Thank you for joining me this afternoon. I look forward to our conversation.
Two days ago, I won the Colorado Democratic Assembly by 21 points. I am honored to have earned the top spot on the August ballot.
As I told the delegates on Saturday, the Democratic Party I led – and the Democratic Party I still believe in – doesn’t let drillers off the hook when they desecrate our environment. We force them to pay for the damage they cause and make sure it never happens again, and we revolutionize our energy policy, so that no longer have to foul our oceans or spoil our skies – or spill our blood – just to power our planet.
In the Gulf of Mexico, we are now facing the worst economic and environmental disaster in American history. The companies responsible for this catastrophe – not the taxpayers who suffer from it – should foot the bill.
I spent eight years in the state legislature, including two as the Democratic minority leader and four as Speaker of the House. Protecting the environment was a key priority for me then – and will be as a member of the U.S. Senate. The earth needs more champions in Congress. That is one of the reasons I am running for the U.S. Senate.
I am proud of the progress we made in Colorado. I highlighted some of that progress in our first debate:
You can read more about my environmental record here.
It's time for my opponent and his colleagues in Congress to put the interests of the nation ahead of their corporate contributors. The coastal communities stand to lose billions of dollars in revenue. For a fisherman or a hotel worker, this catastrophe could spell the difference between making a living and going broke.
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has introduced legislation that would raise the cap on civil liability from $75 million to $10 billion. That’s a step in the right direction.
Congress should also enforce strict safety standards on off-shore drillers, require companies to develop and implement the technology they need to prevent and remedy blowouts or spills, and accelerate the production and use of alternative energy sources.
My campaign is powered by people, not by the oil industry or other special-interest groups. I am the only candidate in this race -- and one of the very few in America -- to turn down contributions the corporate cash that is corrupting Congress.
The polluters have enough politicians on their payroll. We need a senator for the rest of us.
I hope you'll take a few minutes to visit my website, and I'm happy to take any questions you have.