This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
WASHINGTON DC | Congress returns in early January, and members of Colorado’s congressional delegation each have their own priorities for the new year.
Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet said accessible health care will remain a top priority.
“I have not given up on extending the premium tax credits, and I have introduced legislation to create a public option for Americans who want a Medicare-administered plan. I will also continue to fight to protect our public lands,” he said in a statement.
Congress failed to renew the enhanced premium tax credit for those who buy health insurance on the state ACA marketplace. But a bipartisan group of lawmakers is still trying to get it passed in the new year.
GOP Rep. Jeff Hurd from the 3rd Congressional District is hoping an extension of the tax credit includes some reforms. Still, he said in the new year, Republicans and Democrats need to be talking about “how to lower the cost of healthcare.”
Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper also said he’ll focus on affordability and health care. He’s got a bipartisan bill that would make health care costs more transparent. “But also, we’ve got to look at how are we going to make this economy better and grow again without tariffs that works for everyone.”
The two senators also said they’d remain vigilant against Republican attempts to sell off public lands.
GOP Rep. Gabe Evans, who represents the 8th Congressional District, said he’s hoping the cost of living takes center stage when Congress comes back. He pointed out Colorado is one of the most expensive states and is focused on “doing everything that we can at the federal level to roll back these suffocating leftist regulations that are crushing our economy.”
An example he gave is his bipartisan FIRE Act, which ensures states aren’t punished for smoke and emissions they cannot control.
Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen of the 7th Congressional District also had addressing costs as her priority. She’s focused on housing and investing in kids and childcare.
“There’s 10,000 women who say they want to be in the workforce, but they can’t afford child care in Colorado. So it’s a huge issue,” she said.
Many Colorado lawmakers’ priorities are focused close to home.
Hurd said his local issues for the new year include getting $40 million from the Interior Department for the Shoshone water rights, as well as serious legislation on public safety, economic development and Indian health service through.
Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse of the 2nd Congressional District said he wants to deliver results for Coloradans. “That means getting these bills on wildfire mitigation, watershed protection across the finish line in the same way that we did the Secure Rural Schools program.”
And while he criticized the first year of the 119th Congress for being one of the most “dysfunctional and unproductive,” his goal is to get as many of his bills signed into law as he can. (Neguse noted the longest government shutdown, where the House was out of session for more than seven weeks, and the low number of bills signed into law.)
GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of the 4th Congressional District, however, points to successes out of the Republican-controlled Congress, such as their tax and spending bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill, and from the Trump Administration’s actions to control the border.
And unlike some of her other Republican colleagues, she’s not giving up on getting a second reconciliation bill passed. It’s a budget maneuver that allows the Senate to bypass the filibuster and is how the OBBB got passed.
Still, she also wants to see some of her bills get over the finish line. Her bill to delist the Gray Wolf from the Endangered Species Act and to establish new zip codes are both now in the Senate. She and Colorado’s senators will also have to address President Trump’s veto of the Finish the AVC Act and see if there is any appetite from Republican congressional leaders to try and override the veto or include it in a larger piece of legislation.
And Boebert noted that Congress still needs to figure out how to fund the government by Jan. 30. “Is it going to be an omnibus? A minibus? I’m not sure exactly what it’s going to look like, but we’ve got to get focused on this because there are amazing projects in my district that I want to see funded.”
Some others, however, are also looking at the big picture.
“I think next year my priority is going to be standing up for democracy and fighting against Donald Trump’s illegal abuse of our system,” said Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette of the 1st Congressional District.
Democratic Rep. Jason Crow’s focus is on the mid-term elections and Democrats retaking the House.
“Things are getting substantially worse for Americans, so we have to establish a check. We have to reestablish some sanity [in Congress], which is why retaking control of the majority and reestablishing that check and balance and reasserting Congress’s authority over many issues [is important],” Crow explained.
He thinks a change in leadership in the House could also help some of his legislative priorities, like campaign finance reform, gun violence prevention and affordable health care, move forward.
GOP Rep. Jeff Crank of the 5th Congressional District declined to speak with CPR News about his priorities.
Getting anything big passed this year will likely hit a big speed bump: the mid-term elections. Historically, less is accomplished during an election year as partisanship rises and lawmakers spend more time in the district campaigning.