He no longer represents the views of the state of Colorado constituents.

UPDATE: Nury's request for a stay has been DENIED. She was scheduled to leave her 4 children on Thursday, July 20th. This would have meant she could not enter the US for 10 years. Instead, Nury has chosen to take sanctuary in a church in New Haven. We're contininuing to support the children through a GoFundMe page, as Nury Chavarria is now considered a fugitive and cannot financially support her children. But, she can hug them. She's a mom. Nury is not a criminal- she's a law abiding mother whose children need her. She fled the violence of Guatemala in 1993 seeking asylum in the US. She is a working mother who has complied with ICE requests for 24 years. There is NO COMPELLING reason to deport a young mother with dependent US children. Help us stop this inhumane treatment of our neighbors. This petition is sponsored by CT Shoreline Indivisible.

Three prominent CNN journalists resigned on June 26 after CNN was forced to retract and apologize for a story linking a Trump ally to a Russian investment fund under congressional investigation. The CNN story had been based on a single anonymous source. An internal investigation by CNN management found that some standard editorial processes were not followed when the article was published. [1] Buzzfeed reported that CNN has now imposed strict new publishing restrictions for online articles involving Russia. [2] But as Glenn Greenwald noted at The Intercept, the problem is not limited to CNN: "CNN is hardly alone when it comes to embarrassing retractions regarding Russia. Over and over, major U.S. media outlets have published claims about the Russia Threat that turned out to be completely false - always in the direction of exaggerating the threat and/or inventing incriminating links between Moscow and the Trump circle. In virtually all cases, those stories involved evidence-free assertions from anonymous sources that these media outlets uncritically treated as fact, only for it to be revealed that they were entirely false. Several of the most humiliating of these episodes have come from the Washington Post... In sum, anything is fair game when it comes to circulating accusations about official U.S. adversaries, no matter how baseless, and Russia currently occupies that role. (More generally: The less standing and power one has in official Washington, the more acceptable it is in U.S. media circles to publish false claims about them, as this [3] recent, shockingly falsehood-ridden New York Times article about RT host Lee Camp illustrates; it, too, now contains multiple corrections.)" [4] Urge the Washington Post and the New York Times to review the standards of their Russia coverage by signing our petition. References: 1. http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/26/media/cnn-announcement-retracted-article/index.html 2. https://www.buzzfeed.com/passantino/cnn-russia-coverage-publishing-restrictions 3. http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/06/lee-camp-write-propaganda-ny-times-demonstrated-article.html 4. https://theintercept.com/2017/06/27/cnn-journalists-resign-latest-example-of-media-recklessness-on-the-russia-threat/

Right now, House Republicans are preparing to vote on two pieces of legislation that would expand the reach of Donald Trump’s mass-deportation agenda and allow Trump’s Deportation Force to destroy the lives of millions of immigrant families across the country. A bill known as H.R. 3003 would force local governments to carry out Trump’s inhumane deportation policies by threatening to take away funding for local law enforcement agencies, while a bill known as H.R. 3004 would increase the number of families that would be targeted for exile under Trump. Both of these bills are nothing more than attempts by Republicans to supercharge Trump’s cruel and costly deportation machine while doing nothing to fix our nation’s broken immigration system. Democrats must vote NO on both H.R. 3003 and H.R. 3004 if they are serious about protecting community safety and keeping hard-working immigrant families safe from Trump’s mass deportation agenda. They must stand on the right side of history and against Trump’s inhumane deportation force -- or be held accountable! With a dozen crises happening at once, we cannot let House Democrats cave to the already out-of-control Trump Administration by providing it with more unchecked authority to profile, apprehend, detain and deport our immigrant friends and neighbors at great cost to all of our communities.

