud to support this project and I look forward to seeing the results.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-secures-disaster-relief-funding-for-us-34-project-", "Gardner Secures Disaster Relief Funding for U.S. 34 Project", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) today announced he secured funding to complete the U.S. 34 project as well as other repairs to infrastructure following the 2013 floods in the continuing resolution. Gardner joined members of the Colorado delegation in writing a letter to Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran and Vice Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski as well as House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers and Ranking Member Nita Lowey urging adequate funding for the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Emergency Relief account, which is facing a significant shortfall, to address disaster relief and mitigation projects in Colorado.\r\n\r\nI welcome the inclusion of much-needed disaster relief funding for Colorado road projects in the continuing resolution. Without it, the Colorado Department of Transportation predicted that it could take up to 20 years to receive the funding necessary to permanently repair our infrastructure damaged from the 2013 floods, said Gardner. The significant boost in emergency relief funding is central to the completion of the U.S. 34 project and other critical repairs to Colorado's roadways. It eliminates the threat of significant delays due to funding shortfalls, and I'm proud the spending bill will pave the way for progress on the remaining projects. \r\n\r\nAccording to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the state has a backlog of more than $250 million across the state for infrastructure projects in the aftermath of the 2013 floods. The Appropriations measure that the Senate is expected to take up later this week includes more than $1 billion for the Emergency Relief account at FHWA and will allow the state to move these projects forward.\r\n\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-approves-gardner-language-to-preserve-medicare-funding-for-craig-hospital-increase-access-to-life-saving-medical-devices", "Senate Approves Gardner Language to Preserve Medicare Funding for Craig Hospital, Increase Access to Life-Saving Medical Devices", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC The U.S. Senate today approved the 21st Century Cures Act, bipartisan, comprehensive legislation aimed at fast-tracking the development of new medicine and treatments, tackling opioid addiction, and improving mental health programs. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) authored language that was included in the 21st Century Cures Act to preserve Medicare funding for Craig Hospital as well as a provision that enhances access to life-saving medical devices for patients with rare diseases.\r\n\r\nPrior to the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, Craig Hospital was at risk of losing its Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH) designation due to new LTCH Medicare payment system rules that fail to capture the severity of patients' needs at Craig Hospital. Gardner recently visited Craig Hospital in September to meet with hospital leadership to discuss the hospital's challenges in light of the new LTCH payment rules, and has worked hard to ensure that Craig Hospital maintains its LTCH designation so that the Medicare patients it serves can continue to receive treatment. Gardner successfully secured language in the 21st Century Cures Act that temporarily preserves Craig Hospital's LTCH designation and requires language be submitted by 2018 demonstrating the need for Craig Hospital to remain a LTCH.\r\n\r\nMedicare patients at Craig Hospital were at risk of losing access to care under new payment system rules, said Gardner. I'm proud I was able to secure language in the 21st Century Cures Act that will enable Craig Hospital to continue providing treatment to Medicare patients, and I'll continue to work with Craig Hospital and other health care facilities throughout Colorado to address their challenges to improving health care delivery.\r\n\r\nThe 21st Century Cures Act also included the Rare Disease Innovation Act, a bill Gardner authored that streamlines and expedites the Federal Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of medical devices used to treat patients with rare diseases, including ALS, cerebral palsy, Hodgkin's lymphoma, mesothelioma, and tuberculosis. Currently, FDA has a simplified approval process for medical devices intended to treat or diagnose rare diseases that are present in 4,000 patients or fewer in the U.S. annually. Gardner's language increases the threshold from 4,000 to 8,000 patient cases for medical devices that qualify for expedited approval, creating an incentive for manufacturers to develop medical devices for rare conditions that meet the new criteria.\r\n\r\nStreamlining the FDA's approval process, particularly for medical devices used to treat rare conditions, is essential to enhancing the quality of care and improving the quality of life for those suffering from rare conditions. The 21st Century Cures Act recognizes that there needs to be more attention placed on developing devices for rare diseases, and therefore incentivizes innovation where it may not have otherwise occurred, said Gardner.\r\n\r\nThe 21st Century Cures Act is designed to reduce regulatory hurdles and spur the development of treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and cures for cancer by supporting the National Institute for Health's (NIH) efforts to map one million genomes. This legislation includes funding for the Cancer Moonshot effort to speed research as well as the Precision Medicine Initiative. Furthermore, this legislation addresses the country's mental health crisis by enhancing coordination between federal agencies and departments that treat mental illness, ensuring federal dollars are more effectively spent, encouraging new approaches to care, and improving access to mental health care for veterans, women, and children.\r\n\r\nGardner added, The 21st Century Cures Act is an acknowledgment that federal policy related to improving the quality of health care in our country must be updated to keep pace with science and innovation. The bill breaks down barriers to research and development, encouraging medicine's brightest minds to move forward with breakthrough discoveries and cures. The 21st Century Cures Act is the product of an overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral effort, and evidence of the progress Congress can make when we work together to move this country forward.\r\n\r\nThe 21st Century Cures Act previously overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives, and President Obama recently urged its passage.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/coffman-to-potus-dont-pardon-bergdahl", "Coffman to POTUS: Don't Pardon Bergdahl", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (CO-06) today penned a letter\u00a0to President Obama expressing his strongest opposition to a preemptive pardon of U.S. Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl.\nIn 2009, Bergdahl abandoned his post while serving in Afghanistan.\u00a0 Bergdahl was then captured by the Taliban and held captive for five years until 2014\u00a0when the Obama Administration released five Guantanamo Bay Islamic terrorist detainees in exchange for Bergdahl\u2019s release.\nLate last week, Bergdahl, facing a court-martial for desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, asked President Obama to preemptively pardon him.\n\u201cI am deeply concerned about the precedent such a pardon would set for our Armed Forces,\u201d wrote Coffman, a Marine Corps combat veteran, in his letter to President Obama. \u201cBowe Bergdahl\u2019s decision to abandon his post in a combat zone during the height of the Afghan insurgency was a clear violation of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice\u2026His actions must be judged by the pending court-martial.\u201d\nCoffman is also concerned about a preemptive pardon for Bergdahl because of the high costs the U.S. Military apparently incurred seeking to rescue him when he first went missing.\n\u201cBergdahl\u2019s decision to abandon his post was not a \u2018harmless\u2019 act that simply led to his capture by the Taliban. It\u00a0led to a major military search operation in one of the most dangerous regions of Afghanistan that I think endangered the lives of other U.S. service members and may have led to some becoming casualties,\u201d Coffman continued. \u201cA preemptive pardon for Bergdahl will, I am convinced, seriously undermine the military court-martial process and send the wrong message to the hundreds of thousands of men and women in uniform who have served honorably in combat.\u201d\nBergdahl\u2019s court-martial is currently scheduled to commence in February of 2017.\nA Marine Corps combat veteran, Coffman serves on the House Armed Services Committee and House Veteran\u2019s Affairs Committee, where he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/opening-statement-of-rep-diana-degette-ranking-member-of-subcommittee-on", "Opening Statement of Rep. Diana DeGette, Ranking Member of Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thank you, Mr. Chairman.\u00a0\nThis is the last EPA hearing this Committee will hold with the Obama Administration.\nThe EPA has not always received the support it deserves from Congress.\u00a0Even as the Agency has worked to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment, it has faced criticism and attack.\nDespite sometimes unfair opposition, EPA has commendably responded to unprecedented environmental challenges facing the country and the planet.\u00a0I would like to highlight some of the agency\u2019s accomplishments.\u00a0Under the Obama Administration:\n The EPA has helped bring more than 190 countries together to adopt the Paris Agreement, now considered the most ambitious climate change agreement in history;\n\tThe EPA has set new standards to reduce mercury and other pollutants from industrial air pollution, including boilers, cement plants, and large waste incinerators;\n\tThe EPA has enacted the first-ever fuel economy standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks and put in place new fuel standards for passenger vehicles by the year 2025;\n\tAnd, the EPA has developed the Clean Power Plan, which will play a major role in reducing carbon pollution and enhancing air quality.\n I would like to thank both of our witnesses for your agency\u2019s work.\nI would also like to commend both of you for your work on the Volkswagen settlement agreement, which we are here to discuss today.\u00a0I am supportive of efforts to scrutinize this agreement and ensure that VW is held accountable, and I want to ensure that is the purpose of today\u2019s hearing.\u00a0\nWe are here because of VW\u2019s decision to cheat.\u00a0For years, VW put tens of thousands of cars on the road that emitted nearly 40 times the NOx levels allowed by law.\u00a0VW\u2019s decision hurt not only its own customers, who thought they were buying clean cars, but all Americans now faced with dirtier air.\u00a0\nThe California Air Resources Board, the EPA, and the Department of Justice quickly brought action against VW.\u00a0Their aim was to both make VW\u2019s customers whole and to mitigate the effect that these cars are having on the environment.\nThe Obama Administration recently reached a partial settlement with VW to accomplish a mitigation strategy.\u00a0The settlement, which addresses only 2.0-liter diesel vehicles, requires that VW spend nearly $15 billion to settle allegations of cheating emission tests and deceiving customers.\u00a0It also orders VW to remove from commerce in the United States or perform an approved emissions modification on the vast majority of the affected vehicles.\u00a0Finally, it requires VW to designate a $2.7 billion mitigation trust fund to pay for NOx reduction projects and invest $2 billion in charging infrastructure for zero emission vehicles.\nI applaud EPA for its work.\u00a0They have taken meaningful steps to make consumers whole and reverse the harm that was caused to the environment.\nAs I said, I support efforts to investigate this settlement.\u00a0But I believe we cannot fully understand the issues if VW is not represented here.\u00a0They were the perpetrators of the fraud that necessitated this action in the first place.\u00a0We need to hear how they will be following through on their new commitments to do right by their customers and the American people.\u00a0I would encourage the Committee to hold a future hearing with VW at the table, possibly joined by some other companies and individuals affected by this settlement.\u00a0\nI want to conclude with a message about the next Congress.\u00a0As we are all aware, the President-elect has not been supportive of the EPA\u2019s mission.\u00a0 He has promised to abolish the agency and to back out of global treaties to reduce greenhouse gases.\u00a0 He has declared climate change a hoax.\u00a0\nThese statements should give us pause.\u00a0There is undeniable proof of climate change.\u00a0Our planet is getting hotter.\u00a0Natural disasters are more frequent and more severe.\u00a0Sea ice is at record lows.\u00a0We need a strong EPA to address these challenges and to work with our international partners to ensure the whole world takes these problems seriously.\u00a0\nSo as this year winds down and we look toward the 115th Congress, it is incredibly important that this Committee support the EPA in its critical role. This Committee has the tradition of working in a bipartisan way to work in the public interest.\u00a0 This should include addressing environmental challenges before it\u2019s too late.\u00a0I hope we can work together to accomplish this mission.\nI thank our witnesses for being here today and for your agency\u2019s work.