Colorado Dems Statement on President Biden’s Build Back Better Framework
Denver, CO – Today, after negotiations with members of the U.S. House and Senate, President Biden announced a framework for the Build Back Better Act that includes historic investments in early childhood education, expanded access to health care, and combating climate change while creating jobs.
Signaling that he is “confident” that the bill can pass both chambers, President Biden touted that the Build Back Better Act, combined with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will “fundamentally change the lives of millions of people for the better”.
Morgan Carroll, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party:
"Today’s announcement from President Biden is welcome news for Colorado’s working families. With this framework, President Biden and Democrats are on the verge of passing generational legislation that will grow the economy, cut taxes for low-income and middle-income families, create millions of jobs, and tackle the climate crisis. Meanwhile, all Republicans can do is go to bat for billionaires and the biggest corporations, all while disparaging tax cuts for working people.
"Universal pre-k education, tax cuts for low-income and middle-income families through extended Child Tax Credits and Earned Income Tax Credits, expanded affordable health care coverage, a historic investment to make housing more affordable, and the largest federal legislative effort to combat climate change in our country’s history that will create good-paying union jobs? This is a major win for Colorado and the American people. Obviously, these negotiations have been a lot of work, and it shows we elected the right people to get it done."
Click here to read through the framework for the Build Back Better Act.
###
GOP Senate Candidates’ Lackluster Fundraising Leaves Room for Ron Hanks to Lead
"Being the first semi-legitimate candidate in race, [Bremer] had the opportunity to really make a splash, and he didn’t do it,"
Denver, CO – All the candidates in the GOP Senate Primary failed to impress with their disappointing fundraising numbers. Eli Bremer, who was expected to be a frontrunner, missed the chance to “make a splash” according to Republican consultant Ryan Lynch. Lackluster fundraising across the field leaves the door wide open for election conspiracy theorist Ron Hanks to elbow his way to the front of the pack.
Out of all the candidates, Hanks’ splashy announcement garnered the most attention with a launch video where he proudly refers to himself as a “pro Trump warrior” and blows up a copy machine labeled “Dominion Voting Machine” – affirming his belief that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
Colorado Politics reported the state of the current GOP Senate primary and you can read excerpts below:
Colorado voters won’t be marking their ballots to pick their next U.S. senator for another year, but already the match-up between U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, the Democratic incumbent, and his Republican challenger is beginning to take shape.
Following a flurry of candidate announcements in early October — after the end of the third fundraising quarter — the number of potential Bennet opponents has doubled to eight.
…
This year’s field of challengers has assembled more slowly, and fundraising, the most concrete measure of the field's early strengths, is lagging.
GOP consultant Ryan Lynch — one of the few in the state who isn't signed on to a Senate campaign — said the primary's contours are still up for grabs.
"It’s a deep field," he said. "No frontrunner has emerged, and while I do think Bennet is potentially beatable, most of the national interests haven’t labeled this race as competitive. What you’re not seeing yet is national money coming into the state. That can change with a few favorable polls."
There has so far been scant publicly available polling in the race. A June poll by Denver-based Global Strategy Group, a Democratic firm, found Bennet with an eight-point lead over a generic Republican candidate among registered voters, 48%-40%, with a 3.5% margin of error.
…
The four other Republicans running in next year's Senate primary made their candidacies official in October, after the end of the third quarter, so won't have to file FEC reports until the end of January.
Among them are two wealthy business owners, a former talk radio host with ties to Hollywood's conservative and faith-oriented communities, and a first-term legislator whose all-out support for former President Donald Trump could help tap a trove of online and small-dollar donors.
…
"That said, a candidate's initial quarter in the race demonstrates what low-hanging fruit is available to the candidate," he said, noting that the roughly quarter-million dollars raised by Bremer could spell trouble.
"Being the first semi-legitimate candidate in race, he had the opportunity to really make a splash, and he didn’t do it," Lynch said. "That leaves it open for more people to get in."
Hanks, the controversial state lawmaker, is almost certainly attempting to leverage donations with his attention-getting antics — including blowing up a piece of office equipment in his Senate campaign's launch video and making a pilgrimage to Arizona earlier this year to witness the election audit conducted by Trump supporters.
…
A spokesman for the Colorado Democratic Party said the looming presence of former President Donald Trump, who lost Colorado twice by increasingly large margins, will do more than anything else to define the GOP primary.
“The crowded and messy Republican field shows there is an audience of one for this primary and it is former President Donald Trump," said Nico Delgado in an email.
"Ron Hanks is an early frontrunner and his rhetoric about the 2020 election is only going to force other candidates in this race to embrace Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories and alienate Colorado voters. The primary will be a race to the bottom defined by who Donald Trump endorses.”
Read the full story in Colorado Politics.
