Congress
Praise and protests after Colorado’s senators split vote on successful DeVos confirmation
WASHINGTON – Colorado’s two senators split their votes, just as the rest of their Senate colleagues did, in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ confirmation hearing.
Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote to confirm the controversial DeVos after the Senate’s vote ended in a 50-50 split. Continue reading
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet joins 24-hour Senate session in attempt to fight DeVos confirmation
WASHINGTON – Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet took the Senate floor Monday night to urge his colleagues not to confirm Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos to her prospective post as part of a round-the-clock effort by Senate Democrats to block her confirmation.
The Senate’s rules are allowing Democrats to drag out debate on DeVos’ confirmation by staying in session 24 hours a day, which Democrats said Monday they planned to do before a likely vote Tuesday.
DeVos is perhaps the least-likely of cabinet appointees to get the thumbs up from the Senate despite a handful of appointees Democrats have said are unfit for their positions.
She is a wealthy Republican donor who has spent little time involved in public education and who has in the past praised creationist theory in school.
Two Republican senators have already said they would not vote in favor of DeVos, but another Republican vote is likely necessary in order for her confirmation to be blocked.
Vice President Mike Pence would cast a tie-breaking vote in the event senators vote to a 50-50 tie on DeVos.
Sen. Bennet, a Democrat, took the floor Monday around 8 p.m. Eastern Time to say he will vote no on DeVos’ nomination and urged his colleagues to do the same.
“Ms. DeVos has shown no evidence of her commitment to be the torchbearer for both excellence and equity,” Bennet said Monday. “Her ideology and dogmatic approach conveys a lack of understanding and appreciation of the challenges we face and the depths of solutions they demand.”
Before his career in the Colorado and U.S. legislatures, Bennet served as the superintendent for Denver Public Schools. During that time, he stopped budgetary cuts at the district in 2008 and oversaw additional investment in early childhood education and kindergarten.
As a U.S. senator, Bennet sponsored the bipartisan Childcare Development Block Grant bill that helped streamline funding to childhood education programs.
DeVos has publicly supported for-profit charter schools and the privatization of some public schools.
“In Denver, we made a deal: Create a public choice system that authorizes charters, creates innovated schools and strengthens traditional schools,” Bennet said on the Senate floor Monday. “We empowered schools through autonomy and worked to create a system of shared learning and innovation focused on all ships rising.”
During her committee confirmation in January, Bennet said he hadn’t “heard anything that gives [Bennet] confidence that [DeVos] can lead us in the right direction for our kids.” She was confirmed by the committee on a party-line vote.
He doubled down Monday night.
“Ms. DeVos’ testimony and public record failed to establish her commitment or confidence to protect any of these foundational principles,” Bennet said. “Her ‘let 1,000 flowers bloom’ approach asks American schoolchildren to take a huge step backwards to a world without high expectations.”
Bennet is referring to the choice structure DeVos has in the past sought to implement in schools, which would in theory work like capitalism to let bad schools fizzle out.
A spokesperson for Colorado’s other senator, Republican Cory Gardner, said late last week the senator would not issue a statement on his vote until after it occurred. He has not indicated how he will vote, but has so far voted to confirm all new appointees under the Senate’s purview.
Bennet was expected to speak on the floor again around 11 p.m. MT. The floor session is being streamed live on CSPAN. A full transcript of Bennet’s earlier remarks can be read on Medium.
The confirmation hearing for Sen. Jeff Sessions, who was tapped for the attorney general position, is expected to draw similar concern from Democrats later this week.
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Colorado Rep. Lamborn’s bill would strip federal funding from NPR, Corp. for Public Broadcasting
WASHINGTON – Colorado Congressman Doug Lamborn introduced two resolutions this week that would strip hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding from National Public Radio and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that he says could be better spent on the U.S. military.
