Letter from Congresswoman DeGette

March 17, 2009

Dear Denver Democrats:

Thank you for your support and hard work in sending Barack Obama to the White House and Mark Udall to the U.S. Senate – what a difference change makes! With President Obama and an expanded majority in Congress, the 111th Congress got off to a great start. In just a few short weeks, President Barack Obama has put forth a bold, yet realistic path that is reflective of our Democratic values. From science to health care to the economy, President Obama is turning campaign rhetoric into real policy.  As Chief Deputy Whip and Vice Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I have the opportunity to be at the center of many of these debates in Congress.

President Obama’s arrival in the White House means a return to science-based policies. Just last week, President Obama signed an executive order repealing former President Bush’s draconian ban on embryonic stem cell research. With a stroke of a pen, millions of patients and their families now can have hope for a potential cure for thousands of diseases. As the chief architect of bipartisan stem cell legislation that passed Congress twice, I look forward to working with President Obama on codifying this policy in to law.

I was also pleased that one of the first bills President Obama signed into law was an expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. As the lead Whip charged with ensuring the bill’s passage, I am proud that millions of low-income children across the country – including over 60,000 kids in Colorado – have brand new access to quality health care. Congress has also already started the process of fixing our broken health care system. With hearings already taking place in my Committee, I am working to make sure that the plan developed is affordable and portable for every American.

As the economy continues to worsen, Congress is standing with President Obama to address the challenges we face. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act put into motion the immediate steps necessary to revitalize the economy in the short term, while promoting its long-term stability by making sustained investments in health care, energy, and education that will lead to the creation of new jobs and new industries, making us more competitive in the global economy. As a direct result of the recovery package, Colorado received over $100 million in federal transit funds that will help create and save thousands of jobs. In Denver, RTD is eligible for funding to expand the Light Rail system that transports tens of thousands of people around metro-Denver each year. However, I am outraged about the recent news that AIG executives are receiving $165 million in bonuses after the company accepted billions in taxpayer assistance. I am demanding that American taxpayers be disgorged. 

As you can imagine, it is an exciting time to be in our nation’s Capitol. But, we have much work ahead of us. Not only must we reform our nation’s broken health care system, but we must also fix our ailing food safety system. Climate change is also a top priority of ours, while we must continue to ensure the long-term stability of our economy. I thank you for all of your support – and look forward to working with you and my colleagues in Congress and the Obama Administration.

Thank you,

Diana DeGette
Member of Congress