###
ICYMI: Boebert, House Republicans, and Trump White House Met, Planned with January 6th Coup Leaders
“We would talk to Boebert’s team, Cawthorn’s team, Gosar’s team like back to back to back to back,” says the organizer.
Denver, CO - In a bombshell report released late night, Rolling Stone Magazine broke the news that multiple Republican members of Congress, including Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, and their staff worked with January 6th organizers on plans to overturn the 2020 election.
In the write-up, the two January 6 organizers who were interviewed recounted meeting with several of Congresswoman Boebert’s Republican colleagues, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) and Congressman Paul Gozar (AZ), the latter of whom allegedly promised the possibility of a “blanket pardon” from the Trump White House.
Additionally, Rolling Stone reports that they “separately obtained documentary evidence that both sources were in contact with Gosar and Boebert on Jan. 6”.
Morgan Carroll, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party:
“The attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was an attempted coup by Donald Trump and his Republican allies like Lauren Boebert, and this shocking report confirms what we have all feared most. This crime against our democratic republic had collusion from the inside. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert met with Trump rioters to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and she used her power and access as a member of Congress to help the insurrectionists.
“The clear goal was the violent interruption of vote counting and certification and the overthrow of the US government to install Donald Trump into an office he did not win. Our democracy is at stake, and those members of Congress like Lauren Boebert who aided the insurrectionists must be held accountable.”
Highlighting this bombshell report are previous statements made by members of Congress that they witnessed Congresswoman Boebert “taking a group of people for a tour sometime after the 3rd and before the 6th”.
EXCLUSIVE: Jan. 6 Protest Organizers Say They Participated in ‘Dozens’ of Planning Meetings With Members of Congress and White House Staff
As the House investigation into the Jan. 6 attack heats up, some of the planners of the pro-Trump rallies that took place in Washington, D.C., have begun communicating with congressional investigators and sharing new information about what happened when the former president’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Two of these people have spoken to Rolling Stone extensively in recent weeks and detailed explosive allegations that multiple members of Congress were intimately involved in planning both Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss and the Jan. 6 events that turned violent.
Rolling Stone separately confirmed a third person involved in the main Jan. 6 rally in D.C. has communicated with the committee. This is the first report that the committee is hearing major new allegations from potential cooperating witnesses. While there have been prior indications that members of Congress were involved, this is also the first account detailing their purported role and its scope. The two sources also claim they interacted with members of Trump’s team, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who they describe as having had an opportunity to prevent the violence.
…
Along with Greene, the conspiratorial pro-Trump Republican from Georgia who took office earlier this year, the pair both say the members who participated in these conversations or had top staffers join in included Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas).
“We would talk to Boebert’s team, Cawthorn’s team, Gosar’s team like back to back to back to back,” says the organizer.
…
Gosar’s office did not respond to requests for comment on this story. Rolling Stone has separately obtained documentary evidence that both sources were in contact with Gosar and Boebert on Jan. 6.
…
These specific members of Congress were involved in the pro-Trump activism around the election and the electoral certification on Jan. 6. Both Brooks and Cawthorn spoke with Trump at the Ellipse on Jan. 6. In his speech at that event, Brooks, who was reportedly wearing body armor, declared, “Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass.” Gosar, Greene, and Boebert were all billed as speakers at the “Wild Protest,” which also took place on Jan. 6 at the Capitol.
###
ICYMI: Heidi Ganahl Embraces Dennis Prager’s Hate Fueled and Anti Vaccine Misinformation Rant
Sunday afternoon, Heidi Ganahl held a campaign event with right wing extremist Dennis Prager, a conservative talk show host who has a history of spreading hate speech and the founder of PragerU. Heidi Ganahl and Dennis Prager livestreamed an hour long conversation that spread COVID-19 misinformation, fueled divisiveness, and hateful rhetoric towards transgender people.
A few short weeks before the widely expected CDC approval of the COVID vaccine for 5-11 year-olds, Ganahl gave Prager the platform of her gubernatorial campaign to spread dangerous rhetoric about the COVID-19 vaccine. Heidi Ganahl personally kicked off the event by giving Prager the microphone and allowing him to claim it was “child abuse” to give children the COVID-19 vaccine, despite CDC recommendations. Prager also told people in the audience the vaccine was “not good for you” if you had already been infected with COVID-19, disregarding the advice of public health experts, again. The U.S. Surgeon General described COVID misinformation an “urgent threat” and its proliferation a major hindrance towards ending the pandemic.
Prager went on to call schools “poison factories'' and praise failed California Republican gubernatorial nominee, Larry Elder. Giving right wing extremists a platform for dangerous misinformation is not new for Ganahl. Prager is yet another addition to the growing list of extremists Ganahl has surrounded herself with such as John Eastman and Lauren Boebert -- and we can expect to see more as her campaign continues.
