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Lost Creek Guide
September 16, 2020
Highlights of Senator Cory Gardner’s Accomplishments for the Citizens of Colorado Addressing the Health Crisis • Gardner worked with Taiwan to secure 4.48 million total masks for the U.S. and 200,000 for Colorado. (April 2020) (May 2020) • The South Korean government delivered more than 100,000 COVID-19 testing kits to Colorado after Gardner worked closely with the Republic of Korea and Governor Polis to secure more tests. (April 2020) • Gardner secured 100 ventilators for Colorado from the federal government. (April 2020) • Gardner and Governor Polis secured the President’s commitment to send an additional 190,000 COVID-19 testing kits to Colorado in a White House meeting. (May 2020) • At Gardner’s urging, the U.S. Trade Representative removed tariffs on certain medical products that are necessary for the U.S. to prepare for the COVID-19 outbreak. (March 2020) • Gardner helped secure clarification from the Small Business Administration (SBA) that Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) will be eligible for relief provided by the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). (April 2020) • After Gardner requested more funding for rural hospitals, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it would set aside $10 billion solely for rural hospitals and clinics. (April 2020) • The President directed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) fund 100 percent of the Colorado National Guard’s pandemic response emergency assistance activities after Gardner and members of the Colorado delegation requested the President approve Governor Polis’s request for additional funding. (April 2020) • Colorado has received significant funding from Congress’ COVID-19 relief packages: o $360.9 million from HHS in initial hospital preparedness funding to Colorado healthcare providers (April 2020) o $288 million from HHS for Colorado hospitals to respond to COVID-19 and address revenue losses, including $188 million for rural healthcare providers in Colorado (May 2020) o $159.5 million from the CDC to expand testing capabilities in Colorado (May 2020) o $142 million from HHS for Colorado hospitals to respond to COVID-19 (July 2020) o $44 million from HUD to respond to COVID-19 among individuals who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance. (June 2020) o $36.5 million from FEMA for the City and County of Denver for emergency protective measures (April 2020) o $34 million from HUD for the state of Colorado (April 2020) o $20.2 million from HHS for Colorado health centers (June 2020) o $16.6 million from FEMA for emergency protective measures (April 2020) o $12.7 million from HUD to address public health, coronavirus, and housing and economic disruption needs (May 2020) o $12.4 million from FEMA for emergency protective measures (June 2020) o $14.6 million from FEMA for healthcare staffing contracts (May 2020) o $11.7 million from HHS to expand capacity for COVID-19 testing (May 2020) o $10 million from the CDC for COVID-19 testing in Colorado (April 2020) Providing Economic Relief • Gardner and Rep. Neguse secured updated guidance from the Small Business Association (SBA) to help many mom and pop restaurants access small business loans and weather the COVID-19 pandemic. (April 2020) • The U.S. Department of the Treasury clarified that rural electric cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees were eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which Gardner requested. (May 2020) • Gardner secured guidance from SBA allowing partnerships and seasonal employers to increase their PPP loan amounts. (May 2020) • Grants: o $366.9 million from DOT for Colorado airports (April 2020) o $13.3 million for taxiway construction for Denver International Airport (April 2020) Bipartisan, Effective: • The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University ranked Gardner the 3rd most bipartisan U.S. Senator. (May 2020) • A report from GovTrack analyzing legislative data in 2019 found Gardner ranked 1st in authoring the most bipartisan bills among Republican Senators and ranked 2nd when compared to every member of the Senate. (February 2020) • The Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law, providing full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and billions to address the maintenance backlog of deferred projects on federal lands. (August 2020) • The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which establishes the 9-8-8 Suicide Hotline, was approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate. (May 2020) • Gardner’s provision to establish the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics was approved by the U.S. Senate. (August 2020) • The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Implementation Act was signed into law, which Gardner consistently called for to boost Colorado’s trade relationships with Canada and Mexico. (January 2020) • Gardner’s TAIPEI Act was signed into law, which is intended to strengthen Taiwan’s standing around the world. (March 2020) • The Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act, part of Gardner’s VA Readiness Initiative designed to help ease the transition back to civilian life for service members, was signed into law. (February 2020) • The President signed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act into law, which Gardner helped introduce. (June 2020) Delivering for Colorado: • The Bureau of Land Management headquarters officially opened in Grand Junction, after Senator Gardner pushed for years to relocate the headquarters. (August 2020) • Peterson Air Force Base was selected as the provisional location for U.S. Space Command for at least the next six years. (May 2020) o Colorado passed new legislation to improve military spouse licensure practices, as called for by Gardner and Bennet to bolster Colorado’s chances for the permanent headquarters. (June 2020) • Gardner secured $28 million to begin construction on the Arkansas Valley Conduit, which will provide abundant and affordable clean drinking water to more than 50,000 people in 40 communities in Southeast Colorado. (February 2020) • Evraz North America announced the Rocky Mountain Steel Mill’s long-rail mill project was moving forward to the construction phase in Pueblo. (August 2020) • The Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export facility was certified by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which would offer Colorado producers an opportunity to access overseas markets. (March 2020) • A federal judge ruled the T-Mobile and Sprint merger could proceed, which Gardner supported to make Colorado home to the next major wireless carrier, bringing thousands of jobs to the state. (February 2020) • Colorado Springs and the U.S. Forest Service announced a new permanent airtanker base and ramp will be built at the Colorado Springs Airport to support aerial firefighting efforts in the Rocky Mountain region and surrounding areas. (January 2020) • DISH Network announced that Denver television stations would air in La Plata County during the COVID-19 pandemic, finally connecting Colorado satellite viewers in the Four Corners region with Colorado news and emergency information, as Gardner has worked on for years. (March 2020) • The National Defense Authorization Act was approved by the Senate, authorizing $268.5 million total in military construction projects in Colorado. (July 2020) • Major grants for Colorado: o $60.7 million grant from DOT for the Vail Pass Project, improving I-70 between mile post 180 and 190 in Eagle County. (June 2020) o $32 million from HUD to address homelessness and a fourth Continuum of Care was designated for Larimer and Weld Counties, which Gardner pushed for. (January 2020) o $20.1 million from DOT to rehabilitate runways, taxiways, and lighting. (February 2020) o $14.8 million from DOT to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to contract bus facilities. (August 2020) o $10 million from DOT to design and develop a pipeline Research, Development, and Testing (RDT) facility in Pueblo. (July 2020) o $4 million from DOT to create quiet zones in Longmont(February 2020) o $225,000 from DOT to study extending Amtrak’s Southwest Chief Route to Colorado Springs, which Gardner supported and requested. (February 2020)
