Sweet Home Colorado for Space Command HQ?

4
  by: Colorado Pols May 17, 2023 at 11:41 AM MDT

 

Space Force!

The administration of former President Donald Trump created a new branch of the military called “Space Force” in 2018. The headquarters of U.S. Space Command was established in Colorado Springs on a temporary basis until an official home was found, and Colorado politicians lobbied hard for the HQ to remain in our state. But in a late 2020 decision that appeared to be a purely political move — speculation that was confirmed by Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers — Trump announced that he had “single-handedly” decided to establish the Space Command HQ in Huntsville, Alabama instead of Colorado.

However…a report from NBC News earlier this week is giving Colorado new hope that U.S. Space Command will remain in Colorado permanently:

Some defense and congressional officials believe the White House is laying the groundwork to halt plans to move U.S. Space Command’s headquarters to Alabama in part because of concerns about the state’s restrictive abortion law, according to two U.S. officials and one U.S. defense official familiar with the discussions…

…The White House directed the Air Force last December to conduct a review of the process that led to the Trump administration’s decision to move Space Command’s headquarters from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama. The review was ordered up in the months after Alabama’s law banning nearly all abortions, including in cases of rape and incest, went into effect last summer. The law is considered among the most restrictive in the U.S.

While abortion rights may be playing some role in the decision to keep Space Command in Colorado, it’s certainly not the only reason:

Biden administration officials have signaled privately to Pentagon officials and lawmakers that they’re looking to reverse the Alabama decision over concerns about operational disruptions that moving Spacecom’s headquarters, which is currently located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, could bring. [Pols emphasis]

The White House said Alabama’s abortion ban was not a factor in its ongoing review of the decision to build Spacecom’s permanent headquarters there. A White House official said that access to reproductive health care does not weigh in to making the decision about location.

Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville might also be a problem for that state’s hopes of landing Spacecom. “He’s not helping,” as one official told NBC News.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) seen here launching a different sort of exploration.

Tuberville has been blocking military promotions for months because he is apparently a craven racist. As The Associated Press reported last week:

Tuberville is facing backlash for remarks he made about white nationalists in the armed forces in an interview about his blocking of military nominees…

…The first-term senator from Alabama made his initial remarks in an interview last week with WBHM, an NPR affiliate. He suggested that the Biden administration’s efforts to expand diversity in the military were weakening the force and hampering recruitment, though the Army has said that the real problem is that many young people do not see enlistment as safe or a good career path.

“We are losing in the military so fast. Our readiness in terms of recruitment,” Tuberville said, according to the station’s transcript of the May 4 interview. “And why? I’ll tell you why. Because the Democrats are attacking our military, saying we need to get out the white extremists, the white nationalists, people that don’t believe in our agenda.”

When asked if he believed white nationalists should be allowed in the U.S. military, Tuberville responded, “Well, they call them that. I call them Americans.” [Pols emphasis]

According the POLITICO, there is no looming announcement about the future plans for Spacecom. The Air Force has yet to make a recommendation to the National Security Council for the location of Spacecom.

Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Denver) and Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs) both told KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs that they do not believe a final decision is imminent. Colorado’s Congressional delegation has generally been on the same page in fighting for Spacecom to remain in Colorado Springs.

Wednesday Open Thread

11
  by: Colorado Pols May 17, 2023 at 12:20 AM MDT

“A fraudulent intent, however carefully concealed at the outset, will generally, in the end, betray itself.”

–Livy

Yemi Mobolade Blows Out Colorado Springs Mayoral Race

19
  by: Colorado Pols May 16, 2023 at 7:47 PM MDT

Colorado Springs Mayor-elect Yemi Mobolade.

UPDATE: Colorado Newsline’s Chase Woodruff:

Mobolade pitched himself to voters as a moderate who would make Colorado Springs an “inclusive, culturally rich, economically prosperous, safe and vibrant” city. He struck broad notes of agreement with Williams and other conservatives when it came to tough approaches to issues of crime, policing and homelessness, and he rejected Williams’ claims that he supported collective bargaining rights for city employees.

But his election as an independent in the heart of deep-red El Paso County could spell a seismic shift in Colorado politics, cementing a shift towards Democratic control that has turned key swing districts in metro Denver solidly blue and traditionally highly conservative areas to the south into the next battlegrounds. Some election watchers on Tuesday night predicted that U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Springs Republican, could face a competitive race in the 5th Congressional District in 2024.