Last night’s event showed Ganahl is more willing to engage in extremist topics than she is about protecting our democracy.
Listen to a recording of the event here and read excerpts below:
PRAGER: “If there were conversations about facts, America would be conservative. All leftism. All leftism is passion, is emotion, all entirely, there is no fact-based leftism, there's fact-based liberalism, there's fact-based conservatism. There is no fact-based leftism. Men do not give birth. OK. That's- it's a fact. That is a fact. It is an emotion. It is an ideology that men give birth, that people say it is proof of the power of intimidation and the media to brainwash people into absurdity. Truly, there is. I can't think of something analogous to men give birth for absurdity. Can you?”
…
PRAGER: “What is the best way to argue for liberty? Look, if enough people said we're not sending our child to such a college. The death rate among college age, human beings of COVID is infinitesimally small. It is an act of child abuse to give a child this vaccine pure undiluted child abuse. The medical profession has been ruined by the left because the left is everything it touches. I have no issue with it, but an older person wants to take the vaccine. I have no issue.”
…
PRAGER: “It was like California when I moved to California in my 20s in 1976. I thought I was moving to heaven. And the thing I thought most was just free. California's free. It's not free anymore. And Los Angeles city, just voted that if you're not vaccinated, you can't enter a restaurant or any other place, which is absurd. The- There's no medicine behind this. This is all power. This has nothing to do with medicine. Why do people who had COVID have to get vaccinated? That is that is human abuse. It is not good for you, it is not good for you if you had COVID to get the vaccine. There is no benefit. It is probably bad for you. And the best antibodies the most long lasting are natural antibodies from having had COVID, been trying to get COVID for a year and a half.”
…
PRAGER: “It's as simple as that. You send your kids to studies poison, they get poisoned. It's very hard to undo the damage of schooling from five until 23. It's very, very hard. That's where their peers are. That's where their teachers are. That's where their time is. They spent much less time with you. Schools are poison factories.”
###
2 Months After Campaign Launch, Eli Bremer Still Hiding from Coloradans
Denver, CO – Today marks 2 months since failed GOP insider Eli Bremer announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate on Fox News, and he has yet to hold a public campaign event in Colorado, let alone in El Paso County, his old stomping grounds. Every day that passes without holding a public campaign event is a failure for Bremer who has yet to make his case directly to Coloradans.
Bremer did announce a slate of supporters who could damage his campaign with their problematic histories. Bremer’s controversial supporters include Tom Ready, Joe Webb, and Don Suppes. Ready questioned if the Sandy Hook shooting actually happened, Webb made a Nazi reference when trying to attack Governor Polis, and Suppes is a fan of white supremacy websites and thinks the United Nations has an agenda to confiscate firearms.
Bremer isn’t just hiding from Coloradans, he is also dodging questions and refusing to address the issues that are top of mind for Colorado voters.
- On Texas’ dangerous six week abortion ban, Bremer said “he wasn't comfortable commenting” and it “looks technical.”
- On the bipartisan infrastructure plan, which will help Colorado create jobs, repair critical infrastructure and expand broadband access, Bremer said he would, "be uncomfortable coming out with a position."
Bremer has yet to be asked if he thinks the 2020 election was fraudulent and wouldn’t say if the election results outside of Colorado were fraudulent despite his desperate attempts to woo Donald Trump by saying he worked for him “before it was cool.”
Bremer is attacking his fellow Republicans and pandering to his right wing base by attacking pronoun preferences, flirting with insurrection, and chasing Trump’s approval. Given Bremer’s rocky history with Colorado Republicans, including a messy public feud with current El Paso County GOP Chair Vickie Tonkins, it is no wonder that Bremer is afraid to get out from behind his computer.
###
GOP Candidates Take Shots at Hanks, Marking the Beginning of a Long, Crowded, Divisive GOP Senate Primary
Denver, CO – Former corrupt El Paso County GOP Chair Eli Bremer and inexperienced political newcomer Erik Aadland are already attacking election conspiracy theorist Ron Hanks for his launch video where he blows up a copying machine labeled “Dominion Voting Machine” with a semi automatic rifle – marking the beginning of a long, divisive primary for the GOP.
Bremer and Aadland rushed to conservative radio the day after Hanks launched his video to criticize him. Bremer also insulted the 2010 slate of Republican candidates, which includes Congressman Ken Buck, for losing the Senate race because they weren’t “serious” and threw a “temper tantrum.” And Aadland said Hanks “hasn't just muddied the waters. He's bloodied the waters.”
The chaos doesn’t stop there. The same week Hanks launched his video based on conspiracy, Colorado Times Recorder, 9News, Westword, and the Colorado Sun reported Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown was the leader of an organized election conspiracy group that has a militia arm. With Hanks being the Senate candidate catching people’s attention and with Burton Brown at the helm of the Colorado GOP, it’s clear Donald Trump’s Big Lie runs deep within the party.