\u00a0 I applaud your work on this settlement to ensure consumers and the environment are protected.\u00a0And more broadly, I thank the Obama Administration as a whole for its work in prioritize environmental issues and make the world safer and healthier for future generations.\nThank you.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/house-sends-president-bill-prevent-catastrophic-federal-prescribed-burns", "House Sends President Bill to Prevent Catastrophic Federal Prescribed Burns", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The U.S. House of Representatives \u00a0passed the Prescribed Burn Approval Act of 2016 (S. 3395), a bill that requires the federal government to coordinate with state and local fire officials prior to initiating a prescribed burn. The bill passed the U.S. Senate on Nov. 17, 2016, and it will now be sent to the president\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\nCongressman Scott Tipton (CO-03), a supporter of the bill, said, \u201cI\u2019ve long advocated for more coordination between the federal government and state and local fire officials when it comes to scheduling prescribed burns. No one is going to have a better grasp of the conditions on the ground than the men and women who travel the land every day. More coordination between federal and local officials will help prevent prescribed burns from growing out of control.\u201d\nS. 3395 prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from authorizing a prescribed burn on Forest Service land if the national fire rating system classifies the county land that is adjacent to the proposed burn site at the extreme fire danger level.\nThe bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture to submit an annual report to Congress describing the number and locations of prescribed burns that are conducted by any federal agency.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1875", "Pentagon Bureaucracy", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Pentagon Bureaucracy  \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 6, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congressman Doug Lamborn has issued the following statement on the Washington Post's recent story on the findings of the Defense Business Board regarding the bureaucracy in the Pentagon:I am disappointed by reports today that Obama's Pentagon leadership team deliberately suppressed a report of potential savings of over $100 billion by streamlining bureaucracy, merely because they disagreed with it. Still, we must also remember that, even if every efficiency proposed could be achieved overnight, we still would not have enough resources to begin to rebuild our military. I look forward to working with Secretary of Defense-designee Mattis and President-elect Trump to look at new ways to reform the Pentagon, as well as to finally have a budget that funds our national strategy. - Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-meets-with-wilbur-ross-intended-commerce-secretary-nominee", "Gardner Meets with Wilbur Ross, Intended Commerce Secretary Nominee", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today met with Wilbur Ross, President-elect Trump's intended nominee for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce.\r\n\r\n\r\nI had a productive meeting with Mr. Ross today and discussed how best to provide all Americans with the opportunity to succeed. We spoke about how important strong trade relationships and rural economic development are to communities in Colorado and across the country, and I hope we can work together to advance policies that bring relief to rural America, said Gardner. Mr. Ross understands how to grow our economy and workforce, and I look forward to having the opportunity to support him as he leads America's economic resurgence.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://perlmutter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1528", "Perlmutter, 105 Members of Congress Urge Obama to Protect Immigrants Private Data", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Ed Perlmutter", "P000593", "perlmutter.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) joined 105 of his colleagues to send a letter to President Obama requesting that he take action to protect the names and private information of those who enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) programs. The letter specifically suggests an Executive Order that would prohibit the use of DACA enrollees' information for purposes other than originally intended, including for purposes of deportation.\nAccording to the Migration Policy Institute, there are 33,000 DACA-eligible individuals in Colorado in 2016, with more than 19,000 application accepted by USCIS as of June 2016.\nThe letter reads, Since the implementation of DACA, we have been able to see firsthand the profound effect that the program has had on the lives of the children and young adults it protects.\nAs a condition of receiving the guarantees of DACA, these children and young adults submitted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) numerous sources of information to verify identity, including fingerprints and other biometric data. They also underwent background checks and provided their home addresses, where family members may also reside, the letter continued. In asking these undocumented youth for extensive personally identifying information, the Administration effectively asked them to place their trust in the government. Now many of those same Dreamers are wondering whether their trust was misplaced, fearing for their future in the United States, and questioning whether they can or should seek protection under DACA.\nThe letter was endorsed by National Immigration Law Center (NILC), the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), and Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC).\nThe full letter can be found here and is pasted below: \nDear President Obama:\nWe write to express our concerns about the potential misuse of the personal information of enrollees in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. We urge you to consider taking executive action to prevent DACA enrollees' personal information from being used for purposes other than originally intended, including for the purposes of removal.\nWhen your Administration first introduced the DACA program in 2012, it gave hope to many children of immigrantscommonly referred to as Dreamerswho were brought to this country at very young ages. Since the implementation of DACA, we have been able to see firsthand the profound effect that the program has had on the lives of the children and young adults it protects. Over 740,000 young Dreamers have been issued Social Security numbers and work permits, and many have used the benefits provided under DACA to seek job opportunities openly for the very first time. The DACA program allowed these individuals to enjoy many of the essential benefits, privileges, and responsibilities of American society that they had been denied for so long. Dreamers granted deferred action under DACA were freed from the constant fear of deportation to countries that many of them do not even know and do not call home; they responded by enriching their communities and becoming civically engaged in American life.\nAs a condition of receiving the guarantees of DACA, these children and young adults submitted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) numerous sources of information to verify identity, including fingerprints and other biometric data. They also underwent background checks and provided their home addresses, where family members may also reside. Other sensitive information, such as documentation of an arrest or charge of a misdemeanor in the United States or any other country, was also requested of applicants for DACA. In asking these undocumented youth for extensive personally identifying information, the Administration effectively asked them to place their trust in the government. Now many of those same Dreamers are wondering whether their trust was misplaced, fearing for their future in the United States, and questioning whether they can or should seek protection under DACA.\nCountless community advocates, organizers, and public servants have promoted the DACA program to Dreamers on the premise that the information they supply to DHS would not be used to deport them in the future. We cannot stand by and allow the Trump Administration to exploit the trust these young Americans placed in us and the government.\nWe believe that when government makes promises it should keep them. We urge you to do everything within your power to safeguard the personal identifying information of DACA enrollees, including issuing an Executive Order prohibiting the use of DACA enrollee information for purposes other than originally intended. While this program is a significant part of the Administration's legacy, it is more importantly a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of young Dreamers looking to lead productive and peaceful lives as members of American society.\nSincerely,\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-colleagues-request-president-obama-stop-issuing-new-regulations", "Gardner, Colleagues Request President Obama Stop Issuing New Regulations", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) led 22 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama requesting his Administration stop issuing non-emergency rules and regulations in the final weeks of his term. Gardner and his colleagues stressed to the President that the American people made it clear on November 8th that they expect regulatory relief.\r\n\r\nThe letter reads in full:\r\n\r\nDear Mr. President:\r\n\r\nWe write to request your Administration cease issuing new, non-emergency rules and regulations given the recent election results of November 8. In a clear and direct repudiation of consistent regulatory overreach by federal agencies, the American people have, for the first time since 2007, handed control of both the executive and legislative branches of government to the same majority. It is our job now to determine the right balance between regulation and free market principles and make sure that our federal government no longer stands between Americans and financial success.\r\n\r\nWhether it is the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule unfairly burdening our farmers and ranchers, the anti-coal rules eliminating thousands of jobs and driving up household energy costs, or the Dodd-Frank rules denying our small businesses access to capital, federal agencies continue to produce reams of new regulations that hurt our job creators and cripple our economy. But this flawed approach to governance has been rejected by the people.\r\n\r\nToday, we have the opportunity to return to commonsense principles of regulation and curb unnecessary government interference in the private sector. In doing so, we will grow the economy, create jobs, and, above all, help the people who have been overlooked the past eight years. To this end, we respectfully request you honor the will of the American people and refrain from working on or issuing any new, non-emergency regulations while carrying out your remaining term in office.\r\n\r\nThe letter was also signed by Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Barrasso, M.D. (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), James M. Inhofe (R-OK), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Thune (R-SD), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Michael B. Enzi (R-WY), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Ted Cruz (R-TX), David Perdue (R-GA), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK).\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-congratulates-uss-colorado-captain-and-crew-on-ships-christening", "Gardner Congratulates USS Colorado Captain and Crew on Ships Christening", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) sent a letter to Commander Franklin and the Crew of the USS Colorado to congratulate them on the christening of the new submarine. The christening took place at the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. This new submarine is the fourth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name USS Colorado, and the first since 1947. Now that the ship is christened, it will undergo sea trial testing before it is put into service in defense of our nation.\r\n\r\nThe letter reads in full:\r\n\r\nDear Commander Franklin and the Crew of the USS Colorado (SSN-788),\r\n\r\nI want to extend my sincerest congratulations on the christening of the USS Colorado. I am honored to represent the state of Colorado, and I speak for all Coloradans when I say that we are honored to have the newest Virginia-class submarine named after our great state.\r\n\r\nAs we celebrate this important milestone on the path to active duty for this warship, it is only fitting to look back on the storied service of ships bearing the name USS Colorado at various times throughout nearly 160 years of our nation's history. As the fourth ship to bear the name Colorado, SSN-778 has some big shoes to fill. From the first USS Colorado's role in the Gulf and Atlantic blockades during the Civil War, to the second USS Colorado's service escorting personnel and supply convoys to England during World War I, and most recently the third USS Colorado's seven battle stars earned during the Second World War, your predecessors have proudly protected our national interests at home and around the world.\r\n\r\nWhen this submarine enters active duty, it will be at a time when our nation faces a myriad of threats. Whether it be the provocative actions Iran takes towards our forces in the middle east, the efforts of our near-peer competitors China and Russia to develop advanced military technologies, or the continued efforts by the rogue regime in North Korea to acquire nuclear ballistic missiles, the global threat matrix is unlike anything the first three ships of your namesake faced. Despite the varied and complex nature of the threats you will face, I have no doubt the newest USS Colorado and its skilled crew will play a critical role in protecting the United States and our maritime interests from any threat we may face.