Summary
Election forecasters believe Colorado is Democrats’ likeliest pickup opportunity in the fall for one big reason: The state has become reliably blue since 2014. There’s a Democratic trifecta in the governor’s mansion and state legislature. Colorado is diversifying, its suburban voters are a prime demographic for Democrats, and polls show many of these voters do not like Trump. Immigration and gun control are two big issues in a state that is home to immigrants and has seen multiple mass shootings. Hickenlooper is double digits ahead of Gardner in recent polls and is fundraising successfully, but the incumbent still has a cash advantage.
What are the odds? Cook Political Report rates this a toss-up. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rates it Lean Democratic.
Vox by Elle Nielsen on June 11, 2020
OnAir Post: Colorado – US Senate 2020 Election
News
Colorado contest will partly determine party control of the Senate
Democratic challenger John Hickenlooper defeated Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner on Tuesday in a closely watched contest that will help determine which party controls Congress next year.
Hickenlooper had 54% percent of the vote with 85% of ballots counted Tuesday, and Gardner had 44%. Three other candidates split the remaining votes.
DENVER (AP) — A major Democratic group on Friday pulled its last remaining ads from Colorado’s closely watched U.S. Senate race, a sign that the party thinks its nominee has the crucial race in the bag.
Senate Majority PAC said it will cancel $1.2 million in television ads and spend the money elsewhere as Democrats press a newly expanded Senate map, which Republicans on the run in GOP strongholds such as Alaska and South Carolina.
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, 68, is challenging Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, 46, in Colorado, a state that has trended sharply to the left since President Donald Trump’s 2016 election.
Denver 7 – October 9, 2020 (01:27:01)
Voters will have the chance to hear from both candidates competing in Colorado’s U.S. Senate race when they meet face-to-face for a debate airing on 9NEWS and presented by Next with Kyle Clark.
Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and Democrat John Hickenlooper have agreed to appear in the debate scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13. Incumbent Gardner accepted the invitation on Thursday after initially declining in May. Hickenlooper, former governor of Colorado and mayor of Denver, agreed in late July.
The debate will be held with seven other media outlets: The Fort Collins Coloradoan, Colorado Politics, Rocky Mountain PBS, KRDO in Colorado Springs, KJCT and KKCO in Grand Junction and KOBF in the Four Corners. This partnership makes this the only debate in Colorado’s 2020 U.S. Senate race that will be televised statewide.
Denver7 – The Denver Channel – September 22, 2020 (03:13)
Inside Climate News, – September 20, 2020
The GOP incumbent is linked to Trump, while the moderate, pro-fracking, former Democratic governor is called “Frackenlooper” by progressives.
Democrat John Hickenlooper famously told a Senate committee a few years ago he’d sipped fracking wastewater—it was, “almost ritual-like,” he said—to prove it’s safe. Now the one-time energy geologist has become the pro-climate candidate in a battle to unseat the incumbent, Republican Sen. Cory Gardner.
Hickenlooper’s success might seem surprising in a political ecosystem where more than half of adults say Congress and the president should make global warming a high priority, and 69 percent consider themselves conservationists. But the former Colorado governor, sometimes called “Frackenlooper” by progressives for supporting the energy industry, has green group support in what’s been among the most hotly contested congressional races of 2020.
Colorado Sun, – September 14, 2020
Since Hickenlooper secured the Democratic nomination June 30, he holds an average 7.8 percentage point lead over Gardner, down from earlier in the campaign. Hickenlooper’s approval rating averages 51% with 34% disapproval, but more recent polls show his favor with voters on the decline. Gardner’s average approval rating is 38% with 38% disapproval since taking office in 2015, but his more recent numbers show him in negative territory.
Denver Post, – September 10, 2020
Challenger tops Republican incumbent 51-46 in Colorado survey
A poll released Thursday shows Colorado’s U.S. Senate race at its narrowest point to date with four weeks before ballots are mailed.
Democratic challenger John Hickenlooper leads Republican Sen. Cory Gardner by a five-point margin, 51% to 46%, in the telephone survey of 800 likely voters conducted by bipartisan polling firms of Fabrizio Ward and Hart Research between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5. The poll was paid for by AARP and has a 3.6% margin of error.
