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Washington is a mess. Why aren’t Washington politicians tackling climate change? Why aren’t they doing anything to lower prescription drug costs? Why do they work only for big corporations, not for the small businesses and entrepreneurs who are the heartbeat of Colorado’s economy?
We need a change. John believes this is a time for people who know how to do things differently — people like him who know how to work together to get things done. He has a proven record of bringing people together to get results, and that’s exactly what he’ll do in the Senate to solve our biggest challenges.
- Health care is a right, not a privilege. No matter where you live, who you are, or how much you earn, you deserve high-quality, affordable health care. As a nation, we have repeatedly fallen short of this aspiration.
- Unlike Senator Cory Gardner, I believe universal coverage is possible—and necessary. As governor, I expanded Medicaid to an additional 400,000 Coloradans. I also established our successful state exchange, Connect for Health Colorado, which allowed individuals to compare plans for quality and affordability. In the process, we cut the uninsured rate by nearly two-thirds. All told, 500,000 Coloradans got health insurance due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in our state, and we reached nearly ninety-five percent coverage statewide.
- No doubt, we still have challenges to address, and COVID-19 has exposed how fragile our health care system really is. We should be outraged that people of color are more likely to die from COVID-19 than white Americans. We should be outraged that nurses are wearing trash bags to work because their hospital has run out of PPE. We should be outraged that overwhelmed labs can take over 14 days to return a test, rendering the result essentially meaningless. And we should be outraged that Washington Republicans have presaged this failure by proposing over 70 measures to repeal the ACA, rather than addressing the cracks in the system that are all too apparent.
- Senator Gardner has voted at least a dozen times to repeal, block, or defund the ACA and could gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions. He supports President Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court lawsuit that could overturn the law in the middle of a pandemic. He doesn’t have a plan to protect access to health care. So I’m offering mine.
- As your senator, I will fight every day to improve access to quality care. I will protect coverage for pre-existing conditions. I will fight to cut the cost of prescription drugs. I will expand mental health and substance misuse recovery services. And I will strengthen our vital social safety net programs including CHIP, Medicare, and Medicaid. More equitable, affordable, accessible health care is possible. COVID-19 has exposed how far we have to go to realize this goal. Time to get to work.
- Establish a National Public Option: If elected to the U.S. Senate, I will support a federally-administered public health insurance option. Millions of Americans enjoy their employer-based or marketplace-based insurance, and they should be able to keep their plans. But for the millions who are uninsured, under-insured, or paying a disproportionate share of their income on coverage, a public option could be transformative. Not only could it make benefits more portable — enabling people to maintain their policy when switching jobs or starting a small business — but it could increase marketplace competition, lower costs across the system, and close gaps in coverage.
- Undo a Decade of Damage: The ACA was a watershed moment in our nation’s health. For the first time, insurers could no longer deny coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions or charge women higher premiums than men. The law allowed young people to stay on their parents’ plan until age twenty-six, banned lifetime caps on coverage, and made mental health, prescription drugs, and preventive care required benefits.
- In the decade since the law passed, Republicans, including Senator Gardner, dedicated themselves with singular focus to repealing the ACA. When that proved unsuccessful, they joined forces with President Trump to sabotage the law’s coverage gains. His administration shortened the enrollment period, destabilized risk pools, promoted junk plans, canceled ninety percent of funding for outreach efforts, and filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court that could strip millions of Americans — many with pre-existing conditions — of their health insurance.
- In essence, Republicans removed the engine from the car and then campaigned on why it wouldn’t drive. Senator Gardner still advocates for repealing the ACA, even in the middle of this pandemic. As your senator, I will work to immediately roll back these Republican-led efforts to prevent people from obtaining coverage. You can count on me to improve the ACA—not dismantle it.
- Address Unintended Consequences: The ACA is not flawless. Strengthening the law will enable us to expand coverage affordably using the tools already at our disposal. We can boost enrollment by expanding subsidies to help more middle-class families afford their premiums. And we should fix the “family glitch,” which prevents families with access to employer-sponsored insurance from receiving premium tax credits on the exchange, regardless of whether or not their plan is affordable for the whole family.
- Boost Access to the Exchanges: We could significantly reduce the barriers to coverage if we establish a special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals who earn below a certain income threshold, and make it easier to enroll for those with qualifying life events such as job loss. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that thirty-one percent of Americans who lost employer-sponsored coverage during the pandemic qualify for subsidies on the exchange. They simply need a window in which to enroll as quickly and seamlessly as possible. Expanding SEPs in every state could increase the rate of coverage nationwide—a relatively straightforward step with lifesaving consequences, particularly during COVID-19.
- SAVE COLORADANS MONEY ON HEALTH CARE
- Strengthen Medicare and Medicaid: Our safety net programs are a lifeline for millions of the most vulnerable Americans. As senator, I commit to strengthening and modernizing Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. Not only did President Trump and Senator Gardner not act fast enough to help seniors in this crisis, but Senator Gardner has repeatedly voted to cut support for aging citizens and people with disabilities. He supports capping Medicaid, which would cut essential health care services and make cash-strapped states pick up the tab.
- Lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs: Now more than ever, we need to make sure prescription drugs are affordable. Twenty-nine percent of Americans forgo medicine because of the cost. This is unacceptable. Congress has been in the pocket of the pharmaceutical industry for too long, and the American public has suffered as a result. Senator Gardner has taken $547,897 from the pharmaceutical industry and voted to put a drug company lobbyist in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services. In response to the coronavirus, Senator Gardner failed to support limits on the cost of new prescription drugs. If elected to the U.S. Senate, I will fight to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. This includes allowing Medicare to negotiate prices directly with drug companies; permitting the importation of safe medicine from Canada; requiring more transparency in drug pricing and curtailing significant increases in the price of both generic and specialty drugs; and investigating potential anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry. We simply need to find the courage to act. As your senator, I will.
- End Surprise Medical Billing: Surprise medical billing occurs when patients unknowingly see an out-of-network provider—even if the hospital is in-network or the service is an emergency. Colorado is one of only twenty-six states that have passed legislation addressing surprise medical bills. But the state-level laws do not impact people on employer-sponsored plans, so action on the federal level is essential.
- Curb Provider Costs: The United States spends more on health care as a percentage of GDP than other high-income countries. You and I feel those costs in the form of expensive co-pays and sky-high deductibles. Reining in this reckless spending could lower costs across this board. As your senator I will push for greater transparency in hospital pricing. The ACA required hospitals to publish their “sticker prices,” but that information is often difficult to find and rarely reflective of what people actually pay. For elective procedures, price comparisons can help put some of the power back in the hands of consumers. We must also support high-need, high-cost (HNHC) patients. While HNHC individuals comprise only five percent of the population, they account for half of all health care spending. Pilot programs around the country have explored providing HNHC patients with intensive wraparound services to reduce hospitalizations and manage chronic conditions. These efforts have shown promising results and should be explored further. Finally, Congress should consider incentivizing value-based payment systems, which reward providers for positive outcomes and hold them accountable for negative ones. Evidence suggests that not only can cost savings be significant, but patients receive higher-quality care.
- Do What We Know Works: COVID-19 caught us by surprise. It shouldn’t have. The Obama administration created an office of pandemic preparedness that equipped the government to respond to precisely this type of crisis. President Trump dismantled the team when he took office—an irresponsible move that Senator Gardner ignored.
- Once the virus gained steam in the United States, the president (after initially dismissing the threat) has categorically failed in his response. He sidelined scientists, pitted states against each other in a bidding war that drove up the price of essential PPE, and failed to develop an appropriate system of testing.
- And while the country looks to Washington for leadership, Senator Gardner has provided little. Despite his oversight power on the Science Committee, he has refused to call out the president’s missteps and supports a lawsuit that would strip millions of Americans of their health insurance during a pandemic. We need to do better.
- The irony is, we know what works to get COVID-19 under control. Testing, contact tracing, social distancing, wearing masks, and providing PPE to first responders and essential workers are basic tenets of public health that have helped countries around the world manage their outbreaks. We need to scale up these interventions across the board. A vaccine will help, and we need to prepare for efficient and equitable mass distribution. That said, a vaccine is not a panacea, and until one becomes available, we will need to figure out how to coexist with this virus.
- To do so, Congress should increase the federal share of state Medicaid costs to twelve percent, as requested by a bipartisan group of the nation’s governors. Additional funding is also necessary for hospitals that are overwhelmed and frontline public health departments that have been underfunded for decades. As your senator, in addition to restoring sanity to our public health response, I will shore up our long-term preparedness by supporting pandemic research efforts, global health funding, and engagement with international bodies such as the World Health Organization. Targeted relief now, and careful preparation tomorrow will help resolve this crisis and prevent future ones.
- Address the Long-Term Health Impacts of the Pandemic: We are still learning about the health impacts of COVID-19. Preliminary reports suggest patients can experience chronic heart, lung, and neurological issues after recovering from the acute phase of the disease. In addition, individuals who have deferred visits to physicians because of a moratorium on elective procedures will have pent-up demand for care. And fears are emerging of a mental health crisis in patients, first responders, and people whose lives have been disrupted by this pandemic. Congress must act to establish a national effort to study both the chronic impacts of COVID-19, as well as to coordinate federal resources to strengthen the capacity of our healthcare system in the face of increased demand. And we must protect coverage for pre-existing conditions, which includes the millions of Americans who have recovered from COVID-19.
- Prioritize Oversight and Accountability in Relief Packages: Congress has appropriated over $2.4 trillion dollars to address the coronavirus pandemic. This money is desperately needed. Without strong coordination of government resources at the federal level, we will experience an even greater catastrophe in our economy, schools, and health care system. It is also desperately in need of accountability. President Trump has declared he will not comply with aspects of the oversight requirements. He fired the Inspector General responsible for overseeing the Department of Health and Human Services after she issued a report critical of his response. He also fired the Inspector General selected to lead the committee tasked with overseeing the administration of COVID-19 relief. And hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic assistance have gone to donors who do business with the Trump Organization. No wonder the administration is unwilling to be transparent about the recipients of this government support—its members are actively profiting off of it. If elected to the Senate, I will join my colleagues in pushing for robust oversight of the stimulus packages, to ensure that the money gets to those who need it most.
- Fund Community Health Centers: Sixty percent of American adults suffer from a chronic condition. Forty-two percent have two or more. Yet according to the CDC, in 2015 only eight percent of adults thirty-five or older received the type of care designed to manage these conditions—or prevent them entirely. Preventive care is a cost-effective, critical component of living healthier lives. Community health centers are one of the best ways to provide preventive care. They are an essential part of the health safety net, serving 28 million Americans and 1 in 5 Medicaid patients. And their value often extends far beyond primary care, with integrated services such as nutrition counseling, smoking cessation therapies, enrollment support for government assistance programs, early detection screenings, and much more. These clinics were struggling before the pandemic, but now they are on the front lines of COVID-19. If elected to the U.S. Senate, I will make sure these critical health facilities have the support they need.
- Prioritize the Social Determinants of Health: Prevention does not stop at the clinic door. It is rooted in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the education we receive, the job we go to during the day, and the home we return to at night. From safe neighborhoods to strong social ties, non-medical factors routinely impact our health. And these social determinants are a major contributor to disparities in health outcomes along racial or economic lines. As senator, I am committed to strengthening SNAP, increasing access to affordable housing, improving the quality of education, addressing the food deserts in underserved communities, and investing in our economic recovery—all of which will contribute to the health and wellbeing of Americans.
- Improve Treatment for Substance Misuse and Mental Health: COVID-19 has caused dislocation, isolation, and extreme economic hardship for many Americans. Experts warn that rates of addiction and mental health crises will rise in tandem. But both were challenges before the virus and will continue to be after the pandemic has passed. Today, nearly half of Americans report COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their mental health. In the short-term, I support the allocation of dedicated emergency funds to address the substance misuse and mental health effects of COVID-19. In the long-term, I am committed to funding Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and substance misuse treatment programs, supporting community-led efforts to end stigma associated with seeking help, and investing in telehealth for counseling. In 2013, I signed a bill requiring coverage for substance misuse and mental health treatment by individual and group plans. I am committed to continuing this advocacy in the U.S. Senate.
- In addition, I support scaling up Colorado’s best practices to curb the opioid epidemic by expanding access to naloxone treatment, researching alternative pain management therapies, supporting Medicated-Assisted Treatment (MAT)—a whole-patient approach to substance misuse, and updating prescribing guidelines to reinvigorate federal efforts to address this crisis.