To cheers from his supporters, Mobolade embraced the city’s potential political transformation in his victory speech Tuesday.

“To anyone who doubts that politics can be disrupted, reformed and transformed into a hopeful experience, tonight is for you,” he said. “We showed it can be done.”

—–

Earth-shaking news from Colorado’s erstwhile bastion of conservatism, as former Republican Secretary of State Wayne Williams has lost the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff to political newcomer and local entrepreneur Yemi Mobolade after a brief but nasty campaign:

It’s going to take some time to process the full implications of this election, but Democrats are heralding Mobolade’s win as a turning point in El Paso County politics–despite the fact that Mobolade is very much a self-made winner:

We’ll update with coverage and reactions as they come in. But be assured, this is a very big deal. One of the last conservative municipal strongholds in a state that has been trending blue for decades has fallen. If you’re one of the Republicans who took ex-chair Kristi Burton Brown’s advice last year to fall back on municipal races to rebuild–or in a city like Aurora where Republicans pulled off a crypto-partisan takeover under Mayor Mike Coffman–this result should make you very nervous.

The Jig is Up: Republicans Detail Legislative Obstruction Efforts

5
  by: Colorado Pols May 16, 2023 at 12:53 PM MDT

Throughout the 120 days of the recently-concluded Colorado legislative session, House Republicans generally stuck to a strategy of trying to waste as much time as possible in order to prevent a Democratic supermajority from accomplishing some of its goals. Relegated to a leaderless micro-minority, the House GOP caucus had no realistic policy plans of their own. Its members spoke at length about virtually any legislative proposal – even those that they otherwise supported – pausing only long enough to trot out absurd accusations that Democrats were actually the ones slowing down the legislative process. 

There’s no debate about any of this; Republicans talked openly about their obstruction efforts before, during, and after the session. They were proud of not governing… 

…So proud, in fact, that they can’t stop talking about the thing that they shouldn’t be talking about. In fact, freshman State Rep. Scott “There is No” Bottoms (R-Colorado Springs) couldn’t wait two days before blowing up the entire GOP narrative about accusing Democrats of ignoring their concerns.  

We’ll get to that in a moment, but first a little background…

 

Performative Obstruction

House Republicans were particularly pleased with themselves on the final day of the session, when they stormed off the House Floor as part of a pre-planned stunt intended to cement an end-of-session narrative that Democrats were steamrolling over them and refusing to work in partnership. Multiple members of the House GOP caucus claimed credit for the walkout – most notably Rep. Matt Soper (R-Delta), whose thirsty “look at me” tweet was among the saddest of the entire session. 

Dick Wadhams

In the days that followed, Republican pundits have worked hard to support the narrative of “Democrats Gone Wild!” Writing for the Colorado Springs Gazette this week, former State Republican Chair Dick Wadhams did his best to continue the spin:

Despite being woefully outnumbered, the Colorado Republican legislative leadership offered strong, substantive opposition to the Democratic agenda throughout the session.

They did? You mean, like this? Or maybe this? Surely not this. Definitely not this.

They were so effective that Democrats decided to censor Republican legislators from speaking by cutting off debate. Democrats claim Republicans were filibustering for no reason other than to delay the process, but the real truth is that big majorities breed arrogance and intolerance of any opposition. [Pols emphasis]

Sorry, Dick, but the cat’s out of the bag on this one.

Democrats cut off Republicans not because they made “effective” arguments, but because they clearly had no intention of having a serious discussion about legislation. This includes the issue that prompted Republicans to walk out of the House in the last hours of the final day: Senate Bill 23-303, which placed a measure on the 2023 ballot to allow voters to decide on a proposal for reducing property taxes. Republicans claimed that Democrats were refusing to allow them to argue for amendments to the bill; in reality, the House GOP was just trying to run out the clock on the 2023 legislative session in order to kill the bill outright. 

And how do we know that House Republicans weren’t operating in good faith?

Because Scott Bottoms told us all about it.   

 

Started (and Finished) at DeBottoms

Bottoms was barely a month into his first legislative session when was interviewed by Sherronna Bishop on her “America’s Mom” Facebook/FrankSpeech online show…thing (click on the link if you like Netscape-inspired website design). Bishop was Congressperson Lauren Boebert’s first campaign manager in 2020 and later a close adviser of disgraced Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, so you know what you’re going to hear if you accept an interview invitation. 

