Ed has deep roots in the 7th Congressional District and has lived in Jefferson County his entire life. His grandfather and father ran a concrete business (in what is now the 7th District) for decades. Ed attended Jefferson County public schools and then worked construction with his father during the summers while in law school at the University of Colorado. He chose to raise his family in the district where his three daughters also attended Jefferson County Public Schools. Ed currently lives in Arvada with his wife Nancy, a public school teacher, who also has three children who attended Jeffco public schools.
| Ed’s number one aerospace priority is to secure a long-term plan from NASA to ensure it has the funding and resources necessary to land humans on Mars by 2033. This requires an all-hands-on-deck approach and will require new technologies and new capabilities we’ve only dreamed of which will create good-paying jobs and benefit us all back on Earth. Some of our nation’s other aerospace projects are being developed right here in Colorado including JPSS-1 and the GOES weather satellites to improve the accuracy of our weather forecasting models, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) project to analyze Mars’ upper atmosphere, the Dream Chaser spacecraft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, and Orion multipurpose crew vehicle which is going to take our astronauts deeper and farther into space than we have ever imagined are coming straight out of Colorado. Ed is working hard to advance these priorities vital for Colorado’s aerospace economy and continued space exploration. |
The Citizens United decision, which Ed believes is the worst decision in recent history, increased how corporate interests influence campaigns and elections. It is time we clean up the system. Ed supports overturning Citizens United and believes that corporations are not people in our political system. We need to empower Congress to regulate and set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. Ed has also supported recent efforts to increase transparency by asking regulatory agencies to require the true sponsor of political advertisements be disclosed as well as requiring public companies to report their political activities to shareholders.
Ed supports a balanced, all-of-the-above energy plan which includes responsibly developing fossil fuels while investing in clean energy like wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, and other renewable energy sources. The 7th Congressional District is home to the National Renewable Energy Lab which is the world’s premier lab on the forefront of energy efficiency and developing clean and renewable energy technologies. Ed believes we must reduce the serious threat of climate change by promoting and incentivizing energy efficiency measures and decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels. Promoting energy independence will unleash American technological innovation, research and development, create jobs, and strengthen our national security.
All Americans should be able to work, get an education, and participate in their communities without experiencing discrimination. Ed believes everyone should receive equal pay for equal work. That's why Ed voted for both the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to close the wage gender gap.
Ed hailed the long overdue Supreme Court’s decision recognizing same-sex marriage, and continues to support legislation recognizing same-sex couples and their right to receive federal Social Security benefits. Ed is working toward sustaining the progress we have made on these issues and addressing new inequities that impact our communities.
Russia – In January 2017, the U.S. intelligence community confirmed the Russian government took steps to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This action by a foreign nation is unprecedented and attempts to undermine the founding pillars of American democracy. Ed supports former FBI Director Robert Mueller's appointment as special counsel to investigate the full impact of Russia's influence in our election. Ed believes Americans deserve nothing less than an independent and thorough investigation.
ISIS - ISIS is a serious threat. The United States continues to take the fight to ISIS by destroying their capabilities and combating extremism abroad. We have the most robust and capable counterterrorism capabilities in the world and are working with our international allies to disrupt terrorist cells abroad and at home. Whether it is screening refugees, sustaining airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, utilizing U.S. Special Forces or cutting off revenue streams, the U.S. is working hard to degrade and destroy ISIS capabilities.
North Korea – Ed has serious concerns about escalating tensions with North Korea. North Korea's recent missile launches and nuclear tests pose a direct threat to our national and global security. The international community must be united in its approach in dealing with North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile program. Ed believes we need to enhance U.S. diplomatic efforts throughout East Asia by empowering the State Department to work with our partners in the region and throughout the world.
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – Ed supports the Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation Agreement negotiated by the United States, Germany, China, United Kingdom, France, Russia, the European Union, and Iran. The U.S. and its international partners have committed to a diplomatic solution that reduces and limits Iran’s ability to develop or manufacture nuclear weapons and is in America’s best interests. This Agreement has reduced nuclear tensions in the Middle East and made our friend and ally, Israel, safer and less prone to nuclear conflict with Iran. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed Iran is complying with the terms of the JCPOA. Ed will continue to support this deal and will not support any legislation that could terminate the agreement.
Israel – Ed has always advocated for a strong U.S.-Israeli relationship and has supported full aid to Israel. Congress has taken measures to strengthen Israel's security from hostile regional players and provides Israel with annual FMF grants which represent about 21% of their annual defense budget. Ed has also long advocated for a two-state solution and for Israel and Palestine to co-exist peacefully. He believes the best way to advance a two-state solution is through direct, bilateral negotiations requiring willing partners on both sides.
Cuba Relations – Ed joined President Obama on his historic trip to Cuba in March of 2016 – the first visit by a sitting President in 88 years. Ed saw firsthand how Cuban citizens want to normalize relations with the U.S. As a relic of the Cold War, Ed continues to support lifting the trade embargo to begin the process of building trust and openness among our two countries because the current policy is outdated.
