WASHINGTON — Congress this week passed a $1.3 trillion plan to fund the federal government through Sept. 30, and tucked into that 2,232-page measure — which President Donald Trump must sign to avoid a shutdown — are several provisions that will have an impact on Colorado. Among them: New money to fight wildfires A longstanding concern among Western lawmakers is the way that the federal government is forced to pay for its efforts to fight wildfires. Too often, the cost has been so much that the U... Read more

For Fort Collins, Loveland and other Northern Colorado residents, train horn noise is an issue they've discussed for years but one that hasn't gone away. When local elected officials met with Congressman Jared Polis, D-Colo., at the end of February about infrastructure, they brought it up again. And now that the Federal Railroad Administration has a new representative, Ronald Batory, national elected leaders are urging Batory to update the "Train Horn Rule." Train horns not only create a nuisanc... Read more

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) issued the following statement after President Trump’s first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress: "Tonight I was hoping to hear a more unifying message and a commitment to bipartisan cooperation. But unfortunately, I heard neither. "My guest at tonight's State of the Union, Viviana Andazola Marquez, is an example of an individual that makes our country proud. After living in the U.S. for almost 20 years with no criminal rec... Read more

President Trump announced plans during his State of the Union address Tuesday for a $1.5 trillion infrastructure spending plan that could be good news for Colorado’s ambitious road-building plans. However, he also said he would move forward with a get-tough policy on immigration that is nearly certain to alienate the state’s large Hispanic population. He continued his unbending rhetoric towards foreign adversaries, saying he would imprison more Middle Eastern terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, act ag... Read more

Colorado reaction to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address rang out from the halls of Congress to the Front Range, touching on immigration, the economy and infrastructure. Here are of some of the highlights. Colorado’s congressional delegation U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, Democrat: “Only this president could make a call for unity sound so divisive. He continues to promise results for Coloradans, but delivers partisan soundbites and ideology. I want nothing more than to move forward to... Read more

President Donald Trump covered a wide swath of topics in his first State of the Union address to Congress. From transportation to immigration, North Korea to economic prosperity, Trump spoke for 80 minutes to many standing ovations and applause. Colorado U.S. Senator response: Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) decried Trump's "dark, backward-looking vision for our country," and Tweeted a statement calling Trump's "call for unity" divisive. "He continues to promise results for Coloradans, but deli... Read more

DENVER – President Donald Trump called for unity in his first State of the Union address in a speech that was warmly received by most Republicans in attendance, but also riled Democrats and some Republicans with hard-line talk on immigration. Here’s a roundup of reaction from Colorado’s top politicians that Denver7 has received so far. U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R) “I applaud the President’s call for unity tonight. It’s time that we come together as a country, and for Democrats and Republicans to w... Read more

President Donald Trump’s victory lap on the economy Tuesday night during his first State of the Union address was deserved. Give him credit that despite the Russia scandal hanging over his administration and the instability rendered by his often angry and inaccurate tweets, he is at the helm of the nation at a time of record low unemployment and record high stock market prices. These are not insignificant indications that the state of the union is strong, and Trump took his moment to highlight t... Read more

WASHINGTON — Colorado braced Friday for the possibility of a government shutdown as lawmakers on Capitol Hill appeared no closer to reaching a deal before a late-Friday night deadline. The most immediate impact on Colorado — as with the rest of the country — would be the furlough of thousands of federal workers whose jobs are deemed non-essential by the administration. Excluding the U.S. Department of Defense, there are at least 36,000 civilian federal jobs in Colorado at agencies that range fro... Read more

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) applauded the release of the Government Accountability Office’s study on railroad quiet zones. The report was conducted after an amendment authored by Perlmutter was included in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act signed into law in December 2015. “Today’s report confirms what communities in my district have been telling me for years. Establishing quiet zones are costly, burdensome, and lack clear guidance from the Fede... Read more