“Washington has failed Coloradans yet again”
Today, Congressman Jason Crow joined John Hickenlooper for a virtual event to decry the Senate’s failure to pass a COVID relief plan as millions of American families are struggling. Hickenlooper and Crow heard from a health care provider, a firefighter, and an unemployed worker about the urgent need for relief and the Senate’s failure to deliver, and Congressman Crow said he is endorsing Hickenlooper because he’s the leader Colorado needs to get through this crisis.
The Senate’s dysfunction has cost Colorado. 330,000 Coloradans watched the clock run out on expanded unemployment insurance as Senate Republicans propose slashing payments by $1,600 a month. Meanwhile, Washington Republicans have no plan to protect families from getting evicted or to fund critical services like firefighters and schools. Congressman Crow and the House of Representatives passed a COVID relief plan back in May.
Through it all, Senator Gardner has refused to stand up to Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump to help Coloradans. Hickenlooper is running for Senate because he understands that, in a crisis, there is no time to spare, and that leaders need to put Coloradans ahead of party politics.
“In order to do my job safely, I need PPE so that I can keep my fellow firefighters and family safe,” said firefighter Chris Ferguson. “It’s been almost three months since Washington has passed any relief bills and we need help now. Our states and cities don’t have the funding to support our first responders and Senator Gardner has ultimately failed to deliver. We need a change of leadership.”
“No one saw this pandemic coming and I certainly was not expecting to be unemployed for almost 5 months now,” said unemployed worker Dorian Pruitt. “I rely on the extra $600 a week to make sure I can continue to pay my mortgage and take care of my children, but Senator Gardner and his Republican friends chose to take a two-week vacation and let the emergency fund run out on me and 330,000 other Coloradans. He clearly doesn’t care about families like mine. John Hickenlooper has a proven track record of getting Colorado out of crises and we need to make sure he wins this November.”
“Coronavirus cases have been on the rise for the last month, families are struggling, the Senate is in gridlock, and critical relief doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon,” said nurse practitioner Dr. Dawn Fetzko. “We are struggling to get funding and PPE we need for my small primary care clinic and Senator Gardner doesn’t really seem to care. We need a leader with grit, who will get us through this pandemic and help us build back stronger than before — and that leader is John Hickenlooper.”
“It’s been over two months since the House passed their COVID relief bill where it has since sat waiting in the Senate. Meanwhile, we’ve seen Senator Gardner stand silently by President Trump and Mitch McConnell when we needed him to take action,” said Congressman Jason Crow. “The words and deeds of our leaders matter and it is time that we had a fighter in the Senate who will make sure we are supporting Colorado, not playing politics with people’s lives. I know John Hickenlooper won’t let politics stand in the way of helping Colorado and I look forward to having him in Washington to address this crisis and rebuild our communities.”
“Washington has failed Coloradans yet again. Senator Gardner and President Trump sat idly by while federal unemployment insurance ran out last week, and Trump even admitted that he doesn’t care — it’s sickening,” said John Hickenlooper. “There are health care providers, first responders, and unemployed workers who need relief now. I look forward to working with Congressman Crow in Washington to get Colorado through this crisis and build back stronger than ever.”
Hickenlooper has repeatedly called on the Senate to act on COVID relief and has been joined by elected officials at the state and local level who are fighting for the resources their communities need and regular Coloradans who are fed up with President Trump and Senator Gardner’s failed response to this pandemic.