The two resolutions brought forth in the House of Representatives, HR 726 and HR 727, are not the first pieces of legislation aimed at defunding public media outlets. Lamborn sponsored a bill in the 112th Congress, which ran from 2010-11, that also stripped funding. It passed the House, but failed in the Senate. Continue reading
Colorado politicians, organizations react to Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to US Supreme Court
DENVER – Politicians and political organizations reacted swiftly Tuesday evening to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Colorado judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
If confirmed, Gorsuch would be the first Colorado Supreme Court justice since Byron White was picked by John F. Kennedy in 1962.
A roundup of reactions from Colorado’s members of Congress and other organizations:
Colorado’s House Republican delegation (Reps. Ken Buck, Scott Tipton, Mike Coffman, Doug Lamborn):
“The nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court is welcome news. Judge Gorsuch’s record in the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit shows that he will defend the original intent of our Founding Fathers and preserve the fundamental rights of Americans protected by the Constitution. It will be great to see a Coloradan serve on the country’s highest court, and considering he was confirmed for his current position by voice vote in the U.S. Senate in 2006, we encourage our Colorado colleagues in the U.S. Senate to support Judge Gorsuch’s swift confirmation.”
Rep. Ken Buck, R-CO:
“I commend the President’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created by the untimely death of Justice Antonin Scalia. I’m confident Judge Gorsuch will succeed in the Supreme Court because he holds sound judicial interpretation in such high regard. As a Coloradan, I know Mr. Gorsuch will take his common sense values with him to the nation’s highest court.”
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-CO:
“Judge Gorsuch is one of our country’s brightest legal minds with significant experience as a federal judge and a private litigator. A former Supreme Court clerk for Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy, Judge Gorsuch has learned from some of the most exceptional, disciplined, and faithful interpreters of the law. He is an ardent defender of the Constitution and he has the appropriate temperament to serve on the nation’s highest court. Judge Gorsuch also adds to the court’s Western perspective, with his understanding of uniquely Western issues like water and public lands issues. I’m enthusiastic about the native Coloradan’s nomination and will work to ensure that his confirmation process is fair, thorough, and expedient.”
Rep. Diana DeGette, D-CO:
“President Trump has repeatedly promised that his nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court would be someone who supports overturning Roe v. Wade. We have no reason to believe he has changed his mind. That’s what makes this nomination especially troubling for women all across the country. Judge Gorsuch needs to clarify his position on women’s right to access and determine their own reproductive health care at a time when seven in 10 Americans support a woman’s constitutionally-protected right to choose. Women have a lot to lose if a nominee opposed to Roe makes it to the highest court in the land. That’s why members of the Senate Judiciary Committee should closely question this nominee in the weeks and months ahead. The American people deserve to know where he stands.”
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-CO:
“While I have not had a chance to review Judge Neil Gorsuch’s record, I know Neil to be an honest and intelligent Coloradan. However, I will remain vigilant against any Supreme Court decision that turns back the clock on issues of liberty, equality and opportunity for all Americans.”
University of Colorado administrators, where Gorsuch has taught since 2008:
“We congratulate Judge Gorsuch on his nomination,” said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “His time spent teaching, advising and mentoring our students has been invaluable to our campus. He has embodied our goals at CU Boulder for ensuring student success and developing tomorrow’s leaders.”
“As a distinguished jurist, Judge Gorsuch has given his time, energy and talents to Colorado Law over the last eight years, and our students and alumni are fortunate that he has taught in our classrooms,” said Dean S. James Anaya. “He is an extremely accomplished example of our visiting faculty, who bring diverse perspectives to our school and model rigorous legal thinking for our students.”
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman:
“Judge Neil Gorsuch is an extremely qualified and well-respected U.S. Supreme Court nominee. He not only has a brilliant legal mind, but has both the experience and the temperament needed to serve on our nation’s highest court. Judge Gorsuch’s deep understanding and reverence of the law will serve him and the American people well.”
