July 12, 2017 08:38 AM UTC

Gardner Says He Was Talking to Coloradans All Week

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• by: Jason Salzman

(Yeah, sure. — Promoted by Colorado Pols)

It’s gotten to the point where we no longer need to examine or critique U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner’s (R-CO) words at all. They speak for themselves. 

This is Gardner’s latest constituent newsletter, provided for you verbatim in its entirety, as delivered in an email Tuesday with the subject line, “Meeting with Coloradans.” To be clear, this is not my attempt at satire.

Meeting with Coloradans Over the July 4th State Work Period

Last week, I toured the Western Slope where I met with Colorado healthcare providers, farmers and ranchers, local elected representatives, and public lands officials.

Meeting with Coloradans, hearing their concerns, and finding ways to work together to move our country forward is one of the most rewarding parts of my job as a United States Senator. It was important to have discussions with Colorado’s healthcare providers, farmers and ranchers, local officials, and National Park Service employees overseeing our public lands this state work period so I can return to Washington and advocate for policies that will help all of Colorado.

After spending July 4th in my hometown of Yuma, I headed to the Western Slope on Wednesday where I toured Raymond Dairy Farm in Loma, stopped at the Peach Shack (with Thatcher and Caitlyn) and Blaine’s Tomatoes and Farm in Palisade, and attended the Cattleman’s Association dinner in Fruita where I spoke with ranchers about policies that could benefit rural America.

On Thursday, I visited Dinosaur National Monument to discuss U.S. national park policies, met with members of the Colorado Farm Bureau, toured the Produce Peddler in Mack, and met with executives and doctors at Pioneers Medical Center in Meeker to discuss challenges rural hospitals are facing under the Affordable Care Act.

On Friday, I concluded my tour and met with Moffat County officials to discuss economic rural development, visited Knott Ranch to talk about the importance of conservation to farmers, and toured the Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs where we discussed healthcare reform.

Fighting for Rural Colorado

Throughout my time in Congress, I have advocated for fully funding the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, and I’m thrilled local governments across Colorado will receive a total of $36.6 million in federal payments to local governments for 2017. These grants are critical to rural counties throughout Colorado and are used to fund essential services, including public safety and emergency response efforts. I have already sent a letter to the Senate appropriators to urge full funding of the PILT program for FY2018 and will continue to fight for Colorado’s rural communities.

Read more in the Denver Post here.

Need Help with a Federal Agency?

My staff is available to assist you with finding out the status of a case and requesting additional information from a federal agency. I have offices in Denver, Durango, Pueblo, Grand Junction, Fort Collins, Greeley, Yuma, and Colorado Springs. Learn more about how we can help here.

Thank you for taking the time to read my weekly update. If I can be of any assistance to you, please contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-5941.

Sincerely,

Cory Gardner

United States Senator