\r\n\r\nI wish you good luck and Godspeed as you begin your sea trials, and look forward to the day the USS Colorado once again patrols the seas in active service to this great Nation. God bless this submarine and all who sail in her.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/21st-century-cures-a-bipartisan-battle-on-disease", "21st Century Cures a Bipartisan Battle on Disease", "2016-12-03", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "With passage in the House of Representatives of the 21st Century Cures Act that I co-authored with Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton, we\u2019re just two steps away from a major victory for U.S. research into causes and treatments for disease. The next few days will decide its fate as the U.S. Senate prepares to vote.\nMore than 700 groups representing patients, health care providers, researchers and others have voiced support for the bill \u2013 as has the White House, which provided its enthusiastic endorsement before and just after the House approved it by a vote of 392 to 26.\nAnd this very newspaper weighed in, too, noting that the measure is intended to make federal review of research more efficient.\nThis is a watershed moment in this country for biomedical research. With this bill, we bring hope to millions of patients who suffer from cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s, diabetes and a host of other ailments.\nUpton and I started working on this measure three years ago. We traveled the country together to gather information about much-needed reforms, and we had tremendous participation in the process from patients groups, medical professionals, academia, and federal and state health care authorities. The consensus view was especially important as we strove to strike a balance between clearing away the hurdles to progress and ensuring safety and efficacy of drugs and devices remain our paramount standard.\nAll of this led to our original bill, which passed the House in July 2015 by 344 to 77.\u00a0 We have worked tirelessly in a bipartisan, bicameral way since then to improve and expand the bill and to smooth the way toward passage through the Senate and on to the president\u2019s desk.\nThe result will help overcome obstacles to medical progress \u2014 from discovery to development to delivery \u2014 through investing in innovation, incorporating the patient perspective and modernizing clinical trials.\nAmong the key provisions, this consensus version of the bill will:\n Provide $4.8 billion to the National Institutes of Health, including money for Vice President Biden\u2019s cancer moonshot initiative, and including money for precision medicine and the brain initiative.\n\tAllocate almost $1 billion in grants to the states, including Colorado, to address the urgent opioid crisis in this country.\n\tRemove the silos at the Food and Drug Administration by transitioning it to a disease-centric approach, and it gives $500 million so the FDA can implement these reforms.\n\tInclude all important mental health legislation that we\u2019ve worked to shape and to pass into law for a long time.\n\tCatalyze cutting-edge research by supporting potentially transformative efforts.\n 21st Century Cures will help scientists in our region and throughout the United States work together on research projects. At the moment, each school has to follow its own set of protocols for clinical and field studies, even when the schools collaborate. This cumbersome process can be streamlined so that schools such as the University of Colorado School of Medicine and other research institutions can collaborate without following separate approval tracks for their research models.\nAll of this, done in close consultation with the agencies that are responsible for the safety of medical research in this country, will bring hope to millions of Americans.\nAt a time of heightened acrimony in Washington, and in the wake of one of the most rancorous elections we\u2019ve ever had, it\u2019s wonderful that we can come together to find cures that affect so many patients and their loved ones.\nDisease doesn\u2019t discriminate according to political party. It knows nothing of claims and counter-claims. It responds only to carefully developed treatments and cures.\nDiana DeGette represents Colorado\u2019s First Congressional District to Washington D.C., where she is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/coffman-s-fairness-for-veterans-proposal-included-in-ndaa", "Coffmans Fairness for Veterans Proposal Included in NDAA", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (CO-06) today applauded the passage of the\u00a0FY17 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contained a number of provisions proposed by Coffman.\nIn particular, Coffman\u2019s\u00a0Fairness for Veterans\u00a0Act\u00a0was added to the final version of NDAA.\u00a0H.R. 4683,\u00a0the Fairness for Veterans Act,\u00a0is\u00a0a measure Coffman introduced in March\u00a0as part of his set of initiatives to provide veterans with better access to mental health services.\n\u201cAs a retired Marine and a combat veteran myself, I know how stressful combat deployments are and the impact they can often have years after returning to civilian life,\" Coffman said. \"Many of\u00a0our soldiers\u00a0develop PTSD while deployed in a combat zone and then get kicked out of the military for minor behavioral problems directly linked to their combat-related PTSD.\u00a0Today\u2019s vote on NDAA is a critical step\u00a0in\u00a0ensuring that we take care of those who have served our nation and now need our nation to help them.\"\nCoffman developed the\u00a0Fairness for Veterans Act\u00a0to address a very disturbing trend.\u00a0Since 2009, more than 20,000\u00a0service members with medical histories indicating they may have PTSD have been improperly discharged from the U.S. Army with other- than-honorable discharges, oftentimes for minor misconduct.\nIn 2009, at the height of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Army had about 555,000 soldiers. Since then, the Army has been cut back to an active duty force of 485,000. From these figures, it appears that the Army has used these minor misconduct violations an excuse to quickly discard these combat veterans get its active duty numbers down. This is particularly troublesome because veterans\u00a0with\u00a0other-than-honorable discharges are often ineligible for a broad range of healthcare and\u00a0other\u00a0benefits\u00a0from the Department of Veteran\u2019s Affairs, including critical mental healthcare services. \u00a0\nCoffman and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), in a bipartisan, bicameral effort supported by more than 40 Veterans Service Organizations, worked side-by-side to include\u00a0Fairness for Veterans\u00a0language in FY17 NDAA,\u00a0which\u00a0creates\u00a0a presumption in favor of\u00a0a\u00a0combat veteran\u00a0with a diagnosis of PTSD\u00a0during the post-discharge appeals process.\n\u201cOur nation\u2019s heroes who honorably served our country should not lose access to the benefits they\u2019ve earned because they are suffering the invisible wounds of war,\u201d said Senator Peters, a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. \u201cI am pleased the House approved the Fairness for Veterans amendment with widespread bipartisan support, and I will be working to ensure swift passage in the Senate so veterans are given the fairness they deserve when petitioning for an upgraded discharge status.\n\u201cWe are heartened to learn that the \u2018Fairness for Veterans\u2019 provision has been included in the conferenced version of the NDAA,\u201d\u00a0said John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America.\u00a0\u201cThis is one small step towards the much-needed reforms of the Department of Defense\u2019s Discharge Review Boards. VVA is especially thankful to Congressman Mike Coffman for his support of this common-sense legislation which will go a long way in protecting our country\u2019s most vulnerable veterans. For that, we are exceedingly grateful.\u201d\nIn addition to\u00a0Fairness for Veterans, Coffman\u2019s successful NDAA initiatives include:\n Increasing Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) funding\u00a0by nearly $15 million so military\u00a0bases\u00a0can prevent encroachment. As property around a base is developed, it can limit or restrict military training, testing, and operations. Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado\u2019s 6th Congressional District is currently competing for REPI funds to expand the buffer areas surrounding it. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\tReforms\u00a0that\u00a0streamline\u00a0and simplify the current processes used in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Small Business Administration (SBA) to certify\u00a0veteran-owned small businesses (VOSB) and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB). The current processes vary between the VA and SBA and this reform reforms, streamlines, and simplifies the current process VA and SBA use to certify these businesses as eligible.\n A Marine Corps combat veteran, Coffman serves on the House Armed Services Committee and House Veteran\u2019s Affairs Committee, where he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congress-nears-a-breakthrough-on-medical-research-funding", "Congress Nears a Breakthrough on Medical Research Funding", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In the coming days, the Republican-controlled Congress is likely to approve legislation that will invest more than $6 billion in public health and medical research over the next decade. It will expedite basic research into new medical devices and disease-curing drugs. It will reform mental health treatment and fund research into brain injuries and Alzheimer\u2019s. The bill authorizes $1 billion to combat the opioid epidemic and $1.8 billion for Vice President Joe Biden\u2019s\u00a0\u201cmoonshot\u201d project to cure cancer.\nThose highlights are cited with equal enthusiasm by the coalition of Republicans and Democrats who wrote the\u00a021st Century Cures Act\u00a0and by administration officials hoping it will be perhaps the final significant piece of legislation that President Obama signs.\nBut to Senator Elizabeth Warren, the bill is an enormous giveaway to pharmaceutical companies, a danger to the public, and a legislative license for corporate \u201cfraud,\u201d \u201cbribery,\u201d and \u201cextortion.\u201d\n\u201cI know the difference between compromise and extortion,\u201d the Massachusetts Democrat\u00a0declared in a fiery speech on the Senate floor Tuesday. \u201cCompromise is putting together common-sense health proposals supported by Democrats, by Republicans, and by most of the American people, and passing them into law. Extortion is holding those exact same proposals hostage unless everyone agrees to special favors for campaign donors and giveaways to the richest drug companies in the world.\u201d\nWarren delivered her broadside in a last-minute bid to stop legislation that had been barreling toward passage in the waning days of the 114th Congress. The House initially approved the bill last year, and after negotiations produced a compromise with the Senate, the lower chamber overwhelmingly passed a new version late Wednesday afternoon, 392-26. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed to send the measure to Obama before Congress recesses next week\u2014if Warren and her allies don\u2019t block it first. A day after her floor speech, Warren sent an urgent fundraising plea headlined \u201cHijacked\u201d to her sizable donor base. Senator Bernie Sanders quickly joined her effort, issuing a statement of opposition to the bill on the same grounds.\nIn many respects, the Cures Act represents precisely the kind of diligent, bipartisan legislating to which members of both parties have longed to return. Aimed at a clear public need\u2014improving medical research\u2014it is the product of three years of work by Representative Fred Upton of Michigan, the Republican chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado, a liberal Democrat on the committee.\nWith the encouragement of the research community and the pharmaceutical industry, both sought legislation that would make it easier to find life-saving cures by cutting barriers that hold up clinical trials and the approval of new drugs and devices those studies can lead to. Republicans prioritized an overhaul of regulations that, they argued, stifled biomedical innovation, while Democrats wanted both a boost in funding and structural reforms for basic research at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.\n\u201cThose changes will last for decades after the money is spent,\u201d DeGette said in an interview. \u201cIt\u2019s really not just bringing devices and drugs to market more quickly, but it\u2019s also being able to expedite the basic research behind the way we\u2019re developing these devices.\u201d\nThe bill\u00a0passed by a wide margin\u00a0in July 2015, drawing even more support from Democrats than Republicans. Just seven Democrats voted against it, while 70 Republicans\u2014mostly conservatives\u2014were opposed. In negotiations with the Senate, the legislation arguably became even more favorable to Democrats. A few provisions sought by drug companies were cut out, including one that would extend the period of exclusivity for new medications by six months and delay the introduction of cheaper generics. Biden won money for his cancer moonshot, and a coalition of lawmakers secured funding to send as grants to states fighting opioid addiction. Republicans won the inclusion of long-sought reforms written by Representative Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania to expand mental health services and prioritize treatment of serious illnesses.