Gun violence has impacted too many families and communities in Colorado. Ed respects the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans and believes we can make common sense reforms to our country’s gun laws to make gun violence less easy, less frequent and less deadly.
As Vice-Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Ed supports requiring universal background checks, strengthening the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database, reinstating the federal ban on assault weapons, ensuring federal research into causes of gun violence, and specific legislation such as “No Fly, No Buy” and a ban on bump stocks and other devices which enable semiautomatic assault rifles to function as fully automatic weapons. In addition, Ed has introduced legislation to close the gaps in current federal gun policy by clarifying and expanding existing federal prohibitors related to mental health, substance abuse, history of violence, and other risk factors.
Ed believes healthcare is a right, and that medical decisions should be in the hands of patients, families, and their doctors. He supports the Affordable Care Act and the critical insurance coverage it brings to millions of Americans. The ACA means insurance companies can no longer deny access to affordable insurance coverage to millions of people with preexisting conditions. In Colorado and across the country, the Affordable Care Act is improving and enhancing the health of America’s families. Ed believes we should continue to improve the ACA to address the medical needs of Coloradans and preserve access to affordable, quality healthcare.
To that end, Ed recently cosponsored legislation to provide Americans ages 50-64 the option to buy into Medicare while helping to stabilize the ACA marketplaces and reduce overall costs within the healthcare system. Ed has also been working to improve transparency in healthcare pricing. Ed believes every doctor’s office and provider of healthcare should be required to publish the price of all their services so no individual or family can be surprised by huge medical bills.
Throughout America's history, our nation's values and founding principles have been a beacon of hope for millions of immigrants striving to live in freedom. Ed’s ancestors, like most Americans, were immigrants who came to America seeking a better life. To this day, those same principles continue to draw people to our country.
Ed opposes the dangerous rhetoric on immigration coming out of this Administration. Ed has pushed for comprehensive immigration reform since his first day in office, and believes there is bipartisan support among the American people and in Congress to pass true comprehensive immigration reform. The time is now to move forward to fix the system, create American jobs, lower our deficit, strengthen our borders and give millions of undocumented Americans an earned pathway to citizenship.
Due to inaction on comprehensive immigration reform, we have seen the Trump Administration repeal the DACA program, implement a discriminatory travel ban, and enact a cruel “zero-tolerance” policy resulting in thousands of immigrant families being separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. Tearing families apart is immoral and outrageous, and Ed is doing everything he can to put pressure on the Trump Administration to reunite immigrant families as quickly and as safely as possible. Ed also continues to support the DREAM Act for young people who came to the country through no fault of their own and are Americans in every way except legal status.
Ed understands employer and employee issues and has a strong record of standing up for working families, small businesses, supporting pay equity, and preventing U.S. jobs from being lost overseas. While the economy continues to improve in many areas, Ed believes we need to make sure everyone feels the benefits of the growing economy including families so they can afford their mortgage, pay for college, and save for retirement. Ed also believes we need to make sure growth pays its way here in Colorado as more and more people are starting to feel the effects of growth in our state with increased congestion and unaffordable housing.
Ed believes our tax code should be reformed in a simple and fair way which is more conducive for economic growth. He did not support the Republican tax bill in December 2017 because it cuts taxes for the wealthy and corporations, leaving higher taxes for the hardworking people in the middle. We need to make critical investments in our infrastructure, housing, seniors and education but the Republican tax bill will explode the debt in the name of tax cuts for the wealthy.
Ed was one of a small group of Members of Congress called the “Brave 38” to vote for the Simpson-Bowles alternative budget amendment, showing his commitment and willingness to seriously tackle this country's rising debt.
A strong start in our educational system helps ensure a bright future for our children and nation. Ed believes we must invest in our public education system so every child has the opportunity to live the American dream. Ed voted for the Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA) because he believes it is a step in the right direction. ESSA is still being implemented and states are in the process of finding their own ways to follow ESSA guidelines to best serve their students. ESSA emphasized early education and provides better access to high-quality preschools. Ed supports robust, flexible funding and grant programs enabling schools to provide invaluable learning opportunities as well as a passion for engaging students in STEM fields and expanding STEM programs and classroom opportunities.
Colorado has one of the fastest growing senior populations in the country. Ed strongly believes we need to keep our promise to today's seniors and tomorrow's retirees to maintain Social Security. Ed supports protecting social security and Medicare and recognizes the impact these programs have on seniors. We need to update the Older Americans Act to reflect the current medical and other needs of seniors. He opposes “privatization” or private accounts for Social Security and supports adjusting the cap on payroll taxes and further investigation to identify ways to keep Social Security solvent. In order to serve the changing demographic in our district, Ed hosts Senior Resource Fairs to connect seniors, family members, and caretakers with non-profit organizations, government programs, and resources in the community.
Transportation funding for roads, bridges and transit largely come from federal sources. This has included funding for projects important to the 7th Congressional District such as the US-36 Express Lanes Project, the I-25 Managed Lanes Project, and RTD FasTracks’ expansion. As a part of these and other projects, Ed supports including better options for pedestrians and bicyclists. These are important to creating an integrated transportation system with multimodal transportation options for Front Range residents.
