Representative Joe Neguse

Dear Neighbor,

I hope you’ve been staying warm and safe during the latest blast of cold weather. Late last week, I made my way back to Colorado after a busy week in Washington, D.C., and we have a lot of important news to share.

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AVERTED

First and foremost, last week my colleagues and I worked together to prevent critical parts of the government from shutting down before the January 19th deadline. We passed a continuing resolution to keep the government open and ensure that essential services, from veterans affairs to critical health care programming, can operate. It was a complex road, but through bipartisanship, our commitment to putting people over politics prevailed.

Now that government funding has been extended, it’s time for us to get back to meeting the urgent needs of the people we are privileged to represent, which includes lowering costs for hard-working Coloradans, growing the middle class from the bottom up and the middle out, and building safer communities.

UINTA RAILWAY DECISION

Early last year, Senator Bennet and I led the effort to implore the U.S. Forest Service to withdraw the permit for the Uinta Basin Railway project due to the destructive impact it would have on our local communities and environment.

I’m proud to announce that this week the Forest Service heeded our call and withdrew the Uinta Basin Railway Project’s special use permit. This decision will bring us one step closer to avoiding the dangers of this project and help us to preserve Colorado’s water supplies, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation assets, and the broader River Basin.

CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Pictured Above: Congressman Neguse speaks at Denver’s Marade to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I spent time with community members from across Colorado’s 2nd while celebrating the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader with fellow Coloradans.

I was honored to speak at the annual Denver Marade in City Park — despite the -8 negative degrees below zero weather, I was so grateful to see so many Coloradans attend and march in the Reverend's honor. I also was delighted to join students and community members in Lafayette to mark the important day as well!

WHAT ELSE HAVE WE BEEN WORKING ON?

As Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus, I introduced two bipartisan bills that will help combat the nationwide spike in fentanyl-related overdoses and drug poisonings. Read more about the bills HERE.
Early last week, I was proud to announce that multiple school districts — from Grand County to Fort Collins — have been awarded federal funding to purchase new electric school buses. This will help serve students across the state and make our air cleaner. Read more HERE.

Should you need any assistance from our office, please do not hesitate to reach out. Please stay safe, stay healthy, and stay hopeful!

Sincerely,

Joe Neguse
Member of Congress