In recent years, the NYPD has increasingly relied on “Glomar responses”—the CIA tactic of neither confirming nor denying information’s existence—when questioned about its unlawful surveillance of the Muslim community and other activists. Talib Abdur-Rashid and Samir Hashmi have been fighting the NYPD’s responses in a case that is now going to New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. Recently published comments about the case by the NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Legal Matters led to a strong letter from Talib and Samir’s lawyer to Mayor de Blasio calling on him to retract the comments and to “follow through on your promises to support FOIL’s policy of open government.” http://otmlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/OTMLAW-Ltr-to-Mayor-de-Blasio-Retraction-of-Statement-by-NYPD-Deputy-C....pdf. Talib and Samir are not alone. The NYPD threatens Glomar responses to slam the door shut in the faces of countless New Yorkers, making it harder than ever to hold NYPD officials accountable. Activists, journalists, and civil libertarians all depend daily on FOIL to investigate police abuses and to act as citizen watchdogs. The NYPD’s efforts are a flagrant attempt to place itself above our laws and to put the police beyond the reach of the people. Winning in court isn’t the only way to stop Glomar abuse. As a public advocate and candidate, Mayor de Blasio committed to reform the NYPD’s long pattern of surveillance abuses, and we ask him to keep his word. Mayor de Blasio is ultimately responsible for overseeing the legal arguments put forth by the NYPD and the New York City Law Department, and we will treat his silence on Glomar responses as a tacit endorsement of the tactic. With a single phone call, Mayor de Blasio could order the NYPD to comply with its FOIL obligations and cease its obstructionist tactics. We implore Mayor de Blasio to make that call. Frequently Asked Questions What is FOIL? The Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”) empowers the public to request government documents, providing a vital oversight tool for every aspect of government, and casting sunlight into the darkest corners of our bureaucracy. FOIL is used by journalists, civil rights advocates, and everyday New Yorkers to empower citizen watchdogs. Modeled on the federal Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), the laws were part of a post-Watergate movement to secure greater transparency and accountability. Are there any limitations on FOIL requests? State lawmakers specified several narrow reasons why a FOIL request might be rejected. For example, an agency can withhold documents which would impede a police investigation or compromise confidential employee records. What is a Glomar response? A Glomar response is the familiar phrase we’ve heard in countless spy movies: “we can neither confirm nor deny the existence of the requested information.” In practice, Glomar responses are highly restricted and can only be used by the CIA and other intelligence agencies in the most sensitive cases. Glomar is utterly inconsistent with the FOIL obligations of a municipal police force like the NYPD, which have a much narrower mission and much more limited legal authorities to engage in surveillance and national security investigations. How has the NYPD utilized the Glomar response? Even as the CIA and other intelligence agencies started using Glomar responses in the 1970s, the NYPD never followed suit. For decades, as the NYPD fiercely fought off FOIL requests with every tool available, they never once used Glomar, tacitly acknowledging that New York law didn’t give them that option. In recent years, that changed, as the NYPD made Glomar responses for the first time in FOIL requests relating to information on Imam Abdur-Rashid and Samir Hashmi The NYPD has sought to stonewall these two Muslims because it seems they wanted to avoid embarrassment. The two men are good law-abiding citizens and should not be subjected to surveillance in the first place. The Glomar response does not even give the Court the ability to ascertain the validity of the NYPD’s objection by stating “we cannot confirm or deny” the existence of documents. It does not give the requester the ability to challenge the NYPD when there is an abuse of power. This is in contradiction of the Freedom of Information Law, which requires state and city agencies to search and certify if documents exist or not. The Glomar theory defeats the existence of FOIL and “Open Government” under the New York Constitution, denies people’s procedural rights and prevents the courts from performing their judicial tasks.

