Congress
Graham-Cassidy analysis shows billions in federal funding losses for Colorado’s health care programs
DENVER – Senate Republicans’ latest effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act would quickly cost Colorado at least $6 billion in federal funds, and could end up taking $78 billion from the state in the long-term, according to new analysis out Wednesday.
The Graham-Cassidy amendment, named after its writers, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has until Sept. 30 to pass the Senate with a simple majority vote.
Afterward, due to parliamentary rules, the Senate would need 60 votes to pass a repeal-and-replace measure. Continue reading
Colorado universities host DACA renewal sessions as members of Congress push DREAM Act
DENVER – Staffers and students at the University of Colorado Law School hosted the first of two workshops Wednesday helping DACA recipients renew their eligibility on the same day that Rep. Diana DeGette again pushed for Congress to put the DREAM Act into law.
Only a handful of Dreamers showed up to the first session, which is aimed at helping those whose status is expiring before next March renew their status.
The session will run through 4 p.m. Wednesday. But there will be another session held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. next Wednesday, Sept. 27, as well.
Those eligible for renewal will have their DACA permits expire between Sept. 5 and March 5, 2018, and must apply to renew the permits before Oct. 5.
There are also events being held on the CSU campus in Fort Collins and in Greeley on the UNC campus on Wednesday. Both run until 6 p.m.
The renewal sessions came as DeGette continued her push to get the DREAM Act onto the House floor in a Denver news conference.
The legislation, which is supported by Colorado’s Democrats and several of its Republican members of Congress, would grant lawful permanent resident status to Dreamers.
Several Dreamers who have benefited from DACA were also in attendance with DeGette Wednesday.
To sign up for the Sept. 27 renewal session at CU’s Law School, click here.
Rep. Mike Coffman asks feds to consider fixes for DACA wind-down
DENVER – U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman and one of his Democratic fellow members of Congress are asking the Department of Homeland Security to give some Dreamers leeway to get their immigration statuses in order as DACA is wound-down over the next six months.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Sept. 5 that he was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by next March, and gave only some DACA recipients only a month to apply to renew their status. Continue reading
Record low uninsured rates prop up Obamacare in Colorado as Senate GOP tries another repeal
DENVER – Colorado continues to have record-low percentages in the number of uninsured people, and programs under the Affordable Care Act have led to more Coloradans being insured than ever, according to a new biannual study released Tuesday.
The report comes in the midst of a last-minute push by Senate Republicans to try and repeal the Affordable Care Act, which the survey shows has benefited Colorado across much of the state. Continue reading
Study uncovers 48 cases of possible improper voting in Colorado in 2016, just 0.001% of total vote
DENVER – A five-state study that included Colorado, which looked at possible improper voting in 11.5 million voter records, uncovered 112 possible instances—48 of which happened in Colorado.
The study looked at 11.5 million voter records from Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Delaware and Maryland. The first three states are mail-in ballot states, while Delaware and Maryland voting is conducted at polling places. Continue reading
Cory Gardner backs bipartisan legislation to increase medical marijuana research
DENVER – U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner is cosponsoring a bipartisan bill aimed at increasing the possibility of more federal research into the medical benefits of marijuana.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, introduced the Marijuana Effective Drug Study (MEDS) Act of 2017 on Wednesday, with a pun-laden press release and speech on the Senate floor coming from the Utah Republican.
It’s high time we address research into medical marijuana. Hatch spoke about the need for research into possible benefits. #utpol pic.twitter.com/s030tn34wv
— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) September 13, 2017
Hatch said it was “high time” to address medical marijuana research, saying the various state medical marijuana programs haven’t led to the federal government “delving into the weeds” on research. (The remainder of his brief press release made references to “strains,” “blunt,” “roll out the MEDS Act,” “joint effort” and a “kumbaya moment for both parties.”)
Gardner joined Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., Thom Tillis, R-N.C. in cosponsoring the bill.
“Our medical community continues to find new ways medical marijuana can help patients but currently there are too many barriers that are holding back even further advancements and research,” Gardner said in a statement. “This legislation is simple. It will make it easier for our universities, hospitals, and scientists to look at new ways that medical marijuana can be used for treatment.”
According to the senators, the legislation, if approved, would streamline the marijuana research registration process in order to foster more research on the potential medical benefits of marijuana.
It wouldn’t ask the Drug Enforcement Administration to reschedule marijuana, which currently holds the DEA’s highest classification for drugs—Schedule I—along with opiates, cocaine, hallucinogens and others.
The legislation aims to increase research as to whether the FDA might be able to approve drugs with THC—marijuana’s primary psychoactive ingredient. It also would require the U.S. attorney general to increase the national marijuana quota to increase research capabilities.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse would be required to develop and publish recommendations for growing research marijuana as well, among other aims of the bill.
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana use, and Colorado was among the leaders when voters approved the program in 2000.
Gardner has warmed to medical marijuana in recent years. Earlier this summer, he and another bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to help legal marijuana businesses bank in the U.S.
And on several occasions over the past couple years, Gardner cosponsored legislation aimed at letting epileptic patients gain better access to CBD treatments.
The MEDS Act is one of several marijuana-related bills making its way through Congress.
Coffman: Russia may be interfering with stalled recovery efforts for Littleton officer Steven Beare
DENVER – U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman said Wednesday that he believes that friction between the U.S. and Russia is delaying the recovery efforts in finding Littleton Police Officer Steven Beare, who went missing on a remote mountain in Russia three months ago.
Beare still hasn’t been found after weeks of searches earlier this summer and is presumed dead. Continue reading
Colorado’s Gardner, Coffman change course from pre-2014 with support of DACA legislation
DENVER – U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner signed on Tuesday for the first time to cosponsor the Dream Act, which would effectively implement DACA through legislation, on the same day that his fellow Republican member of Congress, Mike Coffman, tried to force the House to vote on a DACA extension.
After President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday morning that DACA would be rescinded, Trump and many Republicans in Congress, including those from Colorado, called for the legislative body to craft new legislation for Dreamers in the next six months. Continue reading
DACA rescinded: Colorado’s elected officials react to Trump’s immigration decision
DENVER – Reaction from Colorado’s members of Congress and other state government officials to the Trump administration’s decision to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program started pouring in shortly after Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the announcement Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security formally rescinded the Obama-era policy, which has protected around 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, and Sessions put the ball in Congress’ court to make a formal legislative policy. President Obama resorted to using an executive action to implement the policy after Congress failed to pass a measure. Continue reading
Colorado immigrants, lawmakers anxiously await Trump’s decision on DACA
DENVER – Gov. John Hickenlooper joined state lawmakers, immigrants and activists at the state Capitol Friday to voice support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program days ahead of President Trump’s decision on whether or not he’ll continue the program.
The morning rally by some of Colorado’s highest-profile Democrats came as the timeline for Trump’s decision was still up in the air, with Trump telling reporters a decision could come Friday or Monday. But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed later Friday that the president would make his decision by Tuesday. Continue reading