- Support Rural Hospitals: Rural hospitals serve 1 in 5 Americans. But rural providers have been struggling on razor-thin margins for years and our nation is facing a crisis of closures as a result. As governor, I was proud to offer rural hospitals some relief by signing a bill to avert hundreds of millions in cuts. I also expanded Medicaid, which saved 12 critical access hospitals in Colorado from closing. But the challenge is not over. The pause on elective services during COVID-19 has slowed revenue even more. If elected to the Senate, I commit to advocating for rural hospitals and clinics, to make sure they have access to the federal funding they need to meet the health care needs of their communities.
- Address Racial Disparities in Health Care: Health care outcomes diverge dramatically based on race. This reality is rooted in structural biases, systemic racism, and decades of underinvestment in communities of color. It is not enough to simply expand the scope of coverage, we must change the nature of how care is provided to ensure more equal treatment for all. I support funding research into outcomes where divergences are pronounced — including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and maternal and infant mortality — to better understand their roots. Congress should appropriate funds for programs addressing the social determinants of health, including nutritious food, public transportation, and safe spaces for physical activity. Training and educational programs must play their part by prioritizing diversity and inclusion when recruiting the next generation of practitioners, and curriculums should provide thorough training in identifying and correcting biases in care. And communities of color should have a seat at the table for all discussions of health care reforms.
- Honor Our Commitment to America’s Veterans: As a nation, we owe a debt of gratitude to our service men and women. These heroes put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe. When they return home, it should be to a health care system that fully supports their reentry to civilian life. The ACA was a big leap forward in this regard. Almost half a million veterans obtained coverage under the law, with coverage gains being the largest in Medicaid expansion states like Colorado. But challenges remain in the form of long wait times and logistical hurdles. For example, these obstacles limit access to care for the estimated twenty percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffering from major depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In the U.S. Senate, I will be an advocate for our nation’s veterans, working to ensure we provide programmatic support commensurate with their sacrifice.
- Secure Reproductive Rights: Roe v. Wade is threatened more than ever before. Reproductive rights are under attack in courtrooms, in the U.S. Senate, and in legislatures across the country. The constitutionally protected right to an abortion is an essential component of reproductive health care. We must also guarantee access to affordable and safe contraception — covered in the ACA — and coverage for routine cancer screenings and management of chronic conditions. I support organizations like Planned Parenthood, which provide intersectional care for individuals of all ages, identities, and backgrounds.
- Birth equity is also of vital importance. The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the industrialized world, and Black women die three to four times more often than white women when giving birth. Individuals of color deserve equal access to high-quality, patient-centered care, which I am committed to fighting for as senator. This means gathering data about maternal mortality, investing in culturally sensitive perinatal care and doula training, extending Medicaid coverage for new mothers to one year, providing wraparound services for new mothers, and using innovative payment models to incentivize improved outcomes. As senator, I pledge to protect the right to choose, fully fund critical government programs for reproductive health such as Title X, and work to reduce racial disparities across the spectrum of reproductive care.
- Fight for Comprehensive Care for LGBTQ Americans: Even after the passage of the ACA, LGBTQ Americans are more likely to be uninsured than non-LGBTQ Americans. The numbers are even higher for transgender individuals and queer people of color. And when fifty-five percent of LGBTQ Coloradans fear being treated differently by their provider, it is clear that insurance is only a part of the problem. LGBTQ individuals deserve to receive gender-affirming and inclusive care. Congress should expand competency training for physicians to address internal biases regarding gender and sexual orientation. Transgender Americans suffer inconsistent coverage for hormone replacement therapy and gender reassignment surgery, and Congress should step in to equalize access to medically necessary treatments and discrimination-free care. Finally, I support ending the FDA’s restriction on blood donations from men who have sex with men, an antiquated policy that embodies the legacy of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in the medical community.
- Prioritize the Needs of Americans with Disabilities: Any conversations about health care reform must center the voices of Americans with disabilities. As senator, I will commit to just that. I will work to make sure that a public option is structured to meet the needs of the disability community by soliciting input from the individuals who would be directly affected. In addition, I support ending the two-year waiting period for coverage under Medicare for people who become disabled before the age of sixty-five and raising the standard of Medicaid coverage for people with disabilities nationwide. Finally, Congress should appropriate additional funding for disability services, including reducing the shortage of direct support professionals who work with people with disabilities.
- Restore the Independence of Our Nation’s Science Agencies: As a former geologist, I deeply appreciate the power of science. That is why, as senator, I will support funding for NIH, the CDC, and other research institutions that move our country forward. These agencies are responsible for critical breakthroughs — establishing the link between E. coli and human disease (CDC), the creation of a hepatitis vaccine (NIH) — and their success is to our direct benefit. But Trump has sidelined and politicized these institutions during his presidency. In the Senate, I will work to restore the independence and leadership of our federal science-based organizations by voting for experienced nominees to lead these agencies who actually believe in science.
- Support Scientific Research and Technological Innovation: As senator, I will commit to supporting legislation that elevates cutting-edge science and technology in our health care system. Whether that is making investments in precision medicine and targeted genomic therapies, using 3D printers to make medical devices and prosthetics, or exploring how artificial intelligence and virtual reality could be applied in a health care setting, Congress has a role to play in nurturing the technological innovations that can make Americans healthier.
- Expand Telemedicine: During COVID-19, routine visits to the doctor immediately stopped. But medical needs did not. Enter telemedicine, which the CARES Act expanded on a temporary basis to individuals covered by Medicare and Medicaid. I believe we should make these changes permanent. Telehealth is not a perfect fit for everyone, but for some, it works very well and dramatically increases access to care. It is popular too—in March, adoption increased by 4,300 percent. There is work to be done to enable telemedicine to reach its full potential. The technology remains a challenge, as many Coloradans live without access to reliable broadband, and we will need to modernize patient confidentiality laws to ensure data collected during virtual meetings is secure. But telehealth is here to stay, and as senator, I will make sure it becomes a safe, valuable resource to keep Americans healthy.
- The world is reeling from COVID-19. The pandemic is imposing a stress test on our health care system and institutions. Tens of millions of Americans are unemployed, and many lost their health insurance along with their job. Nurses and doctors, paramedics and first responders, essential workers across all industries—these are the heroes getting us through. This crisis is also an opportunity. It has reminded us that we are all in this together and that tomorrow’s health care system can be better than today’s. As your senator, l will fight to build a health care system that works for all Americans. Change is coming, and it is long overdue.
- America is facing an epidemic of gun violence that is tragically all too familiar to us in Colorado. We have lost too many of our friends, neighbors, and children to guns, which has resulted in 39,000 lives lost nationwide in just one year. Over the past decade, more than 1.2 million Americans have been shot and millions more traumatized by gun violence, which has disproportionately impacted communities of color. Each day, 21 more children are victims of gun violence.
- The loss of precious lives is incomprehensible, devastating, and deeply etched in our hearts and memories in places such as Columbine, Arapahoe, Platte Canyon, STEM School Highlands Ranch, Aurora, and in schools and communities across our state and nation.
- For too long, the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) leadership has recklessly fought even the most basic gun safety measures, such as universal background checks, which 90% of Americans and a majority of the NRA’s own members support.
- When I was Governor of Colorado, we took on the NRA leadership and won. It wasn’t easy, but with the support of local and state elected officials and a diverse coalition of Coloradans, we were able to enact legislation requiring background checks for all gun sales, as well as a ban on large-capacity magazines. We became the first purple state to enact comprehensive gun safety legislation. If we could beat the NRA in Colorado, we can beat them nationally.
- Senator Gardner has received nearly $4 million in support from the NRA and is standing in the way of allowing background checks — among other reforms — to receive a hearing in the United States Senate. He has also voted against closing loopholes that allow guns to fall into dangerous hands. Enough is enough.
- As your next Senator, I will fight for comprehensive, common-sense policies to tackle gun violence.
- Ensure background checks for all gun sales
- Background checks save lives. Since the 1990s, the background check system has blocked the sale of more than 3 million guns to criminals, domestic abusers, and other dangerous people. We need to expand background checks to cover gun shows and online retailers, as well as close the “Charleston Loophole” to ensure that all background checks are properly completed.
- Establish national magazine limits
- Magazine limits save lives during shootings. The shooter who killed 12 and wounded 59 at an Aurora movie theater in 2012 was carrying a gun equipped with a 100-round magazine. The shooter in Tucson, Arizona, who killed six and wounded 13 — including former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in 2011 — was carrying a handgun equipped with a 33-round magazine. That shooting came to an end when he was tackled by a bystander while he tried to reload his gun.
- Restore an assault weapons ban
- It’s time for Congress to enact an effective assault weapons ban that builds on the previous legislation that expired in 2004.
- Fund community-based violence intervention
- Communities of color in Colorado and our nation have to deal with gun violence on a daily basis and face a considerably higher risk of being a victim of gun homicide. Funding evidence-based violence-intervention programs has been shown to be effective at reducing shootings in cities across the country.
- Strengthen enforcement against gun trafficking
- We must stop gun trafficking by strengthening prosecution of the small number of “bad actor” gun dealers who illegally sell guns without a background check. Law enforcement also needs the tools to treat straw purchases (where criminals who can’t pass a background check have someone purchase weapons on their behalf) as serious offenses.
- Stop the proliferation of “ghost guns”
- Ghost guns are firearms that can be assembled at home with parts that have been ordered online or produced by a 3D printer. They are available without a background check, cannot be traced by law enforcement, and are an emerging issue in Colorado and across the country. We must pass a federal law ensuring that no one can construct a firearm without first going through a background check.
- Hold reckless gun manufacturers responsible
- We need to repeal the 2005 law that uniquely shields irresponsible gun manufacturers from lawsuits and puts them in the same category as every other business.
- Implement Extreme Risk Order Protection laws
- In order to prevent future acts of violence, Extreme Risk Order Protection laws let families and law enforcement temporarily remove an individual’s access to firearms when judged to be a danger to themselves or others. These policies are effective at both preventing mass shootings and reducing suicide.
- Create a safer future for our children and communities
- While the NRA leadership has embarked on a relentless effort to mislead, mischaracterize, and deceive, we know in Colorado that we can protect our Second Amendment rights AND protect our children and communities with reasonable gun safety policies.
- I bring a different approach to tackling our economic challenges. When I became Governor, Colorado was lagging at 40th in the nation for job growth. Our country was reeling from the Great Recession. We worked with local officials to create an economic plan for all 64 counties, merging them into a statewide plan — the Colorado Blueprint — and then we worked with communities across the state to implement it. For the last three years of my Governorship, U.S. News & World Report ranked Colorado the #1 economy in America.
- Despite our progress, Washington’s failures prevented Colorado’s successes from being felt by everyone in our state. Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Cory Gardner’s corporate tax giveaways have left working Coloradans behind. Stagnant wage growth forced working families to do more with less, while the rising cost of childcare, health care, and housing left Coloradans with a paper-thin safety net. Misguided trade wars increased the cost of everything from food to steel. Meanwhile, women, the LGBTQ community, and people of color continue to face structural barriers to their success.
- I believe we need a different approach. We need an approach that unites powerful forces for change in our economy — the private sector, nonprofits, organized labor, and educational institutions — to help the workers of today prepare for the careers of tomorrow.
- The bedrock of this strategy is skills training. Currently, only 37% of young people in the United States complete a four-year degree. Apprenticeships offer an attractive bridge or alternative to postsecondary education. As Governor, I helped to establish CareerWise in Colorado, a job training program that works to provide students with valuable work experience, a paycheck in the tens of thousands, and free college credit — all while still in high school. As Senator, I will fight to close employment gaps in manufacturing, rural health care, and technology by providing diverse cohorts of students the on-the-job training they need to succeed in the economy of the future.
- In addition to matching the needs of employers with the skills of the workforce, I will work hard to make sure no one is left behind in our economy. This means leveling the playing field by raising the minimum wage, closing the gender pay gap, offering tuition-free community college, growing minority-owned small businesses, and strengthening unions. Furthermore, we must invest in the most dynamic and value-generating sectors of our future economy. Expanding Internet access and helping workers transition to clean energy jobs will make it easier for Coloradans to earn a living wage and develop the skills needed for their families to succeed.
- Roe v. Wade is threatened more than ever before. Women’s rights are under attack in courtrooms and legislatures across the country. Seventeen states passed restrictive abortion laws in 2019. The Trump administration continues to antagonize providers, both domestically and abroad.
- Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are trying to defund Planned Parenthood at every turn and have confirmed a slate of extreme, anti-choice judges. Politicians in Washington and nationwide are endangering people’s lives so that they can score political points. Senator Gardner has joined in the attacks: He supports putting politicians in charge of women’s health-care decisions, and even supports putting doctors who perform abortions in jail.
- The constitutionally protected right to an abortion is one essential component of a comprehensive approach to reproductive health care. We must also guarantee access to affordable and safe contraception, coverage for routine cancer screenings and management of chronic conditions, and access to reliable information about reproductive health that is private, fact-based, and tailored to an individual’s needs.
- I am, and have always been, a staunch supporter of reproductive health and justice. As Governor, I oversaw the implementation of the Colorado Family Planning Initiative. This initiative helped over 30,000 young women gain access to long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) devices that they may not have been able to afford or access otherwise. In less than a decade, the program reduced unintended pregnancy rates in Colorado by 54% and was estimated to save taxpayers about $70 million. Allowing young women to decide when they are ready to start a family, while also saving millions in tax dollars, is something that would find bipartisan support in the Senate if Senator McConnell were not in control.
- But gaps in coverage and access still yawn wide, particularly for low-income individuals, members of the LGBTQ community, and people of color. Advocacy for reproductive health means supporting reproductive justice and individuals’ ability to make safe decisions about their sexuality, health, and identity. I support organizations like Planned Parenthood, which provide intersectional care for individuals of all ages, identities, and backgrounds. I am committed to fighting for legislation that expands access to comprehensive reproductive health care for all who need it.
- Coloradans believe that we all deserve a secure retirement and dignity in our golden years. But reckless Washington politicians have put our retirement security on the chopping block to fund their handouts to special interests.
- President Trump pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare, but has now proposed cutting Social Security and Medicare, and he and Senator Gardner support ending health-care coverage for people with preexisting conditions.
- It’s time to renew our promise to older and younger generations alike that a dignified and stable retirement is the cornerstone of aging in America.
- We can do this by protecting Social Security and Medicare, as well as by proactively bolstering these programs so that they remain solvent for years to come. We must cut the cost of prescription drugs by increasing transparency and accountability for drug pricing and allowing the safe importation of life-saving medications from Mexico and Canada — policies that will help lower Medicare expenses and bring down health-care costs overall. And if the VA can negotiate cheaper prescription drug prices, why can’t Medicare? We must do more for all of the families who are paying much more than they should for the medication they need.
- We can reimagine what it means to be older in America by making it easier to live independently. By improving transportation options and controlling housing and health-care costs, we can help more people live life on their own terms. We can better aid older Americans in determining their eligibility and access to SNAP benefits, and we will recommit ourselves to fighting elder abuse at every level of the law.
- Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and our state is on the front lines of this crisis, with shorter winters, catastrophic floods and wildfires, and continued air pollution. While Colorado is playing a leadership role in the face of the Trump Administration’s destructive attacks on our environment, we must do more. Our planet’s health, economic well-being, and national security are all at risk. It is imperative that we address the climate challenges we face with a fierce sense of urgency — human lives and livelihoods are at stake.
- As a former geologist, I have based my plan on the best available science of today. First and foremost, we are calling for a transition to a 100% renewable energy economy with net-zero emissions by 2050, with an interim goal of a 43% reduction below 2005 levels in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 — exactly where many of the world’s leading scientists tell us we need to go.
- From day one as senator, I will fight to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, enforce stricter standards on methane pollution and other harmful emissions, dramatically accelerate development of wind and solar energy, and reverse President Trump and Senator Gardner’s retrogressive and reckless policies.
- We need a bold, science-based approach to climate change that includes:
- A job-creating clean energy plan for America. We support an ambitious effort to move the United States to a clean energy future of net-zero emissions no later than 2050. In the Senate, I will fight to:
- Make large-scale investment in government-funded climate technology research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) to accelerate innovation, including investing in carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology; continued improvements in the development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar; and in energy-storage technologies.
- Reinvent America’s transportation system, including electric-vehicle charging infrastructure and making America’s electric grid more intelligent, reliable, secure, efficient, and resilient. I support raising fuel economy standards with the goal of moving to a 100% electric vehicle fleet. We also support investing in improving the energy efficiency of buildings across the country by focusing on revising building standards and providing support to local governments and the private sector to meet the new standards.
- Develop our workforce with laser-like focus on training young people and people transitioning out of the fossil fuel industry into green jobs. We should bring together the business community, labor unions, and educational institutions to create apprenticeships and skills training programs that create pathways to good-paying, stable jobs and careers.
- Create a new Climate Corps Program, challenging young people to pursue careers that help combat global climate change. It would include a new set of scholarship and loan forgiveness programs to encourage a new generation of renewable-energy experts, carbon-capture specialists, energy-storage scientists, and entrepreneurs who can help to address climate change and make America a global leader in climate technology.
- Implement a carbon dividend plan, which experts agree is one critical component of the necessary market incentives to quickly and cost-effectively lower carbon emissions, while also promoting U.S. economic growth. Revenue generated from a price on carbon would be returned directly to American taxpayers as a dividend, more than offsetting any potential increase in energy costs.
- Ensure equity as we tackle climate change so that the vulnerable communities hardest hit by poor air quality, polluted water, toxic pollution, drought, rising sea levels, wildfires, and floods have a seat at the table in developing equitable climate strategies.
- Global leadership toward even bolder climate change goals. This is a global challenge — the U.S. accounts for 15% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions — and the only way to combat climate change is with immediate and sustained international cooperation and ambitious American leadership. We need to be going further than the Paris Climate Agreement goals and creating new linkages between global climate change goals and America’s foreign and trade policies. We must:
- Rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement and make updates to the agreement that inspire and embolden the global community to take decisive action. We need a commitment to create climate financing for developing countries, a key commitment under the Paris Agreement and a direct contrast with the misguided policies of the Trump Administration, which reneged on American commitments to the world’s leading climate finance mobilization arm, the Green Climate Fund, and other key initiatives. Achieving the Paris targets will help a great deal, but we must commit ourselves to more. Even if all countries meet their targets, it will not hold the rise in global temperature to the “well below 2 degrees Celsius” goal set in the Paris Agreement.
- Ratify the Kigali Amendment, which requires countries to freeze and then phase out dangerous hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
- Require that greenhouse gas emissions goals to combat climate change are set and enforced as part of any new U.S. trade agreement, as part of a new policy of “open and fair trade.” In order to bring the full weight of America’s global leadership to bear on this challenge, I will also condition certain U.S. foreign aid and foreign military assistance on cooperation with climate change efforts by recipient countries.
- The Colorado Record
- As Denver’s Mayor and Colorado’s Governor, I brought people together to launch clean-energy projects and enact pioneering climate change legislation. As a small-business owner, I know that being asked to decide between good jobs and a clean environment is a false choice. And, as a trained geologist, I will bring a practical, fact-based understanding of Earth science to the Senate, in the same way that I accomplished the following:
- Developed First-in-the-Nation Methane Emissions Regulations. I brought industry groups and environmentalists together to make Colorado the first state to limit methane pollution from oil and gas wells. Colorado’s “gold standard” rules were estimated to cut the equivalent of 340,000 cars’ worth of emissions and cut methane leaks by over half.
- Expanded Transit in Denver. As Mayor of Denver, we brought together suburban mayors to create the region’s first light rail system, the largest such expansion in modern American history. In the end, all 34 metro mayors unanimously supported building 119 miles of new track across the state.
- Committed Colorado to the Paris Climate Agreement. I committed Colorado to the Paris Climate Agreement after President Trump withdrew, issuing an executive order to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26%, maximize renewable energy use, and increase electric vehicle use.
- Fought Back Against Trump Emission Standards Rollback and Made Colorado an Electric Vehicle Leader. In 2018, I issued an executive order to adopt low-emission vehicle standards in response to the Trump Administration moving to roll back stricter fuel efficiency and vehicle emission standards. I also released an Electric Vehicle Plan and led a Western states compact to expand and invest in electric vehicle infrastructure.
- Made Protecting Public Lands a Priority and Grew Colorado’s Outdoor Economy. I opposed privatizing public lands, helped grow Colorado’s outdoor economy that supports 229,000 jobs and generates billions in economic activity by creating an Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, and sided with local stakeholders against allowing oil and gas drilling in nearly 200,000 acres near the Thompson Divide.
- Oversaw Retirement of Two Coal-Fired Power Plants and Moved Toward Renewable Energy. During our Administration, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy’s Colorado Energy Plan to retire two of its coal-fired power plants and replace their capacity with renewable energy and battery storage.
- Signed Landmark Rural Renewable Energy Standard Into Law. I signed legislation doubling renewable energy requirements for rural electric cooperatives.
- Jump-started the Planting of a Million New Trees in and Around Denver. I launched an unprecedented regional initiative to plant a million trees across the Denver region over 20 years.
- Signed Kyoto Protocols. While I was Mayor, Denver signed the Kyoto Protocols in 2005 to reduce global warming.
- Coloradans have an ongoing love affair with the outdoors — and foer good reason! With millions of acres of public lands on which to hike and bike, hunt and fish, paddle, ski, and climb, residents and visitors alike have almost endless opportunities to get outside and enjoy the good life that Colorado has to offer.
- Recent projections predict that our 2019 ski season will end with 13.8 million skier days, and there are over a million hunters and anglers in our state. Colorado’s mountains, prairies, rivers, and lakes are important economic drivers for our booming outdoor recreation industry. When I was Governor, we created the Colorado Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, which found that the outdoor industry generates 511,000 jobs and contributes $62.5 billion to Colorado’s economy. It also generates $21.4 billion in wages and salaries, and $9.4 billion in local, state, and federal tax revenue.
- But the outdoors are not simply about the economy. They are the lasting symbol of Colorado’s pioneering heritage and represent our ability and obligation to leave the world better off than we found it. Our lands are being affected by climate change, drought, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and human development. Fish and wildlife habitats are being lost or degraded. Snowpack and the runoff of freshwater are expected to decline as a result of climate change. Increasing public recreation pressures are squeezing federal, state, and local budgets. And we too often sacrifice discipline and responsibility in our energy development on public lands.
- We are at a unique and urgent moment in time for protecting these lands and waters, as our actions in the next decade will influence the trajectory of nature and people for decades to come. Consequently, we need to prioritize conservation now so that we can maintain our outdoor heritage and pass it along to future generations of Coloradans.
- Here is my plan to protect our great outdoors:
- My Plan for Enhancing America’s Outdoor Recreational Experiences
- Oppose the Selling Off of Federal Lands — Federal lands are places where we can enjoy the outdoors through a wide variety of activities, such as hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, boating, rafting, climbing, kayaking, biking, and skiing. The Trump Administration continues to diminish the federal lands estate, shrinking national monuments and repealing sensible protections for fish and wildlife habitats in National Forests and Bureau of Land Management lands. When I’m a U.S. Senator, I will fight any efforts to diminish the scope and quality of our land, water, and outdoor resources. I will convene local, state, and tribal leaders to engage with federal agencies in the decision-making processes that impact public lands.
- Address the Maintenance Backlog of the National Parks — Due to the lack of adequate investment by Congress, the maintenance backlog for the National Parks now stands at nearly $12 billion. This inaction on improving the safety and cleanliness of our parks is unfair to all of the Americans who visit our National Parks each year. Eliminating the backlog as soon as possible should be one of the Senate’s foremost priorities so that Coloradans can thoroughly enjoy their visits to our magnificent national parks and national monuments.
- Fully Fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) — This fund, established in 1964 and authorized at $900 million annually, has been fully funded only twice. The LWCF has broad support among environmentalists, conservationists, and outdoor sports and recreation communities. As Senator, I will push to fully fund the LWCF every year, and pledge to go even a step further: I will work with my colleagues in Congress to pass legislation that makes its funding automatic and not subject to the political gamesmanship and partisan bickering that we’ve seen under Senator Gardner and Senator McConnell.