During a conversation about lawmakers preparing to hear committee testimony from Bishop’s archenemy (Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold), Bottoms spoke haughtily about the amazing legislation’ skills of he and fellow Colorado Springs Republican Rep. Ken “Skin” DeGraaf (“The Unambiguously Lame Duo”):

 

 

BISHOP: I can’t wait. Who needs Netflix? We’re going to go watch the Colorado legislative session and watch Rep. Bottoms beat up on Secretary of State Jena Griswold. I can’t wait.

BOTTOMS: Well, I can tell you…Ken and I are really good at this. [Pols emphasis]

“The Unambiguously Lame Duo” of Reps. Scott Bottoms and Ken DeGraaf

Bottoms is a pastor in his other life, though his Bible knowledge apparently does not include Proverbs 26:12:

“Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”

To this point in the 2023 legislative session, Bottoms had already shown his “talents” by breaking decorum with a dumb challenge of House Speaker Julie McCluskie (D-Dillon) and the introduction of a personhood-style abortion bill that was quickly dismissed in a committee hearing. A few days later, Bottoms wasted time on the House Floor by making biblical references related to his opposition to any proposed effort to regulate the use of gas stoves (a popular right-wing grievance of the moment). His buddy DeGraaf was equally worthless, though both men certainly monopolized the microphone unlike any of their colleagues. 

Bottoms now fancies himself to be the “real” leader of the House GOP caucus (it’s true – just ask him), which is not great news for Republicans. Two days after the end of the 2023 legislative session, Bottoms spoke to his congregation at the Church at Briargate in Colorado Springs AND COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE REPUBLICAN NARRATIVE THAT DEMOCRATS WERE REFUSING TO HEAR THEM OUT.

Bottoms acknowledges that House Republicans were only interested in killing SB23-303 (which is exactly why House Democrats stopped them from discussing amendments), but he also implicates Senate Republicans in the same scheme – including efforts to kill a “land use” bill pushed by Governor Jared Polis. Bottoms also makes sure to crap on “three or four” unnamed House GOP colleagues for not doing enough to obstruct legislation.

You can watch the video yourself, or read our transcription that follows…

 

 

(more…)

The Boeberts are Splitsville

39
  by: JeffcoBlue May 16, 2023 at 12:33 PM MDT

(Has news value, please be civil — Promoted by Colorado Pols)

POLS UPDATE #2: The Denver Post’s Conrad Swanson:

Lauren Boebert filed for divorce in late April, Mesa County court records show. The process server who provided Jayson Boebert with the paperwork on April 25 found him at the couple’s home in Silt “drinking a tall glass of beer, and cleaning a gun that was sitting on the table,” court documents show.

“Once he learned that he was being served with Dissolution of Marriage papers he was extremely angry,” the process server wrote. “I tried to hand him the documents but he did not take them. He started yelling and using profanities, and told me that I was trespassing, and that he was calling the Sheriff’s Office.”

The server left the documents on an outside chair while Jayson Boebert closed the door “then let the dogs out.”

—–

POLS UPDATE: The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul reports:

“It is with a heavy weight on my heart that I have filed for divorce from my husband. I am grateful for our years of marriage together and for our beautiful children, all of whom deserve privacy and love as we work through this process,” the congresswoman said in a written statement. “I’ve always been faithful in my marriage, and I believe strongly in marriage, which makes this announcement that much more difficult.”

She added: “This is truly about irreconcilable differences. I do not intend to discuss this matter any further in public out of respect for our children, and will continue to work hard to represent the people of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.”

The Boeberts have four sons, the oldest of whom is 17 and was set to become a father in April. The congresswoman announced during the Conservative Political Action Conference in March that she would become a grandmother. She noted that the child would make her a 36-year-old grandmother, just as her mother was.

—–

Rep. Lauren Boebert and her husband Jayson are divorcing according to multiple sources.

I can’t say it’s surprising. Boebert has moved beyond roughnecks to classier guys. Jesus may not approve, but Jesus doesn’t pay the bills.

Try to be nice to her kids though. They didn’t choose their parents.

Caption These Photos of DeSantis Erupting in Tortured Laughter

5
  by: Colorado Pols May 16, 2023 at 11:53 AM MDT

Taken this weekend of all-but-announced GOP presidential underdog Gov. Ron DeSantis on the de facto campaign trail in Iowa this weekend–we don’t know what the joke was, but apparently it was extremely, maybe painfully funny:

What the heck just happened here? Is Gov. DeSantis okay? Is he laughing or recoiling in pain? It’s a fair question, so we slowed it down for a closer look:

Upon closer examination, it is possible that certain other events are being shown here, for example the cheater in Casino who got zapped with a cattleprod:

The one consensus we’ve come to is that nobody laughs like that on purpose. One of the main criticisms of DeSantis as a presidential candidate is his general humorlessness and lack of personal appeal on the stump compared to GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, who leads DeSantis by 20 points or more in every available poll.