It is the first survey to show Gardner within five points of Hickenlooper and the fourth recent poll to show the race within single digits. A Sept. 3 poll showed Hickenlooper leading by nine points, as did an Aug. 25 poll. A July survey showed the former governor leading by six points over the Republican senator from Yuma.
Colorado Public Radio, – September 9, 2020
The TV ads show grim, darkened images of former Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper or Republican Sen. Cory Gardner. The ads sound ominous, with solemn music and deep-voiced narrators.
These are the sorts of messages that super PACs and dark money nonprofits have already spent more than $27 million on, targeting Colorado’s two major-party Senate candidates.
What can be identified about the groups suggests most of the money comes from outside Colorado. The same is true of money going directly to the candidates: Hickenlooper and Gardner have each collected about two-thirds of their individual contributions from people outside Colorado, who are trying to influence voters here.
More outside cash is yet to come. In the 2014 Senate contest, when Gardner defeated Democratic Sen. Mark Udall, groups not directly connected to the campaigns spent more than $69 million, based on Federal Election Commission reports. Most of that came in the final two months of the campaign.
Cory Gardner
Current Position: US Senator since 2014
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2020 US Senator
Cory Gardner began serving in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2005 where he spent time as the Minority Whip and became known for his expertise in natural resource and agriculture policy. Cory was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Cory championed a true all-of-the-above energy strategy that promoted traditional resources as well as renewable energy. In addition, Cory is a national leader on energy efficiency initiatives and founded a bipartisan energy efficiency caucus in the House.
For more information about Cory Gardner, see his post.
John Hickenlooper
Current Position: Governor since 2010
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2020 US Senator
John Hickenlooper is running for Senate to make Washington work for Coloradans. Just like he’s done throughout his career, he will use his independent perspective to bring people together to get things done — from lowering health care and prescription drug costs to keeping our families safe from gun violence, as well as protecting the state’s public lands while combating climate change.
In 2010, John ran for Governor and helped to move Colorado from ranking 40th in job creation to leading by example as the number one economy in the nation. John brought people together across the aisle and across the state to get things done, from passing pioneering anti-pollution climate change measures and landmark gun safety laws to expanding Medicaid to nearly 400,000 Coloradans.
For more information about John Hickenlooper, see his post.
Issues
Civil Rights
Cory Gardner
Second Amendment
I am proud to support and protect an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. Colonial-era state charters recognized this vital protection well before the framers enshrined it in the Second Amendment of our Constitution, and the right is just as fundamental to our American identity today as it was centuries ago.
Despite a long, rich tradition, the Second Amendment has been repeatedly attacked and undermined. These misguided campaigns against a fundamental American right only seek to limit the freedoms of law-abiding citizens. Americans must have the ability to determine the best way to protect and defend themselves. It is vital that Congress follow the principles of personal liberty that guided our founding fathers and protect the Second Amendment from needless government overreach. This individual right must not be eroded in any capacity.
For centuries, Americans have exercised their Second Amendment rights responsibly, and I’m committed to pursuing policies that encourage such responsible firearm usage. By focusing on mental health services and stopping dangerous individuals from obtaining firearms, we can prevent heinous, criminal acts from occurring. We must also continue to emphasize the importance of firearm training and safety, ideals often passed down from generation to generation of responsible gun owners. By exercising Second Amendment rights responsibly, we honor this centuries-old tradition that has served as a bedrock of American society.
John Hickenlooper
Women’s Health & Reproductive Justice
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.
A Plan to Fight for LGBTQ Equality
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.
See post for more info.
Democracy
Cory Gardner
N/A
John Hickenlooper
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.
See post for more info.
Economy
Cory Gardner
Our economy recovered slowly from the severe recession in 2008, but it has begun to turn a corner. Americans are returning to work, corporate earnings are high, and the stock market has risen to record levels. However, these gains mask the fact that middle class Coloradans and Americans are still struggling to make ends meet. With labor force participation still unnervingly low and workers’ hourly earnings just beginning to show signs of growth, we still have a long way to go until the middle class feels like the recovery is real.
