For the last two weeks, the discussion in Congress has been about finding a new way forward in Iraq. Last week, the Senate passed a bill that supports our troops, our veterans and their families while taking steps to rebuild our military. It sent a direct message to the Iraqis that our military commitment is not open-ended, and launched a new diplomatic, economic and political offensive in Iraq. Finally, it set an April, 1, 2008 goal of redeploying U.S. troops not engaged in carrying out security, training and counter-terror operations in Iraq.

I am disappointed the President vetoed the bill. The most important charge we have is to continue to seek a new way forward in Iraq, one that seeks input from both Democrats and Republicans as the Iraq Study Group did in developing its report released last year. I believe that the Iraq Study Group’s recommendations can and should be our blueprint for a compromise that could gain broad support here in the Senate.

Here in Colorado, one issue on everyone’s mind is the rising cost of gasoline. High gas prices affect the way we live, work and spend time with family and friends. But it also makes us dependent on unstable regions of the world for our energy needs, undermining our national security. Increasing America’s energy security means developing new resources at home, such as renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. As a member of the Energy Committee, I am a supporter of the bipartisan Biofuels for Energy Security and Transportation Act, which would require our Nation to produce 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels each year by 2022. Our Nation must also take immediate steps to improve our gasoline conservation. I cosponsored the Energy Efficiency Promotion Act (EEPA), which sets the goal of reducing U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent in the next ten years and by 45 percent by 2030 – and I think we can go even further. Both of these bills were approved by the Senate Energy Committee this week, and I am optimistic that many of my colleagues here in the Senate will support them, too.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced it would cut $4.3 million in fire prevention funding from our region, Region II. This funding is important to protecting the homes and livelihoods of thousands of Coloradans, and I found it totally unacceptable. So I helped marshal the Colorado delegation to urge USFS to reconsider this hasty and dangerous decision, and last week USFS announced that it was reversing this decision and putting $2 million back into Colorado for on-the-ground fire prevention for at-risk communities on the Front Range and those suffering from bark beetle infestation. This is an important win for property and home owners across Colorado, and an important step forward in wildfire prevention for the entire state.

Earlier this week, I was pleased to announce that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be opening a new veterans’ outreach clinic in Burlington, Colorado, the first such clinic serving the estimated 10,000 veterans of eastern Colorado. It will be located at the Medical Arts Building, 1177 Rose Avenue in Burlington, and is expected to open its doors this coming October.

Finally, I want to congratulate Fort Collins’ Poudre High School on its first place finish at the 2007 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl Competition in Washington, DC. Their hard work and dedication showed the Nation that Colorado is a national leader in educational achievement in math and science, and that Coloradans will help ensure that America remains a global leader in research and development throughout the 21st century and beyond.

Thank you,

Ken Salazar
United States Senator

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