Whatever your views of the war in Iraq, we can all agree that we need to take care of our men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is why the last several weeks have been pivotal in efforts to fund our troops in Iraq and provide help to the millions of Americans suffering from recent natural disasters. Last week, the Senate passed the emergency spending bill for funding our soldiers in Iraq, ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief and other emergencies in need of immediate national action. I spent much of the week working to make sure that our soldiers and Colorado’s immediate emergency needs were addressed, and secured three important changes to the bill:

• A requirement that the Department of Defense report on the progress of their efforts to provide counter-IED (Improvised Explosive Device) training to U.S. troops before they are deployed into Iraq – a key concern relayed to me by troop commanders when I visited Iraq in March;
• $30 million in additional funding to reduce the extreme and immediate risk of fire danger from widespread bark beetle infestation. The forecast for much of Colorado and the West is for a dangerous year for fires, a true emergency that cannot wait for Congressional action in October; and
• $3.9 billion in emergency agriculture disaster relief funding to farmers and ranchers who are facing bankruptcy as a result of drought and other natural disasters, lower prices, and higher costs for fuel.

In addition last week, I pressed Secretary of the Interior nominee Governor Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID), at his nomination hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, on my concerns about the Department’s position on land sales for the purposes of deficit reduction. Governor Kempthorne agreed with me that sales for the purpose of deficit reduction are not appropriate. I also questioned him about my concerns with the Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF) state-side grants, changes to National Parks management rules and many other issues. Governor Kempthorne is a man of the West who has an intimate understanding of how these issues affect a state like Colorado, and I take him at his word that we will be able to work together to protect our natural heritage for future generations to enjoy.

In the meantime, I am working with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to introduce legislation to find permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) stateside grants program. The legislation will specify that at least $450 million of the revenue generated from lease sales on the Outer Continental Shelf or Area 181 go to the LWCF stateside grants program. This legislation would ensure that LWCF can fulfill its mission to purchase and protect our natural heritage so that we and future generations can continue to enjoy the great outdoors.

One of the significant developments this week in the fight to secure our Nation’s homeland was the President’s nomination of Air Force General Michael Hayden to head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). I believe that General Hayden comes to this process with strong credentials and a history of service to his Nation. However, I share the concerns expressed by colleagues, including the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, regarding the Administration’s policy of wiretapping American citizens without a warrant – a policy that General Hayden has played a leading role in defending.

This week was so-called “health week” in the Senate. This is a particularly difficult issue, but one of our Nation’s most pressing challenges: every day, families are struggling under the crushing burden of health care, and we must find ways to lighten that load. I believe the limited, piecemeal approach advocated this week lacks boldness. That is why Senator John McCain and I introduced a plan to create a bipartisan commission to sort through the many ideas and “separate the wheat from the chaff” of health care reform ideas. The Senate has also begun considering the nominations of several federal judges, and I am again working with my colleagues, including the moderate, bipartisan “Gang of 14,” to strengthen our judiciary while preserving the integrity of the Senate.

At the end of this week, I will be visiting the Pike’s Peak region of our state. On Friday May 12, I am honored to be the commencement speaker for this year’s graduating class at Pike’s Peak Community College. Earlier that afternoon, I’ll be hosting an Open House at my Pike’s Peak Regional Office in Colorado Springs on South Tejon Street. I invite you all to come visit my office and me, and meet our outstanding regional staff: Richard Skorman, Angela Joslyn and Andrew Yarborough.

I am grateful for your support and input, and I will continue to be a voice for all the people of Colorado.

Sen. Salazar comments on NSA’s program to secretly collect phone records

Sen. Salazar pledges to work with Kempthorne to protect nation’s natural heritage

Sen. Salazar meets with judicial nominee Gorsuch

Sen. Salazar reacts to President Bush’s nominee to head the CIA

Sen. Salazar announces bi-partisan legislation to permanently fund Land & Water Conservation Fund

Sen. Salazar Presses Kempthorne on National Parks and Protecting the Nation’s Natural Heritage

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