Protecting DREAMers

congress must act to protect dreamers

This week, the Trump Administration made the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Established in 2012 under President Obama, the program was a way for young adults who came to the U.S. before the age of 16 to come out of the shadows and obtain a valid driver’s license, enroll in college or legally secure a job.

Terminating this program goes against our values as a country and will have a disastrous impact on our economy. Nearly 800,000 DREAMers, including 17,000 in Colorado, have benefitted from this program and are employed or getting an education. The loss of this program equates to a loss of roughly 700,000 jobs and billions in economic output. These individuals are our friends, neighbors, classmates and colleagues, and they contribute to and enrich our society every day.

President Obama signed the Executive Order authorizing the DACA program largely because Congress wasn’t acting on comprehensive immigration reform. Congress now has six months to find a legislative fix for these DREAMers.

I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3591, the American Hope Act and H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act to help address this issue. The DREAM Act provides permanent protection for DREAMers and allows them to remain in the U.S. legally to work, join the military and/or attend school. The Hope Act provides a path to U.S. citizenship by allowing DACA beneficiaries and other immigrant youth to apply for conditional permanent resident status and ultimately obtain full lawful permanent resident status if they meet certain requirements.

I call on Republican leadership in both the House and Senate to quickly address this issue and bring legislation to the floor for a vote.

addressing the marijuana banking crisis

As part of the appropriations process, I cosponsored four bipartisan amendments this week to help address the marijuana banking crisis. These amendments work to block the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) from revoking their guidance for how financial institutions should provide banking services to legitimate marijuana businesses. In addition, the amendments prohibit federal funds from being used to penalize states with their own regulatory structure in place or financial institutions serving legitimate marijuana businesses. Unfortunately, the House Rules Committee blocked these amendments from being included with the appropriations package.

Currently, legitimate marijuana businesses are forced to operate on a cash-only basis, which poses a significant public safety threat in our communities. With eight states and Washington, D.C. now allowing for adult-use recreational marijuana and 29 states legalizing medical marijuana, it’s time for Congress to act. I will continue pushing my Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act, which allows marijuana-related businesses in states with existing regulatory structures to access the banking system.

honoring Vietnam veterans

To date, my office has hosted eight Vietnam War 50th Commemoration ceremonies and honored nearly 900 Vietnam Veterans across Colorado.

While we do not have any additional ceremonies scheduled, we want to ensure every eligible Vietnam-era Veteran in Colorado receives a Service Lapel Pin and the recognition they deserve. If you are a Vietnam-era Veteran in Colorado and are interested in receiving a Lapel Pin, please complete this form or contact our office at (303) 274-7944.

It has been an honor and a privilege to take part in the Commemoration and recognize the service of our Vietnam Veterans.