- Expand Public Access to Federal Lands — Members of the public often don’t have sufficient access to federal lands. That is why I support dedicating 3% of the Land and Water Conservation Fund to be used each year to expand public access to federal lands and make exploring our great outdoor spaces even more fun and accessible. When I was Governor, we developed a “Colorado the Beautiful” plan to bring people closer than ever to the outdoors by mapping over 39,000 miles of trails across the state and placing them in a mobile app for easy exploring. In the Senate, I’ll make sure that federal agencies are working with local agencies and the outdoor sports and recreation industry to invest in innovative projects that increase access to and equity in the outdoors. By breaking down the barriers that prevent entry to the outdoors for communities of color and for low-income Coloradans, we can all share the amazing benefits of time spent exploring the landscapes that make our state unique.
- My Plan for Promoting Colorado’s Outdoor Industry
- Colorado is fortunate to be the home of numerous outdoor industries, the Outdoor Industry Association, and the annual Outdoor Retailer convention. These industries support the outdoor lifestyles of Coloradans and generate jobs and economic activity throughout our state. As Senator, I’ll push for the United States to bolster and diversify our rural economies by growing our outdoor sports and recreation industry. Equally important, numerous studies emphasize that increasing physical activity for our citizens would be one of the most effective investments we could make to reduce health-care costs.
- Pass the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act — The CORE Act was created by a broad cross-section of Coloradans and has the support of bipartisan elected officials from across the state, as well as business leaders, hunters, anglers, environmentalists, veterans, ranchers, conservationists, cyclists, hikers, and many others. Yet Senator Gardner has so far refused their pleas to support this much-needed bill. Despite the threat of a White House veto, I will stand strong with Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Joe Neguse to pass the CORE Act, which will preserve over 400,000 acres of public land, establish new wilderness areas, and honor our World War II veterans by protecting Camp Hale and designating it as a National Historic Landscape.
- End the Trade War — The current trade war is hurting Colorado’s outdoor businesses, as well as farmers and ranchers who depend on exports to sell their products. American consumers, businesses, and farmers are being caught in the crosshairs. This must end. The so-called 301 tariffs on outdoor products are not just raising the cost of goods made overseas; they also impact the parts of final products made domestically. In fact, they harm outdoor businesses that produce “Made in the USA” goods, potentially shifting their production overseas. I agree with Senator Jon Tester’s position that Congress should be empowered to weigh in on trade matters regardless of which party the president belongs to, so that we can ensure we are standing up for Colorado interests.
- Establish a National Recreation Office — Outdoor recreation has been shown to provide many economic benefits, as well as to boost mental and physical health. The United States should be doing all it can to educate and empower people to take advantage of the opportunities we have in this country. As part of my commitment to outdoor recreation, I established Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office in 2015. Fifteen states across the country have taken a similar step. As U.S. Senator, I will work to establish a federal Office of Outdoor Recreation, to be run jointly by the Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, and the Interior, as well as the White House Council on Environmental Quality, in order to promote outdoor recreation on federal lands, establish conservation and trade policies that grow the American outdoor industry, and provide matching funds to states that are inclined to establish their own outdoor recreation offices.
- My Plan for Addressing Today’s Most Pressing Conservation Challenges
- Protect Colorado’s Rare and Endangered Species — Coloradans are fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy the abundant wildlife that lives in and migrates through our state. But today, many species in Colorado are in trouble. I support the work of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Fish and Wildlife Resources, which recommends that Congress provide additional funding to states to conserve habitats for non-game species. As a result of the panel’s excellent work, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act has been introduced into Congress. With efforts like this, states like Colorado can gain the resources necessary to start to make the investments needed to conserve their non-game species.
- Secure Funding for National Fish Habitat Plans — Many Coloradans enjoy fishing our state’s magnificent lakes, rivers and streams every year. In addition to enriching our quality of life, this activity generates millions of dollars in revenue each year, creating jobs in Colorado and across the country. Yet we do not always take sufficient care of our fisheries, which jeopardizes recreational angling and the jobs that come with them. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan was established in 2006 from the National Fish Habitat Partnership to begin to address this problem. Since then, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided $19 million to support hundreds of on-the-ground projects. But much more needs to be done. I will support the bipartisan National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships Act and make federal funding available to keep our fishing traditions alive.
- Support Efforts to Improve the Climate Resilience of America’s Landscape — Maintaining the capacity of Colorado’s lands to provide for robust and diverse populations of fish and wildlife in the face of climate change and other threats will require investments to conserve and enhance millions of acres. We must support the conservation of large, unbroken blocks of high-quality habitat across vast landscapes. I will help to lead the fight in Congress to fund state-level climate change resilience-related landscape-scale conservation efforts. Moreover, because of the importance of local input to make progress on this issue, I will work to ensure that our federal and local agencies are coordinating on the implementation of these smart investments.
- Support State and Federal Efforts to Map and Conserve Wildlife Corridors — Wildlife corridors support healthy populations of migrating wildlife, both now and in the future — even as climate change shifts their habitats. But conserving migration corridors will require resources. I intend to make those resources available by increasing funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Conservation Easement Programs. In addition, I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to pass federal highway legislation that makes a meaningful investment in these projects.
- In 2012, Colorado became one of the first states in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults after voters approved Amendment 64. As Governor, our administration set a course to make Colorado the gold standard of marijuana legalization. Marijuana sales have helped to fund educational opportunities for kids, helped us to repair rural schools across Colorado, and created entrepreneurship opportunities where there used to be black markets.
- Despite Colorado’s actions, cannabis entrepreneurs and consumers still know the risk of current federal policies. Because of its classification as a Schedule I drug, cannabis businesses don’t have access to banking services. Our tax code penalizes marijuana businesses by not allowing them access to the same resources and tax benefits every other business has access to. Attempts to change these policies have grown from hushed whispers in the halls of Congress to loud pleas from Colorado business owners and consumers. Senator Gardner has failed to pass meaningful reform legislation in his own Republican-led Senate, and despite his supportive words, observers don’t believe we will actually pass meaningful reform until Democrats regain a Senate majority.
- If you can believe it, the federal government treats marijuana the same way it does heroin. As U.S. Senator, I will fight to remove cannabis from classification as a Schedule I drug. This would enable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health researchers to study and research marijuana’s potential medical uses.
- The road to passing legislation that supports cannabis entrepreneurs and decriminalizes marijuana runs through Colorado. My experience navigating marijuana legalization right here in Colorado will help me bring people together and finally effect change in Washington.
- We know that African American men have been disproportionately imprisoned for nonviolent marijuana crimes. That’s one of the many reasons why I believe we must decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, with the flexibility for states to determine whether or not to legalize it. We should not be putting people in jail for nonviolent marijuana crimes, and we must give other states the opportunity that Colorado had to create their own regulatory structure that works for their communities.
- I believe in an America where who you love or how you identify has no impact on your physical safety or ability to succeed. We will not achieve true equality in this country until that is the reality in which we all live. The Trump administration rolled back years of hard work with its regressive policies and targeted attacks on the basic civil rights of LGBTQ Americans. Senator Gardner is complicit by voting to appoint anti-LGBTQ judges to the bench and failing to support the Equality Act.
- Coloradans deserve a senator who will fight for them. I have been a staunch supporter of the LGBTQ community my entire adult life. As Governor, I was proud to sign a law to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act in Colorado to include same-sex partners. And before marriage equality was the law of the land, I called a special session of the General Assembly to pass civil unions here in Colorado. Republicans stonewalled that effort, but we passed civil unions a year later. We also updated the state’s prohibition on profiling for law enforcement to include sexual orientation and gender identity and implemented new rules in the Colorado Civil Rights Division to include additional protections for the LGBTQ community.
- I am proud of what we accomplished in Colorado, but we have a long way to go to achieve full equality. As recently as June 12, 2020, the Trump Administration finalized a rule to remove nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals, which puts transgender Americans particularly at risk. And despite this, Senator Gardner is silent in pushing back against President Trump’s relentless attacks on our LGBTQ communities. As one of One Colorado’s Pro-Equality candidates, I am committed to supporting a policy agenda that fully reflects today’s inclusive, intersectional movement for LGBTQ rights. If elected, I will advocate for legislation that protects LGBTQ individuals against discrimination and furthers the cause of equal rights for every American. Embracing different identities is what makes our society stronger.
- Pass the Equality Act — The Equality Act (H.R.5) is a commonsense proposal to update civil rights law and bring the existing patchwork of state regulations up to par. The legislation would strengthen non-discrimination protections in education, health care, housing, public services, and so much more. Sixty business associations and 70% of the American public support Congressional action on the Equality Act. While the House of Representatives passed the legislation on May 17, 2019, Mitch McConnell and Cory Gardner’s Senate has shown no intention of making this bill a law. As Senator, I will be a strong supporter of the Equality Act, because I believe that LGBTQ equality can’t wait another day.
- Strengthen Civil Rights Protections — Civil rights laws offer critical safeguards for individuals at higher risk of discrimination in society. It is unacceptable that in 2020, we still live in a country where Black trans women are brutally murdered and some school districts allow LGBTQ students to be bullied with impunity. As Senator, I will support funding for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, which prosecutes hate crimes and enforces anti-discrimination statutes that provide LGBTQ Americans an avenue for justice. I will vote to appoint judges who have a demonstrated record of upholding LGBTQ protections, to ensure that we can build on the legal progress we have made. I will support the Do No Harm Act, which will ensure no one can be denied services or health care based on who they are or whom they love. And I will push for rapid and consistent implementation of the Supreme Court’s landmark June 15 decision to ensure that LGBTQ Americans can enjoy the protections that Title VII provides them under the law.
- Boost Economic Security for LGBTQ Workers and Business Owners — As a former small business owner, I know how quickly employees become family. At the Wynkoop, our work family had no tolerance for harassment, but I realize this is not the case across the country. It is time to pass stronger workplace protections into law, so that no one can be discriminated against because of their identity. Current wage disparities for LGBTQ workers make it more difficult to cover rent or the cost of groceries, and 22% of LGBTQ Americans live in poverty, compared to 16% of cisgender straight Americans. We must raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and strengthen social safety net programs to level this uneven playing field. I am also an enthusiastic supporter of apprenticeship programs, which help all workers gain critical work experience and professional opportunities. And I support increasing access to capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs — including LGBTQ small business owners — because everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed.
- Protect Transgender Rights — Transgender Americans, particularly transgender individuals of color, suffer disproportionate levels of discrimination and harassment in this country. From housing to employment, transgender people are more likely to be marginalized, victimized, and have their needs disregarded. We are witnessing a human rights crisis in our own communities and Congress has a responsibility to act. The government, by lifting the ban on transgender people serving in the military and permitting transgender employees to use the restroom of their gender identity at federal offices, has demonstrated that progress is possible. These Obama-era decisions affirmed basic civil rights and improved the safety and economic future of untold numbers of Americans. But with President Trump using his office to undermine many of these hard-won protections, moral leadership from Congress is imperative. Furthermore, past progress belies how much farther we have yet to go. Inequality in the legal system, for example, is persistent and shocking. According to the 2015 Transgender Survey, transgender individuals are incarcerated at more than twice the rate of the general population, and nearly ten times more likely to be sexually assaulted while in prison. The abuse and mistreatment can be exacerbated in situations where individuals are housed according to the anatomy of their birth, rather than their gender identity, and denied gender-affirming health care, clothing, or other support. If elected to the U.S. Senate, I will stand with the transgender community in fighting these practices, as well as promoting legislation that upholds vital anti-discrimination protections for all transgender Americans.
- Address Discrimination Against LGBTQ Individuals of Color — In 2019, at least 27 transgender or gender non-conforming individuals were murdered. The majority were Black. The deadly intersection of racism, transphobia, and homophobia persists in our nation today, but no federal data set currently tracks the frequency and circumstances of these murders. Furthermore, in police reports, officers often dishonor the individual by using their deadname, rather than their real name, further complicating our understanding of the scope of these hate crimes and denying victims the justice they deserve. Congress should act by passing the LGBTQ Essential Data Act, which uses the CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System to track gender identity in violent deaths. As Senator, I will also support funding for culturally-competent trauma support for all LGBTQ individuals recovering from violence. Blatant racism is blinding us to the value of the lives being lost, the outrage we should all feel at a lack of justice, and the importance of acknowledging that Black lives matter includes Black trans lives. Congress needs to start acting like it.