Colorado Times Recorder reported Bremer’s critical interview of Hanks and you can read excerpts below:
One of Hanks’s opponents in the Republican primary is former Olympian Eli Bremer, from Colorado Springs. In a radio interview on Thursday on Colorado’s 710 KNUS, Bremer dismissed Hanks’ video as a stunt that should not be taken seriously.
“This is not a serious attempt to unseat an unpopular Democratic senator and flip the United States Senate right,” Bremer said. “We need to come to terms with the fact that we’re going to have to be a serious campaign here in Colorado.”
But Bremer’s own stance on whether the election was stolen from Trump is not clear. He’s clearly stated that he thinks Colorado’s 2020 election was legitimate but has stopped short of making the same statement about the national election.
In today’s KNUS interview, Bremer said on air: “And we need to, first of all, understand that we lost in Colorado, not because votes got switched because, at this point, I think there’s so little evidence of that that we should be able to move on from that unless some bombshell hit.”
In a Sep. 28 appearance on 710 KNUS Bremer similarly omitted any explicit mention of the presidential election as he explained his path from initially doubting the results of the 2020 election to believing it was fair — at least in Colorado.
...
In today’s radio interview Bremer warned that furthering QAnon conspiracy theories — which have been roundly debunked by fact-checkers — could be detrimental to Colorado’s Republican Party.
“There’s a lot of issues that Colorado Republicans have strong agreements with the electorate on,” Bremer said. “We need to fight for the heart and soul of the Colorado electorate and not engage in QAnon conspiracy theories. … So as Republicans, frankly, we need to quit our whining and we need to start our fighting.”
In the interview today, Bremer emphasized the importance of Republicans connecting with voters through issues other than election security. The two issues he mentioned were the national debt ceiling and transgender athletes competing in sports, an issue Bremer has made a centerpiece of his campaign.
...
“We have been failing for years here in Colorado, and we’ve been failing because of actions like this,” Bremer said, referring to Hanks’ video. “We need to ask ourselves the question why did the electorate not agree with us? Because if we don’t learn from our mistakes, then we are not going to have the right to govern again.”
Read more in the Colorado Times Recorder.
###
🚨 REDISTRICTING ALERT 🚨 -- Republican Commissioners Attempting to Gerrymander the State Senate and House
We're at a Red Alert. Republican Commissioners Hunter Barnett and Aislinn Kottwitz, who are members of the Legislative Redistricting Commission, are attempting to gerrymander the Colorado Senate and House, ensuring Republican control of the state assembly for the next decade.
What's Happening:
On Tuesday, nonpartisan, neutral redistricting staff submitted their final set of legislative maps to the commission, which would ensure fair representation for the people of Colorado, as they wanted.
But Republican legislative Redistricting Commissioners Hunter Barnett (R) and Aislinn Kottwitz (R) are working with non-disclosing and unregistered GOP operatives lobbying to shove through a last-minute set of maps to the Supreme Court that would fundamentally alter the make-up of the state senate and house, almost certainly ensuring control for Colorado Republicans over the next decade. This is a mockery of everything that Independent Redistricting Commissions are meant to stand for.
What Can You Do:
Click here or the link below to submit your comment to the commission right now and urge them to take a stand for transparency by rejecting any maps that could be tarnished by the ongoing, unreported lobbying to gerrymander legislative districts for the GOP.
Tell them to reject maps being pushed by Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz and support maps drawn by nonpartisan staff.
STATEMENT: GOP Insurrectionist and CO State Representative Ron Hanks Joins Crowded Senate Primary
Denver, CO – Colorado Politics broke news that Colorado state Representative Ron Hanks will upend a crowded GOP U.S. Senate primary. Earlier this year, Hanks joined the thousands of Trump-supporting insurrectionists at the Capitol.
Colorado Democratic Party Chair Morgan Carroll reacted with the following statement:
“State Representative Ron Hanks participated in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6th and joked about lynching in the 2021 legislative session. He is a right wing extremist and insurrectionist. Hank’s entry into the crowded GOP primary is proof of Trump’s strong influence over the Colorado Republican Party.”
###
NEW: Lauren Boebert Used Campaign Dollars to Pay Restaurant’s Rent, Utilities
FEC Findings: “Part of a Pattern of Blatant Corruption”
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s shady finances just keep getting shadier.
After the FEC began questioning the far-right Congresswoman over “apparent personal use of thousands of dollars in campaign funds” in August, Forbes and the Denver Post reported late yesterday that Congresswoman Boebert used campaign funds to pay her restaurant’s rent and utility bills.
