'Wildfire threatens entire communities in Colorado and throughout the West. My amendment will ensure that wildfires are treated the same as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters that also threaten lives and homes across the United States. My amendment also ensures that Colorado receives FEMA support to mitigate wildfire risks and address the damage wildfires do,' Udall said. 'Colorado experienced two of its most devastating wildfires in recent memory last year. My amendment helps ensure that mitigation dollars will be available to proactively reduce risk and help protect Colorado communities from catastrophic wildfire and post-fire flooding.'

Udall also co-sponsored the following bipartisan amendments to the 2013 Farm Bill to help Colorado's communities with strengthened wildfire mitigation and forestry policies:

• To improve stewardship contracting liability provisions that he fought to include in last year's Farm Bill, encouraging public-private partnerships that create Colorado jobs, reduce fuel loads on public lands and allow the private sector to turn the problem of excess biomass into profit.
• To reauthorize and expand Good Neighbor authority, which has helped Colorado agencies facilitate restoration along the wildland-urban interface. It is set to expire September 30, 2013.
• To authorize the U.S. Forest Service to modernize its large air tanker fleet at no cost to taxpayers.

Udall successfully fought for provisions in the 2012 Farm Bill, which the U.S. House of Representatives did not take up, which would have benefited Colorado's farmers and ranchers. Those provisions he supported were included in the 2013 Farm Bill base bill, including those to strengthen and reinstate livestock disaster programs, improve crop insurance to protect against disaster, support specialty crop growers without crop insurance, and strengthen conservation efforts to prevent another Dust Bowl.

Udall also led the fight last year to strengthen the forestry title by doubling the annual mitigation funding for bark beetle mitigation in Western forests.

'From Colorado's traditional timber industry to biomass energy projects, Colorado is showing the nation how we can turn brown trees into a new kind of green. This new proposal from Xcel Energy is the latest example of how Colorado is a model for a balanced and innovative energy policy — and smart forest management,' Udall said. 'I look forward to seeing this idea considered further and I applaud Xcel Energy's work to create jobs and improve the health of our spectacular national forests.'

Udall has been a strong proponent of woody biomass projects. Last year, he welcomed the U.S. Forest Service's partnership with J.R. Ford and the Pagosa Land Company to extract forest material designated by the U.S. Forest Service for removal to promote forest health and convert the material into electricity. Udall also has heralded the efforts of private companies, like Montrose Forest Products, that are creating jobs by turning beetle-kill and other forest products into commercial lumber.

Udall also is traveling the state this year to connect with Colorado energy industry officials, local leaders and the public to highlight how Colorado's balanced approach to energy development and innovation is a model for the country. As part of his tour, Udall has visited the National Wind Technology Center in Louisville and the Elk Creek Mine and methane-capture project in Somerset.

'As a father, a Coloradan and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am angered by the failure to stem the tide of sexual assaults in the military. The good order and discipline of our armed forces and the safety of our troops is being threatened from within. We need to make clear that there will be zero tolerance for these horrific crimes and the people who commit them — just as we should in civilian society,' Udall said. 'I will work with my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee to ensure that this year's National Defense Authorization Act takes bold and productive action to solve this problem. Senators from both sides of the aisle have been collaborating on a number of proposals to address the issue. We need policies that preserve cohesion and morale by ensuring that military survivors of sexual assault are confident they will be protected by their chains of command and that their perpetrators will be effectively prosecuted.”

Udall will co-sponsor a number of bills to address the problem, while also pushing for provisions to be included in the National Defense Authorization Act. He will co-sponsor a bipartisan bill from Senators Patty Murray and Kelly Ayotte that establishes a special military counsel to provide legal advice and assistance for any military sexual assault victim who requests it; require cases to be automatically referred to the first general or admiral in the chain of command to ensure greater oversight; and allows cases to be shifted outside the immediate chain of command if conflicts of interest arise.

Udall also will co-sponsor a bill from Senators Claire McCaskill and Amy Klobuchar to require a comprehensive review of and formal minimum levels for the training, qualifications and experience of Department of Defense personnel responsible for sexual assault prevention and response. In last year's National Defense Authorization Act, Udall supported the establishment of a panel of experts that will provide recommendations for reducing the numbers of sexual assault from the military.

