Thursday, June 19, 2014 1:30 p.m. ET

Finally, conference attendees headed over to the Library of Congress for lunch in the Thomas Jefferson room. Sen. Udall delivered closing remarks thanking conference attendees for their engaging attitudes and for their commitment to both Colorado and national issues. Later that evening, the conference came to a close with a tour of the monuments on the National Mall.

View this slideshow to see highlights from the conference:

Thursday, June 19, 2014 12:30 p.m. ET

Day 3 of the conference began with a panel of experts discussing higher education reform.

Panelists included:

• Deputy Undersecretary of Education Jeff Appel;
• Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado;
• Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa;
• University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak; and,
• Colorado Mesa University President Tim Foster.

Congressman Luis Gutierrez of Illinois took to the podium next to talk about tackling immigration reform in Congress. He said compromise and building bridges are key to action on immigration. He praised the Senate’s bipartisan immigration reform bill and, referring to the House of Representatives, said, “We can do it too.”

Maya MacGuineas, the president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, wrapped up Thursday’s morning session with a discussion on the country’s deficit. MacGuineas noted that, “When your debt is growing faster than your economy, you’re in trouble.” She highlighted the need for smart entitlement reform that addresses the nation’s budgetary concerns while still protecting people who depend on that support.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 8:30 p.m. ET

After an exciting morning and afternoon, attendees headed to the evening banquet. Missouri’s first woman U.S. senator Claire McCaskill delivered the keynote address. McCaskill fired up the audience with a speech on encouraging women to be engaged in politics and pursue positions of power.

Wednesday, June 18 2014, 4:30 p.m. ET

Creating and maintaining the nation’s budget is no easy task. To shed some light on this complicated process, David Rejeski of the Wilson Center led the “Budget Hero” exercise, an electronic game designed to illustrate the challenges of crafting the national budget. Attendees broke into groups of 10 to list their priorities for the federal budget. Each group then shared the difficulties they faced as well as the solutions they thought would be helpful in meeting the nation’s budgeting demands. The group consensus was that the nation’s leading budget experts have their work cut out for them.

Try “Budget Hero” for yourself: click here.

After the Budget Hero Exercise, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York took to the podium. Schumer praised Udall’s efforts to protect Colorado’s special way of life and highlighted his work to secure recovery money after September 2013’s devastating flood. He summed up by touching on immigration reform and taking questions from the audience.

Washington’s Sen. Patty Murray spoke next, focusing on the nation’s fiscal outlook. Murray cited troubling issues resulting from sequestration and the government shutdown of October 2013. Though optimistic about the bipartisan budget compromise she crafted with Congressman Paul Ryan, Murray underscored the looming, long-term budgetary issues that Congress must still address.

Next, the 51st Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell shared her personal history and connections to Colorado, highlighting the state’s unique environmental challenges and assets. Jewell discussed her strong support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and highlighted the most pressing energy and water issues facing Colorado today.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois wrapped up the afternoon session by providing a glimpse into the daily life of a U.S. senator. He described highlights including breakfast with Secretary of State John Kerry and attending hearings on a proposed constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 1:30 p.m. ET

After the morning session wrapped up, conference attendees headed to the Kennedy Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building for lunch. The Kennedy Caucus Room has been the site of numerous high-profile events in U.S. history, including congressional hearings for Watergate and the sinking of the Titanic.

Over lunch, the group listened to a keynote speech from Charlie Cook Jr., the editor and founder of the Cook Political Report and an esteemed political analyst. Cook discussed voter trends in recent years and shared his predictions for the 2014 election.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 12 p.m. ET

At the first session, attendees heard from a diverse, bipartisan group of policy experts and elected officials.

The first speaker of the day was Admiral James A. Winnefeld, the second-highest ranking member of the U.S. military. Winnefeld described his duties as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which include analyzing global threats and working closely with multiple government agencies to protect U.S. interests abroad. He wrapped up by praising and thanking Coloradans for their strong support of our military and service men and women.

Sen. Udall then addressed attendees and talked about bipartisanship. He noted that while there are distinct divisions across the country, Coloradans come together and get things done. He said this spirit is “alive and well” in Colorado, which is one of many reasons our state is a model for the nation.

Arizona’s Sen. John McCain took to the podium next, focusing on key issues for Western states such as the growing threat of wildfire, excessive drought and waning forest health. He noted that while there are no good answers to address these issues, “tough decisions will need to made.”

Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin concluded the morning session, focusing on the bipartisan budget agreement he crafted with Sen. Patty Murray to avoid another government shutdown.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 8:30 a.m. ET

Sen. Udall and attendees of the 2014 Colorado Capital Conference posed for a group photo on the steps of the U.S. Capitol before the first session of the conference.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014 9 p.m. ET

Sen. Udall kicked off the 2014 Colorado Capital Conference at a welcome reception for conference attendees. Sen. Udall was joined by the entire Colorado congressional delegation, as well as the conference co-hosts, Colorado Mesa University President Tim Foster and University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak.

With the 2014 Colorado Capital Conference quickly approaching, I'm proud to announce an impressive list of speakers. And on Tuesday, June 17, the entire Colorado congressional delegation will welcome nearly 100 conference attendees from across our state at a reception at the U.S. Capitol.

If you aren’t attending this year’s conference, follow the Colorado Capital Conference on Twitter and follow along with the hashtag #COCapConf.

Follow @COCapConf

Tweet #COCapConf

This year's speakers include:

• Admiral James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Brigadier General Laura Richardson
• Interior Secretary Sally Jewell
• Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Rose E. Gottemoeller
• Administrator for the Rural Business-Cooperative Service Lillian Salerno
• Deputy Undersecretary of Education Jeff Appel
• Assistant Defense Secretary Sharon Burke
• Charlie Cook Jr., editor of the Cook Political Report
• Alice M. Rivlin, senior fellow, Brookings Institution 
• Tom Fontana, communications director, Architect of the Capitol
• Maya MacGuineas, president, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget 
• David Rejeski, director of the Science and Technology Innovation Program, the Wilson Center
• Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
• Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
• Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
• Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
• Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
• Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
• Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
• Former Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.)
• Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)