Denver, CO – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet completed five town halls during the two days off from his Senate schedule, visiting Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Alamosa, Durango, and Grand Junction. He also visited the Delta County Memorial Hospital in Delta, Colorado.
“Over the past two days, we heard from Coloradans who are concerned about the future of our country,” Bennet said. “It was inspiring hear the stories and questions from people in all the communities we visited, and we’re eager to continue working with them on solutions to make things better. I always enjoy driving through Colorado, visiting local stores and restaurants, and seeing the great beauty of our state.”
“It’s incumbent on all of us to make sure we carry forward a set of perspectives and traditions in this country when it comes to our politics and our free press,” Bennet continued. “That’s why these town halls are so important. We thrive when we work together to strengthen our republic, and throughout Colorado people see how much work we need to do to rebuild civility in politics. I will continue to work with anyone who is willing to set aside partisanship to solve our country’s problems.”
At each town hall, Bennet responded to Coloradans’ stories and concerns about health care, climate change, immigration, education, and more.
“You don’t go bankrupt over healthcare in other countries in this world, and you shouldn’t go bankrupt over health care here,” Bennet said in response to a question about health care. “They [Republicans] proposed bill reduces coverage by 24 million Americans, it cuts taxes for the very highest level of Americans, and it cuts Medicare by nearly $900 billion.”
“I’m not going to support a 30 percent cut to the EPA. The work focused being done on climate science at that agency is too important,” Bennet said in response to a question about climate change. “I know Republican moms and dads in El Paso or Douglas County believe in clean water and clean air.”
“We need a special prosecutor who can look at this, we need an independent investigation, an independent set of eyes,” Bennet said in response to a question about Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“I believe that people send us to Washington to get things done,” Bennet said in response to a question about Washington dysfunction. “And where I can work with Republicans and Democrats to do that I will. I don’t believe that principled compromise with someone who comes from a different state, or who has a different point of view, is selling out my values or my principles. In fact, I think there’s evidence going back to the very founding of this country where people had profound disagreements. In the end, they were able to find the greater good. That’s what I would like to help us do.”
“Keep it coming,” Bennet said, encouraging Coloradans to continue speaking up. “Your phone calls are making a difference. Your postcards are making a difference. Showing up is making a difference. People who have been in the Congress for 30 years have told me they’ve never seen anything like this. I think that’s going to give us the chance to change our politics in ways that can create more opportunity for the generations that come after us. Which is an objective that you and I both share.”
Coloradans unable to attend the town halls were able to view the town halls online via Facebook Live.
Click HERE for a video of the Colorado Springs town hall.
Click HERE for a video of the Durango town hall.
Click HERE for a video of the Grand Junction town hall.