'Federal mineral leasing revenues provide critical support to communities like Greeley, Rifle and Durango that are grappling with the effects of energy development, from repairing roads used by energy-sector traffic to supporting schools that educate the children moving there,' Udall said. 'Even with sequestration, these effects do not go away. The Obama administration must ensure that Colorado communities receive the money they are due under the Mineral Leasing Act. Anything less is unacceptable.'

Udall and his colleagues' request follows a precedent set by a similar situation when the Interior Department implemented the Fiscal Year 1986 sequester, which directed revenues sequestered in revolving trust and special fund accounts to be made available in subsequent fiscal years.

Udall has consistently called for a fiscally sensible path to reduce the federal budget deficit, but also to avert the across-the-board cuts from sequestration. He recently introduced a plan with Republican Senator Susan Collins to urge Congress and the president to find a bipartisan way to strategically reduce the deficit without balancing the budget on the backs of hardworking, middle class Americans. He has also led efforts in Congress to give the armed forces and the rest of the executive branch the flexibility to strategically implement the indiscriminate sequester cuts.

To read the bipartisan letter, click HERE or scroll below:

The Honorable Sylvia Burwell
Director
Office of Management and Budget
725 17th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20503

Dear Director Burwell:

We write to you about the Department of the Interior's (DOI) recent decision to sequester revenue under the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA).

On March 22, 2013, DOI notified states that it would sequester over $109 million in revenue under the MLA and other statutes during the remainder of FY 2013. DOI explained that its decision to sequester these funds was 'in accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended.' We have heard from our states, including the Western Governors' Association, all of whom have significant concerns about the sequestration of MLA revenues. However, we understand that current law accords these funds special status and specifically makes them available for obligation in FY 2014. We ask you to confirm that DOI will in fact make the sequestered MLA revenue available to the states in FY 2014 and to ensure that DOI does so as soon as possible.

As is the case now, the United States faced a growing debt crisis during the 1980s. In response, Congress passed the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (BBEDCA) of 1985. Under this legislation, DOI sequestered revenue under the MLA in FY 1986. However, we understand that DOI made the sequestered MLA revenue available to the states in FY 1987. It is our understanding that DOI relied on section 256(a)(2) of the BBEDCA which states that:

Any amount of new budget authority, unobligated balances, obligated balances, new loan guarantee commitments, new direct loan obligations, spending authority (as defined in section 401(c)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974), or obligation limitations which is sequestered or reduced pursuant to an order issued under section 252 is permanently cancelled, with the exception of amounts sequestered in special or trust funds, which shall remain in such funds and be available in accordance with and to the extent permitted by law, including the provisions of this Act. (emphasis added).

In short, DOI determined that the BBEDCA did not permanently cancel MLA revenue owed to states but that such revenue fell within the exception provided in section 256(a)(2). In subsequent years, Congress passed a series of changes to the BBEDCA which effectively amended and redesignated section 256(a)(2) as section 256(k)(6). Section 256(k)(6) states that:

Budgetary resources sequestered in revolving, trust, and special fund accounts and offsetting collections sequestered in appropriation accounts shall not be available for obligation during the fiscal year in which the sequestration occurs, but shall be available in subsequent years to the extent otherwise provided in law. (emphasis added).

Like section 256(a)(2), section 256(k)(6) provides that amounts sequestered in trust and special fund accounts shall be made available in subsequent fiscal years. While Congress has since made further changes to the BBEDCA, there is nothing in current law that would authorize DOI to apply section 256(k)(6) any differently to MLA revenue sequestered under the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011. In fact, section 302 of the BCA explicitly states that: 'Any reductions imposed under [the March 1st sequester] shall be implemented in accordance with section 256(k).' For that reason, DOI should make available in FY 2014 MLA revenue sequestered in FY 2013, just as it made available in FY 1987 MLA revenue sequestered in FY 1986.

