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Please forgive the length of this letter. There is simply so much happening and I have heard from so many of my constituents in the last couple of weeks with a range of questions and concerns. I wanted to share with you a letter about the future of our democracy and suggest a few ways you can help shape it.
Like so many of you, I am scared, outraged, and sad. Every day seems to bring a new terrible action from President Trump that runs completely counter to who we are as a country and where we need to go. The reaction to these terrible un-American actions has been for many of you to call me and ask me to resist and obstruct. I have been reflecting on our current political realities and dynamic a lot and what everyday citizens can do to help keep making progress. While I would not claim to have all the answers for what lies ahead for our country, here is my current thinking:
Resist — Yes!
There is no doubt that all Congressional Democrats, myself included must resist Trump’s efforts to stack his cabinet with unqualified billionaires with massive conflicts of interest who hold dangerous views on world affairs, public education, and civil rights. There is no doubt we must resist his Muslim ban, his effort to waste tax payers money on a border wall, and his plan to deport law-abiding, aspiring Americans who call our communities home. With every tool available to me, I will resist the Republicans’ efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act with no replacement, defund Planned Parenthood, and roll back the progress we’ve made combating climate change.
Periodically, you will be receiving from a Swamp Report from me because we can not allow this President repeat his lie that he is “draining the swamp” while he stacks the government full of Goldman Sachs executives and walking conflicts of interest. And we can’t let him claim to be putting America first while at the same time, he refuses to release his tax returns or resolve his numerous personal conflicts of interest or even clarify his personal relationship with Russian banks and oligarchs. You can count on me to vote no, use my megaphone to call out this administration, and march in the streets along side of you when this Administration pushes hateful and harmful policies.
Since the 2010 election, I have served in the minority in the House. That experience is often frustrating because we are not able to implement a full, proactive agenda. But as I have gained experience and built relationships with my Republican colleagues, I’ve been able to make progress and pass legislation that will better people’s lives. I am proud of that. In the last Congress, Republicans and Democrats came together to repeal and replace the dysfunctional law No Child Left Behind with a federal framework that works. I was able to pass my email privacy legislation, secure a TIGER grant to fix I-25, and a bill to define I-70 as a transportation priority paving the way for future funding. I will continue to try my best to be effective for our district and state while taking on Trump on core issues of our identity and security as a country. This Congress I am excited to be the Ranking Member on the Early Childhood and Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade Subcommittee.
I ran for Congress to get real things done and to take my experience as an entrepreneur and innovator and apply that knowledge to our public policy challenges. As a personal act of resistance, I’m not going to let Donald Trump take that away. I will continue to push ahead and expand opportunities for everyone wherever that opportunity presents itself.
What can you do to help? Show up!
Calls and emails are great, and if that is all you have time for, do it. Make your calls personal, share your unique personal story about why the issue you are calling about matters to you and your community. But showing up in person is by far a better way to have an impact, not just to your federal representative, but also to your City Council, your State Representative and State Senator.
Join a campaign now. In order to see the change we want, we need to win elections. Plain and simple. In 2017 we will have City Council and School Board elections all across our state. Some are held in the spring and some will be in November. While we need to resist on a federal level, we can make progress right now at the local and state level. Our people and our planet cannot endure four years of an administration trying to reverse course from the progress we’ve already made. We need to start moving forward now in the states.
Contribute to our campaign and to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to help Democrats take back the house.
In the Colorado State Senate, Republicans hold the majority by one vote. That one vote will allow them to kill important reforms unless we organize and make our voices heard. Your activism and pressure on the State Senate during this legislative session could have a huge impact on school funding, fracking regulations, climate change, and immigrant rights here in Colorado. Last week, my DC office received over 500 calls over 3 days. An average State Senator will not receive 500 calls all legislative session, the result is that lobbyists have an outsized influence over our state legislature. A small amount of activism at the state and local level goes along way. So while we push to resist on a federal level, we need to push for progress on a state and local level — the stake are too high to not do both!
In Solidarity,
Jared Polis
Thank you so much. Your words are encouraging. We have formed a group Indivisible East Boulder and are organizing visits to our national representatives so far, and this input is very helpful to us. We hope that you might speak to our group sometime, although i realize you are terribly busy.
Thank you, Ann and Tom Rounds
Thank you for a well though-out letter. It supports many of the items that we, as members of the Indivisible East Boulder are working with our congressmen to accomplish. Look forward to further updates.
Thank you. Barbara and Bob Ludke
Yes we need to get working on our own statehouse. Thank you for reminding us of that.
Mr Polis, thank you for making me proud to be a Coloradan. Our kids' futures are at stake with the "me first" president and his horrific swamp cabinet. As part of the Indivisible Front Range Resistance group (already over 3k strong), we pledge to support the critical work you are doing, and to use our individual and collective voices to oppose the Trump regime. We are concerned that well trained politicians are trying to use every trick in the book to silence the voice of the public and use "untruths" to slander everyday citizens. We are aware that our current fear and angst needs to be channeled into a viable long term change in our political system. By using our combined strength we plan to make lasting change, and your help is greatly appreciated. We are PROUD to call you our Representative. THANK YOU. Sincerely, John Peterson. Erie, CO 80516
Representative Polis, Your words are invaluable. I have joined Ann Round's Indivisible East Boulder group (see her posting above) which is working at the federal level so far. And I started a gun violence prevention group at my church which is working at the state level but we are primarily emailing so am particularly struck by your advice to call and show up. It is clear that we need to rethink our strategy if we're going to make a difference. Thank you again for your advice. Kathy Ashworth
Thank you! As a member of Indivisible East Boulder, I'd like to add my voice, hoping that you or a representative from your office would consider coming to one of our meetings and educating us on what we can do.
I don't live in your state but I wish all of the reps and senators in my state felt the same way. The only good news is that in 2018 all of the state representatives and a good number of Senators will be up for re-election and I believe the US voters are going to take a very good look at who they are putting in office. I think there is going to be a huge upset.