- Expand Access to Inclusive Health Care — Health care is a human right. Yet even after the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), LGBTQ Americans are more likely to be uninsured than non-LGBTQ Americans. The numbers are even higher for transgender individuals and queer people of color. Introducing a public option to the insurance marketplace is an important step to expand coverage and increase affordability. But when 55 percent of LGBTQ Coloradans fear being treated differently by their provider, it is clear that insurance access is only a part of the problem. LGBTQ individuals deserve to receive gender-affirming and inclusive care, and Congress should expand competency training for physicians to address internal biases regarding gender and sexual orientation. Transgender Americans suffer inconsistent coverage for hormone replacement therapy and gender reassignment surgery, and refusal of care from providers or insurers as recently announced by the Trump administration. Congress can step in to equalize access to medically necessary treatments and discrimination-free care. Finally, I support ending the FDA’s restriction on blood donations from men who have sex with men. It is an antiquated policy that embodies the legacy of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in the medical community. We can further public health by shifting our focus to science-based blood donation standards. By focusing on these standards, we can not only ensure the highest level of safety for blood donations from every donor, but also help to reduce any stigma associated with blood donation from LGBTQ individuals.
- Fund HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research — HIV is an epidemic that has claimed 700,000 lives since 1981 and continues to infect new Americans today. More than 1,100,000 people currently live with HIV, and new infections disproportionately impact communities of color. Federal programs such as Ryan White and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) have helped make significant progress against this disease, both at home and abroad, and should have the full support of Congress. The development of drugs that reduce rates of transmission was a watershed moment in the fight against HIV. Congress can make pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) more available and affordable through legislation such as the PrEP Access and Coverage Act, as well as by funding grants to nonprofits in Colorado working to improve community health. Finally, we must continue to protect the ACA, which expanded coverage and treatment options for HIV-positive Americans, and is under attack by President Trump and the Republican-led Senate.
- Support LGBTQ Youth — LGBTQ youth are twice as likely as their peers to experience physical assault and 92% report hearing negative societal messages about their identity. Those who experience victimization are 2.5 times more likely to attempt self-harm. This is unacceptable. All children and young adults deserve to grow up in safe, accepting communities. We know which interventions work — we simply must find the political will to act. Doing so can save many young lives. First, we should start by banning conversion therapy — like we did here in Colorado — across the nation. Second, we must adequately fund mental health, counseling, and suicide prevention efforts. Third, Congress should support housing vouchers and community-based temporary shelter programs to address homelessness, as LGBTQ individuals account for up to 40% of the homeless youth population. Fourth, we can make it easier to change legal identification documents for individuals who are transitioning. Fifth and finally, the Department of Education should be a leader in protecting the rights of LGBTQ youth and funding LGBTQ training for educators. It has shirked its duty to support and protect students under Secretary Betsy DeVos. Since 2017, for example, Secretary DeVos dismissed every Title IX case presented to the department on behalf of transgender students and their right to use the restroom associated with their gender identity. Such discrimination can make school a traumatizing environment, and children can’t learn when they don’t feel safe. The Department has a responsibility to hold school districts accountable for incidences of bullying, exclusion, and harassment against LGBTQ students.
- Reverse President Trump’s Discriminatory Agenda — President Trump and his administration have spent the past four years systematically undermining the civil rights of the LGBTQ community. The president’s resume is one discriminatory policy after another: a ban against transgender individuals serving in the military, declining to appoint an LGBTQ liaison at the White House, failing to pursue discrimination complaints filed by transgender students, and so many others. In June, his administration announced the intention to redefine “sex discrimination” to exclude gender identity, reversing the Obama-era protection included in section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. The atrocious policy decisions of this president and his allies in Congress must not be allowed to stand. But it is not enough to just go back to where we were before. If elected Senator, in addition to reversing Trump’s agenda of hate, I vow to work with activists and allies to pass proactive legislation that truly advances the cause of equality for the entire LBGTQ community.
- Comprehensive immigration reform is long overdue. Seven years ago, we had a bipartisan agreement on immigration and border security — but, as usual, Washington put politics ahead of results. Only in Congress could politicians fail to do anything on a subject where they had agreement.
- President Trump has made matters worse by creating a humanitarian crisis at our southern border — separating children from their families and placing them in cages, allowing legitimate claims for asylum to go unheard, and using humanitarian aid for the Northern Triangle as a bargaining chip. His administration is wasting tens of billions of dollars on an ineffective border wall and the deportation of law-abiding, long-term residents. The broken immigration system is hurting our economy and creating a culture of fear that makes all Americans less safe. By supporting President Trump’s policies, Senator Gardner is making our problems worse.
- As Governor, I took decisive action to address our immigration challenges while keeping Coloradans safe. I signed historic legislation granting in-state tuition to DREAMers — one of the first such bills in the nation. I initiated a new program to make our roads safer by granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, which makes it easier for people to have car insurance and pass the same safe driving tests required of everyone else. And I actively opposed Trump’s horrific decision to end DACA.
- Meanwhile, in Washington, when we were on the cusp of passing bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform, Senator Gardner opposed it and helped block its passage in the House. We had a bipartisan agreement on both immigration and border security, but, as usual, Washington put politics ahead of results.
- We need to adequately fund our current immigration system so that lawyers, interpreters, and judges can provide timely and fair adjudication for the nearly one million pending cases. We need to immediately establish processing centers for families at our southern border and fully restore humanitarian and security aid to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Finally, we must provide overdue refugee assistance and access to medical services for immigrant families.
- In the long term, our country will be more secure if we enact common-sense immigration reform that achieves the dual objective of creating a pathway to citizenship while ensuring border security and protecting American workers. It is within the power of the U.S. Senate to act on this issue and requires political will that Senator Gardner has seemed to be unable to muster.
- If elected to the Senate, I am committed to reversing the Trump Administration’s harmful immigration agenda and helping to restore humanity to a broken system.
- National Security & Veterans
- Our government has no more profound obligation than protecting our national security.
- My four-pillar approach to national security and foreign policy builds on my experiences as a Governor, as a Mayor, and as a small businessman. These pillars include: a clear-eyed identification of our threats and a willingness to honestly confront them as a united country; strengthening our global alliances and partnerships; modernizing our military, defense, and intelligence capabilities to face longstanding and new challenges; and realigning foreign policy to once again reflect American leadership. By virtually every measure, President Trump has made us less safe and has compromised our national security interests. A broken and dysfunctional Senate has helped to further a foreign policy that lacks planning, precision, allies, a persuasive rationale, and coherence. As a result, the U.S. lurches from reckless decision to looming crisis, and that includes the COVID-19 pandemic, a global health crisis unmatched in our lifetime.
- Time and time again, a Republican-led Senate has enabled the President’s recklessness through active support and willful abdication of their responsibility to rein him in.
- Our security begins with those who wear our uniform and are willing to sacrifice for our nation. Colorado is home to six U.S. military bases, including NORAD. As Governor, I oversaw in-state deployments of the National Guard to Afghanistan, including those who trained for duty right here in Colorado at the High-Altitude ARNG Aviation Training Site (HAATS).
- We owe a priceless debt to those in active service and to our veterans. Too often, we fail them. Over 40,000 veterans are experiencing homelessness at any time in our country. Access to health care and job training can help ease this transition to civilian life, and I pledge to support funding for these programs as Senator. I believe we should do as we did in Colorado, ensuring that universities award academic credit for various relevant skills veterans acquire while serving our nation. When veterans are finished with their service, they deserve priority in training that helps them get high-quality jobs and re-enter civilian life more easily.
- We also need to do more to modernize the VA to better serve our nation’s heroes — whether it’s reducing paperwork and expanding telehealth, or recognizing the needs of women veterans and supporting survivors of military sexual trauma. We also must end the claims backlog to help veterans quickly access the benefits they’ve earned.
- Because we’ve made great strides in health care, more veterans survive combat injuries today than did in previous generations. We need to improve and adapt the care they can receive for these injuries — including the invisible ones. An average of 20 veterans die each day of suicide — an epidemic that we must end.
- As a Senator, I will continue to turn this commitment to our military and veterans into action, and fight to ensure that we maintain a quantitative and qualitative military and intelligence advantage over every possible adversary.
- The United States has a long history of racism, segregation, and legalized oppression based on skin color. The economic disadvantages associated with race are varied, and persist to this day. Any form of discrimination, either overt or covert, has no place in our state or country. We must ensure all people have access to quality education, a strong social safety net, family-sustaining jobs, and physical security. I am committed to working hand-in-hand with communities of color to design economically just reforms that make an impact on the legacy of inequality that has plagued our country for generations.
- For the entirety of my career in public life, I have been committed to increasing the size of the table so that everyone has a seat. When I was mayor of Denver, nearly 60% of my cabinet appointments were women, and more than half were people of color. My predecessor, Mayor Wellington Webb, connected our team with leading organizations that became invaluable partners in supporting our agenda of diversity and inclusion. As governor, I put special effort into making sure that every state board and commission more accurately reflected the diversity of Colorado’s population.
- My Equity For All plan is a continuation of this work and a commitment to the people of Colorado. Every individual deserves to live in a country where biases against race do not determine their opportunity to succeed. Whether in health care, the economy, the legal system, the environment, or our democracy, greater equity is not optional — it is required. We have a moral imperative to do far better than we ever have before, and I am committed to being a fierce advocate in this fight.
- INCREASING HEALTH EQUITY
- Improve Access to Health Care: Health care is a right, not a privilege. As governor, I was proud to bring lawmakers together from both sides of the aisle to expand Medicaid for an additional 400,000 Coloradans. I also established our state exchange, Connect for Health Colorado, which allowed individuals to compare plans for quality and affordability. In the process, we cut the uninsured rate by nearly two-thirds.
- We worked hard to reach everyone, but there is more work to be done. As of 2019, 361,000 Coloradans still lacked health insurance — a quarter of whom are eligible for coverage under Medicaid. And, as of 2015, the Latinx community in Colorado was uninsured at three times the rate of white Coloradans. The final steps to universal coverage are among the most difficult, and largely depend on the outcome of November’s election. Senator Gardner and the Republican-led Senate have repeatedly voted to repeal the ACA and Medicaid expansion, and Gardner supports a lawsuit before the Supreme Court that could end protections for people with preexisting conditions — including 2.4 million Coloradans.
- If elected, I am committed to working towards affordable, universal coverage by introducing a public option that can boost competition in the marketplace and lower prices. I will also fight to cut the cost of prescription drugs and ensure that our vital social safety net programs such as mental health and substance abuse recovery services, as well as CHIP, Medicare, and Medicaid, have Congress’s full funding and support.
- Address Systemic Racism: Health care outcomes diverge dramatically based on race. This reality is rooted in structural biases, systemic racism, and decades of underinvestment in communities of color. It is not enough to simply expand the scope of coverage, we must change the nature of how care is provided to ensure more equal treatment for all. No policy proposal will be a panacea — the factors that contribute to these health disparities are as varied as they are damaging — but dedicated resources will absolutely help. We must research diseases where divergent outcomes are pronounced — including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and infant mortality — to better understand their roots. Congress should appropriate funds for programs addressing the social determinants of health, including nutritious food, public transportation, and safe spaces for physical activity. Medical schools must play their part by prioritizing diversity and inclusion when recruiting the next generation of practitioners, and curriculums should provide thorough training in identifying and correcting biases in care. Finally, important bills such as the Health Equity and Accountability Act, a collaborative effort to reduce inequalities in health care that has been reintroduced each Congress for 13 years, should finally have the chance to become law.
- Close Gaps in COVID-19 Outcomes: The coronavirus is highlighting the glaring inequalities in our healthcare system. Black Coloradans make up nearly 4% of the state’s population yet account for 7.6% of coronavirus cases. Latinx Coloradans are 22% of the population and make up 35% of the state’s positive cases. This is unacceptable. Coloradans of color are particularly vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 because they are more likely to be essential workers in this pandemic, and it is vital that they have the protective equipment they need to do their jobs safely. Furthermore, study after study shows that Black and Latinx Americans are dying of coronavirus at significantly higher rates than white Americans. Adequate testing, robust contact tracing, and social distancing are essential components to address any outbreak, but to get to the source of these divergent outcomes, we also must address the structural inequities in our healthcare system. Rooting out biases can and should continue far beyond the search for a vaccine.
- Fight for Reproductive Rights: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) marked a dramatic advancement for reproductive rights in this country, with childbirth no longer classified as a “pre-existing condition” and significantly reducing or eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for birth control. Yet gaps in coverage and access persist in communities of color, particularly during pregnancy. The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the industrialized world, and Black women die three to four times more often than white women when giving birth. Women of color deserve equal access to high-quality, patient-centered care, both of which I am committed to fighting for as senator. This means gathering data about maternal mortality, investing in culturally-sensitive perinatal care and doula training, extending Medicaid coverage for new mothers to one year, and using innovative payment models to incentivize improved outcomes. As senator, I pledge to protect the right to choose, fully fund critical government programs for reproductive health such as Title X, and work to reduce racial disparities across the spectrum of reproductive care.