MLA revenue is the economic lifeblood of many states and local communities across rural America. States, such as Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, use MLA revenue to address, among other things, impacts from energy and mineral production. If MLA revenue sequestered in FY 2013 is not returned to the states, local communities across the West will experience severe hardships. We therefore ask that you ensure that DOI makes available in FY 2014 MLA revenue sequestered in FY 2013 and that it does so as soon as possible.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Following news that a private air tanker company has protested the U.S. Forest Service's recent contract awards for up to seven next-generation tankers, Mark Udall called on the federal government to override the protests because Colorado lives and homes are at stake. Udall, who serves on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and has fought to acquire these new air tankers, said this latest round of protests would delay the U.S. Forest Service's acquisition of these crucial air tankers until after the 2013 wildfire season.

'Wildfire season is coming, and I refuse to force Colorado communities to watch as preventable and containable wildfires are allowed to threaten lives and homes simply because of contractors' squabbles. Make no mistake about it: This is an emergency, and this shortsighted protest will leave the U.S. Forest Service with outdated, Korean War-era air tankers to fight modern mega-fires,' Udall said. 'That's why I am calling on the U.S. Forest Service to override the protest filed this week and move forward with its next-generation air tankers contracts. Lives and homes are at stake, and I refuse to stand idly by as red tape suffocates any chance of the U.S. Forest Service finally acquiring these much-needed air tankers.'

Following the contract awards earlier this month, Udall cautioned private contractors that 'Needless and costly delays will leave the Forest Service to fight modern mega-fires in the coming months with Korean War-era planes.'

Udall has been a leading voice for ensuring that Colorado and the West have adequate resources to prepare for the threat of wildfire, including pressing the U.S. Air Force to quickly transfer and repurpose excess aircraft to the U.S. Forest Service to fight wildfires. Udall also pushed to pass a bipartisan amendment to the U.S. Senate's 2014 budget to allocate $100 million more for wildland firefighting and he successfully secured federal funds to repair drinking-water supplies damaged by 2012's Waldo Canyon and High Park fires.

'The story of our national parks is an epic chronicle of exploration, ambition and grandeur. Our parks create jobs, support communities and businesses throughout Colorado, and provide unparalleled opportunities for hiking and mountaineering,' Udall said. 'Our parks are one of Colorado's best renewable resources, but we need today's youth to connect with places like Rocky Mountain National Park and Mesa Verde National Park to ensure they are there for future generations to enjoy. National Kids to Parks Day is a tremendous opportunity to strengthen this connection and inspire healthy habits that will last a lifetime.'

'Colorado is the healthiest state in the nation, but even we must confront one of our fastest-growing problems: our waistlines. Obesity and obesity-related illnesses are costing us billions of dollars each year to treat. And obesity is more than a health issue — it hurts our national security,' Udall said. 'Nearly three-quarters of all young people are ineligible to serve in the armed forces, often because they cannot meet basic military weight and fitness standards. My bipartisan bill will address this problem in a way that helps young people to be more active and educated about how their choices affect their future.'

'The shortage of safe playing spaces is a major barrier many communities have to overcome to provide children with opportunities to participate in organized sports and other physical activity,' said Ed Foster-Simeon, a member of the Campaign to End Obesity's Board of Directors. 'The proposed legislation facilitating joint-use agreements between military facilities and their surrounding communities helps address this problem and also educates potential recruits on the importance of active healthy lifestyles as a key to maintaining healthy weight.'

The legislation would authorize military leaders to open up their bases' sports fields, gyms and other facilities to youth who need a place to exercise. The bill would also encourage the Department of Defense to make information about healthy body mass indexes and fitness available to potential recruits.

Udall, a lifelong outdoorsman and avid mountain climber, has been a longtime advocate for healthy lifestyles and physical fitness. He launched the 'National Kids to Parks' campaign in 2011 and introduced the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act. Udall also wrote about this issue in a recent Denver Post op-ed, where he noted that obesity-related illnesses cost the country billions of dollars each year.

Credit unions are currently required to limit their business lending to no more than 12.25 percent of their total assets. This arbitrary cap, established in 1998, has curtailed credit unions' abilities to help Main Street businesses create jobs, expand and improve Colorado's economy. Udall's proposal would allow for credit unions that meet strict criteria to lend up to 27.5 percent of their total assets.