\nThe White House gave the final compromise its strong support, saying the legislation \u201coffers advances in health that far outweigh\u201d its concerns about the funding of the bill, which came partly from selling off oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.\nYet the changes were not enough to satisfy either the far right or consumer advocacy organizations like Public Citizen, which said the bill still went too far in relaxing approval standards for drugs and devices. The conservative group Heritage Action noted that the legislation had ballooned from 300 pages last year into \u201can almost 1,000-page omnibus health care spending bill.\u201d Although its specific objections focused on spending, its core critique was nearly the same as Warren\u2019s: \u201cIn Washington terms, back-room negotiators have turned the Cures bill into a Christmas Tree, loaded with handouts for special interests, all at the expense of the taxpayer,\u201d Heritage wrote.\nOn the left, Public Citizen argued that even before the bill\u2019s relaxed regulations, Congress had already made it too easy to get drugs and particularly new medical devices to market without sufficient study. \u201cWe\u2019ve already reached a point, we believe, where we\u2019ve gone too far,\u201d said Michael Carome, director of the organization\u2019s health research group. \u201cThe existing regulations already provide a pathway for quick review for bringing drugs to market. And any further weakening would undermine where we are.\u201d\nIn particular, Carome cited a provision in the Cures Act that would allow a company to win approval for a second use of an FDA-approved drug without conducting a randomized clinical trial and instead using what\u2019s known as \u201creal world evidence.\u201d\nHe explained: \u201cSuppose a drug is approved for rheumatoid arthritis and you have to do the randomized clinical trials to prove it was safe and effective, and now you want to have marketed for multiple sclerosis, you can rely upon real world evidence, which is a much lower standard of evidence. It\u2019s more subject to bias and manipulation and can be very misleading. If you\u2019re a patient, such a double standard should be very disconcerting.\u201d\nWarren seized on that same provision, arguing that it amounted to \u201clegalized fraud.\u201d\n\u201cPushing treatments without scientific evidence that they work is fraud\u2014fraud that can hurt people,\u201d she said in her floor speech. \u201cIt also undercuts the development of real cures.\u201d\nIn an unusual alliance with Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, Warren also criticized a provision that would exempted companies from having to disclose certain payments to hospitals and doctors encouraging them to prescribe their drugs. With opposition mounting, the legislation\u2019s sponsors removed that language at the last minute, but Warren said its removal was not enough to win her support.\nHer attack on the bill this week blindsided supporters like DeGette, who insisted the measure\u2019s benefits clearly outweighed its flaws and said Warren either misunderstood or was misrepresenting the Cures Act. \u201cThere\u2019s absolutely no weakening of any kinds of review,\u201d DeGette told me. \u201cWe have the gold standard for safety and efficacy in the world, and we preserve those.\u201d\nShe noted that the bill had strong support from many in the research community and at the NIH, and she pointed out that many provisions sought by Big Pharma that had been included in earlier versions were now gone. \u201cTo categorize this bill as a giveaway to Big Pharma is just simply not accurate,\u201d DeGette said.Democrats are anxious to pass the bill while Obama is in office for many reasons, none more so than the fact that they will surely lose leverage with Donald Trump in the White House. The cancer money is obviously a priority for Biden, and lawmakers in both parties say the funding for the opioid epidemic is already long overdue.\nThere is urgency for Republicans, too. The legislation is a legacy project for Upton, who will remain in Congress but because of GOP term limits is ending his tenure as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. And once Trump takes office, this bill likely would fall further down on an agenda packed with bigger-ticket items like tax reform and repeal of Obamacare. \u201cNot only will it get worse for Democrats next year, I think it\u2019ll be very difficult to find that sweet spot where we agree on legislation in a bipartisan way,\u201d DeGette said.\nWarren, however, seems unconcerned with the question of timing or leverage. To the dismay of fellow liberals like DeGette, she has chosen to make the 21stCentury Cures Act the first Democratic policy fight of the Trump era.\n\u201cThe American people didn't give Democrats majority support so we could come back to Washington and play dead,\u201d she said. \u201cThey didn't send us here to whimper, whine, or grovel. They sent us here to say no to efforts to sell Congress to the highest bidder. They sent us here to stand up for what's right. Now, they are watching, waiting, and hoping\u2014hoping we show some spine and start fighting back when Congress completely ignores the message of the American people and returns to all its same old ways.\n\u201cRepublicans will control this government,\u201d Warren continued, \u201cbut they cannot hand over that control to big corporations unless Democrats roll over and allow them to do so.\u201d\nIt\u2019s a debate Democrats know they need to have\u2014whether and when to work with Trump and the Republicans, or whether simply to fight him at every turn. But the president-elect is still weeks away from becoming president. And to the many lawmakers\u2014172 of them in the House on Wednesday\u2014who share concerns about corporate influence but who believe the Cures Act is a fair compromise that will on balance improve public health, Warren chose the wrong bill, and the wrong moment, to make her stand.\nTwo days after the Massachusetts senator called the Cures Act an example of legalized fraud and extortion, all but six House Democrats voted for it anyway.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/house-overwhelmingly-approves-sweeping-health-measure", "House Overwhelmingly Approves Sweeping Health Measure", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 The House overwhelmingly passed a far-reaching measure on Wednesday to increase funding for research into\u00a0cancer\u00a0and other diseases, address weaknesses in the nation\u2019s\u00a0mental health\u00a0systems and help combat the prescription drug addictions that have bedeviled nearly every state.\nThe bill, known as the 21st Century Cures Act, also makes regulatory changes for drugs and medical devices, which critics argue lower standards to potentially perilous levels.\nPassage of the bill in the Senate next week appears likely, even though Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, has taken to the floor twice to criticize the bill as a windfall for drug companies, with too few safety provisions. \u201cThe American people are not clamoring for the Cures bill,\u201d Ms. Warren said on Wednesday, calling it the sort of measure that explains \u201cwhy people hate Washington.\u201d\nThe bill, which passed 392 to 26, was the product of three years of work, largely in the House, with former and current officials from the\u00a0Food and Drug Administration\u00a0and\u00a0National Institutes of Health\u00a0\u2014 two of the biggest beneficiaries of new funding in the bill \u2014 as well as scientists, health care advocates and others. It aims to streamline the federal drug regulatory structure to keep up with advances in biotechnology and other forms of medical research.\n\u201cWe have listened to every group out there,\u201d said Representative Fred Upton, Republican of Michigan and the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which shepherded the bill. \u201cI think we have a pretty good bipartisan bill that\u2019s going to meet everyone\u2019s test of how legislation should be done.\u201d\nThe bill authorizes billions of dollars in new funding for N.I.H. research, much of it directed for Alzheimer\u2019s disease and cancer, including money for the\u00a0cancer\u00a0\u201cmoonshot\u201d\u00a0sought by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., whose\u00a0son died\u00a0from complications of a brain tumor last year. The F.D.A. is expected to receive a half-billion dollars, in part to help expand its staff to speed up processes at that agency. States could tap into roughly $1 billion over two years to fight the opioid epidemic.\nIt also folds in another large piece of legislation designed to improve the nation\u2019s mental health services.\nLanguage that would have exempted\u00a0some speaker fees\u00a0from a requirement compelling doctors to report payments received from the pharmaceutical industry was excised at the last minute.\nDemocrats are unhappy with the way the bill is funded. It authorizes $6.3 billion in money taken from a preventive health care fund and other sources, but funding must be appropriated annually. Democrats wanted the funding to be automatic each year.\n\u201cWe have assurances from Republicans that they want to spend this money,\u201d said Representative Diana DeGette, Democrat of Colorado, who traveled around the country with Mr. Upton to build support for the bill. \u201cI actually feel confident that the money will be spent on that because this is a goal that is shared by both parties.\u201d\nCritics of the bill say it lowers standards for drug and device approvals at the Food and Drug Administration, in exchange for a badly needed funding increase for the National Institutes of Health.\n\u201cI think this takes us backward,\u201d said Susan Wood, an associate professor of health policy at George Washington University and a former assistant commissioner for women\u2019s health at the F.D.A. \u201cIt was a trade-off that was never worth doing.\u201d\nOthers argue that the bill falls short because it elevates measures of a drug\u2019s success called surrogate end points that can be misleading \u2014 for example, if a drug shrinks a tumor but does not ultimately prolong life. \u201cThis legislation pressures the F.D.A. to rely more on surrogate end points instead of results that matter to patients, living longer or feeling better,\u201d said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research in Washington.\nMs. DeGette said that although the bill contained provisions she did not like, \u201cthere is nothing in this bill that the F.D.A. says would undermine safety or efficacy of drugs.\u201d She and other Democrats said they would get no better a deal next year under President Donald J. Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress.\nIn talks among House Republicans, Mr. Upton said, \u201csomeone said, \u2018Why don\u2019t we let Trump have this victory?\u2019\n\u201cBut we can\u2019t delay it for political reasons,\u201d he continued. \u201cWho knows what would have happened if we had to start from scratch next year?\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/us-house-passes-medical-cures-bill-championed-by-diana-degette", "U.S. House Passes Medical Cures Bill Championed by Diana DeGette", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 A bill that would make sweeping changes to the medical research field passed the U.S. House on Wednesday, getting U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette of Denver that much closer to securing a win for her top legislative priority.\nThe 392-26 vote was a larger margin\u00a0than the 344-77 vote that backed a 2015 version of the bill,\u00a0but came as some Senate Democrats and progressive groups raised concerns over whether the measure does too much to help drug and medical-device companies.\nEvery member of Colorado\u2019s U.S. House delegation, except for Rep. Ken Buck, R-Windsor, supported the 21st Century Cures Act.\nBackers of the bill said they were hopeful they would send the measure to President Barack Obama \u2014 who wants to see it passed \u2014 before Congress ends its current term.\n\u201cThis is a watershed moment in this country for bio-medical research,\u201d said DeGette, who championed the bill with U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich. \u201cWith this bill, we bring hope to millions of patents who suffer from cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s, diabetes and a host of other ailments.\u201d\nThe next step is the Senate, where liberal lawmakers such as Bernie Sanders, Dick Durbin and Elizabeth Warren have\u00a0raised concerns\u00a0about whether the bill would overly weaken standards for the approval of drugs and other therapies in an effort to more quickly get them in the hands of patients.\n\u201cThis bill isn\u2019t about doing what the American people want,\u201d Warren said. \u201cThis bill is about doing what drug companies and (political) donors want.\u201d\nBuck said Wednesday he opposed the bill due to its cost.\u00a0\u201cIt spends too much money. It\u2019s that simple,\u201d he said.\nKaiser Health News this week\u00a0reported\u00a0that the $6.3 billion measure was one of the most heavily lobbied pieces of legislation this Congress, with more than 1,400 lobbyists involved in trying to influence the bill\u2019s language, which runs roughly 1,000 pages.\nIn this 2016 election cycle, health professionals and the pharmaceutical industry were the two biggest contributors to DeGette\u2019s campaign \u2013 giving a combined $275,180, according to the Center of Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog.