U. S. SENATE CANDIDATES
No. Colorado’s oil and gas industry contributes billions in state and local tax revenue, funds our local school districts and state infrastructure projects, and employs over 230,000 Coloradans. There is no place on Earth with more rigorous environmental safeguards and technological know- how than the United States. I’ve made it my mission in Congress to bolster public funding to advance science and innovations that help us reduce emissions while supporting Colorado’s vibrant clean energy industry. I support an all- oftheabove energy strategy because high paying jobs, affordable energy and funding for our schools and roads have never been more important because of the coronavirus pandemic.
What, if anything, should the federal government do to improve the economy?
Gardner: Even prior to the pandemic, there was high demand for qualified and skilled workers across several different sectors, but not enough people with the necessary skills or qualifications to fill that demand. We need to encourage both economic and workforce development across the state. That’s why I’m leading bipartisan legislation that incentivizes minority participation in STEM learning and helps college grads pay off their loans. Additionally, we need to cut taxes and keep Colorado’s rural communities in mind when bringing forward legislation that focuses on making Colorado more economically resilient.
Do you support further federal restrictions on firearms? If so, which restrictions?
Gardner: I’m a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights. The horrific acts that have plagued our country and our state are nothing I take lightly. The country needs to act to prevent these tragedies from happening again. I worked closely with Sandy Hook Promise to introduce the STANDUP Act to ensure our youngest and most vulnerable have access to mental health services in their communities. I also passed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act so that when Coloradans are experiencing a mental health crisis, they need only to remember 9- 8- 8 to access immediate and specialized help.
Hickenlooper: Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and our state is on the front lines of this crisis, with shorter winters, catastrophic floods and wildfires, and continued air pollution. While Colorado continues to lead on combating climate change despite the Trump Administration’s destructive rollbacks of environmental protections that Sen. Gardner has supported, we must do more. My climate plan calls for moving away from carbon emissions and making fracking obsolete in the transition to a 100% renewable energy economy with net- zero emissions.
Hickenlooper: We are facing the economic crisis of our generation because the president, enabled by Sen. Gardner, failed to take the threat posed by COVID- 19 seriously. To address our economic crisis, we need to provide additional financial relief so that the state and local governments, school systems, hospitals, and small businesses that have been overwhelmed by this pandemic can begin to rebuild. These aren’t new ideas and yet for four months, Cory Gardner has let dust gather on a bill to provide relief to the families and small businesses that need it most.
Hickenlooper: The epidemic of gun violence is a deeply personal issue for me. As governor, after the tragic mass shooting at the Aurora movie theater, I took on the gun lobby and signed into law landmark reforms on gun safety that required background checks for gun sales and banned high- capacity magazines. Washington has failed to act on these issues for years because senators like Cory Gardner are in the pocket of the gun lobby. As your senator, I would fight passionately and tirelessly for a range of commonsense gun violence prevention policies including universal background checks.
Raymon Anthony Doane, Daniel Doyle and Stephan “Seku” Evans have not returned the questionnaire