As you can see, faking it doesn’t work either.

Tuesday Open Thread

3
  by: Colorado Pols May 16, 2023 at 12:05 AM MDT

“Lies are sufficient to breed opinion, and opinion brings on substance.”

–Francis Bacon

When Wayne Williams Gets Desperate

5
  by: Colorado Pols May 15, 2023 at 3:11 PM MDT

Ex-Secretary of State Wayne Williams (R) wearing the turtleneck that should have disqualified him from office years ago.

Former El Paso County Clerk and commissioner Wayne Williams‘ career peaked in 2014 when he won election to the statewide office of Secretary of State, losing that post four years later to Jena Griswold as part of the 2018 clean election sweep by Democrats that has persisted to this today. After losing statewide office, Williams returned to his hometown of Colorado Springs where he was elected to the City Council in 2019.

Though an early source of baseless misinformation about Colorado’s election system reforms passed in 2013, once elected as Secretary of State Williams became a defender of the reforms he once criticized and–with a few unfortunate exceptions–emerged as a voice of reason among Colorado Republicans while the party’s activists lurched toward election denial. Williams even played a role in cleaning up the substantial mess left by former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters after Peters was stripped of her election oversight duties during the investigation that led to Peters’ felony indictment.

Williams was at one point considered the easy frontrunner in the race to succeed outgoing Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, himself the former GOP Colorado Attorney General, but what should have been a drama-free handoff from one Republican white dude to the next was effectively scrambled by political newcomer Yemi Mobolade. With the conservative vote split between Williams and former county commissioner Sallie Clark, Mobolade powered to a commanding, albeit not decisive, victory in the election’s first round. Since then Clark has endorsed Mobolade in the runoff election that concludes tomorrow.

Yemi Mobolade is not a product of the state’s Democratic political establishment, and gained traction in the race on his own initiative. The conventional wisdom in this race remains that despite Clark’s endorsement of Mobolade the split conservative electorate will “come home” to Williams, and as a result Williams has been hammering away at Mobolade in an increasingly desperate attempt to paint him as a leftist on the thinnest of evidence. KRDO-TV’s Spencer Soicher shared a particularly nasty mailer that hit over the weekend from Williams’ campaign:

All this imagery of rioters, broken windows, and homeless encampments (which if you didn’t know are already common around the city) is justified by Mobolade answering “yes” to a yes or no question about whether city workers should be able to organize. As for spending on “equitable outcomes” instead of roads and bridges, that’s just hogwash–no one has proposed spending less on roads and bridges in Colorado Springs, and if you drive around on the city’s streets for five minutes you’ll know why.

In the end, it’s just another disappointing turn toward sleazy dishonesty by Wayne Williams, and despite his affable reputation, it’s not the first time. On the other hand, if Mobolade does break the GOP’s longstanding grip on this nominally nonpartisan city government, it could mark a turning point against partisan Colorado Republicans who have withdrawn to municipal offices after years of defeats at higher levels.

If it can happen in Colorado Springs, it can happen anywhere.

Far-Right Legislator Bottoms Agrees He Is The “Real Leader” of Colorado House Republicans

8
  by: Erik Maulbetsch May 15, 2023 at 2:44 PM MDT

(Filed under “sad but true” — Promoted by Colorado Pols)

State Rep. Scott Bottoms, a far-right pastor who just completed his first legislative session representing Colorado Springs, said in a recent sermon that he knows that he is “the real leader” of the House Republican caucus.

Bottoms was recounting the last day of the session, when frustrated Republicans walked out of the House chamber in protest of Democrats’ decision to limit debate over a bill to lower property taxes. After noting that some of his colleagues agreed to walk out after he said he was going to do it, an unseen churchgoer called out, “that’s because you’re the real leader there!” Bottoms gave a hint of a smile before responding.

“Just don’t say that on the microphone,” said Bottoms. “I know that. I know that’s true. It took me about a month and a half to recognize that’s the reality. I don’t necessarily like that, but it is. I don’t dislike it.”