'Colorado has a top-notch workforce, amazing natural resources and a growing innovation economy. But without access to credit, many promising startups and entrepreneurs will be unable to secure the money they need to create jobs and help Colorado win the global economic race,' Udall said. 'Credit unions have an important role to play, lending to startups and Main Street businesses alike. My bill helps to unleash their potential to ensure that job creators in Colorado and across the country have the capital they need to start a business or to grow.'

The legislation only allows credit unions to increase their lending cap if they are in good standing and have a long-term track record of making business loans. They also need approval from the National Credit Union Administration, the federal agency that regulates federal credit unions.

The Small Business Lending Enhancement Act will help create an estimated 140,000 jobs by allowing experienced and well-managed credit unions to lend an additional $13 billion to small businesses in the first year after enactment. The bill has the support of a large and diverse coalition of organizations, including Americans for Tax Reform, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Progressive Policy Institute and the Consumer Federation of America.

'Colorado's veteran population will continue to grow in the coming years, with many recruits returning to their rural home counties. Notably, three of the four Colorado counties with the highest recruitment are on the Western Slope: San Juan, Dolores and Mesa Counties, which are also among the least populous counties in the state,' Udall and Tipton wrote in the letter. 'Furthermore, statistics demonstrate that the veteran population with the greatest need for VA services resides in rural Colorado. … Placing a permanent VA benefits counselor on the West Slope is a low-cost, commonsense move that would save significant money and travel time for thousands of Colorado veterans. We urge you to give this matter the highest priority, and we look forward to working with you to ensure veterans in rural Colorado have improved access to the quality VA services available in metro areas.'

Udall and Tipton also underscored in the letter that locating a Veterans Benefits Administration counselor is a long-term investment that acknowledges the growing number of military recruits from rural Colorado, particularly the Western Slope. They note that military recruiting in Colorado has increased by more than 10 percent over the past decade, with a large number of recruits coming from Western Slope communities like Mesa, San Juan and Dolores counties.

The view the letter, click HERE or read below:

The Honorable Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20420

Dear Secretary Shinseki,

We write today to encourage you to permanently locate a benefits counselor in Grand Junction to ensure that western Colorado's rural veteran population is appropriately and adequately served. Despite the need for more outreach to rural Colorado, particularly the West Slope, all Veterans Benefits Administration counselors are located in the Denver metro area, with periodic but inconsistent outreach to rural counties.

Over the past decade, military recruiting in Colorado has increased by more than 10%, with a disproportionate number of enlisted men and women coming from the 46 counties classified as rural or frontier by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is consistent with national trends, where half of all recruits in the last ten years came from rural communities. Colorado's veteran population will continue to grow in the coming years, with many recruits returning to their rural home counties. Notably, three of the four Colorado counties with the highest recruitment are on the Western Slope: San Juan, Dolores and Mesa Counties, which are also among the least populous counties in the State. Furthermore, statistics demonstrate that the veteran population with the greatest need for VA services resides in rural Colorado, where veterans are more likely to be of lower socio-economic status, uninsured and with limited access to advanced health care providers. This data, coupled with input from veterans' organizations and leaders in western Colorado, underscores the growing need to ensure these veterans have access to benefits counselors.

Given that the veteran population in rural Colorado is increasing and is likely to continue to grow, a decentralized, regionally focused model should be considered. This proposed solution will augment current efforts to serve rural veterans through tele-benefits technology and the Disabled American Veterans representative on the Western Slope. Assigning a fulltime benefits counselor will also help the VA tackle its substantial claims backlog by ensuring that veterans file accurate and appropriate claims, reducing the need for multiple submissions. Moreover, the addition of a permanent benefits counselor in western Colorado will support the VA's mission to identify non-enrolled veterans, for which there are insufficient data according to the VA's Veteran Rural Health Advisory Committee. In addition to yielding a more comprehensive picture of rural veterans’ issues, including the need for more efficient and focused delivery of health care service, increased outreach will provide the foundation for the VA to provide 21st century services to our returning service members.

Placing a permanent VA benefits counselor on the West Slope is a low-cost, commonsense move that would save significant money and travel time for thousands of Colorado veterans. We urge you to give this matter the highest priority, and we look forward to working with you to ensure veterans in rural Colorado have improved access to the quality VA services available in metro areas.

Signed,

'Colorado is one of the top beer-producing states in the country, and our innovative brewers have rightly earned Colorado a reputation as the Napa Valley of beer.  These aren't your dad's beers, and we shouldn't discourage brewers from growing their businesses with an outdated excise tax,' Udall said.  'We need to help our brewers keep our pint glasses full and our economy strong.  The BEER Act would give a shot in the arm to an important and growing industry in our state.  My bipartisan bill would support established brewers, emerging craft brewers, and the many agriculture, manufacturing and business service sectors that benefit from our strong breweries.'

Udall's bipartisan bill would result in 90 percent of licensed breweries in Colorado paying $0 in federal excise taxes, while reducing the tax on large brewers to $9 per barrel.  Under Udall's bill, the excise tax on small brewers would be structured as follows:

• Excise tax for barrels 1 to 15,000 = $0, down from $7 under current law;
• Excise tax for barrels 15,001 to 60,000 = $3.50, down from $7 under current law; and,
• Excise tax for barrels above 60,000 = $9, down from $18 under current law.

Udall discussed the bill last year and the important role Colorado brewers play in the state's economy and its tourism industry during a tour of Avery Brewing Company and the Boulder Beer Company.  Udall also has highlighted the role breweries like Fort Collins' New Belgium play in the development and use of innovative energy technologies.

'We need to reduce the federal budget deficit — and military spending needs to be on the table — but these indiscriminate cuts are going to cost more than they save, and they're hurting middle-class families in the process,' Udall said. 'Sequestration prevents department leaders from making smart decisions about how to implement spending cuts, and it is costing working families and critical Department of Defense civilians dearly. Although Sen. Collins and I are working on a bipartisan way to implement sequestration in a smarter, more focused way, it would be far better if Congress could agree on a balanced plan to replace sequestration.'

Udall has been a vocal supporter of Republicans and Democrats coming together to address the federal deficit. Udall led a bipartisan letter last year from the majority of Colorado’s congressional delegation urging leaders to actively work on passing a comprehensive, balanced deficit-reduction package.

'The Justice Department's criminal investigation pertains to a leak of classified information, an issue I take very seriously as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. I understand that the unauthorized disclosure of classified intelligence can risk lives, endanger our national security, and harm the effectiveness of our intelligence efforts,' Udall said. 'But our country has a centuries-long tradition of a free and independent press — a tradition enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. The Justice Department must always keep Americans' First Amendment rights at the forefront as it considers subpoenas of private records, especially those of news organizations.

'I am concerned about the Justice Department's action and the chilling effect it could have on our Fourth Estate. The Justice Department must explain its expansive and sweeping seizure of information and how its actions are consistent with the department's own rules and the U.S. Constitution.'

'The future of Colorado's economy — and our nation's ability to win the global economic race — is rooted in our education system,' Udall said. 'We need to ensure that students are performing and getting the skills they need to fill 21st century jobs every step of the way, from preschool and the first day of kindergarten through high school graduation. This common-sense legislation, which is based on our successful 'growth model' in Colorado, would give states more flexibility in measuring student achievement, and ensure that children do not fall through the cracks and are ready for college on day one.'

'Kids in Colorado and across the country deserve an education system that will accurately measure student achievement,' Bennet said. 'In the Denver Public Schools superintendent's office, we saw firsthand that No Child Left Behind's system for measuring students was missing the mark, which is why we developed a framework to measure a student's progress year over year throughout their careers. This type of commonsense model will help ensure all of our kids receive the best education possible.'

'Measuring individual student progress is crucial to ensuring that all young people have access to a quality education that prepares them for college and a career. I am proud to be reintroducing the Growth to Excellence Act with Colorado Senators Udall and Bennet,' Polis said. 'This legislation will hold all states to the rigorous academic standards similar to those used in Colorado, while also allowing states to build upon their accountability systems to meet their individual states' needs. As we work to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act, it is important that parents, teachers, and students alike have clear and useful information about individual student growth, instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all measurement of school performance.'

