Politics
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
Man accused in shooting death of RTD security officer charged with first-degree murder
DENVER – The suspect in the shooting death of a Denver transit security guard Tuesday night near Union Station was charged with first-degree murder Friday morning in Denver District Court.
Joshua Cummings, 37, his face still swollen from what Denver District Attorney Beth McCann called an infection, uttered only two words during the hearing when he told the judge, “Yes sir,” when asked if he understood his rights. Continue reading
Colorado bill would exempt feminine hygiene products from state sales tax
DENVER – Colorado women would no longer have to pay extra state sales taxes on feminine hygiene products if a bill under consideration in the state Legislature passes.
Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver, and Sen. Beth Martinez Humenik, an Adams County Republican, are co-sponsoring House Bill 1127, which would exempt the state sales tax on tampons, menstrual pads and sanitary napkins, pantiliners, menstrual sponges and menstrual cups.
Canada repealed its so-called “tampon tax” in 2015, but around 40 U.S. states still tax the products.
Women around the world have fought the tax in recent years, saying it is a basic necessity and should not be subject to taxation.
The Colorado bill classifies feminine hygiene products as a drug, medical or therapeutic devices. The exemption would go into effect starting Jan. 1, 2018 if the bill becomes law.
The fiscal impact report on the bill from the Colorado Legislative Council says, if approved, the exemption would cost Colorado $1.2 million in state tax revenue to the General Fund in FY 2017-18 and $2.4 million in FY 2018-19, when it would be applied for the full fiscal year.
The report says an estimated 1.5 million women in the state are of typical menstruating age and estimates each woman spends $60 a year on feminine hygiene products, generating about $2 each year per person.
The bill would allow local municipalities and counties to adopt the exemption as well.
The fiscal impact report says those exemptions could cost the Regional Transportation District about $740,000 over the next two years, and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District about $74,000.
The bill is scheduled for its first hearing Feb. 13 in the House Finance Committee.
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Afghan translator now in Denver vetted for 2 years before special visa was approved
DENVER – President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily barring some immigrants and refugees from predominantly-Muslim nations has created confusion among those affected by the order and lawyers and government officials tasked with upholding it.
Lawyers and Trump administration officials worked through the weekend to figure out exactly to whom the ban applies. 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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Colorado extends deadline to sign up for health insurance on state exchange to Friday
DENVER – Colorado’s health insurance exchange extended its enrollment deadline by three days Tuesday evening in response to a late surge in people trying to sign up for coverage.
Connect For Health Colorado, which operates the state exchange under the federal Affordable Care Act, extended the deadline for people to sign up to 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3. The deadline had been set for Tuesday evening.
Colorado’s exchange said enrollment on Monday was running 12 percent ahead of 2016 enrollment figures. A spokesman for the exchange said 200,000 people obtained coverage on the exchange last year.
Connect For Health Colorado plans will go into effect March 1, so anyone in the process of enrolling over the phone, in-person at an enrollment center, or online at Friday’s deadline will be able to complete their enrollment.
The spike in enrollment comes as Republicans in Washington say they are working to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and as Republicans in Colorado’s Legislature work to dismantle the state exchange as well.
Tuesday is the deadline for people in states that do not have their own exchanges to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
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Denver college student from Libya sues Trump administration over executive order
DENVER – A Muslim Colorado college student on Tuesday joined a growing list of people in various states who are suing the Trump administration over an executive order that temporarily restricts refugees and other immigrants from the U.S.
Zakaria Hagig, 24, who is originally from Libya but is legally studying business full time at Community College of Denver, had the suit filed on his behalf in U.S. District Court of Colorado Tuesday morning. Continue reading
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
Veterans Affairs: Aurora VA hospital will be exempt from federal hiring freeze
DENVER – The new Veterans Affairs hospital in Aurora will be exempt from the federal hiring freeze ordered by the new administration, allaying fears that the controversial hospital would not be staffed once it finally opens.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Friday it would exempt “certain positions,” most of which are related to direct patient care, from the hiring freeze ordered by the Trump administration “because they are necessary to meet [VA] public safety responsibilities.” Continue reading