Colorado Republican Party:
“Tonight, President Trump fulfilled one of his biggest campaign promises to the American people by selecting federal appeals court Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, a mainstream conservative to serve on the United States Supreme Court,” said Colorado Republican Party State Chairman Steve House. “I am confident Neil Gorsuch will faithfully uphold the Constitution, protect our individual rights, and preserve the idea of limited government.”
ProgressNow Colorado:
“Neil Gorsuch is just the latest in a series of horrible choices by Donald Trump,” said ProgressNow Colorado executive director Ian Silverii. “Gorsuch’s fringe views on health care and contraception make him an enemy of Colorado women. On the Supreme Court, Gorsuch would be a vote to roll back women’s rights, environmental protections, and hard-won protections against discrimination in the workplace. Gorsuch has even been endorsed by the founder of the National Organization for Marriage, an anti-LGBT extremist group. Gorsuch may hail from Colorado, but his record stands in opposition to Colorado values.”
“The simple fact is that this Supreme Court appointment was stolen from President Obama last year in a shameful act of Republican treachery,” said Silverii. “No Democrat should in any way cooperate with or otherwise enable Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination, including Colorado Democrats. To do so would only hand Trump another undeserved victory.”
NARAL Pro-Choice America:
“With Judge Neil Gorsuch, the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to women and our lives. Gorsuch represents an existential threat to legal abortion in the United States and must never wear the robes of a Supreme Court justice.
“With a clear track record of supporting an agenda that undermines abortion access and endangers women, there is no doubt that Gorsuch is a direct threat to Roe v. Wade and the promise it holds for women’s equality. The fact that the court has repeatedly reaffirmed Roe over the past four decades would no longer matter, just as facts often don’t seem to matter to President Trump. Confirming Gorsuch to a lifetime on the Supreme Court would make good on Trump’s repeated promises to use his appointments to overturn Roe v. Wade and punish women.
“NARAL and our 1.2 million member-activists call on the Senate to reject Trump’s nominee using any and all available means, including the filibuster.”
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Hundreds of potential Colorado refugees, immigrants affected by Pres. Trump’s executive order
DENVER – Hundreds of people projected to come to Colorado this year will be affected by President Trump’s executive order barring refugees and people with visas from certain predominantly-Muslim countries.
The Colorado Department of Human Services projected in a report released in the past few months that a total of 2,195 refugees will arrive to Colorado in Fiscal Year 2017, which runs from October 2016 through September 2017. Continue reading
Denver Public Schools, educators denounce Trump’s immigration orders
DENVER – The backlash against President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration and refugees continued Thursday, as Denver Public Schools and other Colorado education and teachers associations publicly opposed the actions.
DPS, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, Padres & Jovenes Unidos and the Colorado Education Association issued a joint public statement Thursday morning saying they would protect immigrants and refugees in the Denver school system.
“We stand together – as a school district, educators, students and families – to oppose the actions President Trump has taken through his executive orders today. Immigrant and refugee students, families, educators, and staff are precious members of our Denver school communities and we greatly value them for the contributions they make to our schools and communities,” the joint statement said.
“We will do everything in our individual and collective power to protect them from deportation, criminalization, intimidation and harassment.”
The letter was signed by Padres & Jovenes Unidos co-executive directors Elsa Oliva Rocha, Pam Martinez and Ricardo Martinez; Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg; Denver Classroom Teachers Association Henry Roman and Colorado Education Association President Kerrie Dallman, who is also a teacher at Jefferson County High School.
Denver Public Schools is the state’s largest school district, and the Colorado Education Association is an organization comprised of tens of thousands of public educators in the state.
Likewise, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association has almost 3,000 members comprised of public educators, and Padres & Jovenes Unidos is an organization that fights for education equity and immigrant rights, among other social issues.
They join several Denver city council members and Democratic lawmakers and members of Congress to publicly denounce Trump’s actions, which would strip federal funding from any so-called “sanctuary city” that does not aid federal agents in identifying and deporting suspected undocumented immigrants, and would limit visas from certain predominantly-Muslim countries.