\nMichael Carome, of the consumer-rights group Public Citizen, said the current version would require that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration develop a program that would make it easier for pharmaceutical companies to get approval to repurpose old drugs to treat new afflictions \u2014 such as using a drug for lung cancer to treat breast cancer, he said.\n\u201cThat\u2019s a troubling provision,\u201d he said. \u201cIt further erodes the standards of approving drugs.\u201d\nStill, Carome said legislators had removed two troubling items.\nNo longer will the bill help drug companies extend the exclusivity of some medications to treat rare afflictions \u2014 and in the process delay the rollout of cheaper, generic drugs.\nAlso cut was a section that would have weakened the reporting requirements of gifts that medical companies give to doctors. Lawmakers such as U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, had threatened to\u00a0block the bill if that clause wasn\u2019t removed.\nU.S. Sen. Michael Bennet did not say Wednesday whether he planned to support the bill, although the Colorado Democrat had been involved in earlier efforts on the Senate side to fast-track new drugs to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.\n\u201cMichael is reviewing the bill and encouraged by the efforts to address antibiotic-resistant superbugs, safely speed up the FDA approval process to save lives, and provide clarity for health care mobile app developers,\u201d said Laurie Cipriano, a Bennet spokeswoman, in a statement.\nWhatever Democratic effort exists to stop the bill in the Senate could be stymied by the White House, which strongly backed its passage this week.\nIn addition to the bill\u2019s push to make it easier for medical researchers to collaborate, it also takes steps to address the opioid drug epidemic and to jumpstart a \u201cmoonshot\u201d effort to cure cancer \u2014 a major priority for Vice President Joe Biden.\nThe $1.8 billion moonshot plan \u201caims to accelerate research efforts and make new therapies available to more patients, while also improving our ability to prevent cancer and detect it at an early stage,\u201d administration officials said in their analysis of the bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/column-our-fight-against-terror-threats", "COLUMN: Our Fight Against Terror Threats", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As we look forward to a new year and a new Congress, the topic of national security is a primary focus among our country\u2019s leaders. The House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security recently issued its latest installment of a monthly assessment of the growing threat that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other radical terrorist groups pose to the United States and the West. The November Terror Threat Snapshot shows that although ISIS may be retreating in parts of Syria and Iraq, the group continues to plot attacks against our country and our allies.\nWe know that since 2014, there have been 125 total ISIS-linked plots to attack the West, and in September of this year, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director James Comey said that the Bureau has approximately 1,000 active homegrown terror investigations, of which 80 percent are related to ISIS.\nOur U.S. law enforcement agencies and the law enforcement agencies of our allies are working diligently to identify and arrest individuals who are suspected or known to be conspiring to join ISIS, but it is clear that we have ground to make up following the failures of the Obama Administration\u2019s foreign policy.\nThe House has put forth a plan as part of our Better Way Agenda that will strengthen our national defense, so we can defeat terrorists, protect our borders, and keep our families safe.\nThe federal government\u2019s primary duty is to protect citizens from hostile foreign actions, and the first steps under a Better Way will be to secure our borders and keep terrorists out of the United States. This starts by closing security gaps in our transportation and immigration systems and making sure agencies that have information about terror threats are communicating with each other.\nThe Obama Administration has allowed radical Islamic terror groups to gain traction, but we can\u2019t let the U.S. become the battleground for the war on terror. We must take the fight to the enemy. It is going to take decisive action and a strong international coalition to defeat Islamic terror, but we are committed to making sure our military has the resources it needs to take the fight to the enemy.\nThe world is safer when America is strong, so we must also lead by example in promoting the values of freedom, democracy, and free enterprise. We can\u2019t do it alone, though. In some cases, we\u2019ll have to rebuild the trust of allies, and we\u2019ll take a strong stand to hold evil regimes accountable for violations of international sanctions and treaties.\nWe have a tall task before us, but Congress has already begun to do its part. We recently passed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2017, which increases base funding for defense operations by $9 billion over the Administration\u2019s request to rebuild key parts of our military and make sure our troops have the tools they need to support and defend the United States.\nArticle 1, section 8 of the Constitution charges Congress with providing for the common defense and advancing America\u2019s interest overseas. This is a serious responsibility, and I will do everything I can to support a national defense strategy that will keep you, your family, and our communities safe.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/house-passes-bill-strengthen-national-defense-2017", "House Passes Bill to Strengthen National Defense in 2017", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03) voted today in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2017. After passing separate versions of the bill, the House and Senate negotiated the differences between the two bills in a conference committee. The final text of the 2017 NDAA was approved by the House-Senate conference committee on November 29, 2016 and passed the full House with a bipartisan vote of 375-34.\u00a0\nThe 2017 NDAA authorizes funding for the U.S. military\u2019s ongoing engagements in the Middle East, as well as for U.S. troops operating in Europe. The 2.1% pay increase for active duty service members included in the bill marks the largest pay increase for troops in three years. The bill increases base funding for the military by $9 billion over the amount requested by President Obama to stop troop drawdowns and replace outdated equipment. The 2017 NDAA also includes authorization for over $550 million to fund the ongoing destruction of chemical weapons in depots like the one in Pueblo, CO.\n \n\t\u201cCongress has a responsibility to ensure that our military has the resources it needs to protect the country from its enemies,\u201d said Tipton. \u201cWe\u2019ve heard numerous reports from military leaders that our military\u2019s current operational readiness is below what it should be. Radical terrorist groups and state sponsors of terror, like Iran, pose very serious threats to our way of life. This year\u2019s NDAA gives our troops the resources they need to fight terrorist threats effectively, and it also enforces existing sanctions on Iran.\u201d\u00a0\n \nThe 2017 NDAA supports the national security plan put forth by House Republicans as part of its Better Way Agenda. The Better Way Agenda prioritizes the defeat of radical Islamic extremism, protection of U.S. borders, and the prevention of cyber-attacks in the upcoming 115th Congress.\u00a0\n \n\t\u201cThe Constitution charges Congress with the responsibility to provide for the common defense, and if we ask our men and women in the armed forces to put themselves in harm\u2019s way, we owe it to them and their families to ensure they have the pay, benefits, and equipment to carry out their duties effectively,\u201d Tipton added. \u201cWe must rebuild and restore our nation\u2019s military strength and the 2017 NDAA is an effective first step.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://buck.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ken-buck-votes-troops-and-national-defense", "Ken Buck Votes for Troops and National Defense", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Ken Buck", "B001297", "buck.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release\nContact: Kyle Huwa, 202-225-4676\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) voted for The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (S. 2943). The NDAA provides $619 billion for national defense purposes and includes a 2.1% pay raise for America\u2019s troops, the largest raise in the past six years. The bill also ends the reductions in troops, provides advanced funding for submarines and amphibious ships, improves healthcare quality for our troops and their families, and continues the prohibition on the transfer of Guantanamo Bay Detention Center detainees to the United States.\n\u201cIf we\u2019re going to maintain peace in this world, then we must have a strong military,\u201d Congressman Ken Buck remarked about the legislation. \u201cThis NDAA takes care of our troops while equipping them to adequately defend our nation.\u201d\nFurther details about the NDAA can be found here.\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1872", "Statement on Secretary of Defense Nominee", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Statement on Secretary of Defense Nominee \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 2, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congressman Doug Lamborn has issued the following statement in support of President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of General James Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense:Yesterday, President-elect Trump announced his nomination of Retired U.S. Marine Corps General James Mattis for the position of Secretary of Defense. General Mattis is supremely qualified for this role having served in uniform for over 40 years and is a published* author on civil-military relations. General Mattis is the right choice to lead the Defense Department amidst the many diverse challenges our nation faces. - Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1873", "Lamborn Supports Passage of 2017 NDAA", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Lamborn Supports Passage of 2017 NDAA \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 2, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Today, Congressman Doug Lamborn voted in support of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. The measure passed the House by a vote of 375 to 34, and now heads to the Senate for consideration. As a member of the Conference Committee responsible for finalizing this bill, Congressman Lamborn was pleased to see the inclusion of important amendments he inserted. Many of these provisions will affect our local interests in Colorado. \r\nThe 2017 NDAA: \r\n \r\n    Addresses critical needs in the Space, Missile Defense, Cyber Security, and Directed Energy realms, including growing the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center (JICSpOC)\r\n    Reverses the President's troop drawdown and starts to rebuild our military, adding 28,000 soldiers, 4,000 airmen, 3,000 Marines, and 1,000 sailors.\r\n    Provides our military with the largest pay raise they've seen in six years\r\n    Closes the readiness gap with a $9 billion boost in funding over the President's request\r\n    Supports small business innovation clusters, including classified meeting or processing spaces\r\n    Addresses transition challenges faced by advanced small businesses as they grow\r\n    Augments our efforts to counteract Iranian military, cyber warfare, ballistic missile, and terrorism undertakings\r\n    Elevates U.S. Cyber Command to a full Combatant Command\r\n    Prohibits the transfer of terrorists from Guantanamo Bay onto American soil\r\n    Increases funding for anti-tunneling efforts designed to combat terrorism and drug trafficking\r\n    Fully funds Israel's missile defense requirements\r\n \r\nAdditionally, many problematic provisions were omitted in this final Conference Committee version of the bill including one requiring women between the ages of 18 and 26 to register with the Selective Service System.\r\n**For complete information on the 2017 NDAA, please click HERE**\r\n\"It was an honor to serve on the 2017 Conference Committee finalizing the NDAA. Our brave men and women in uniform depend on us to provide the funds that keep our military the best in the world. Each year, those of us on the committee work hard to pass the best possible legislation to prioritize military readiness and provide for our servicemembers. The amendments I added to this year's NDAA will help address many important national security needs both here in Colorado and around the globe. I am pleased that the final version of this bill includes a pay raise for our troops.\"\r\n- Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=1C426006-B36E-BA0D-284C-7312A0B65376", "Bennet Votes to Extend Iran Sanctions Act", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement after Thursday's passage of a bill to reauthorize the Iran Sanctions Act by a vote of 99 to 0.\r\n\"The overwhelmingly bipartisan vote shows the world that Congress remains steadfast in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,\" Bennet said. \"Extension of the Iran Sanctions Act ensures the United States can effectively re-impose sanctions, consistent with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, should Iran violate the agreement.\"\r\nThe Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 is set to expire on December 31, 2016.