I’ve called this our “veneered economy”, and you don’t have to scratch too far below the surface to see American families hurting. The urban-rural divide in this country is a heartbreaking example of unbalanced economic growth that has changed the small towns and main streets that once served as vital community hubs. More must be done to ensure that all Americans benefit from our country’s economic prosperity.
John Hickenlooper
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.
See post for more info.
Education
Cory Gardner
I strongly believe quality in education stems from the state rather than the federal government, because local school boards, communities, and parents best understand the needs of their students and are therefore better equipped to make decisions that will lead to excellence in education. I support reducing the federal role in education and returning authority to where it belongs: state and local community’s authority. Coloradans know best what their students need and Washington bureaucrats do not need to interfere.
It’s absolutely critical, therefore, that we get Congress out of the classroom.
John Hickenlooper
N/A
Environment
Cory Gardner
The United States is entering a new phase of energy history, and the nation is at the cusp of energy independence as we continue to produce our own secure supply of energy. Meeting our country’s energy demands will include an all-of-the-above strategy. Policies that allow us to fully unleash our energy potential in this country, in a safe and responsible manner, lead to greater economic opportunity.
In Colorado, we are blessed with abundant and diverse natural resources, and the state is on the cutting edge of energy production and research, due in large part to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) located in Golden, Colorado. I support developing and utilizing American energy of all kinds. This includes the use of traditional power like coal, oil, nuclear, natural gas, along with the use of renewable energy such as wind, solar, hydroelectric power, and geothermal. Keeping our nation at the forefront of energy research and development must be a goal of any federal energy policy.
Public Lands, Sportsmen, and the Outdoors
Public lands are some of our most cherished national treasures, and as a fifth generation Coloradan I understand the importance of preserving iconic landscapes in my state and across the nation. Public lands in Colorado help create an outdoor recreation economy that contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity to the state and local communities, and supports jobs.
Many conservation programs, like the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), have created protections for lands that current and future generations will be able to enjoy. The LWCF and other programs are often critical tools in expanding access to our public lands. Keeping these lands open for all to enjoy activities such as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and other recreational opportunities is something I support.
We must be good stewards of our natural environment, and this includes being responsible for the lands placed into parks, historic sites and trails, monuments, and recreation areas. The wildlife and wilderness that can be seen within these areas is something that cannot be taught in our classrooms. We need to work together to help preserve and promote these sites for the millions of visitors each year.
John Hickenlooper
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:
See post for more info.
Health Care
Cory Gardner
It is my belief that all Americans deserve access to quality and affordable health care, and I am committed to supporting common sense solutions that expand coverage and contain costs. According to an independent study, the United States has the most expensive health care system in the world, and due to the so-called “Affordable Care Act” the situation continues to worsen and costs continue to soar. In 2015, more than 126,000 Coloradans had to pay a fine for not complying with Obamacare’s individual mandate. Congress was able to repeal Obamacare’s individual mandate that forced people to buy insurance they could not afford but more needs to be done. Fixing our healthcare system will require repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with patient-centered solutions, which empower Americans and their doctors.
John Hickenlooper
Health care is a right, not a privilege.
The passage of the Affordable Care Act (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 more than men for the same care. Young people could stay on their parents’ plan until age 26. Lifetime caps were banned. Mental health, prescription drugs, and preventative care became required benefits.
As Governor, I was proud to bring lawmakers together from both sides of the aisle to expand Medicaid to 400,000 Coloradans. We also established our state exchange, Connect for Health Colorado, which allows individuals to compare plans for quality and affordability. It has been described as one of the most innovative exchanges in the country. In the process, we cut our state’s uninsured rate by nearly two-thirds.
Unfortunately, even with all of this progress, Americans are still getting ripped off by the high cost of health care. President Trump and Senator Gardner have made things worse. Senator Gardner has repeatedly voted to repeal the ACA, and he even supports a lawsuit at the Supreme Court that could end coverage for people with preexisting conditions — including nearly 2.4 million Coloradans. The Trump/Gardner agenda on health care has been to protect the profits of insurance companies and the medical industry while the rest of us pay more. For too many Americans, the rising cost of care is a very real matter of life or death.
We must build on the success of the ACA by creating a public option that will lower health care costs and boost competition. Too many Americans remain uninsured or underinsured, all because insurance coverage is simply too expensive.