Bottoms’ claim that it took him six weeks to recognize the reality that he, rather than House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, is the real leader is at odds with his actions on the very first day of the session, when he seconded his colleague Rep. DeGraaf’s nomination of Bottoms to lead not just Republicans, but the entire General Assembly as Speaker of the House. Summit County Democrat Julie McCluskie won the Speaker’s gavel, which is traditionally unanimous celebration of bipartisanship, by a vote of 55-8, with nearly half of Lynch’s GOP caucus refusing to vote for her.

Between his campaign and his first legislative session, Bottoms made a name for himself as perhaps the most extreme Republican in the statehouse. While running for office he invoked Dominion Voting Systems and China while denying the results of the 2020 election. His attacks on Dominion have continued since his election, including a May 11 podcast in which he falsely claims Dominion Voting machines are responsible for Democratic wins in Colorado and then says that the company “is going to have to be broken up and people are going to have to go to jail until we can get our state back.”

(more…)

Man Attacks Congressional Staffers with Baseball Bat

0
  by: Colorado Pols May 15, 2023 at 2:02 PM MDT

UPDATE: The alleged assailant has what you could charitably call a “colorful” history. From The Daily Beast:

U.S. Capitol Police later identified the suspect as a 49-year old local named Xuan Kha Tran Pham, and said he was wielding a metal bat. He is facing charges of aggravated malicious wounding and malicious wounding.

“At this time, it is not clear what the suspect’s motivation may have been. Based on what we know right now, investigators do not have any information that the suspect was known to the USCP,” the agency said.

Pham filed a wacky lawsuit last year against the Central Intelligence Agency that claimed he had been wrongfully imprisoned in a “lower perspective”—part of a scheme to torture him from the “fourth dimension,” according to NBC News.

He represented himself in the $29 million case, which the CIA has moved to have dismissed.

—–

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Va) was first elected in 2008.

The Washington Post reports on some disturbing news from Virginia:

A man with a baseball bat went to Rep. Gerald E. Connolly’s Fairfax City office Monday and assaulted two staff members, according to police and the congressman.

“This morning, an individual entered my District Office armed with a baseball bat and asked for me before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff,” Connolly (D-Va.) said in a statement.

Lisa Gardner, a spokeswoman for the Fairfax City Police Department, said in an interview with Channel 4 that the call for the incident came in just before 10:50 a.m. Monday.

Gardner said police received a report that a man with a baseball bat was “actively assaulting” staffers inside the office. When officers responded, Gardner said they found two people who had been struck in the upper body with the baseball bat.

The staffers were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the assailant was taken into custody on the scene, Gardner said.

So far there is no news on the identity or motive of the assailant. We’ll update as more information becomes available.

Boebert Hyperventilates While Migrant Surge Fails To Materialize

2
  by: Colorado Pols May 15, 2023 at 12:16 PM MDT

UPDATE: We’re just going to leave this here:

Fortunately, 9NEWS’ Kyle Clark is there to help:

—–

For weeks leading up to last week’s expiration of Title 42 public health border controls put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado’s low-information max-volume Rep. Lauren Boebert has warned of impending catastrophe, falsely declared Democrats in support of “open borders,” and freely recirculated racist memes and misinformation about the looming “invasion” of the southern U.S. border:

This last image is especially problematic since there’s no actual evidence that the person depicted is in the country without documentation. This seems to be a judgment made entirely based on the skin color of the person in the photo. It’s a case of racist presumption that would have sunk Republican careers a decade ago (here’s looking at you, Dave Schultheis), but for Boebert it’s par for the vitriolic course.

The bigger problem for Boebert may be, as NBC News reports, that at least so far the dire warnings of a massive surge of migrants at the U.S. Border with the expiration of Title 42 have not come true. In fact:

“Over the past two days, the United States Border Patrol has experienced a 50% drop in the number of encounters versus what we were experiencing earlier in the week before Title 42 ended at midnight on Thursday,” Mayorkas said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” [Pols emphasis]

Still, he cautioned that it’s “too early” to tell whether the migrant surge has peaked.

“It is still early. We are in day three, but we have been planning for this transition for months and months. And we have been executing on our plan. And we will continue to do so,” Mayorkas said. “It is too early. But the numbers that we have experienced over the past two days are markedly down over what they were prior to the end of Title 42.”