\r\nIn 2015, Bennet joined Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) to introduce the Iran Policy Oversight Act of 2015, a bill that builds upon the bipartisan commitment to oversight outlined in the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 that passed the U.S. Senate 98 to 1. The bill included a regional security strategy for the Middle East and authorized additional security assistance for Israel.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/tipton-votes-advance-landmark-opioid-abuse-mental-health-and-rare-disease-response", "Tipton Votes to Advance Landmark Opioid Abuse, Mental Health, and Rare Disease Response Bill", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03) voted on Wednesday to advance the 21st Century Cures Act, which is legislation that addresses the nation\u2019s opioid abuse epidemic, growing mental health crises, and accelerates the development of cures for 7,000 rare diseases that affect families in Colorado and across the nation.\nThe 21st Century Cures Act authorizes $1 billion in state grants to supplement opioid abuse prevention and treatment activities.\n \n\t\u201cOver the past year, I\u2019ve visited many of the communities that have been devastated by the opioid abuse epidemic that is sweeping our state and nation, and my team and I have worked to develop federal policies that will better allow our local stakeholders to address the crisis\u201d Tipton said. \u201cThe 21st Century Cures Act puts federal resources where we need them the most: in the hands of the local governments, law enforcement officers, and health care providers who are best equipped to fight the opioid abuse epidemic in their own communities.\u201d\n \nThe bill also includes reforms to the mental health care system that are included in the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (H.R. 2646), a bill that Tipton cosponsored earlier this year.\nThe legislative package authorizes mental health block grants for community programs that serve adults with serious mental illness \u2013 schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc. \u2013 and children with serious emotional disturbance. The bill also makes reforms to the Medicaid program that will allow patients in the program to receive both physical and mental health services on the same day. Additionally, the bill includes a Sense of Congress that there needs to be more clarity about existing health care privacy laws to reduce confusion that may prevent effective communication between caregivers of patients with serious mental illness.\n \n\t\u201cMental illness has played a role in many of the tragedies that have impacted our communities, especially in rural areas, where our providers are struggling to maintain mental health services for the growing number of people who are in crisis. I\u2019ve been proud to support these much-needed reforms to our mental health care system,\u201d Tipton added.\n \nThe primary focus of the 21st Century Cures Act is on accelerating the development of cures for the over 7,000 rare diseases in existence, the majority of which have no form of treatment. The bill re-prioritizes federal medical research spending to ensure accountability and results, and it also makes important reforms to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval process the get live-saving drugs and medical devices to patients faster.\n \n\t\u201cThere are 10,000 known diseases in the world, and 7,000 of them are considered rare diseases. Of these 7,000 rare diseases, there are treatments options for only 500 of them. Innovation in medicine is moving quickly, but our federal laws aren\u2019t keeping up. With 21st Century Cures, we will ensure that the U.S. remains the leader of medical innovation, and we will be in a better position to deliver cures to the millions of people in our country who suffer from rare diseases,\u201d Tipton said.\n \nThe House expects the Senate to approve the current version of the 21st Century Cures Act soon. The bill will then move to the president\u2019s desk to be signed into law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1865", "Congressman Lamborn Supports Package of Veterans Bills", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Lamborn Supports Package of Veterans Bills \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 1, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congressman Lamborn issued the following statement after the passage of five bills to benefit American veterans: \r\nI am pleased that the House Veterans Affairs Committee and my colleagues in the House continue to prioritize service to our servicemembers. These bills will improve healthcare benefits and treatments, protect the privacy of veterans' benefits information, encourage employers to hire veterans, and expand the available memorial services for our brave veterans. I voted in favor of these five important bills, and I will continue to urge my fellow Members of Congress to enact meaningful reforms that will provide for our brave veterans. \r\n- Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)\r\nThe following five bills passed the House of Representatives this week: \r\n \r\n    H.R. 5458, Veterans TRICARE Choice Act of 2016\r\n    H.R. 5166, WINGMAN Act\r\n    H.R. 3286, HIRE Vets Act \r\n    H.R. 5600, No Hero Left Untreated Act\r\n \r\nH.R. 4757, To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the eligibility for headstones, markers, and medallions furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for deceased individuals who were awarded the Medal of Honor and are buried in private cemeteries, as amended\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-votes-to-extend-iran-sanctions", "Gardner Votes to Extend Iran Sanctions", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the below statement following the Senate's passage of the Iran Sanctions Extension Act, which previously passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 419-1. The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 was set to expire at the end of this year and will now be extended to 2026 in order to curtail Iran's activities to support terrorism and develop weapons of mass destruction.\r\n\r\nWhile the Obama Administration refuses to take meaningful action to deter Iran from testing ballistic missiles, financing terror groups, and threatening our closest ally, Israel, Congress has acted to ensure we have the ability to respond to Iran's increasingly belligerent behavior, said Gardner. This legislation puts the safety and security of the American people first and is central to ratcheting up pressure on the murderous regime in Tehran, which has no respect for international norms. I look forward to working with the next Administration to prevent a nuclear Iran and make it clear that the United States will not tolerate an Iran that threatens the safety of its neighbors or our interests at home or abroad. I urge the Trump Administration to use the authorities provided by Congress today early and often to punish any and all behavior by the Iranian regime that threatens American interests and those of our close allies.\r\n\r\nAs a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Gardner hasbeen avocal opponentof the President's deal with Iran. Before the deal was reached, Gardnerwarnedabout the dangers of a nuclear Iran, anddenounced the deal. After reports of Iranian violations of U.N. sanctions, Gardnersent a letterto President Obama asking for a response to Iran's violations. On the floor of the Senate, Gardnerspoke outabout the troubling aspects of the deal and urged his colleagues to reject it. Gardner alsocalled on the Administration to explain reports that the United States agreed in secretto grant Iran exemptions and create a loophole to solidify the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ahead of its deadline.\r\n\r\nMost recently,Gardner introduced the No Ransom Payments Act authored by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). If enacted, this legislation will prohibit the United States Treasury Department from using the Judgment Fund, which was established to pay money owed by the U.S. government, to make any payments to Iran until Iran returns the ransom payment it received and compensates American victims of Iranian terrorism. Furthermore, it prohibits the United States from making ransom payments to any country.\r\n\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-approves-gardner-bennet-resolution-recognizing-40-years-of-women-at-the-air-force-academy-", "Senate Approves Gardner, Bennet Resolution Recognizing 40 Years of Women at the Air Force Academy", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC The United States Senate approved a resolution, introduced by Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), supporting the designation of October 8, 2016, as 40 Years of Women Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy Day.'' The resolution recognizes the many contributions female cadets have made to the Air Force Academy and their incredible service to our nation.\r\n\r\nForty years ago, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado became the first military academy to admit female cadets, said Gardner. Our female cadets have gone on to command Air Force combat units, earn the rank of 4-star general, and serve as Superintendent of the Academy. These women, along with the thousands of other female cadets who now serve in the Air Force and other branches of the military, serve as role models to young women and all of those around our nation who wish to serve their country and I thank them for their service.\r\n\r\nThis resolution honors the tremendous contributions female servicemembers have made to our Armed Forces and to our national security, Bennet said. Their achievements are a testament to their dedication and sacrifice, and our nation is stronger because of their service. I am grateful the Air Force Academy opened the door to female cadets 40 years ago.\r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/coffman-proposal-on-stem-cell-research-in-21st-century-cures-act", "Coffman Proposal on Stem Cell Research in 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Mike Coffman", "C001077", "coffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (CO-06) today lauded the final passage of the 21st Century Cures Act noting that the legislation added language to advance regenerative medicine, better known as stem cell research, taken from a bill previously introduced by Coffman. \u00a0Advances in stem cell research have the potential of revolutionizing medicine by taking a patient\u2019s own stem cells, harvesting those cells, and injecting them back into the patient in order to regrow tissue or organs.\u00a0\nIn March, Coffman introduced the Reliable and Effective Growth for Regenerative Health Options (REGROW) Act. Key elements of this bipartisan, bicameral bill, including updated FDA guidance and regulations as well as requiring FDA to work with stakeholders to establish scientific standards for regenerative medical treatments, for the purpose of accelerating clinical trials, were incorporated into the final version of 21st Century Cures.\n\u201cAs someone who has long advocated for the increased use and availability of regenerative medical treatments, I am pleased that some of the key requirements for accelerating the use of regenerative medicine have been included in 21st Century Cures,\u201d Coffman continued.\u00a0 \u201cThe development of regenerative medical treatments is one of the most exciting aspects of modern medicine. These products, developed from adult stem cells, show potential to fully restore or establish normal function in damaged human cells, tissues, or organs. Fighting and defeating diseases is not a partisan issue. It\u2019s an issue we can all support together.\u201d\nCoffman worked extensively with the Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine to ensure regenerative medicine\u2019s inclusion in 21st Century Cures. Located in Aurora, Colorado, the Gates Center is focused on the research and development of regenerative medical treatments with the intent to deliver these groundbreaking treatments to patients as soon as possible.\n\u201cWe at the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine are heartened by today\u2019s passage of the 21st Century Cures bill\u2014specifically the inclusion of provisions that will help provide an accelerated regulatory pathway for regenerative therapies,\u201d said Dennis Roop, Ph.D., Director Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine. \u00a0\u201cWe want to thank Congressman Mike Coffman and his staff, in particular, whose unremitting and diligent efforts in conjunction with House and Senate colleagues and others helped ensure that regenerative medicine was addressed and included in this legislation.\u00a0 We hope this will lead to groundbreaking therapies in this promising field and allow the United States to compete on an international scale in developing therapies for those with as yet unmet medical needs.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-overwhelmingly-approves-21st-century-cures-act", "House Overwhelmingly Approves 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "To watch Congresswoman DeGette's floor speech on 21st Century Cures, click on the image above.\n\"Today the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed 21st\u00a0Century Cures, the bipartisan bill that I led with Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), that will dramatically improve biomedical research in America. On the House floor, I urged my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to seize on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle our present and future public health challenges \u2013 and they did, by a vote of 392\u00a0to 26. I\u2019m humbled and extremely pleased that we are one big step closer to saving millions of lives. The bill now goes to the Senate for a vote.