- EXPANDING ECONOMIC EQUITY
- Strengthen the Safety Net for Workers: Persistent efforts to weaken the social safety net — too often led, unfortunately, by Republicans in Congress — have contributed to the chronically high levels of poverty in our nation. These trends have only worsened as workers grapple with low hourly wages, lack of health insurance, and few workforce protections.
- The economic gap across racial lines is a constant reminder of the work that must be done to address poverty and support equality nationwide. Unions have been critical partners in this regard, nearly doubling wealth for union members as compared to nonmembers — particularly members of color. Workers cannot get ahead without affordable childcare, paid family leave, and fair compensation, including raising the minimum wage to $15. For individuals of color with disabilities, the barriers to economic opportunity can be even steeper, and tailored career, education, and financial support is necessary to foster more equal outcomes.
- Outside of the workplace, investments in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are critical, to keep working families healthy and fed. Our nation’s public transportation system, which many workers rely on to reach their jobs, is in dire need of repair. Finally, we should use the opportunity zone framework to prioritize federal investment in marginalized communities that face maintenance, safety, and water challenges. We must collectively fight for a future where all people have access to economic opportunities. A strong safety net helps bring those opportunities closer.
- Invest in Education: Education is one of the best investments we can make in our kids. As a public school parent, I am keenly aware of the particular power that public schools have to equalize opportunity for all students. As mayor of Denver, I helped lead the successful effort to establish the Denver Preschool Program, which provides free early childhood education to Denver families. As senator, I will work to ensure every student can benefit from the foundation for future success that education provides.
- This includes closing the achievement gap by expanding literacy opportunities, promoting STEM learning for students of color, funding Head Start and full-day kindergarten, supporting the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), recruiting and retaining teachers of color, and so much more. We must also end the “school-to-prison pipeline,” in which students – sometimes as young as three – are disciplined under “zero tolerance policies” and suspended or expelled. Our public education system needs adequate funding to provide the type of enriching academic environment that is so vital to eliminate this practice.
- College affordability is another major hurdle for students. Expanded loan repayment and forgiveness programs, tuition-free community college, and investment in minority-serving scholarship programs such as TRIO and Gear Up are a big step in the right direction. For students who go to college but are unable to complete their degree, we must collect quality data on racial disparities in graduation rates as well as policy interventions that work best to address these gaps. Historically Black colleges and universities and native, tribal and indigenous educational institutions do important work to address discrimination in education, and I am committed to making sure they have the funding they need to continue their vital missions.
- Boost Skills Training: Apprenticeships are a great tool for equalizing access to employment for all Americans. Currently, only 37% of young people in the United States complete a four-year degree. Apprenticeships offer an attractive bridge — or alternative — to postsecondary education. As governor, I helped establish CareerWise in Colorado, a job training program that works to provide students with valuable work experience, a paycheck in the tens of thousands, and free college credit—all while still in high school. As senator, I will fight to close employment gaps for communities of color by providing diverse cohorts of students the on-the-job skills training they need to succeed in the economy of the future.
- Support Entrepreneurs of Color: Minority-owned small businesses are engines of employment and powerful agents of economic growth in their communities. Yet access to capital, which is a big challenge for any small business owner, is particularly difficult for entrepreneurs of color. Minority entrepreneurs are less likely to be approved for business loans or to receive investment than firms owned by white Americans. Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) step in to fill these gaps, and should receive full financial support from Congress. The economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic has made funding particularly challenging to access these days, and by and large, relief efforts have not been designed with minority-owned small businesses in mind. I proposed a COVID-19 recovery plan that would set aside funding, including for businesses with 20 or fewer employees, which represent 88% of all small businesses, and give priority to minority- and women-owned businesses in particular. We must do all we can to make sure that minority entrepreneurs have the support they need to weather this crisis.
- Address Housing Inequality: Affordable housing is a fundamental necessity. Yet decades of segregationist and racist housing policies have left communities of color more housing insecure than their white peers. Expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and compliance with the 1968 Fair Housing Act are critical steps towards reducing this disparity. If elected senator, I will also push for the inclusion of affordable housing in any major infrastructure package we consider, and hold lenders accountable for predatory housing loans.
- SECURING LEGAL EQUITY
- Overhaul the Immigration System: Our immigration system is a mess. Children have been held in cages at the southern border, the future of DACA recipients hangs in the balance, and President Trump is using the coronavirus as an excuse to turn away anyone seeking to immigrate. Many of these stories are wrenching. The last time Congress came close to passing comprehensive immigration reform was 2013, when then-Representative Gardner opposed the bill and helped block its passage in the House of Representatives. Our country cannot afford to wait any longer for the Republican-led Senate to find its conscience. Change needs to come now. Change needs to come for the one million pending immigration cases languishing in our underfunded courts system. Change needs to come for the businesses and farmers who depend on consistency yet receive none from our current visa program. And change needs to come for the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants and 700,000 Dreamers whose lives are being upended by this administration. These individuals are enmeshed in our communities, they have families and pay taxes, and they deserve a pathway to citizenship. If we can invite this change by passing comprehensive immigration reform, we can do justice to our legacy as a nation of immigrants.
- Addressing Police Brutality: Videos of Black and Brown Americans being shot and brutalized should awaken outrage in every individual. I stand in solidarity with those who seek justice. In communities of color, playing in the park, asking for roadside assistance, relaxing at home, or even reporting on live television—raises the specter of discrimination and violence at the hands of police in a way it never does for other Americans. As mayor of Denver, police reform was one of our central priorities. Ten years before Ferguson, we initiated efforts to reduce lethal force in policing, requiring all officers to go through crisis de-escalation training. For the first time in the history of the Denver Police Department, we hired a minority recruiter and established the Office of Independent Monitor to investigate allegations of police misconduct. We created the Civilian Oversight Commission to give communities direct input on how their own neighborhoods are policed, and we made it easier to discipline officers who use excessive force. What we did wasn’t perfect and there is so much more work to be done, locally and nationally, but we listened to communities of color. We tried to gain a greater understanding of the challenges they face, and we worked together towards a common goal. All of this needs to be done on a much larger scale today as the use of deadly force against Black and Brown Americans by police continues to be an epidemic in our country. There are tangible steps Congress can and must take to stop the violence, including requiring body cameras for all police officers, swiftly disciplining officers who use excessive force, increasing transparency in policing data, and funding programs to heal the trauma of communities living in fear. As senator, I am committed to working with communities of color to address the fear and mistrust of law enforcement, to fiercely advocate for proper police training, and to increase accountability and oversight. People have a right to be safe, unafraid, and secure in their communities. And people have a right to not be victimized in their day-to-day lives or when they peacefully protest injustice. As a country, we have tolerated systemic racism and a broken criminal justice system for far too long. Now more than ever, we must listen to one another and ask ourselves what we can do to be a part of the solution. I pledge to do my part.
- Restructuring our Criminal Justice System: Our country incarcerates 22% of the world’s prisoners—the highest rate in the world, and disproportionately incarcerates people of color. 23% of all inmates in the state or federal prison system are Latinx, and 33% are African American. For too many, the criminal justice system is anything but just. As senator, I will work to address these disparities by supporting legislation such as Bobby Scott’s SAFE Justice Act, which offers an evidence-based prevention approach alongside tangible proposals to reduce recidivism and increase sentencing alternatives, including restorative justice. In addition, physical and verbal harassment against people of color, particularly LGBTQ individuals and, more recently, members of the AAPI community, are a form of overt discrimination that should never be tolerated. We must partner with police departments to close gaps that prevent the reporting and enforcement of existing bias crime laws, such as strengthening the tracking and reporting of hate crimes. Restructuring at all levels will be essential to ensuring that both public safety and social equality are protected.
- Decriminalize Marijuana: The movement for legalization gained steam across the country after Coloradans took decisive action to legalize marijuana in 2012. The implications for the justice system are massive. We know that African American men have been disproportionately imprisoned for nonviolent marijuana crimes. That’s one of the many reasons why I believe we must decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, with the flexibility for states to determine whether or not to legalize it. We should not be putting people in jail for nonviolent marijuana crimes, and we should evaluate sentences for those who were incarcerated prior to legalization. And in states like Colorado where marijuana is legal, we should work to level the playing field with regards to access to capital for entrepreneurs of color in the cannabis industry. All aspiring business owners should be able to take advantage of the economic opportunity this burgeoning industry presents, should they choose to do so.
- Promote Gun Safety: Over the past decade, more than 1.2 million Americans have been shot and millions more traumatized by gun violence. It is a national crisis, and one that disproportionately impacts communities of color. Latinx Americans are nearly twice as likely to die from gun violence as white Americans, while Black Americans are ten times as likely. We can and must take action by implementing universal background checks, passing red flag laws, banning assault weapons, and funding gun violence prevention research. Federal action on this front is astonishingly overdue and will make all communities safer.
- GROWING ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY
- Support Environmental Justice: Climate change and environmental pollution affect all Americans, but they impact people of color and indigenous communities in an outsized way. According to the NAACP, “race – even more than class – is the number one indicator for the placement of toxic facilities in this country.” Air and water pollution cause higher rates of associated illnesses. The need to ensure that communities can rely on a clean water supply was devastatingly apparent in the failure of government in Flint, Michigan and is playing out again amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic. Fighting for a cleaner planet is irrevocably intertwined with racial justice. As senator, I will approach any climate or environmental policy from the perspective of civil rights and look forward to working with communities of color to design more inclusive, equitable solutions.
- Expand Access to Public Lands: Colorado is defined by our wild places. In the Senate, I’ll fight to make sure that federal agencies are working with local agencies and the outdoor sports and recreation industry to invest in innovative projects that increase access to and equity in the outdoors. In addition, I will support initiatives to promote hiring a diverse workforce within the National Park Service and associated agencies. By breaking down the barriers that prevent entry to the outdoors for communities of color, we can all share the amazing benefits of time spent exploring the landscapes that make our state unique.
- PROTECTING DEMOCRATIC EQUITY
- Reduce Barriers to the Political Process: Voting is the backbone of our democracy. When I was governor, I worked with the legislature to make sure that every eligible registered voter in Colorado gets a mail-in ballot, and we made it so that voters can register to vote online, and at any time — even on Election Day. Automatic voter registration, mail-in ballots, and fixing the Voting Rights Act — which has been gutted of its protections for communities of color by the Supreme Court — will work to make voter suppression a relic of the past and hold our leaders accountable. It is also essential that every resident gets counted by the U.S. Census. In 2010, 2.1% of Black Americans and 1.5% of Latinx Americans were not counted, which impacted how federal dollars were spent and congressional seats apportioned. In 2020, Colorado is at risk of losing $48–$193 million in federal spending if significant undercounting occurs. We can close this gap by providing more funding for the census to reach as many residents as possible. Policies that promote civic engagement help everyone participate in our democracy, and lead to political outcomes that address injustice by genuinely reflecting the will of the people.
- Pledge Continued Engagement: Collaboration with, and leadership from, communities of color will be essential to achieving any of the policy objectives I have mentioned. Throughout my tenure as mayor of Denver and governor of Colorado, I relied heavily on advocates in communities of color to develop and implement our agenda to build a more welcoming and diverse state. We must not only fight for legislation that creates a fairer America, we should also lift up and celebrate the arts and traditions of communities of color that intertwine to form America’s cultural fabric. If elected to the U.S. Senate, I hope to continue this collaborative working relationship, maintaining open lines of communication to craft policies that will help make America a more equitable place to live.
- We are living in a moment unlike any other. Widespread protests against the murder of Black Americans are calling attention to the legacy of institutional racism and police brutality in this country. COVID-19 is sweeping the globe, shuttering our economy and causing levels of unemployment not seen since the Great Depression. And we have a president who attempts to influence judicial proceedings, willfully ignores foreign interference in U.S. elections, and enriches himself at public expense. The status quo is no longer working for most Americans — if it ever did.
- It’s clear that decades of weakening campaign finance laws have made our government broken and dysfunctional. Dark money floods our elections, influencing the outcome of races up and down the ballot. Americans’ trust in their government is at an all-time low, and who could blame us for feeling that way? Washington politicians stand by while corporate money lines their pockets and nothing gets done. Meanwhile voters, striving for change, wait for hours to cast their ballot, submitting to tactics of modern-day voter suppression that inordinately impact communities of color. This cannot and must not be allowed to stand.