We must tackle the staggeringly high cost of prescription drugs by requiring drug companies to be more transparent about drug pricing, allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prices, and ending the prohibition of the importation of safe drugs from Canada and Mexico. As a small businessman, I find it outrageous that Medicare is legally barred from negotiating the prices of prescription drugs, even though the VA and other countries around the world do exactly that.
We should also scale up Colorado’s best practices to curb the opioid epidemic by expanding naloxone access, researching alternative pain management therapies, and updating prescribing guidelines to reinvigorate federal efforts to address this crisis. And, in all sectors of our health-care system, we must accelerate our investment in innovation and cutting-edge research.
A healthier Colorado is possible, and the ACA provides a strong foundation upon which to build. But we have a long way to go before health care is equitable and accessible for all. I intend to fight for that future.
Infrastructure
Cory Gardner
Transportation and Infrastructure
Transportation infrastructure is critical to Colorado’s economy, whether it’s commuting in and around Denver, the thousand-plus daily flights through Denver International Airport, or the millions of pounds of freight passing through on our highways.
With Colorado’s population growing at one of the fastest rates in the country, it is critical that we are making necessary investments in our state’s infrastructure to keep up with this growth. Some of our existing highways date back to the 1960s and were not designed to handle the millions who have moved into Colorado over the past several decades. In order to remain economically competitive, Coloradans must be able to seamlessly travel and commute throughout the state.
Just like I believe in an all-of-the-above strategy on energy, I believe we need an all-of-the-above strategy on transportation. This includes the traditional modes of travel on our roads and highways combined with new modes like bus-rapid-transit and rail.
In the Senate, I am proud to be the first Colorado Senator in forty years to sit on the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. As part of my responsibilities, I sit on the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space. With Colorado touting one of the largest airports in the world combined with countless more commercial and general aviation airports, I am fighting to ensure our airports have the resources they need to be competitive in a global economy.
John Hickenlooper
N/A
Safety
Cory Gardner
National Security and Foreign Policy
The United States must have an assertive and principled foreign policy to rise to the challenge of the growing threats of international terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and authoritarian regimes that threaten global peace and security.
While we are focused on the ongoing crises in the Middle East and in Europe, we must also look to strengthen our existing alliances and build new partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region. This region is home to the world’s most dynamically-growing economies, but also the challenges and opportunities presented by a rising China and the existential threat of a belligerent North Korea. We must pursue policies to ensure the United States remains the leading force in that strategically-important region.
I authored the North Korea Sanctions Policy and Enhancement Act. Signed into law by President Obama in February of 2016, the legislation marked the first time Congress imposed stand-alone mandatory sanctions on North Korea. I have called for additional steps –including my bipartisan legislation that would ban any entity that does business with North Korea or its enablers from using the United States financial system.
Our Constitution obligates us to “provide for the common defense”. As home to Fort Carson, Peterson, Schriever, and Buckley Air Force bases, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, and the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado is at the forefront of our military’s mission to protect our nation and to train our nation’s young leaders. We must consistently and responsibly invest in our military to ensure the safety and security of Americans and our friends and allies around the world.
John Hickenlooper
Gun Violence Prevention
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.
See post for more info.
Immigration
Cory Gardner
N/A
John Hickenlooper
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.
Seniors
Cory Gardner
N/A
John Hickenlooper
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.
Veterans
Cory Gardner
Military and Veterans
The United States military is the most powerful force for good in the world, and troops and facilities in Colorado are a big reason why. All of Colorado’s military installations, including Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy, and Buckley, Peterson, and Schriever Air Force Bases, are on the cutting edge of military readiness and protecting our national security.
I will always fight to protect and grow the presence of the United States military in Colorado and will work to ensure that these bases, which are essential to both national security and Colorado communities, remain strong.
We must also ensure that our commitment to our men and women in uniform goes beyond active service. Colorado is home to over 400,000 veterans, and there is no more important mission of our federal government than to provide for those who served our country in uniform. We must uphold our commitments to our veterans and ensure they are receiving the care they need and deserve. Additionally, I will continue to hold federal agencies accountable for waste and abuse of resources devoted to veterans.
John Hickenlooper
N/A
