Hickenlooper & Coloradans Call on Gardner to “Get to Work”
The Senate finally returned to Washington after their month-long recess so John united with teachers, veterans, small business owners, and La Junta Mayor Jeffri Pruyn to call on Senator Gardner to act immediately to deliver long-delayed COVID relief.
More than 100 days ago, Senator Gardner said it was “unfathomable” to go on recess without passing COVID relief, yet that’s exactly what they’ve done — multiple times. Months later, Senator Gardner has still failed to pass *any* additional COVID relief.
John’s Plan to Build Back Colorado’s Economy — Better
The coronavirus pandemic continues to hurt our economy, shutter small businesses, and keep workers unemployed, so on Friday John unveiled his economic recovery plan to ensure we build back better and more resilient after COVID-19.
John’s plan to build a stronger, resilient economy after COVID-19 includes:
- Providing immediate relief for Colorado families suffering from the economic crisis caused by COVID-19.
- Ending President Trump and Senator Cory Gardner’s tax giveaways to big corporations and creating a more inclusive economy — one that would invest in workers and ensure every community can benefit from Colorado’s economic success.
- Addressing the harmful impacts of systemic racism by boosting access to a quality education for all Coloradans, increasing affordable housing, supporting entrepreneurs of color, and closing the racial wealth gap.
- Supporting rural Colorado by ending President Trump’s disastrous tariff war, which has put Colorado’s small farmers and ranchers on the ropes, and reinvesting in tools that grow our rural economy, like universal broadband, public lands legislation, and support for beginning farmers.
- Aligning the skills of the workforce with the needs of Colorado employers.
- Creating a national apprenticeship program modeled on CareerWise, which helps Coloradans develop skills for a fulfilling career.
- Fostering innovation by investing in the most dynamic and exciting job-creating industries of the future and making it easier than ever to start a small business.
Read the full plan HERE.
Hick Visits Minority-Owned Small Businesses in Aurora
Earlier this week, John visited several minority-owned small businesses in Aurora and heard about the impacts of COVID-19 and the frustration towards the Senate’s inaction. The Senate still doesn’t have any real plan to get relief to the millions of Americans who are struggling to pay the bills, put food on the table, and make their rent and mortgages.
Small businesses told John “they got nothing from the past relief package” as Senator Gardner offered only empty words. John called out Gardner for leaving minority-owned small businesses behind.
Denver’s Fox 31 and Aurora’s Sentinel Colorado reported on John’s small business stops and you can read the coverage HERE and HERE.
New Ad Focusing on Renewable Energy
Climate change is here, and Republicans like Senator Gardner have accepted millions from the oil and gas industry and refuse to act. This week Hickenlooper for Colorado released a new TV ad “Power,” highlighting John’s record of combating climate change by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. In the Senate, John will expand on that work to protect our planet and create jobs of the future.
Women in Business
The Senate has failed to get many minority and women-owned small businesses the help they need. Senator Gardner said he would help struggling families and small businesses, but too much of the relief went to big corporations while the smallest businesses struggled to get any aid. This week John met with women business leaders to talk about the impacts of COVID-19 on small businesses and how Washington needs to get its act together to provide real relief.
Honoring America’s Workers
John released the following statement commemorating Labor Day and honoring Colorado’s working families:
“Today, I’m thinking about our union brothers and sisters and the working people who built the United States. This pandemic has made it more clear than ever who truly are our essential workers — and Washington has failed to treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve. Working side by side with the thousands of working families who support our campaign, we’ll work to change Washington. I’ll fight for working families in the United States Senate the same way they have fought long and hard for our rights in the workplace.”
John has been endorsed by a growing coalition of organized labor groups, including the American Federation of Teachers, Colorado AFL-CIO, Colorado Professional Firefighters, Denver Firefighters 858, Pipefitters Local 208, Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Colorado Education Association, LIUNA 720, United Auto Workers, Teamsters Local 455, American Federation of Government Employees, Communication Workers of America, American Federation of State, and County and Municipal Employees.
Gardner Accepts Proposed Debates — Finally
After months of delay, Senator Cory Gardner finally accepted the four debates originally proposed by the Hickenlooper for Colorado campaign. Yesterday, press secretary Ammar Moussa released the following statement:
“The debate about the debates is finally over. After more than a month of political games and stunts, Senator Cory Gardner has finally accepted the four debates we originally proposed over a month ago. In just a few weeks, Coloradans in every corner of the state, including Spanish speakers, will see the clear contrast between Senator Gardner’s cowardly silence about Donald Trump’s failed response to the Coronavirus and John’s record of leading Colorado out of crisis. And then Coloradans are going to vote Gardner out.”
John Live on MSNBC
John was live with Craig Melvin on MSNBC to talk about the Senate’s inaction on COVID relief, what needs to get done for struggling families in Colorado, and the climate change-fueled wildfires raging across the West. You can watch the full interview HERE.