- Congress must find the political will that we had in Colorado to make our election system reflect our values. When I was Governor, I worked with the legislature to make sure every eligible registered voter in Colorado gets a mail-in ballot. We also changed the rules so voters can register to vote online, and at any time — even on Election Day. These policies strengthen our democracy and help hold elected officials accountable. I pledge to do what bought-off politicians won’t: get money out of politics, make voting easy, safe, and fair, and hold government accountable.
- When I get to the Senate, one of my first priorities will be working to pass the For The People Act, the most sweeping campaign finance, voting rights, and ethics reforms since Watergate. The For the People Act (H.R.1, S.949) proposes to reform money in politics by bolstering public financing and donor disclosure provisions. It strengthens our elections by addressing regulatory barriers to voting and creating a system of automatic voter registration. And it bolsters accountability by closing lobbying loopholes and requiring greater transparency from government officials. This bill was passed in the House with unanimous Democratic support and has been cosponsored in the Senate by every Democratic Senator, but has been blocked by Mitch McConnell and Cory Gardner for over a year. I support swift action on the For the People Act to curb the influence of special interests in our government and make it easier for all eligible voters to have a say in our democracy.
- This is a moment where making our voices heard is vital. For too long, the powerful in this country have tipped the scales of political interests to get ahead at the expense of working Americans. This injustice needs to end. The current social upheaval is a clarion call; a time to set new, higher standards for our democracy; a time to put power back in the hands of people. If elected, I commit to fight for reforms that will finally make our government work for all citizens.
- GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS
- Refuse Corporate PAC Money — Support from corporate PACs is one of the many ways that politicians become beholden to special interests once they are elected to office. Unlike Senator Gardner, who has taken over $5.4 million from corporate PACs, I have pledged not to accept any corporate PAC money throughout this campaign and when I am in office. I am committed to putting power back in the hands of people, not special interests.
- Overturn Citizens United — The 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC opened the door to dark money and corporate influence that have corrupted our institutions. But corporations are not people, plain and simple.In the Senate, I will fight to overturn Citizens United by passing the Democracy For All constitutional amendment to stop the flood of money to Washington. I am proud that my commitment to this effort has earned the endorsement of End Citizens United, a leading campaign finance reform organization, and look forward to working together to get money out of politics.
- Increase Donor Transparency — Dark money groups have devoted nearly $1 billion to influence U.S. elections over the last decade. Instead of reducing college debt or expanding health care coverage, those dollars have corroded the integrity of our democracy. We desperately need greater transparency in election spending. I support the DISCLOSE Act, which requires outside groups to report campaign contributions greater than $10,000; the Real Time Transparency Act, which necessitates political campaigns and committees to disclose donor information to the FEC for donations over $1,000 within 48 hours; and the End Dark Money Act to close the “social welfare” loophole that hides the names of big donors to dark money groups. By reducing anonymity in our campaign finance system, we can shine a light on dark money and curb its influence in our elections.
- MAKE VOTING EASY, SAFE, AND FAIR
- Restore the Full Power of the Voting Rights Act — The U.S. has a long and shameful legacy of suppressing the vote of Americans of color. The 1965 Voting Rights Act was landmark legislation that reduced some of those barriers and held states accountable for racist efforts to limit voting access. In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down key provisions in the law, a regressive decision that undoes many hard-fought safeguards for communities of color. While the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) passed the House with bipartisan support last year, it has been held up in McConnell’s Senate. I support passing the VRAA to reinstate these core civil rights protections.
- Protect The Right to Vote for All Americans — From a President who baselessly attacks vote-by-mail, to the passage of discriminatory voter ID laws across the country, Republican voter suppression efforts are alive and well. The implications — hours-long lines, restrictive early voting, voters being deregistered without their consent, and misallocation of polling resources — disenfranchise all voters and disproportionately impact communities of color. Voting is every citizen’s fundamental right in a democracy. Bills such as the For the People Act will restore core protections to make it easier for all Americans to access this right.
- Expand Vote-By-Mail Options Nationwide — Colorado has been largely voting from home for seven years, with lower costs and higher turnout. In our state, no one has to miss work or find childcare simply to exercise their right to vote. Risk-limiting audits, a centralized signature database, and paper ballots keep it secure. Our experience with voting from home has laid the groundwork for just this moment, when mail-in voting options across the country could be vital to protecting Americans’ health — and the health of our democracy. I support giving states the resources they need to expand vote-by-mail programs, as well as bolstering the USPS so it can handle a surge of ballots this November. The House has taken action by passing $4 billion in election funding, but those proposals were killed in McConnell’s and Gardner’s Senate.
- Expand Voter Registration — I believe that voting should be as convenient as possible. That is why, as Governor, I established same-day voter registration and expanded early registration in Colorado and will fight to enact the same policies across the U.S. I also support doing nationally what we’ve done in Colorado by expanding early voting and restoring voting rights for those who have served time in prison and are reentering civic life. Finally, we must pass legislation to prevent the widespread purging of voter rolls, which, from 2010 to 2018, had disenfranchised over 1 million voters in Georgia elections and disproportionately targeted individuals of color.
- End Partisan Gerrymandering — In 2018, Colorado voters approved amendments to create an independent redistricting commission to end partisan gerrymandering. Our state could become a model for the nation when districts are redrawn after the 2020 census. In the meantime, I support Senator Michael Bennet’s Fair Maps Act, which prohibits partisan gerrymandering at the national level and provides guidance on redrawing and contesting maps. Voters should pick their elected officials, not the other way around.
- Protect Our Elections From Foreign Meddling — According to a U.S. Senate investigation, Russian hackers targeted the election systems of all 50 states in 2016. The importance of securing our elections against any tampering — foreign or domestic — cannot be overstated. This means modernizing our voting machines, requiring paper ballots, conducting routine risk assessments and post-election audits, and adequately funding our election systems, to name a few. Many of these protections were included in the SAFE Act, which passed the House nearly a year ago but has yet to be taken up in Sen. McConnell’s and Gardner’s Senate. We know what works to secure our elections, now it is time to act on it.
- Strengthen Election Cybersecurity — As Governor, I established the National Cybersecurity Center, so I know what it takes to enact strong online protections. I support bolstering the defense of our voting systems by investing in cybersecurity efforts to secure voter registration databases, voting machines, reporting websites, and other software vulnerable to meddling.
- Implement Safeguards Against Foreign Influence — Election hackers pose a very real risk, but why break in when the front door is unlocked? There are numerous loopholes that permit foreign actors to legally influence the outcome of our elections. I support passing the SHIELD Act, which would help prevent foreign actors from spending in U.S. elections, require reporting on offers of foreign assistance, and boost transparency in online advertisements.
- Address Disinformation Campaigns, Increase Transparency — Social media platforms were weaponized by Russia to sow misinformation and influence the outcome of the 2016 election. There is little doubt they will try to do the same this fall, yet the Senate has shown no willingness to act on legislation like the Honest Ads Act, which would help address this. As Senator, I would advocate for holding online advertisements to the same standard as television and radio ads, including transparency in where the money comes from and consequences for spreading disinformation.
- REDUCE CORPORATE INFLUENCE & STRENGTHEN GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT
- Ban Congress from Lobbying — 446 former members of Congress currently work as lobbyists. We will never release the stranglehold of corporations on Washington until we close this revolving door. If elected, I promise the voters of Colorado I will not treat my service on Capitol Hill as a job interview with special interests. I pledge to never lobby after the U.S. Senate, and I will work to hold all members of Congress to the same standard.
- Limit Conflicts of Interest — It is legal for members of the House of Representatives to serve on corporate boards, and individuals in both chambers can trade stocks in industries they regulate. The potential for conflicts of interest is breathtaking. If elected, I support bills that would put an end to these activities. I put my earnings from the Wynkoop in a blind trust upon my mayoral election in 2003, and I pledge to leave it there for the entirety of my career in elected service. I believe Members of Congress should always put the needs of the country before those of the publicly-traded companies to which they are financially connected. It should no longer be the other way around.
- Pass ‘For Cause’ Protections for Inspectors General — Congress created Inspectors General (IGs) to protect taxpayer dollars from departmental waste, fraud, and abuse. President Trump has politicized IGs by firing those with whom he disagrees. Congress has an obligation to protect every IG against undue interference from the powers he or she investigates. The current law allows the president to remove watchdogs without cause. I will push to pass “for-cause” protections in the Senate, which would require the president to justify the removal of an IG under a strict set of criteria such as criminal activity or negligence.
- Restructure the FEC — The FEC has a mandate to prevent corruption in campaign spending. So it is a problem that partisan squabbling in Congress has divided and undermined the agency. I support common sense reforms such as reducing the number of commissioners from six to five to prevent gridlock in decision making — with one nonpartisan appointee. Congress should also enforce term limits and strive to increase diversity in the body.
- Saving Our Small Businesses
- Half of small businesses only have about a two week cash buffer before they collapse, but most Colorado businesses have been asked to close through late April at the earliest as we work to flatten the curve of COVID-19. Washington said help was on the way but for far too many, it just hasn’t gotten there.
- Our smaller neighborhood businesses are particularly vulnerable. The relief bill includes $349 billion for loans to this beleaguered group — but there are huge problems. The lending rules have not been clear, and some banks don’t want to participate. Many community banks, especially in small towns and rural areas, are not approved as lenders. The smallest businesses who need help the most don’t have the lobbyists and accountants that bigger companies have on their side to navigate the system.
- The stakes could not be higher for our 630,000 small businesses in Colorado and the 1.1 million Coloradans they employ. We must accelerate our efforts to enable small businesses to keep workers on payroll, help households and small businesses survive, and build resilience and the foundation for a restart of our economy.
- Here are four actions we can and must take now to protect our small businesses:
- Boost the Small Business Administration’s Capacity — The SBA guarantees loans and oversees the loan forgiveness provisions. Already lenders have experienced impediments from SBA delays in providing guidelines and other critical information to make the loans and a breakdown in the SBA system for processing the loans. In many rural and small towns, the primary lenders are community banks that have not been fully included in the program. They ought to be added immediately. The SBA currently administers about $25 billion through this program, an average of about $2 billion per month, and is now looking at a rapid-scale increase up to $349 billion to be delivered in just two months — that’s nearly $175 billion per month!
- The relief package allocated funding for administrative purposes, and those funds must be used to enhance the SBA’s capacity. They’ve got to hire more people, and fast.
- Get Relief Out Quickly — Even under the most optimistic scenarios, the SBA loans may come too late to prevent many businesses from closing shop. But state emergency small business and nonprofit relief funds, as well as Community Development Finance Institutions, stand ready to help meet the urgent needs of small businesses and serve as a stopgap and intermediary for the distribution of federal funds. I support leveraging existing platforms, such as the Community Reinvestment Fund’s common loan applications for business and loan origination software, to address the small business liquidity and solvency crisis as quickly as humanly possible.
- Give the Smallest Small Businesses Tools to Succeed — We already know that the smallest businesses who don’t have accountants with the appropriate experience to help navigate the loan process are not as well positioned as the bigger companies. The cost of replacing 80% of all small businesses’ lost revenue for three months is estimated at more than $1.2 trillion. Congress must address this gap in its anticipated phase four relief bill and this time they should prioritize the smaller businesses. We should consider specific funding for businesses with less than 50 employees. The guiding principles of delivering additional funding should be speed and use of existing technology, information, and infrastructure wherever possible.
- Examples of this approach include “reverse payroll withholding,” which has been proposed by Erik Gerding of the University of Colorado Law School. Under this proposal, the IRS could use its existing FICA withholding process to disburse funds to small businesses quickly, leveraging available data such as bank routing numbers to make payments. The amount would be ten times the employer’s social security withholding from January of 2020, which would cover up to 62% of an employer’s payroll, under the premise that this money is used to pay workers. A coalition of financial technology (FinTech) leaders has proposed another means of direct stimulus funding for small businesses, utilizing the existing infrastructure of merchant accounts and card networks to deliver these funds immediately.
- Sow the Seeds of Broader Recovery — We must start planning for an eventual economic restart now, by taking actions such as working with the private sector to create capital pools and develop financial products that can continue to fund small businesses once the crisis has passed. We need to strengthen the small business safety net by exploring the creation of business interruption insurance related to pandemics.