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/house-representatives-strengthens-commitment-colorado%E2%80%99s-veterans", "House of Representatives Strengthens Commitment to Colorados Veterans", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Scott Tipton", "T000470", "tipton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation this week aimed at strengthening health care and education benefits for veterans. The Veterans TRICARE Choice Act of 2016 (H.R. 5458) passed the House unanimously, and the Protecting Veterans\u2019 Educational Choice Act of 2016 (H.R. 5047) passed with a bipartisan vote of 411-3.\n\tCongressman Scott Tipton (CO-03) supported the passage of both bills.\n\t \n\t\t\u201cOur state is home to over 400,000 of our nation\u2019s veterans. These men and women have put their lives on the line to protect our freedom, and it is our duty to ensure they are cared for when they return home,\u201d Tipton said. \u201cI am committed to making sure federal policies help us honor and serve the men and women who have so honorably served our country, and I\u2019m glad that we have advanced policies that will help resolve some of the health care and education challenges that many of our veterans face.\u201d\n\t \n\tUnder current law, if an individual is eligible for TRICARE, they are not eligible to make contributions or receive employer contributions to a tax-exempt Health Savings Account (HSA), and there is no mechanism in place for an individual to suspend their TRICARE eligibility. H.R. 5458 gives veterans the flexibility to suspend their TRICARE benefits if they determine an employer-offered high-deductible health plan with a HSA is a better solution for their health care needs. The veteran would retain the ability to resume their TRICARE coverage in the future.\n\t \n\t\t\u201cIn order to ensure our veterans are receiving the best health care possible, we need to roll back the red tape that has kept military retirees from utilizing the health coverage that makes the most sense for them and their families,\u201d Tipton said.\n\t \n\tH.R. 5047 addresses challenges that many veterans have faced when trying to use their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. The bill requires the VA to provide all veterans with information about the educational services that are available to them, as well as inform veterans about the various credit transfer agreements between educational institutions.\n\t \n\t\t\u201cMany veterans receive very little guidance from the VA regarding their education benefits. We\u2019re seeing veterans exhaust their benefits at institutions that don\u2019t have credit transfer agreements in place or attend schools that lack accreditation altogether,\u201d Tipton added. \u201cWe must support our nation\u2019s heroes in their pursuit of higher education when they return home from their service, and it starts by making sure they have all of the information necessary to make an informed decision.\u201d\n\t \n\tH.R. 5458 and H.R. 5047 must now be considered by the Senate.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1863", "Members of Congress Speak Out Against UN Action on Israel", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Members of the House of Representatives hosted a press conference to discuss UN or Administration action on the Israel-Palestinian peace process during the lame-duck session.  \r\n\r\nCongressman Lamborn issued the following statement: \r\nThe constant end run to the UNby the Palestinian Authorityhas been harmfulto the peace process.It has given a false hope to the Palestinian people, but has not in any way helped them. It has enabled the Palestinian leadership to avoid true efforts to make peace with Israel, and to continue denying that the State of Israel has a right to exist. \r\nThe repercussions of this Administration taking any action on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that changes US policy have not been fully realized. Frankly, by even considering a potential change to US policy, President Obama has tarnished trust in the United States.\r\nWe are standing here today to express that this dabbling with a UN Security Council resolution that unilaterally recognizes a Palestinian state, dictates steps or parameters to the parties, or issues condemnations against Israel is detrimental, and is against the will of the American people and the interest of the United States. Any such resolution by the UN Security Council must be vetoed.\r\n    - Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)\r\nCongressman Lamborn was joined by Representatives Trent Franks, French Hill, Lee Zeldin, Garret Graves, and Ron DeSantis. They were joined by Anne Bayefsky, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust.\r\nWhat [the Palestinians] have so far been unable to accomplish on the battlefield they have sought to accomplish via the political battlefield at the United Nations.One Jewish state versus 21 Arab states, within 56 Islamic states, in turn the largest single bloc within the 119 states of the so-called Non-aligned movement. \r\nWhatever the actual substance of a possible resolutionwhich is still unknowna parameters resolution setting out the terms of the end result of non-existent negotiations, or declaring settlements (the allegedly offensive presence of Jews on Arab-claimed territory) to be illegalit is a win for belligerence and sustained rejection of a Jewish state.\r\nThe only thing standing in the way of this mob is the veto of the United States at the UN Security Council.The veto power is not a tool which the United States uses lightly, but it exists because it is absolutely essential to protect the values of our country, our Constitution, and our firm understanding of right and wrong.\r\n     - Anne Bayefsky, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust \r\n\r\nAs we saw in October this year, when UNESCO voted to recognize the Temple Mount as holy to Muslims only, the United Nations is nothing if not a platform for the world's anti-Semites to espouse their vile hatred of Jews. Since the first Bush Administration, it has been the United States policy to veto any third party resolutions which impose action on Israel relating to their peace talks with the Palestinians. Despite this sensible, bipartisan American tradition, there are rumors that President Obama will not veto anti-Israel U.N. resolutions passed during the lame duck and may even take executive action against Israel  targeting both the nation and anyone who supports Jewish settlements. We hope and pray that the President does not use the final days of his presidency to harm Israel, but if he does, Congress is prepared to everything within our Constitutional powers to stop him and reverse the damage.\r\n     - Chairman Trent Franks (AZ-08)\r\n\r\nI support a two-state solution, however, history has shown that only Israel has been willing to make the tough compromises and concessions that are necessary for peace. It is my belief that only through direct negotiations will the two parties be able to resolve their differences. The idea that the United Nations Security Council is the vehicle to accomplish a resolution will not yield the best results, and I am proud to have been joined by colleagues to commit our support for direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine in order to bring peace to this conflict.\r\n     - Congressman French Hill (AR-02)\r\n\r\nPresident Obama should not act in any manner adversarial to Israel during his final weeks in office. There is no greater friend and reliable ally to the United States than Israel. We have a mutually beneficial relationship, as Israel remains a most important strategic partner in the Middle East. With the turmoil and unrest we see around the world, especially in the Middle East, it's essential that we remain committed to building a stronger relationship with our greatest ally, Israel.\r\n     - Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-1)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://perlmutter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1522", "Local Documentary Film Submitted to Library of Congress", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Ed Perlmutter", "P000593", "perlmutter.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today MEDIC! was formally submitted to the Library of Congress by the office of U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) and teachers from Westminster High School in Colorado. The MEDIC! documentary film highlights the stories of five brave veterans who served their country and their fellow veterans as combat medics. The film was produced by the faculty and students of Westminster High School and premiered in May 2016.\n\"We are honored to have been able to contribute the film MEDIC! to the Veterans History Project. Hearing our veterans tell their stories in their own words was an once-in-a-lifetime experience, said Chris Williams, video cinema arts teacher at Westminster High School. We are grateful to Congressman Perlmutter's office and his incredible staff for selecting Westminster High School for this important project. We hope that many more people will have the chance to view our film now that it is officially part of the Library of Congress collection.  \nThe MEDIC! oral history project and student film showcases the community veterans, students, and Congressional outreach that sustains the Library of Congress Veterans History Project,\" said Karen Lloyd, VHP Director and a veteran of the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps.\nMEDIC! is truly a unique and significant piece of history that includes in-depth research, in-house graphics and animation, and its very own original musical score, said Rep. Perlmutter. A big thanks to the faculty and students of Westminster High School and to the Veterans History Project for helping to preserve and share our local veterans' stories.\nThe Veterans History Project (VHP) is a congressionally chartered project and is part of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center.Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 as a way to collect, preserve, and make accessible personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.\nMEDIC! is the fourth VHP film that Perlmutter's office has helped produce, the first with high school students. Rep. Perlmutter's office has collaborated with local community colleges to produce three other Veterans History Project films:The Wars We Fought(2007),The Greatest Generation: Operation Detachment (2011),and Women Warriors: A Vision of Valor(2014).\nClick here for more information or to watch these documentaries. To learn about the Veterans History Project, visit https://www.loc.gov/vets/.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-statement-on-new-un-sanctions-on-north-korea-", "Gardner Statement on New U.N. Sanctions on North Korea", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity, today released the below statement following the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council's approval of new sanctions on North Korea aimed at reducing the regime's exports:\r\n\r\nI welcome the U.N. Security Council's approval of tougher sanctions on North Korea, said Gardner. I'm hopeful that the U.N. will fully enforce these sanctions, which are designed to slash North Korea's export-generated revenue. At the same time, I encourage the U.N. to pursue aggressive sanctions that address North Korea's increasingly belligerent behavior, particularly its malicious cyber activities and gross human rights abuses. We know that North Korea's cyber capabilities are intensifying, and a new report revealed that the regime not only maintains its political prison camps, but may be expanding them. That's why it is essential that the U.N. continues to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang while also fully implementing its previous actions against the regime. The US, South Korea and Japan will work with China and the U.N. for full enforcement.\"\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congress-races-to-pass-medical-research-bill-in-lame-duck-session", "Congress Races to Pass Medical Research Bill in Lame-Duck Session", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\"Until now, we haven't talked at all about compromise on the Affordable Care Act,\" said Representative Diana DeGette, Democrat of Colorado. \"From the moment it passed, Republicans started their mantra of 'repeal and replace.' Now that repeal seems to be off the table, I think it's in everybody's interest to make the law work better for our constituents.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/life-saving-legislation-21st-century-cures-act-advances-in-house", "Life-Saving Legislation, 21st Century Cures Act, Advances in House", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC\u00a0\u2013 Vital innovations in biomedical research are within reach, potentially saving countless lives, with the House about to debate its final version of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) said.\n\u201cThis is a watershed moment for patients, their loved ones and health care professionals across the United States,\u201d DeGette said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re bringing hope to millions of people suffering from cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s disease, diabetes and a host of other ailments.\u201d\u00a0\nDeGette is co-author, together with Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), of the original 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6), which the House passed 344-77 in 2015. Negotiations with members of the Senate and with the White House produced a bill that melds House and Senate policies.\u00a0 It includes funding to address the nation\u2019s opioid crisis and to implement Vice President Biden\u2019s \u201cCancer Moonshot\u201d initiative to facilitate more robust research.\nThe legislation will help overcome obstacles to medical progress \u2013 from discovery to development to delivery \u2013 through investing in innovation, incorporating the patient perspective and modernizing clinical trials.