The Trump Administration has escalated U.S. military attacks against forces associated with the Syrian government - without Congressional authorization. Under the Constitution, such military actions should not happen if they have not been authorized by Congress. The U.S. military engaged in strikes against pro-government forces on May 18, June 6, and June 8, and shot down armed Iranian-made drones in Southern Syria on June 8 and June 20. On June 18 a U.S. fighter aircraft shot down a Syrian SU-22 bomber, marking the first time the U.S. has downed a manned Syrian aircraft in the course of the Syrian conflict. On June 26, the White House released a statement threatening further military action against the Syrian government. [1] The key to preventing U.S. military escalation in Syria is getting Members of Congress to speak up in writing against it. In 2013, U.S. military escalation in Syria was prevented because Members of Congress signed letters insisting that President Obama come to Congress for authorization before taking military action. [2] Congressional Progressive Caucus Vice Chair Rep. David Cicilline [D-RI] is circulating a letter to President Trump insisting that he stop escalating in Syria without Congressional authorization. Urge your Representative to join the Cicilline letter by signing our petition. References: 1. https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/assert-war-powers-to?r_by=1135580 2. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/8/29/1234850/-162-Reps-Including-64-Democrats-Call-for-Debate-Vote-Before-War-With-Syria

If Republican legislators are going to introduce massive, structural change into the health care sector, it is only fair that they should personally experience the effects of this change. Direct empirical experience of the law will be the best test of its proclaimed benefits. We should let Congress enjoy the same quality of insurance that will be available to Americans on the self-insured market. That's why I started a petition to end taxpayer subsidies for Congress's health care and to make Trumpcare mandatory for members of Congress, their staffs, and their respective families if they vote to pass Trumpcare.

On Thursday, June 22nd the New Jersey state Assembly passed a bill that would require schools to teach children from K-12 how to interact with police. Assembly Bill A1114 passed in the Assembly 76-0 and was sent to the State Senate Education Committee. The primary sponsors of the bill were Sheila Oliver, Mila Jasey, and Cleopatra Tucker, who represent the Assembly. This bill shifts the burden of a police encounter from the law enforcement professional to the child. The bill requires children to be taught "mutual cooperation;" however, nowhere in the bill does it require law enforcement professionals to be properly trained in respecting the rights guaranteed to every child under the Constitution. The initial version of the bill required schools to teach students how to comply with law enforcement officials but ignored teaching students about their constitutionally protected rights. Out of the nine organizations on the advisory committee, six will represent the law enforcement and public education institutions. Assembly Bill A1114 will strip power from the parent and instead entrust the public education and law enforcement stakeholders to craft a curriculum for your child. Do not let the state indoctrinate your child with a curriculum that shifts the burden on them. The National Independent Black Parent Association is calling on all parents to sign the petition and call NJ Senators to tell them you do not support Bill A1114. Also contact State Senators Teresa Ruiz, Shirley Turner, Diane Allen, James Beach, and Michael Doherty, who are members of the state Senate Education Committee.

Transparency is a bedrock value in in our democracy. Our democracy relies on a free, fair, and adversarial press to hold power accountable. That’s why it’s so alarming that President Trump’s White House has decided to ban television cameras and live audio from multiple press briefings -- CNN even had to send in a sketch artist instead, while C-SPAN showed just the podium! It’s just the latest example of the White House refusing to communicate openly with the American people about the decisions it makes that affect all of us -- from our healthcare to our national security. When journalists challenged this latest move, Sean Spicer just replied that the White House was doing what “we can to communicate our message” and that Administration has “tremendous respect for the First Amendment.” But this ban smacks of contempt for the First Amendment as well as the American people -- not “respect.” The camera and live audio ban is part of a disturbing pattern out of the Trump Administration to attack institutions that serve as a check on power. Whether it is the President’s Tweet that the media is the “enemy of the American People” or rhetorical broadsides against the federal judiciary, Americans are increasingly aware of the hostility that the Trump Administration has shown to those whose job it is to safeguard and uncover the truth. But we’re not an authoritarian state -- we must stand up for a free and independent press that holds power accountable. Tell the White House to drop its ban on cameras and live audio from press briefings.