This disturbing news comes on the heels of revelations about Congresswoman Boebert’s husband’s own suspicious finances the Associated Press first reported on, that Boebert previously conspicuously failed to disclose $478,000 her husband made in 2020 for “consulting” for the oil and gas industry. This raises serious concerns about attempts to buy or influence the Congresswoman’s votes and failure to follow or understand the most basic anti-corruption laws.
The questions Boebert faces over her using campaign donations as a personal slush fund, her husband’s sudden six-figure income, and her previously reported questionable mileage reimbursement of more than $20,000 just bring more questions that the Congresswoman has to answer.
David Pourshoushtari, Spokesperson for the Colorado Democratic Party:
“It’s no coincidence Lauren Boebert and her husband became flush with cash as soon as she ran for and got elected to Congress. These new findings from the FEC are just part of a pattern of blatant corruption with Congresswoman Boebert, and her constituents (and her donors) deserve answers. It is extremely troubling that in the face of all these findings, the Colorado Republican Party has been silent.
“Whether it’s using her campaign donations to pay her restaurant’s rent, reimbursing herself tens of thousands of dollars in mileage, or apparently suddenly remembering that her husband earns nearly half-a-million annually for ‘consulting’, Lauren Boebert plays fast and loose with cash and the truth. It’s obvious by now, with zero meaningful legislative accomplishments or efforts after nearly a year in office, that Congresswoman Boebert is only interested in rubbing elbows with big corporations and wealthy donors, all while lining her pockets.”
The last member of Congress to get caught illegally using campaign donations for personal gain was Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, who was sentenced to prison for illegally spending campaign dollars on extramarital affairs.
BACKGROUND:
- February 3, 2021 - "Rep. Lauren Boebert’s campaign reimbursed her more than $20,000 for driving nearly 37,000 in about seven months, according to federal campaign reports." (KDVR)
- August 18, 2021 - "A letter from the Federal Election Commission to the treasurer of Boebert’s 2022 reelection campaign inquired about four Venmo payments totaling more than $6,000." (CNBC)
- August 18, 2021 - "Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert’s husband made $478,000 last year working as a consultant for an energy firm, information that was not disclosed during Boebert’s congressional campaign and only reported in her financial disclosure forms filed this week." (AP)
- August 19, 2021 - "Only now, with Boebert not just in Congress but on the House Natural Resources Committee, has she revealed that her husband made $478,000 last year working as a consultant for an energy firm." (Washington Post)
- September 22, 2021 - “Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert paid rent and utility bills with campaign funds in violation of federal campaign finance laws, new filings with the Federal Election Commission show.” (Denver Post)
###
Heidi Ganahl Praised Far Right Conservative and Election Conspiracist John Eastman
“There are fantastic folks who come in,” said Ganahl. “Right now, it’s Dr. John Eastman, who’s riling some folks up,”
Denver, CO – Heidi Ganahl spent her first week on the campaign trail refusing to say if she accepts the result of the 2020 election, dodging questions about her deleted tweets, and now she’s going to have to explain why she thinks Trump’s lawyer John Eastman, who wrote the memo on how to overturn the election, is “fantastic.” Listen to Ganahl’s praise of Eastman HERE.
According to CNN, Eastman schemed a desperate and unconstitutional plan to make it so former Vice President Mike Pence could throw away electoral votes from seven states and declare Donald Trump as the winner of the 2020 election.
Heidi might be able to hide her tweets but she can’t hide her on-the-record praise of Eastman – and this could explain why she continues to dodge questions about the results of the 2020 election. Coloradans need to know if Ganahl will continue to support Eastman and his attempt to rig the election and if she thinks there was any fraud in the 2020 election.
###
The Biden Agenda is Delivering for Colorado. Deal will Create Jobs, Build Our Infrastructure Back Better
Where do Republican Candidates Stand on Child Tax Credit? Infrastructure Bill?
Today, Colorado has the pleasure of welcoming President Joe Biden for his first visit to the Centennial State as Commander-in-chief. Since taking office in January, President Biden has worked tirelessly with Democrats to crush the COVID-19 virus, get our economy moving again, lower healthcare costs, and help get people back to work.
As we’re seeing in real time, whether it is the American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure package, or the Build Back Better agenda, President Biden and Democrats are delivering for Colorado, and voters are taking note. 63% of voters support the bipartisan infrastructure package, and 70% of voters support the Build Back Better economic agenda.
While President Biden and Democrats are delivering for Colorado, Colorado Republican elected officials and candidates continue to put partisan politics first.
Morgan Carroll, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party:
“President Biden and Democrats are delivering for the people of Colorado. We’re so pleased to welcome the President to our beautiful state, and we are proud that under his leadership, our country is building back better and moving in the right direction. Our economy is roaring back, jobless claims continue to fall, childhood poverty is on the decline, and for the first time in four years, we have a leader in the White House who is prioritizing protecting public lands and our natural environment through innovative, job-creating programs. Yet, despite all the progress we have made for the people, Colorado Republicans like Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck, and Doug Lamborn continue to obstruct and play partisan politics over the needs of their constituents.”
“Republican candidates running for Governor or U.S. Senate need to be honest with Colorado voters. Do they support popular programs like cleaner and cheaper renewable energy and the bipartisan infrastructure deal? Or will they blindly follow the likes of Boebert, Buck, and Lamborn and oppose legislation that supports working Colorado families?”
The expanded Child Tax Credit is a Tax Cut for Working Families
Senator Michael Bennet has been fighting for an expanded Child Tax Credit since 2015. His work became the American Family Act, which was projected to cut childhood poverty almost in half. As an integral part of the American Rescue Plan, Senator Bennet and President Biden’s move to cut taxes for working families is delivering for Colorado.
- In August, Colorado families received an average tax cut of $425 and it has helped more than one million Colorado kids.
- "The first installment of the child tax credit lifted 3 million kids out of poverty in July, according to a Columbia University study. That reduction represented a 25% cut in the monthly child poverty rate to 11.9% from 15.8%" (CNBC, 8.25.21)
- It’s estimated that making the expanded child tax credit permanent would slash Colorado’s childhood poverty rate by 37.8%. The same study found that it would cut childhood poverty by more than half in other states. (CNBC, 9.9.21)
- To ensure Colorado families are able to take advantage of this tax cut, Governor Jared Polis and Senator Bennet are teaming up on an awareness campaign. (Fox21, 9.13.21)
- All three of Colorado’s Republican members of Congress voted ‘No’ on the expanded Child Tax Credit.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Package will Build on Colorado Democrats’ Efforts to Improve our Infrastructure
Thanks in large part to the leadership of Senator John Hickenlooper and his fellow members of the bipartisan senate team, President Biden was able to usher through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act through the Senate. In 2021, Colorado Democrats in the legislature took action of their own to build our state’s infrastructure back stronger, from roads to broadband internet. These actions will make life better for Coloradans, create good-paying jobs, and spur economic growth.
- The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. Based on formula funding alone, Colorado could expect to receive $3.7 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act over five years when passed. (KKTV, 8.4.21)
- Additionally, under the bill, thanks to Senator Michael Bennet, Colorado would receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state. This would also include providing access to the 85,000+ Coloradans currently lacking access. (KKTV, 8.4.21)
- Governor Jared Polis and Democrats also took action to address Colorado’s infrastructure, passing ambitious legislation to fix our roads and bridges while investing in renewable energy vehicles. (AP, 6.17.21)
- Governor Polis and Democrats also passed legislation to increase access to broadband internet in rural areas, creating a new office to oversee broadband deployment across the state. (GJ Sentinel, 6.29.21)
Whether in D.C. or Colorado, Democrats are Delivering, in spite of Republicans
President Biden and Colorado Democrats both in Congress and at the State Capitol have taken decisive action to build Colorado’s economy back better and stronger from the pandemic.
- The American Rescue Plan supported Colorado with $3.926 billion in state fiscal relief, $2.088 billion in local fiscal relief, and More than $1.211 billion in relief for K-12 schools. (Colorado Dems, 4.29.21)
- The American Rescue Plan also supported Colorado with economic impact payments of up to $1,400 per person for more than 3,365,700 adults and 1,364,600 children. This is 82% of all adults and 81% of all children in the state. (Colorado Dems, 4.29.21)
- Additionally, the American Rescue Plan brought additional relief of up to nearly $1,000 through the Earned Income Tax Credit to 299,000 childless Colorado workers, including many in frontline jobs. (Colorado Dems, 4.29.21)
- In the General Assembly, Governor Jared Polis and Colorado Democrats took action in the ‘historic’ 2021 legislative session, passing sweeping legislation to increase the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, support small businesses, address affordable housing lower health insurance and drug costs, invest in our workforce, expand education opportunities, and protect our natural environment. (KDVR, 6.10.21)
- All three of Colorado’s Republican members of Congress voted ‘No’ on the American Rescue Plan, and Colorado Republicans in the state legislature opposed numerous of the measures.
###
Colorado Dems Statement on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11
The Colorado Democratic Party released the following statement marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks:
Morgan Carroll, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party:
“On this day, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we honor the memory of the first responders and those who died in the attacks, and those who gave their lives to protect our country in the aftermath. There is no better way to honor their memory than for us as a country, no matter your political affiliation, to rise above agents of division and come together like we did 20 years ago. Our future depends on it.”
###
STATEMENT: Heidi Ganahl Botches Campaign Launch
Denver, CO – Heidi Ganahl had her campaign launch scheduled for Tuesday, September 14th, however her campaign failed to execute a simple rollout announcement when she filed today with the Secretary of State’s office.