\u00a0 Among its key provisions, the consensus version of the bill before the House will:\n Provide $4.8 billion to National Institutes of Health, including: $1.4 billion for President Obama\u2019s Precision Medicine Initiative to drive research into the genetic, lifestyle and environmental variations of disease; $1.8 billion for the \u201cCancer Moonshot;\u201d and $1.6 billion for the BRAIN initiative to improve our understanding of diseases such as Alzheimer's and to speed diagnosis and treatment.\n\tProvide $1 billion in grants to states to address the opioid crisis.\n\tRemove the silos at the Food and Drug Administration by transitioning it toward a disease-centric approach, and provide $500 million additional support to the FDA.\n\tCatalyze cutting-edge research by supporting potentially transformative efforts and providing opportunities for new researchers.\n\tModernize clinical trials by harmonizing regulations protecting patients.\n\tAddress the country\u2019s mental health crisis and help the one out of five adult\u00a0Americans suffering from mental illness and substance abuse disorders receive the care they need.\n More than\u00a0700 groups have voiced support for the House legislation.\u00a0 Many have participated in a variety of forums to offer feedback on the bill, and they have worked with members of both the House and Senate to convey the urgency of seeing it become law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://degette.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pro-choice-caucus-chairs-the-american-people-shouldn-t-be-forced-to", "Pro-Choice Caucus Chairs: The American People Shouldnt Be Forced to Spend Another Dime on Panel Designed to Attack Womens Health", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Diana DeGette", "D000197", "degette.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Louise Slaughter (NY-25), co-chairs of the House Pro-Choice Caucus, called on congressional leaders to disband the Select Panel ahead of a vote expected Thursday on a privileged resolution that would provide an additional $800,000 in taxpayer dollars for the panel, which has aggressively targeted women\u2019s health providers and the scientific community. House Republicans are now on course to spend more than $1.5 million funding this partisan attack on women\u2019s health. The congresswomen are again calling on GOP leaders to stop wasting tax dollars on it.\n\u201cThe Select Investigative Panel is nothing but a partisan witch hunt that has wasted taxpayer dollars while stirring up baseless, irresponsible allegations that have intimidated women, health care providers, and scientific researchers. The House majority is now on track to spend more than $1.5 million of Americans\u2019 tax dollars chasing down bogus allegations. Enough is enough. The American people shouldn\u2019t be forced to spend another dime on a panel designed to attack women\u2019s health and intimidate health care providers and researchers. These attacks are likely just a preview of what's to come under a Trump Administration with Republican majorities in Washington. It\u2019s time for Speaker Ryan and the majority in the House to end this political theater and disband the Select Investigative Panel once and for all,\u201d said DeGette and Slaughter.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://buck.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ken-buck-amendment-house-rules-passes-republican-conference", "Ken Buck Amendment to House Rules Passes Republican Conference", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Ken Buck", "B001297", "buck.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release\nContact:\u00a0Kyle Huwa, 202-225-4676\n\u00a0\nWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 Today, the House Republican Conference announced the rules of the 115th Congress, which were approved on November 16. Included was a rule offered by Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) that ensures the House of Representatives spends time considering legislation to reassert the Article I authority of the legislative branch. Between excessive rulemaking and executive orders, the executive branch has overstepped its constitutional authority to simply execute the laws made by Congress. The rule passed today encourages the House Majority Leader to schedule floor time for the consideration of single issue bills related to Article I authority.\u00a0\n\u201cRepublicans promised to roll back President Obama\u2019s oppressive regulatory regime,\u201d Congressman Ken Buck stated. \u201cThis House rule allows Congress to reassert its rightful authority over the executive branch by repealing excessive regulations and overreaching executive orders.\u201d\nBy designating floor time specifically for the purpose of repealing President Obama\u2019s agenda of overreach, the House will be able to quickly and efficiently assist President-elect Trump in rolling back federal red tape and implementing an agenda to create jobs and secure America\nThe full rules\u00a0can be read\u00a0here. Below is the amendment added by Congressman Ken Buck:\u00a0\n(b) It is further the policy of the Republican Conference that\u2014\n(1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the Majority Leader shall prioritize measures that seek to preserve Congress\u2019 authorities under Article I of the Constitution when scheduling the House Floor, which should periodically include, after receiving concurrence from the appropriate committee chairs of primary jurisdiction, designated floor time for consideration of single-issue bills related to exercising such authorities; and\n(2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the Republican Conference shall periodically schedule Planning Conferences to include the topic of preserving and exercising Article I of the Constitution.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-approves-gardner_shaheen-legislation-to-measure-impact-of-outdoor-recreation-on-us-economy", "Senate Approves Gardner- Shaheen Legislation to Measure Impact of Outdoor Recreation on U.S. Economy", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "**Senators Gardner (R-CO) and Shaheen (D-NH) authored and introduced the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2015that unanimously passed the Senate**\r\n**Independent studies estimate the outdoor recreation industry generates $646 billion in consumer spending each year and supports 6.1 million jobs**\r\n\r\nWashington, DC  The Senate unanimously approved final passage of legislation authored by U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to require the federal government to measure the impact of the outdoor recreation on the economy and the bill will now be sent to President Obama's desk. The Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2015, introduced by Gardner and Shaheen in October 2015, is bipartisan legislation that will inform policymakers and business leaders on the jobs created, and the consumer spending driven by, the outdoor recreation economy.\r\nOutdoor recreation is a cornerstone of our economy in Colorado, yet its true economic impact from the federal government's perspective remains unknown, said Senator Gardner. This legislation will educate policymakers on the outdoor recreation industry's contribution to our economy, including the number of jobs it's responsible for and the amount of consumer spending it generates. It's a commonsense, bipartisan bill, and I look forward to President Obama signing it into law.\r\nThe outdoor recreation sector is a critical component of both the New Hampshire and national economy, and I am glad to see Congress recognizing its importance by passing this bill, said Senator Shaheen. In the Granite State, we know that preserving our natural treasures isn't just good for the environment; it's also a smart move for state and local economies. Policymakers need to see the full picture of the role that outdoor recreation plays in supporting jobs and economic growth, and craft policy accordingly. I am grateful to Senator Gardner, Commerce Committee Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson for their work to move this legislation forward and Representatives Beyer, Reichert, Welch and McMorris for their efforts in the House. I look forward to seeing President Obama sign this into law.\r\nThe outdoors are an integral part of our lives in Colorado,andthe outdoor industry isa powerful economic engine that contributes $13.2 billion to the state's economy and supports 125,000 Colorado jobs, said Harry Kazazian, Chief Executive OfficerofBoulder, CO-based Exxel Outdoors. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Gardner, the outdoor recreation economy will now be counted as part of U.S. Gross Domestic Product and recognized as the powerful economic driverthatwe in the industry know it is.\r\n\"Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and the thousands of manufacturers, retailers and service providers in the outdoor recreation industry, know about the hundreds of millions of dollars our industry contributes to the U.S. economy and the millions of jobs our businesses support,\" said OIA Executive Director Amy Roberts. \"Today'sSenate passageof this bill shows thatbipartisan members in both chambersunderstandthatas well.We are grateful for the leadership of Senator Shaheen and Senator Gardnerand join them incelebratingtoday'svote, whichsignals that the bill will be signed into law before the end of this legislative session.This is a big step forward in making sure that the federal government quantifies the economic importance of our industry and uses that data to inform the decisions that affect our businesses and the 142 million Americans who recreate outside each year.\r\nUntil recently, the federal government did not measure the economic impact of outdoor recreation, despite independent estimates that this sector generates $646 billion in consumer spending each year and supports 6.1 million jobs. In April, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced that the Federal Recreation Council will work with the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis to assess the economic contributions of the outdoor recreation industry. The Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2015 ensures that this work continue in the future by requiring it in statute. The bill also requires that the Commerce Department submit a comprehensive analysis to Congress capturing the outdoor recreation sector's contribution to the economy.\r\nThe House companion bill H.R. 4665 was introduced by Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). The bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this month.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-statement-on-fidel-castro", "Gardner Statement on Fidel Castro", "2016-11-26", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the below statement on the death of Fidel Castro:\r\n\r\nThe Cuban people have suffered under Fidel Castro's oppressive and murderous regime for decades, and today we reflect on all of the lives lost, families ripped apart, and hardship endured. His death presents an opportunity for the Cuban people, ushering in hope that one day Cuba too can enjoy the democracy and freedoms its people were promised.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.\r\n354 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20515\r\n(202) 224-5941\r\nWashington, DC Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the below statement on the death of Fidel Castro:", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lamborn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1862", "Thanksgiving Statement 2016", "2016-11-24", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Doug Lamborn", "L000564", "lamborn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11/24/16Congressman Lamborn issued the following statement in honor of Thanksgiving day: \"Since the age of the Pilgrims,Thanksgiving has been a time for fellowship, gratitude, reconciliation, and quality time with family, friends, and loved ones. My prayer is that this same spirit infuses our Thanksgiving this year. Please join me in offering humble and profound thanks to almighty God for the rich blessing He has bestowed on our nation.\" - Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) Please visit my Medium page to read George Washington's original message on this day of \"public Thanksgiving and prayer.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 1050, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "House", "p1": "CO", "p2": "2016"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=CO&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 647, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=CO&year=2016&party=Republican", "selected": false}, {"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 403, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=CO&year=2016&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=CO&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 1050, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=CO&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=CO&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "CO", "label": "CO", "count": 1050, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=CO&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "2016", "label": "2016", "count": 1050, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=CO", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2016-11-24,https~3A~2F~2Flamborn~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D1862", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=CO&year=2016&_next=2016-11-24%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Flamborn~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D1862&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 270.7084759604186, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}