Several Colorado officials publicly called the orders unconstitutional Wednesday and called for their judicial review.
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Colorado officials say they’ll stand up to Trump’s immigration orders, but some Coloradans fearful
DENVER – President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday that would strip all federal funding from cities and counties, including several in Colorado, that do not help federal agents target and deport people specifically for living in the U.S. illegally.
Another order signed Wednesday will affect visas and immigration from a handful of predominantly-Muslim nations in Africa and the Middle East that have large immigrant populations in the Denver area, and is causing further concern and questions among those groups. Continue reading
Document detailing possible Trump infrastructure priorities includes Colo. I-70, I-25 improvements
DENVER – Two major Colorado infrastructure projects and an energy proposal with Colorado ties are among a list of nationwide infrastructure projects prioritized for federal funding under the Donald Trump administration, according to documents obtained by McClatchy DC and the Kansas City Star.
The documents show that among the projects proposed to be earmarked for federal funding are the I-70 Mountain Corridor, and improving and widening I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock. Continue reading
Report: Peyton Manning to speak at Republican retreat in Philadelphia
DENVER – Former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will be among the speakers at a joint House-Senate Republican retreat scheduled to start Wednesday in Philadelphia, according to Politico.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are also both expected to speak at the retreat, as is British Prime Minister Theresa May.
The retreat was set for Republicans on the Hill to hammer out a new agenda the party seeks to install, as it will hold the presidency, House and Senate for at least the next two years.
Manning donated to Jeb Bush during the Republican primaries, and had a picture taken with Donald Trump Jr. while the Trump campaign was in Mississippi.
While he has not publicly supported Trump, Manning has a history of donating to Tennessee Republicans, and gave money to George W. Bush in 2004 and Mitt Romney in 2012 for their presidential bids.
One of the Tennessee Republicans Manning has supported, Sen. Bob Corker, said he was looking forward to having Manning at the retreat and will introduce him to his colleagues.
“Peyton is a long-time friend, and I am excited to welcome him to this year’s congressional Republican policy retreat in Philadelphia,” said Corker in a statement. “Passing meaningful legislation takes a great deal of teamwork, a skill Peyton has certainly mastered throughout his football career.”
But Trump praised Manning in an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation” last year, saying he is a “very good guy.”
Manning has not publicly discussed what he will talk about at the retreat.
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Trump’s pick for Air Force secretary, Heather Wilson, an Academy graduate and NM congresswoman
DENVER – President Donald Trump is planning to nominate Heather Wilson as Air Force Secretary.
The White House said Monday it would nominate Wilson, a graduate of the Air Force Academy and former New Mexico congresswoman, to the post.
Wilson served as New Mexico’s 1st congressional district representative from 1998 to 2009 and was the first female veteran elected to Congress. She currently serves as the President of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
She was among the first women admitted to the Academy and eventually became a Vice Wing Commander before graduating as a Distinguished Graduate. She then was selected as a Rhodes Scholar and went to Oxford University.
She served in the Air Force until 1989 until she was picked to serve on National Security Council staff, and later founded a private defense company, Keystone International, and worked in the Gary Johnson administration before being elected to Congress.
While there, she served as chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence and was a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and also served on the House Armed Services Committee.
But she was at the center of a 2015 settlement involving Albuquerque, N.M-based Sandia Labs after she allegedly lobbied members of Congress and the Obama administration for an extension of the contract with the federal government.
She was also paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for consulting with three contractors involved in other federal laboratories, but no one could document her work, according to the Washington Post.
She denied lobbying for the Sandia Labs contract.
“Heather Wilson is going to make an outstanding Secretary of the Air Force. Her distinguished military service, high level of knowledge, and success in so many different fields gives me great confidence that she will lead our nation’s Air Force with the greatest competence and integrity,” President Trump said in a statement.
The same news release said Wilson plans “to strengthen American air and space power to keep the country safe.”
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