The Growth to Excellence Act of 2013 would amend federal school standards to include an accountability model for states to track student growth and performance toward being college- and career-ready. Instead of a one-time snapshot of school performance at test times, the bill would tie school performance to its students' growth over time to ensure they are academically ready for graduation. The standards also would ensure that schools, parents, teachers and students readily have the information they need to track where growth has occurred and where there is room for improvement.

No Child Left Behind, the existing standard for tracking student growth, only requires states to compare one year's class of students to the next year's class using a fixed target for all students regardless of how far or close they were to proficiency; it fails to measure individual student progress over time. Udall, Bennet and Polis's proposal would replace this static standard with a more dynamic and useful system for schools, parents, teachers and students.

'I am appalled that the IRS singled out organizations applying for tax-exempt status merely because their names sounded political.  I am glad the agency has apologized, but that is not enough,' Udall said.  'I await the results of the Inspector General's investigation, and I support a thorough examination by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.  Coloradans expect that we quickly get to the bottom of this serious matter and ensure that it doesn't happen again.  The IRS must institute safeguards to prevent this sort of political targeting, and I will do my oversight as a U.S. senator to help ensure that the IRS does its work in an objective, nonpartisan way.'

Udall has worked to protect Coloradans from government overreach and secrecy.

Last month Udall successfully urged the IRS to abandon its pursuit of warrantless searches of Americans' emails and other private digital communications. Udall and a bipartisan coalition of senators are working to ensure that the IRS codifies its decision to stop searching Americans' private electronic communications without warrants.

'Community health centers provide critical services for hardworking Coloradans who rely on their health to provide for their families,' Udall said.  'These funds will help community health centers around the state ensure more Coloradans are aware of their options for affordable health coverage and how to access those services to keep their families healthy.'

'Community health centers play a crucial role in providing access to critical health services across Colorado,' Bennet said.  'These new resources will help ensure that Colorado families understand their options for health coverage, determine their eligibility for different plans, and enroll in new affordable insurance options available to them. We look forward to working with these health centers to ensure they have the tools they need to serve Colorado.'

The HHS funds are expected to go toward hiring new staff, training existing staff and conducting community outreach and educational activities.  The community health centers eligible for the funds are:

• Clinica Campesina Family Health Services, Lafayette
• Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Denver
• Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Denver
• Dolores County Health Association, Dove Creek
• High Plains Community Health Center, Lamar 
• Metro Community Provider Network, Englewood
• Mountain Family Health Center, Nederland
• Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association, Inc., Craig
• Olathe Community Clinic, Inc., Olathe
• Peak Vista Community Health Centers, Colorado Springs
• Plains Medical Center, Inc., Limon
• Plan De Salud Del Valle, Inc., Fort Lupton
• Pueblo Community Health Center, Inc., Pueblo
• Sunrise Community Health, Evans
• Uncompahgre Combined Clinics, Norwood
• University of Colorado Denver, Aurora
• Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc., Alamosa

For information on applying for this funding opportunity, visit HHS's website page for the program.

Udall, a vocal opponent of violations of Americans' constitutional liberties, successfully urged the IRS earlier this year to abandon a similar pursuit for warrantless searches.

'I am extremely concerned that the Justice Department and FBI are justifying warrantless searches of Americans' electronic communications based on a loophole in an outdated law that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled was unconstitutional,' Udall said. 'These reports only harden my resolve that we must update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to protect Americans' constitutional right to privacy. Americans' right to be free from 'unreasonable searches and seizures' applies regardless of whether it involves a letter stored in a desk or an email stored online.'

Udall has pushed for Congress to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), calling it critical to ensure that federal agencies do not violate Americans' constitutional rights. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved an updated version of the law last month, reporting it to the floor of the U.S. Senate with a favorable recommendation.

Udall has been a strong advocate for Americans' constitutional liberties, including fighting to strengthen federal privacy safeguards and congressional oversight over executive branch agencies and decisions. Udall also was part of the bipartisan group of senators who successfully pushed the White House to provide access to the Department of Justice opinions outlining the legal basis for the targeted killing of Americans.

