Happy Easter
Happy Easter! "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” I welcome the hope of the Easter season, and I pray blessings on you and your family.
Hearing from Home
I am so grateful that I got to spend this last week traveling throughout the District, visiting western Colorado towns including, Meeker, Rifle, Rangely, Durango, Grand Junction, Delta, Montrose, Alamosa, and Pueblo. At each place I visit, I am encouraged by the stories of leadership, grit, and hard work that form the foundation of our communities. I am continually inspired by the people of Western Colorado, and it is the greatest honor of my life to represent you in Congress.
Rural Colorado Runs on Water
I visited the proposed site of the Wolf Creek Reservoir to discuss water rights and agricultural issues with members of the Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District and the Rio Blanco County Commissioners. I am a tireless champion of water policies that support rural Colorado, which is why I introduced the Western Water Security Act to protect private property rights, uphold state water laws, and prohibit federal seizures of water rights.
Community leaders in Rio Blanco County and Rangely also noted that their economies have been devasted by job-killing executive orders targeting the oil and gas industry. I introduced the Protecting American Energy Jobs Act to revoke these harmful policies and support American energy dominance.
Additionally, I met with leaders of the Arkansas Valley Conduit program that aims to provide clean water from the Pueblo Reservoir to 50,000 people living east of Pueblo.
Supporting Local First Responders and Healthcare Workers
I enjoyed visiting with Rangely police officers, firefighters, and healthcare workers. I am grateful today and everyday for our hometown heroes. I will always fight to represent the unique issues that our Western first responders face, and I am proud to be their voice in Congress.
Honoring Those Who Served
Scripture says, "give to everyone what you owe them...if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." We owe our veterans a debt of gratitude that we can never repay.
Colorado is home to one of the largest veteran populations in the Nation, and I was grateful to meet with the Grand Junction VA to discuss ways we can care for our veterans. I believe that veterans deserve the best care from the V.A., and they also should have access to Veterans' Choice and other programs that allow them to receive the private treatment they need. I will continue to advocate for policies that increase the VA’s accountability, transparency, accessibility, and quality of care.
Giving a Voice to Rural Farmers
I enjoyed meeting with the Colorado Wool Growers Association and the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee to discuss issues facing rural farmers and ranchers. I am a champion for our agricultural community, and I introduced the LOCAL Act to keep the Bureau of Land Management Headquarters in Grand Junction to ensure that their voice is heard in decisions that impact their lives the most.
Listening to Local Leaders
To better serve our communities, I am partnering with local leaders across western Colorado. This week, I talked with the Montrose, Delta, Archuleta, and Huerfano County Commissioners, and they mentioned how important the Department of the Interior’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program is for supporting programs in their communities.
More than 55% of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District is federal land, and many of our local governments struggle to fund essential services as a result of the tax-exempt land. The PILT program is designed to partially make up for the tax revue lost by federal lands, and it funds law enforcement, construction of public schools, firefighting, search-and-rescue operations, and road maintenance.
The county commissioners are concerned because the Biden administration has not yet released a budget or confirmed to local counties that it will meet its statutory obligation to provide PILT payments. I sent a letter to Secretary Haaland and President Biden asking them to fully fund the PILT program and build partnerships with counties in my District.
Securing the Border
As I traveled across the District, I heard from countless constituents that the number one issue that they are concerned about is securing the southern border. I have remained an advocate for responsible policies that will restore law and order to our immigration system by building a wall, supporting the Border Patrol, and ending programs that incentivize illegal immigration like amnesty.
Spending time with Family
I am grateful to be home for Easter, and I hope that you enjoy time spent with family and friends. It is the greatest honor of my life to serve as your representative, so please reach out to my office if I can be of assistance. I’m here to serve, and I look forward to hearing from you!