Colorado Democratic Party spokesperson Nico Delgado reacted with the following statement:
“Out of all of the lackluster campaign announcements for GOP candidates, Heidi Ganahl's takes the cake for being the most bland and botched rollout. Her announcement slip-up sends a clear message to Coloradans that she's not taking this campaign seriously nor is she prepared to be governor. If she can’t even handle a simple campaign launch, how can we expect her to run an entire state?”
###
Erik Aadland Headlines Campaign Kickoff on 9/11 with Right Wing Extremist Tom Tancredo
Denver, CO -- This Saturday, on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Erik Aadland is headlining his campaign kickoff with Tom Tancredo, an anti-immigrant, right wing extremist who advocated for bombing islamic holy sites, including Mecca, and spread dangerous and racist rhetoric on immigration.
“By inviting Tom Tancredo to headline his first official campaign event, Erik Aadland has made it clear that his campaign is more focused on division and hate than representing Coloradans. Does he align with Tancredo’s right wing agenda and proposal to bomb holy sites and potentially kill millions of people?” – Nico Delgado, Colorado Democratic Party spokesperson
Even though Tancredo, a fierce proponent for closing the GOP’s primaries, is kicking off Aadland’s campaign, Aadland has yet to comment on whether the GOP primary should be closed to unaffiliated voters. The GOP’s central committee meeting will be held on September 18th.
###
One Month After Campaign Launch Eli Bremer Nowhere to Be Found in Colorado
Bremer dodging questions on critical topics like Texas’ dangerous abortion ban & bipartisan infrastructure plan
Denver, CO -- Today marks one month since failed GOP insider Eli Bremer announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate on Fox News, and he has yet to hold a public campaign event in Colorado let alone in El Paso County, his old stomping grounds.
Bremer isn’t just hiding from Coloradans, he is also dodging questions and refusing to address the issues that are top of mind for Colorado voters.
- On Texas’ dangerous six week abortion ban, Bremer said “he wasn't comfortable commenting” and it “looks technical.”
- On the bipartisan infrastructure plan, which will help Colorado create jobs, repair critical infrastructure and expand broadband access, Bremer said he would, "be uncomfortable coming out with a position."
Instead of meeting with Coloradans to talk about his candidacy or share where he stands on the issues, Bremer’s priority is pandering to his right wing base on Twitter by attacking pronoun preferences, flirting with insurrection, and chasing Trump’s approval. Given Bremer’s rocky history with Colorado Republicans, including a messy public feud with current El Paso County GOP Chair Vickie Tonkins, it is no wonder that Bremer is afraid to get out from behind his computer.
###
Colorado Dems Applaud House Dems Move to Protect Abortion Rights
Denver, CO -- This afternoon, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would take up the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation that would codify Roe V. Wade protections for reproductive freedom into law. This is in direct response to the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision by conservative justices to allow Texas’ extreme abortion ban (Senate Bill 8) to go into effect.
Colorado’s Democratic Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are cosponsors of the Senate bill, and Colorado’s Democratic House members Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Ed Perlmutter are cosponsors of the House bill.
Halisi Vinson, Colorado Democratic Party Executive Director:
“Let’s be clear -- Colorado is a pro-choice state. Colorado voters across the spectrum have rejected four attempts to ban abortion over the past 13 years, yet we’re seeing Colorado Republicans like their state party chair and some of their senate candidates cheering on the cruelest, most restrictive law to criminalize reproductive rights that we have seen in decades; that may very well have mortal consequences. Bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom are Colorado values, and I applaud Speaker Pelosi for taking swift action to protect those values for all people across our country.”
###
Erik Aadland and Peter Yu Embrace Extreme Texas Abortion Ban While Eli Bremer “Uncomfortable” Having a Position
Denver, CO – Following the Supreme Court decision to strip away abortion access and reproductive freedom from millions of women effectively overturning Roe vs. Wade, Erik Aadland and Peter Yu embraced the draconian law while Bremer continued to hide.
Hiding and not taking a position on critical issues is becoming a trend for Bremer. He has yet to hold a public event in the three weeks since he’s announced on Fox News and when asked to take a stance on the bipartisan infrastructure package, he was “uncomfortable” coming out with a position.
When will Bremer stop hiding from Coloradans and take positions on critical issues that affect millions of Americans?
Colorado Politics reported on where the candidates stand on Texas’ draconian law to ban abortion:
Erik Aadland: "I support Texas’s (and that of any State’s for that matter) right to adjudicate abortion at the State level in alignment with the will of their constituency," Aadland wrote in a text message. "I want the Federal government out of the issue altogether and I am absolutely against any Federal funding of abortion."