- The COVID-19 relief bill passed with overwhelming support by both parties. Now we must act with equal urgency and bipartisanship to streamline and accelerate the delivery of those resources to the people and small businesses who need them most urgently. In a time of existential risk to our small businesses — which constitute the lifeblood of our economy — we need to be creative and bold to deliver desperately-needed funding much more rapidly.
- Introduction
- Education is one of the most important investments we make in our children and our nation. At best, it is a social equalizer and ticket to economic success, regardless of a student’s race, gender, or zip code. But decades of underinvestment in our public schools have made this goal more aspiration than reality. And COVID-19 has thrown the consequences of this systemic inequality, deprioritization, and neglect into stark relief, with an entire generation of learners at risk of falling far behind due to the pandemic. The education system today is one where educators are working longer hours for low pay, school infrastructure is crumbling — especially in rural and low-income areas — and students are being deprived of the resources they need to learn and grow. All the while, our nation’s shameful history of segregation is on full display, with children of color being disproportionately relegated to the underfunded and underperforming schools that have the fewest resources with which to navigate the pandemic.
- Betsy DeVos and the Trump administration — supported by Senator Cory Gardner — have made the situation worse. They have proposed funding cuts to public education systems in favor of unprecedented support to private schools that cater to the wealthy. They have actively undermined the civil rights of LGBTQ students and students with disabilities. They worked to erode Title IX protections against sexual harassment on campus. And they have made it harder for individuals defrauded by predatory institutions to have their student loans forgiven—while doing nothing about the student debt crisis plaguing our nation.
- Now COVID-19 is straining the system to its breaking point. By shuttering schools, the coronavirus has highlighted just how essential they are. In addition to learning and socialization, schools offer a safe place for kids while parents are at work, regular meals for students who otherwise might not get them, and support for the mental and physical health of Colorado’s young people. The pandemic has forced administrators to weigh the pitfalls of in-person instruction against remote models; parents to juggle work obligations with the learning needs of their children; educators and families to grapple with the broadband and technology requirements of an overnight transition to online education; and students to make sense of their new, socially-distant reality, with the most vulnerable becoming even more at-risk. While it is a difficult time for all Americans, the years of underinvestment in our education system have made the challenge of reopening our schools during COVID-19 especially acute.
- There is another way. If Congress makes education a priority, we would be able to recover in the short-term and rebuild a more resilient system in the long-term. As your senator, I commit to doing both. We must do what I did as mayor and work toward universal preschool, giving students across the country the benefit of what Denver now enjoys. We must invest in every aspect of our public schools, from educators to electives, with a focus on meeting the needs of historically underserved students and ensuring that a quality education is available to all. And we must make higher education more attainable, by increasing college affordability and expanding pathways to apprenticeships and skills training. I believe that a stronger, more inclusive education system is possible and look forward to getting it done in the U.S. Senate.
- INVEST IN EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING
- Ensure Universal Access to Early Childhood Education and Preschool: As a parent, I know that learning starts at birth. Early childhood education is one of the best investments we can make as a nation to help ensure that every child is prepared for kindergarten and beyond. In addition, we know that parents cannot work without access to high-quality, affordable child care. That is why, as mayor of Denver, I helped create the Denver Preschool Program, which established free, high-quality early childhood education for more than 55,000 Denver students. As senator, I would support Senator Patty Murray’s Child Care for Working Families Act, which would provide universal access to preschool for 3- and 4-year olds and help ensure that child care is affordable for all Colorado families.
- STRENGTHEN OUR K-12 SYSTEM
- Give Schools the Resources They Need to Reopen Safely: Our federal government has failed by nearly every metric in giving educators and parents the confidence that it is safe to reopen schools across the country. Instead, states and districts have been forced to fend for themselves. Schools desperately need funding to develop remote and hybrid learning plans, guide educators through this transition, equip students with laptops and hotspots to make remote instruction possible, ensure that students with disabilities and English language learners have tailored support, and meet families’ wraparound needs that are likely to grow during periods of high unemployment. These funds will also help schools without health centers or nurses — especially in rural neighborhoods and opportunity zones — to implement systems that keep students and educators safe and ensure proper health protocols are being followed. Finally, they will enable schools to provide the mental health support for staff and students that will be so essential to getting through this isolating and difficult time. It is clear that inequalities across districts that were present before COVID-19 are being exacerbated by the pandemic. The federal government has a role to play in filling those gaps, so that all schools, regardless of zip code, can facilitate a safe return to in-person instruction.
- The House passed the HEROES Act in May, which included essential funding for K-12 schools. In contrast, the Trump administration has threatened to blackmail schools into reopening, whether or not it makes sense to do so, and Senator Gardner has done nothing to stop that effort. This is unacceptable. Science must guide the decision to reopen, not political expediency, and Congress should provide states with the resources and guidance they need to make those decisions safely.
- Invest in Public Schools: As a public school parent, I am keenly aware of the particular power that public schools have to equalize opportunities for all students. Yet when public school funding is still far below what it was before the 2008 recession, we know we don’t have our priorities in order. Colorado took enormous strides by providing free, full day kindergarten in 2019, but our school systems will need additional support to make this type of progress nationwide. In the Senate, I will fight to ensure we are investing in our children’s education, particularly through Title I. Those much-needed dollars can help reduce class sizes, increase enrichment opportunities such as after-school and summer literacy programs, and expand free and reduced lunch programs and Breakfast After the Bell. In doing so, we will work to ensure that every child in America is receiving a world-class education, which prepares them to compete in an increasingly global and competitive market.
- In addition, I am committed to addressing funding disparities for schools serving students of color, low-income students, English learners, and students with disabilities. Investments in high-needs populations can help to prevent and address persistent achievement gaps between these groups and ensure that every child, no matter who they are or where they live, has access to the resources they need to succeed in school and in life. This funding was important before COVID-19 and is now essential if we are going to safely meet student and educator needs during the pandemic.
- Finally, we need a Secretary of Education who actually believes in public education. Senator Gardner voted to confirm Betsy DeVos, who sees public schools as a “dead end” and has done everything in her power to funnel resources to private schools instead. A strong advocate for public schools should be running the Department of Education to undo this administration’s damage.
- Invest in Teachers and Educators: The quality of a child’s teacher is the most significant school-level factor in determining student achievement. But in Colorado, our educators have some of the lowest salaries in the country and the lowest earning power. As senator, I would prioritize investments in educator salaries, training, and support to ensure that Colorado’s children have access to quality, well-paid teachers. Evidence shows that teachers of color improve outcomes for students of color, so Congress should facilitate the collection of data on the racial diversity of teacher training programs to determine how to better recruit, support, and retain underrepresented educators. The Senate can make these programs more accessible by offering loan forgiveness to educators in high-need areas. Finally, Congress should pass the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, to protect the right of public school staff to organize for union representation.
- Support Community Schools: In community schools, a holistic approach to learning acknowledges how much of education happens outside the classroom. Schools offer wraparound services to ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of every student. Parents engage as partners in their child’s academic achievement. Discipline becomes an opportunity to reinforce a positive school environment—not to mimic the criminalization of the justice system. And school leadership teams are diverse and inclusive. I support building on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to increase opportunities for public schools to take a community school approach.
- PROMOTE EQUITY IN EDUCATION
- End the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Students of color are disproportionately impacted by the “school-to-prison pipeline,” a practice in which students — sometimes as young as three — are disciplined under “zero-tolerance policies” and suspended or expelled. Studies show that this early criminalization can lead to adverse academic outcomes for students and increase the likelihood that students drop out of school and interact with the juvenile justice system. These harsh disciplinary policies are linked to limited resources in school systems, highlighting the importance of adequate funding to relieve the burden from educators who are stretched thin. In addition, Congress can help shift the focus from police to counselors in schools and incentivize restorative justice programs. When I was mayor, Denver Public Schools adopted a restorative justice program, which reduced suspensions by 50 percent and boosted graduation rates. It is work I look to build on in the U.S. Senate.
- Strengthen Supports for English Learners: In Colorado, English learners make up a high percentage of students in our K-12 public schools. Students learning English need targeted supports to help them excel in the classroom. However, federal resources have not kept pace with the increased percentage of English learners in our country. Congress should prioritize investments in Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to provide resources to school districts and schools serving high populations of English learners.
- Fulfill Our Commitment to IDEA: Despite its commitment to adequately fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal government has fallen short of its promises. As Senator, I would fight for investments in IDEA so that students with disabilities have access to a free, appropriate education, without school districts and the state having to foot the federal government’s portion of the bill.
- Protect the Civil Rights of LGTBQ Students: The Department of Education should be a leader in protecting the rights of LGBTQ youth and funding LGBTQ training for educators. It has shirked its duty to support students under Secretary Betsy DeVos. Since 2017, for example, Secretary DeVos dismissed every Title IX case presented to the department on behalf of transgender students and their right to use the restroom associated with their gender identity. Such discrimination can make school a traumatizing environment, and children can’t learn when they don’t feel safe. The department has a responsibility to hold school districts accountable for incidences of bullying, exclusion, and harassment against LGBTQ students.
- Advocate for Rural Schools: Rural schools face unique challenges, particularly during COVID-19, and internet access is at the top of the list. As governor, I was proud to expand broadband across the state, but we have not yet reached everyone. Many educators and families in rural communities still face internet access issues, which have hampered the transition to online learning during the pandemic and widened the digital divide. As senator, I will make expanding high-speed internet nationwide a key priority. In addition, there is incredible work being done by educators in rural Colorado and across the nation. In the U.S. Senate, I will encourage the Department of Education to find ways to connect these leaders to share best practices and access resources specifically designed to bridge learning outcomes between rural and urban communities.
- MAKE HIGHER EDUCATION MORE ACCESSIBLE
- Address College Affordability: Student loan debt is a crushing burden for tens of millions of Americans. It is larger than the GDP of 175 countries. This debt load limits future opportunities and is a drag on our economy. If elected to the U.S. Senate, I will fight to make higher education affordable for all Americans. This means ensuring service- and mission-based pathways to loan forgiveness by expanding Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). In addition, I support making community college accessible to all regardless of ability to pay, expanding Pell grant eligibility, investing in minority-serving scholarship programs such as TRIO and Gear Up, streamlining FAFSA, reducing the cost of student loans by allowing borrowers to refinance at a lower rate, strengthening protections for students and their families from predatory lenders, and accelerating the consideration by the Department of Education of federal student loan forgiveness requests. Education is the pipeline to opportunity, and, as senator, I would continue the commitment I made as governor to ensure that every Coloradan can afford to attend college and graduate.
- Support Equal Access to a College Degree: Minority-Serving Institutions, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Asian American & Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, do essential work to address discrimination in education. As your senator, I will make sure these institutions have the funding they need to continue their vital missions. And for students who go to college but are unable to complete their degree, we must collect quality data on racial disparities in graduation rates as well as policy interventions that work best to address these gaps.
- STREAMLINE TRANSITIONS TO THE WORKFORCE
- Expand the Use of Apprenticeships Nationwide: As governor, I pioneered a new way to organize and fund high-quality apprenticeships through CareerWise. The job training program works to provide students with valuable work experience, a paycheck in the tens of thousands, and free college credit—all while still in high school. In an effort to make the teacher corps better reflect the diversity of the student body, for example, CareerWise is helping train students as paraprofessionals, with the opportunity to receive credentials and preferential hiring at their high school upon graduation. The federal government should expand these types of opportunities so that more students can graduate with an industry-recognized credential or certificate that prepares them for success in higher education and the workforce.
- Support Alternative Paths to Higher Education: Congress can make higher education more accessible by incentivizing states to adopt concurrent enrollment programs, which enable students to take college credit while still in high school and can save families thousands of dollars in the process. In addition, as senator, I will work to expand access to high-quality career and technical education by providing more funding for the Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act. And I intend to build on my work establishing the Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH) program in Colorado as governor. These public-private partnerships offer students six years of training for both a high school and associate’s degree and have helped thousands in Colorado — many of whom are the first in their families to attend college — prepare for achievement in high-paying STEM careers.
- Prepare Students for Careers in Renewable Energy: Colorado has committed to 100% renewable energy by 2040. We will need students to graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary for 21st-century jobs in this sector. Congress should consider specific funding for skills training programs that can prepare students to contribute to reaching our climate goals while securing well-paying jobs that can help them provide for their families.
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Yea
John Hickenlooper/Joseph Garcia Incumbent