In 2015, Congress passed and Ed supported the bipartisan Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. This bill reauthorized our surface transportation programs for five years and provided guaranteed funding for highway, transit, and transportation safety programs including more than $3.4 billion in direct highway and transit formula funds for Colorado. It also provides certainty for CDOT, RTD, and local communities to help create jobs, repair our aging infrastructure, improve public transit, and strengthen our economy. Ed continues to support efforts to ensure the Highway Trust Fund becomes solvent to help guarantee these needed transportation investments in our communities.
It is clear additional investment in repairing our outdated infrastructure is necessary. Ed supports efforts to fund new transportation, transit, water, and other infrastructure projects so communities in Colorado can reduce congestion and improve quality of life.
Train Horn Noise
Railroads once helped transform Denver into a bustling American city. Today, railroads are still an important mode of transportation for freight and goods in addition to passenger transportation. Unfortunately for those who live near a railroad, trains sound their horns loudly as they travel through railway crossings. Ed has worked with communities impacted by train horn noise to try to mitigate the impact of the noise through activation of quiet zones. Yet these quiet zones often require significant safety upgrades to railway crossings and have become cost-prohibitive. As a part of the FAST Act, Ed authored an amendment requiring the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study of train horn noise. Through increased pressure from Colorado’s congressional delegation, the Federal Railroad Administration is now working to modernize their rules and account for innovative technologies to ease the burden on local communities.
Since taking office in 2007, one of Ed’s biggest priorities has been completion of the new VA Medical Center in Aurora. The new VA Medical Facility was plagued by problems for more than a decade, but the project is now back on track. Ed helped lead the Colorado delegation’s efforts to change the construction team on the project and fully fund completion of the facility. Ed continues to monitor the project’s progress to ensure there are no further delays and our Veterans receive the care they need before and after the new medical center opens its doors.
Ed has also worked to put Veterans back to work when they return and ensure they receive the benefits they earned through their service to our country. Ed supports protecting and strengthening the post-9/11 GI Bill to ensure Veterans have access to their education and housing benefits and that DOD and the VA are collaborating on how to transition Veterans back home. Ed has also supported resources and legislative reforms to reduce the disability claim backlog. When Veterans are injured during their service, it’s our responsibility to get them the benefits they are owed.
In 2017, Ed held eight Vietnam War 50th Commemoration ceremonies and honored nearly 900 Vietnam-era Veterans in Colorado. Click here for more information.
Stable and affordable housing provides opportunities for working families in Colorado to maintain a job, provide for their family, and have a place they can call home. As population and housing costs have increased across the metro region, Ed continues to work at the federal level to ensure accessible and affordable housing options are available for all Coloradans.
Since being elected to Congress, Ed has served on the House Financial Services Committee which has jurisdiction over many issues including housing programs such as Public Housing and all HUD programs. In recent years, he has sought to provide regulatory relief to Public Housing Authorities so they can better serve the needs of the most vulnerable while still ensuring accountability. Ed championed the Tenant Income Verification Relief Act which was signed into law on in 2015. In addition, Ed has worked to help secure a "Sustainable Community Initiative" grant worth $4.5 million for DRCOG to develop the Metro Denver region’s long-range plan for growth and development. Ed continues to support federal housing programs such as: Low-Income Housing Tax Credits; New Markets Tax Credits; Community Development Block Grants (CDBG); HOME Investment Partnership Funds; efforts to fund the Housing Trust Fund; and Self-Sufficiency Programs to help constituents succeed on their own.
In 2014, Ed was recognized as “Legislator of the Year” for his contributions and support for affordable housing by the Colorado chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
With many Coloradans feeling the squeeze of a growing economy and increased congestion, Ed believes we need a comprehensive infrastructure package in Colorado and across the country. Investments in infrastructure are a key component to our national economic growth. Addressing infrastructure means going beyond just roads and bridges and investing in all sorts of infrastructure in our communities, including transit, water projects, the electric grid, broadband and more.
The time is long overdue for Congress to address infrastructure in a bipartisan way with real investments in our communities to make a difference in the lives of hardworking families. This is an area of agreement between Democrats and Republicans, which is why Ed remains hopeful Congress can work with the President to pass a package this year.
A key component of any package Congress passes must be substantial federal funding to jumpstart other state, local, or innovative private financing. Ed is a supporter of proposals to create an infrastructure bank to provide loans to fund infrastructure projects. He also supports increased federal funding for the Highway Trust Fund and modernization of how we sustainably fund infrastructure moving forward.
Ed believes higher education is a critical component of our ability to remain globally competitive. Ed supports increasing the level of available Pell grants, reducing student loan interest rates, and other initiatives to make higher education more affordable and accessible for everyone. Ed has cosponsored policy proposals to reduce the student debt burden, including increasing the maximum tax deduction for interest paid on any qualified education loan and to allow borrowers to refinance their federal loans to the lowest available interest rate. He also supports programs that repay student loans in exchange for service to the community.