Instead of the expiration of Title 42 prompting a surge, the new rules put in place by the Biden administration appear to be significantly slowing migrant crossing attempts. Even the conservative Wall Street Journal is acknowledging this development:

Title 42, a pandemic-era policy that allowed for the rapid expulsion of migrants seeking asylum, expired just before midnight Friday and was replaced with new rules that the Biden administration said included tougher consequences for those who cross into the U.S. without legal authorization.

Although the situation remains fluid by all accounts, the reality of the past few days on the southern border has proven the polar opposite of Boebert’s alarmist rhetoric over Biden’s border policy. The new rules put in place strongly incentivize asylum seekers to follow the lawful process, and an admittedly controversial new rule requires most asylum seekers to apply for protected status in other countries they’ve passed through on their way to the U.S. border. Much like former President Barack Obama received absolutely zero credit from Republicans while becoming known as the “Deporter in Chief” by immigrant rights activists, Boebert is pathologically unable to acknowledge that Biden’s policies might be having an impact she should support.

But as we’ve seen countless times, the reality-based debate over this issue has no relationship whatsoever to the nonsense Boebert sprays like a fire hose. Of course, Boebert doesn’t let facts get in the way of the incendiary script she’s reading from. If Boebert has decided there is an “invasion” underway, no amount of evidence to the contrary will ever convince her.

For solutions to these important and complex issues, the world must look to grownups.

The Get More Smarter Podcast Legislative Wrap Up

0
  by: Colorado Pols May 15, 2023 at 11:10 AM MDT

This week on the Get More Smarter Podcast, the First Regular Session of the 74th General Assembly has adjourned Sine Die and it was a despicable failure, or a resounding success, or somewhere in between, depending entirely on how much time you spend putting money into Elon Musk’s pocket. Your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii break down the results.

To wrap up the session in style, Christy Powell returns to play “Legislating with Crayons,” and we check in on our 6th and 8th favorite members of congress from Colorado to see what in the hell they’re up to (spoiler alert: nothing good).

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher |

Monday Open Thread

23
  by: Colorado Pols May 15, 2023 at 12:11 AM MDT

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.”

–Walter Elliot

Caraveo, Senate Dems Fight For Interstate Abortion Rights

7
  by: Colorado Pols May 12, 2023 at 11:09 AM MDT

Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D).

Colorado’s U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet announced last week the reintroduction of the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act, which would protect abortion providers from lawsuits originating in anti-choice states and prohibit federal support for such actions:

Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Senate colleagues to reintroduce the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act. This legislation would protect abortion providers in states like Colorado — where abortion remains legal — from Republicans’ attempts to restrict their practice and create uncertainty about their legal liability.

“It’s outrageous that states have passed laws that threaten doctors with lawsuits and jail time for providing abortion care where it is legal,” said Bennet. “In the wake of Dobbs, Colorado has become a safe haven for women seeking reproductive health care, and this bill ensures doctors in Colorado and other states where abortion is legal can continue to care for their patients without fear of prosecution.”

“The Dobbs decision endangers women and their doctors,” said Hickenlooper. “Reproductive health care rights belong to women and we’re fighting to keep it that way.”

Axios reports today in their roundup of newly-introduced legislation that the companion bill in the House is sponsored by all four Democratic doctors in Congress, including freshman Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Colorado:

The Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act was reintroduced by the House’s four Democratic physicians — Reps. Ami Bera, Kim Schrier, Raul Ruiz and Yadira Caraveo.

The Senate introduced an identical bill.

The bill would protect doctors in states with legalized abortion from being punished for providing abortion services to patients from other states.

The issue of protecting abortion providers from out-of-state legal action has taken on particular importance in Colorado, where patients from neighboring states where abortion has been restricted or outlawed have flooded into our state seeking care since the repeal of Roe v. Wade last year. There are sound legal arguments against these kinds of interstate civil suit laws to allow ideological activists to wage legal war on abortion providers in other states. What we don’t have today is a judicial system that can be counted on to agree, and the Republican-controlled U.S. House has no interest in weakening the newfound power of anti-abortionists in the post-Roe world.

What this does create, however, is a political opportunity for freshman Rep. Caraveo to make the case for her re-election in her swing district, in turn crucial to Democratic aspirations of flipping the U.S. House–so the fate of timely bills like this one is no longer a foregone conclusion. The backlash over Roe’s repeal played a big role in shutting down traditional midterm gains Republicans expected to reap last year, and despite ominous signs that Republicans are set for more punishment over the issue in 2024, they are dogmatically prevented from changing course.

What will make for good policy in 2025 is even better politics until then.

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