'Sequestration is dragging our economy into the mud and balancing the budget on the backs of hardworking Americans. This is unacceptable,' Udall said. 'That's why I am proud to stand with Senator Collins and reintroduce our bipartisan plan to inject some common sense into the necessary business of reducing the federal budget deficit. We need to cut federal spending, but we also need to be smart about it. Our bipartisan plan builds on our successful effort to get our airports running smoothly and commerce flowing again. Congress showed it can work in a bipartisan fashion on one aspect of sequestration. Now it's time to go all in and provide flexibility across the entire federal government rather than move from crisis to crisis.'

'I am delighted that we recently were able to come together on a bipartisan bill to provide the Department of Transportation with the flexibility to resolve a serious problem confronting the American traveling public and our economy,' Collins said. 'We can do more. I am pleased to work with Senator Udall to continue our efforts to allow agency heads more flexibility to set priorities in reducing their budget. We can mitigate the harmful effects of sequestration, protect jobs, and avoid mindless spending cuts that do not distinguish between vital programs and those that should be cut or eliminated.'

The Udall-Collins proposal would:

• Empower the executive branch to work with Congress and propose the best way to administer what would otherwise be automatic, arbitrary budget cuts required under the Budget Control Act; and,
• Ensure Congress has appropriate oversight by requiring that the administration's spending proposal for each department be provided to the Senate and House appropriations committees.

Udall and Collins have been at the forefront of urging Congress and the president to find a bipartisan way to strategically reduce the deficit without balancing the budget on the backs of hardworking Americans and the middle class. In addition to the FAA fix, this is the second bill Udall and Collins have introduced this year to proactively address sequestration.

Their earlier plan would have proactively headed off the problems at our nation's airports last month and given the White House the tools it needed to prevent harmful cuts to housing-assistance programs, education for low-income children and other programs critical to working families.

'Colorado and the West are experiencing one of the most severe droughts on record. This ongoing drought threatens farm jobs and our agricultural economy throughout the state,' Udall said.  'These latest drought designations underscore what I have been saying for months: We need an up-to-date and long-term Farm Bill.  Stopgaps and Band-Aids no longer will cut it for rural Colorado.  We need to act - and soon - on a new Farm Bill that strengthens farmers and ranchers' hands as they confront this ongoing drought.'

To learn more about how to apply for assistance, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website or contact your local Farm Service Agency office.

Udall has been a strong advocate of ensuring that Colorado farmers and rancher facing drought receive the assistance they need.  He and Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) recently urged the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee to ensure that it includes permanent livestock disaster assistance in the 2013 Farm Bill.

'The Pink Elephant site has had multiple uses since the late 1800s, but the buildings at the site are contaminated with asbestos and lead, posing a health risk to the nearby residents,' Udall said.  'These competitive grant funds will help the Alamosa County Economic Development Corporation clean up contamination at the site and help to rejuvenate the area by bringing in new businesses and local jobs.'

The site is located at the corner of State Avenue and Sixth Street in Alamosa.  The Brownsfield cleanup grant from the EPA is part of $62 million being awarded to recipients nationwide.  The EPA's Brownfields investments have helped to clean up and redevelop abandoned and contaminated sites across the country.  For more information, visit the EPA's website for the program.

'I am proud to join with Rep. Tipton to jumpstart hydro-electric power development on U.S. Bureau of Reclamation conduits and eliminate unnecessary and duplicative administrative and regulatory costs,' Udall said. 'Hydro-electric power has an important role to play in helping the United States achieve true energy self-reliance. And I am proud to support this bipartisan bill, which embodies a Colorado common-sense approach.'

'Senator Udall and I are optimistic that this common-sense legislation to provide clean, renewable hydropower and create new jobs in rural Colorado will pass the Senate and become public law soon,' Tipton said. 'Once law, Colorado will be able to take full advantage of the promising potential that hydropower offers our state, including generating enough clean energy in existing conduits to provide affordable power for as many as a million homes.'

Udall also is the co-sponsor of a second bipartisan hydro-power bill, the Hydropower Improvement Act of 2013, which would establish an expedited process for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to sign off on hydro-power projects.

Udall recently launched a series of roundtables and other events to connect with Colorado energy industry officials, local leaders and the public to highlight how Colorado's balanced approach to energy development and innovation is a model for the country. As part of his tour, Udall has visited several places, including the National Wind Technology Center in Louisville and the Elk Creek Mine and methane-capture project in Somerset.