DENVER – Defense Secretary James Mattis has ordered the Inspector General for the Department of Defense to conduct a review of what missteps led to Devin Kelley being able to purchase weapons after an assault conviction while in the military, while some congressmen from Colorado are calling for him to conduct a full review of the reporting system. On Tuesday, Sen. Michael Bennet (D), and Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D) and Mike Coffman (R) called for the Department of Defense to conduct a full review of... Read more

WASHINGTON — Democrats among Colorado’s congressional delegation joined an amicus brief this week filed in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case Dec. 5 to decide whether Lakewood-based Masterpiece Cakeshop violated the civil rights of a same-sex couple by refusing to make them a wedding cake. The shop’s owner, Jack Phillips, cited his religious objections to same-sex marriage. The Colorado Civil Rights Commissio... Read more

DENVER — The news of President Trump’s former campaign associates being indicted on Monday has resulted in reaction from across the Colorado political community. FOX31 and Channel 2 political reporter Joe St. George has gathered reactions so far. Congresswoman Diana Degette: “Protecting our democracy from being undermined from overseas is not a partisan issue; it’s a national security imperative. We need to know the extent of Russia’s influence on the U.S. electoral system and how to stop it fro... Read more

Colorado Congressman Ed Perlmutter (D-Arvada) announced Thursday he will co-sponsor a bill to prohibit gun purchases for people with mental illness who have been involuntarily committed on an outpatient basis. The Safer Communities Act of 2017 expands federal law, which currently applies only to those committed to inpatient facilities. The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA). Both representatives serve on the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force; Thompson as chair, Perlmutter a... Read more

Big news on the budget front dominated headlines out of D.C., while Colorado representatives also tackled issues ranging from birth control access to the declaration of the opioid crisis as a public health emergency. The budget resolution clears the House In major legislative action, the House passed the Senate's $4.1 trillion budget resolution – the blueprint for building the next year's budget. While it does call for some funding cuts, the resolution ultimately may add $1.5 trillion to the def... Read more

U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Arvada, announced Wednesday the U.S. House has approved legislation that will impose more sanctions on North Korea. The legislation, sponsored by Perlmutter and five other Congressman, bans U.S. financial institutions from providing financial services to North Korea. The legislation, the Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions Act, is named after the University of Virginia student who died last June after returning to the United States after spending a year in capt... Read more

Jim Bridenstine has been nominated to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as its 13th administrator. It is my honor to support his nomination. NASA’s mission is to go where no one has gone before, explore the unknown, and reveal the secrets of the universe for the benefit of America and the world. This iconic agency has been at the forefront of scientific discovery for almost 60 years. Jim Bridenstine is well-equipped to lead NASA as it develops return missions to the moon, se... Read more

Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican who leads the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus, and Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who is one of the Senate’s most persistent gun controllers, do not agree on much. But the congressman and the senator both see the folly of the National Rifle Association’s position on bump stocks, the firearm accessories that Stephen Paddock used in his deadly attack on country music fans in Las Vegas. The NRA opposes a legislative ban on bump stocks but want... Read more

The National Rifle Association has far greater financial influence on Colorado’s delegation than pro-gun control groups, according to data maintained by the Center for Responsive Politics. In direct contributions to candidates or political action committees established by candidates, called leadership PACs, the National Rifle Association has contributed more than $180,000 to Colorado’s current Republican leaders. Rep. Mike Coffman (R ) has received $51,950 in contributions from gun rights groups... Read more

Three Republican members of Congress are gathering support to ask the ATF to undertake a new review of bump stocks, the type of gun modification used by the Las Vegas shooter to make his weapons fire at speeds similar to machine guns. Asking other House members to sign onto a letter to the ATF seeking a new review, the three former military Republicans argued "fully-automatic weapons were never intended for civilian use." The letter they plan to send this week to ATF also points out that members... Read more