Peter Yu: The Texas law "effectively banning abortion after six weeks is in line with the 10th amendment of the Constitution… As a candidate running for office at the federal level, I believe the federal government should be a government of 'limited and enumerated powers' and abortion exceeds the national government’s enumerated powers. Abortion should be handled at the state level, as this exceeds federal powers.
Eli Bremer: Said in a text message to Colorado Politics that he wasn't comfortable commenting because it wasn't clear whether the high court was simply waiting for another case that could establish a clearer precedent to reach its docket.
Read more in Colorado Politics.
###
Where is Eli Bremer?
Bremer Nowhere to Be Found In Colorado Three Weeks After Campaign Launch
Denver, CO - Today marks three weeks since failed GOP insider Eli Bremer announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate on Fox News and he has yet to hold a public campaign event in Colorado or in his stomping grounds, El Paso County. Instead of meeting with Coloradans to talk about his candidacy, Bremer is doubling down on his hateful rhetoric towards trans athletes and flirting with insurrection on Twitter.
While Bremer is avoiding his turbulent history with the El Paso County GOP, his opponent Erik Aadland cozied up with Trump loyalist Mike Pompeo at Beaver Creek last Friday.
If Bremer is intending to run statewide, then why is he avoiding Coloradans? Here are two reasons.
- Bremer wants to have it both ways on Donald Trump – he’s openly bragging about Trump’s support on Twitter while hiding from questions about whether he’ll follow Trump’s lead.
- “A lifelong Republican, Bremer supported and worked on Trump’s successful 2016 campaign for the White House. While acknowledging that Trump is the most influential Republican in the country, Bremer demurred on whether the former president is the leader of the GOP.” [8.10.21]
- Bremer doesn’t want to confront members in his own party.
- 2020: Eli Bremer publicly feuded with current El Paso County GOP Chair Vickie Tonkins. Bremer claimed he took issue with Tonkins leadership and “competence.” Tonkins alleged her critics had “‘unwittingly involved yourselves in a retaliation scheme that, to quote Justice Clarence Thomas, ‘is a high-tech lynching’ that was designed by Eli Bremer to cover up his corruption and keep me from speaking out against it.” She also called Bremer a “moral cancer” and “evil thug.”
###
Where do GOP Senate Candidates Stand On Michael Bennet’s Historic Tax Cut for the Middle Class?
On the second monthly anniversary majority of Republican candidates remain silent on expanded Child Tax Credit
Denver, CO – Last month Republican Senate Candidate Erik Aadland went on right wing radio and voiced his strong opposition to the popular expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC).
The problem for Republicans like Aadland is that the expanded CTC is a tax cut for middle class families, Colorado families are already reaping the benefits of Senator Bennet’s CTC, and polling shows the program is incredibly popular. On the day that the second monthly payments go out to Colorado families, and knowing the law is set to expire at the end of 2021, Coloradans need to know where their candidates stand.
“The expanded Child Tax Credit is giving middle class families the opportunity to get ahead, and yet a majority of Republican candidates are sitting on the sidelines. Will Eli Bremer, Peter Yu, and Juli Henry buck Mitch McConnell and support renewing a historic tax cut for the middle class, or will they join Erik Aadland in opposing it?” – Nico Delgado, Colorado Democratic Party spokesperson.
According to Census Bureau data, after the first payment families started to experience a decline in economic hardship. The data also found that 47% of families spent the money on food and 17% of families with a child under 5 used it for childcare. A poll from Navigator shows 65% of Americans support expanding the CTC and making it permanent.
On Monday, the Colorado GOP listed “combating child poverty” as an issue they want to tackle in their “Commitment to Colorado.” Aadland also tweeted that he is proud to fully support this so-called “commitment.” If they are touting this new priority, then why have the majority of Republican candidates stayed silent on a policy that would cut nationwide child poverty nearly in half this year alone?
TRANSCRIPT
[39:07] AADLAND: I mean, look at Michael Bennet's child tax credit. This is one example of a socialist policy that is buying votes, right? [...] These kinds of policies are destructive to the economy.
Listen to the full interview here.
###
Colorado Dems Mourn Loss of Labor Leader Trumka
Denver, CO - The Colorado Democratic Party released the following statement reacting to the news that Richard Trumka, the longtime president of the national AFL-CIO, has passed away at the age of 72.
Morgan Carroll, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party:
“Today, our country lost one of the strongest and proudest champions for working people and the labor movement. In Richard Trumka, our union brothers and sisters here in Colorado and across the country had a fearless fighter leading them in the struggle for the right to collectively bargain for living wages, safe working conditions, and better benefits. Richard knew more than anyone that unions are critical to a strong, healthy economy, and we at the Colorado Democratic Party mourn his loss and send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.
“We at the Colorado Democratic Party vow to continue the fight alongside our union brothers and sisters for a better future that uplifts every working family and community, and ensures that workers always have a seat at the table.”
###