Late on Monday, June 26, the White House threatened military escalation against the Syrian government. US defense officials reached by BuzzFeed News said they were unaware the White House was planning to release its statement. [1] Military officials were caught off guard by the White House statement, the New York Times reported. [2] As Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote at the Washington Post, "While Washington is fixated on President Trump’s tweets, antics, lies and Russiagate, the administration is ramping up a stealth escalation of our military involvement across the Middle East." [3] Congress has never authorized the use of military force against the Syrian government, just as it has never authorized U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. [4] Under the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution, Congress, not the President, decides if the U.S. should use military force against the Syrian government, so long as the Syrian government has not attacked the United States. Attacking Syria without Congressional authorization is an impeachable offense. [5] Some Members of Congress are speaking up. Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Mark Pocan said, "Trump must get Congress's approval before plunging us into unauthorized war with Syria. The Constitution demands it." [6] Rep. Barbara Lee said, "Congress hasn’t authorized Pres Trump to take action in Syria. A statement released by the WH in the dead of night doesn’t change that fact." [7] Rep. Ted Lieu said, "Assad is horrific. But Congress has never authorized @realDonaldTrump to use force against him or Syria, a country that has not attacked US." [8] Rep. Michael Capuano said, "the President must observe the Constitution and seek Congressional approval before he takes any further military action in Syria." [9] Rep. Pramila Jayapal said, "If Trump truly believes there is an urgent case for waging war in Syria, he must seek authorization from Congress." [10] Urge your representatives in Congress to join these Members in asserting Congress' Constitutional war powers to challenge Trump's unconstitutional military escalations by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.buzzfeed.com/claudiakoerner/white-house-says-syria-may-be-preparing-another-chemical 2. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/26/us/politics/syria-will-pay-a-heavy-price-for-another-chemical-attack-trump-says.html 3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-chaos-is-covering-for-stealth-escalation-overseas/2017/06/27/30bab1f0-5a9d-11e7-a9f6-7c3296387341_story.html 4. https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/house-back-un-call-for?r_by=1135580 5. http://www.npr.org/2017/05/17/528743744/the-president-the-comey-memo-and-the-elephant-in-the-room-impeachment 6. https://twitter.com/repmarkpocan/status/879727854312968192 7. https://twitter.com/RepBarbaraLee/status/879724659213824001 8. https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/879527084758093826 9. https://www.facebook.com/RepMichaelCapuano/posts/1340254579362321 10. https://twitter.com/RepJayapal/status/879683252100841472

Under Trump's proposed budget all long distance Amtrak passenger train services would lose federal support and could be discontinued. The national passenger train network would be destroyed. It would no longer be possible to cross the United States by train. As the resident of a small community I would no longer be able to travel to see family or pursue business and employment possibilities. Many other small towns across the USA would lose their ability to travel to the outside world to seek medical help, educational opportunities and job opportunities. The amount of federal support for these Amtrak services is very small compared to the rest of the federal budget. Many more tax dollars are spent in supporting the White House fleet of airplanes than is spent on the entire Amtrak budget. For more information on this issue go the the website of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) at NARP rail.org.

Despite enormous gains in productivity, working families in the United States have seen almost no pay increase in the last forty years. In fact, a typical family is making less today than they did in the year 2000. These extreme levels of income inequality are holding back our potential economic growth and making it harder for working people to thrive in America. That's why we're calling on Congress to support legislation we introduced with Sen. Sherrod Brown for a $1 trillion raise for workers. By boosting the "Earned Income Tax Credit," we can give working families a 20% raise to compensate them for the stagnancy of wages since 1979. As an example, a single mother with two kids who makes $40,000 a year would get nearly an $8,000 raise. Our proposal would be a massive boon for the economy, putting more money in the hands of people who will in turn create jobs. Sen. Brown and I are grateful to already have the backing of Robert Reich on this proposal. Now, we're asking for MoveOn members to join us and call on members of Congress to cosponsor our bill. Let's pass a long overdue raise for working families! Sign our petition to Congress now to say you support our $1 trillion expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit.