hickenlooper committee assignments

  Sen. John Hickenlooper

Senator for Colorado

pronounced jon // HIK-en-loo-per

Hickenlooper is the junior senator from Colorado and is a Democrat. He has served since Jan 3, 2021. Hickenlooper is next up for reelection in 2026 and serves until Jan 3, 2027. He is 72 years old.

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Legislative Metrics

Read our 2022 Report Card for Hickenlooper .

Committee Membership

John Hickenlooper sits on the following committees:

• Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security subcommittee Chair
• Employment and Workplace Safety subcommittee Chair
• Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Energy , Public Lands, Forests, and Mining , Water and Power subcommittees
• Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Enacted Legislation

Hickenlooper was the primary sponsor of 4 bills that were enacted:

• S. 1945: John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2023
• S. 3814 (117th): Modernizing Biosurveillance Capabilities and Epidemic Forecasting Act
• S. 2962 (117th): COMPETES Act
• S. 2241 (117th): Responsibly and Equitably Change How Auto-charging Rates Get Evaluated Act

View All »

Does 4 not sound like a lot? Very few bills are ever enacted — most legislators sponsor only a handful that are signed into law. But there are other legislative activities that we don’t track that are also important, including offering amendments, committee work and oversight of the other branches, and constituent services.

We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if at least about half of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110 th Congress).

Bills Sponsored

Issue areas.

Hickenlooper sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:

Science, Technology, Communications (24%) Labor and Employment (16%) Energy (16%) Commerce (13%) Public Lands and Natural Resources (11%) Health (11%) Native Americans (5%) Transportation and Public Works (5%)

Recently Introduced Bills

Hickenlooper recently introduced the following legislation:

• S. 4027: A bill to amend the Federal Power Act to authorize the Federal Energy …
• S. 3985: Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act
• S. 3981: DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act of 2024
• S. 3700: A bill to permit nurse practitioners and physician assistants to furnish necessary services, …
• S. 3453: Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Support Act
• S.Res. 441: A resolution designating October 2023 as “National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month”.
• S. 3102: Retirement Savings for Americans Act of 2023

Most legislation has no activity after being introduced.

Voting Record

Hickenlooper voted yea, hickenlooper voted nay, missed votes.

From Jan 2021 to Apr 2024, Hickenlooper missed 40 of 1,444 roll call votes, which is 2.8%. This is on par with the median of 2.8% among the lifetime records of senators currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.

We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absenses, major life events, and running for higher office.

Show the numbers...

Primary Sources

The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:

• unitedstates/congress-legislators , a community project gathering congressional information
• The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress for the photo
• GovInfo.gov , for sponsored bills

Pronunciation Guide

John Hickenlooper is pronounced:

jon // HIK-en-loo-per

The letters stand for sounds according to the following table:

Capital letters indicate a stressed syllable.

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John hickenlooper.

• Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. Senate Colorado

2021 - Present

Report an officeholder change

Compensation

November 3, 2020

November 3, 2026

Wesleyan University, 1974

Wesleyan University, 1980

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

John Hickenlooper ( Democratic Party ) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Colorado. He assumed office on January 3, 2021. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Hickenlooper ( Democratic Party ) is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Colorado. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election. [source]

Hickenlooper was the 42nd governor of Colorado from 2011 to 2019. He was prevented by term limits from seeking re-election in 2018.

On March 4, 2019, Hickenlooper announced that he was running for president of the United States . [1] On August 15, 2019, Hickenlooper suspended his presidential campaign. [2]

Hickenlooper previously served as mayor of Denver from 2003 to 2011, during which time the city hosted the 2008 Democratic National Convention. [3]

• 1 Biography
• 2.1 U.S. Senate
• 3.1 Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023
• 3.2 Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress
• 3.3 Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023
• 4.1 Governor of Colorado (2011-2019)
• 4.2 Mayor of Denver (2003-2011)
• 5.1.1 Endorsements
• 5.2.1 U.S. Senate
• 5.2.2 Presidency
• 5.3.1 Results
• 6.2.1 Campaign website
• 6.3 Possible 2016 Democratic vice presidential candidate
• 7 Notable endorsements
• 8.1 Tested positive for coronavirus on August 19, 2021
• 8.2 Allegation of state gift ban violation
• 8.3 Stance on Syrian refugee resettlement
• 8.4 Challenging Attorney General's authority to join Colorado in Clean Power Plan lawsuit
• 8.5 Lawsuit by county sheriffs
• 8.6 Medicaid expansion in Colorado
• 8.7 Signed education funding bill
• 8.8 Signed background check, ammunition magazine bills
• 8.9 Declined to enter federal health exchange
• 8.10 Named one of Governing' s "Public Officials of the Year"
• 9 Campaign finance summary
• 10 Personal
• 11 See also
• 12 External links
• 13 Footnotes

John Hickenlooper was born in Narberth, Pennsylvania. [4] [5] Hickenlooper earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in geology from Wesleyan University in 1974 and 1980, respectively. [3] [6] His career experience includes working with Buckhorn Petroleum and founding a brewpub. [5]

Committee assignments

U.s. senate.

Hickenlooper was assigned to the following committees: [Source]

• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation
• Communications, Media, and Broadband
• Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security , Chair
• Space and Science
• Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports
• Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
• Public Lands, Forests, and Mining
• Subcommittee on Water and Power
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
• Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety , Chairman
• Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Subcommittee on Children and Families
• Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety , Chair
• Space and Science , Chair
• Water and Power

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here .

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes: 117th congress, 2021-2023.

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Political career

Governor of colorado (2011-2019).

Hickenlooper was first elected as governor on November 2, 2010, and assumed office on January 11, 2011. He won re-election to a second term in 2014 . Hickenlooper was prevented by term limits from seeking re-election in 2018.

Mayor of Denver (2003-2011)

Hickenlooper's 2003 race for mayor of Denver was his first foray into politics; he won re-election in 2007. When he took public office, Hickenlooper's business interests were placed in a blind trust.

See also:  United States Senate election in Colorado, 2026

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. Senate Colorado

Incumbent John Hickenlooper , Clinton Dale , and Robert Wolfe are running in the general election for U.S. Senate Colorado on November 3, 2026.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here .

See also:  United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020

United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020 (June 30 Republican primary)

United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020 (June 30 Democratic primary)

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Colorado on November 3, 2020.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Gary Swing (Other)
• Joseph Camp (Independent)
• Veronique Bellamy (Socialist Party)
• Martha Wolf (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for u.s. senate colorado.

John Hickenlooper defeated Andrew Romanoff in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Colorado on June 30, 2020.

• Danielle Kombo (D)
• Erik Underwood (D)
• Denise Burgess (D)
• David Goldfischer (D)
• Lorena Garcia (D)
• Trish Zornio (D)
• Michael Johnston (D)
• Diana Bray (D)
• Stephany Rose Spaulding (D)
• Michelle Ferrigno Warren (D)
• Critter Milton (D)
• Keith Pottratz (D)
• John Walsh (D)
• Dan Baer (D)
• Ellen Burnes (D)
• Alice Madden (D)
• Angela Williams (D)
• Derrick Blanton (D)
• Dustin John Leitzel (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for u.s. senate colorado.

Incumbent Cory Gardner advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Colorado on June 30, 2020.

• Margot Dupre (R)

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for u.s. senate colorado.

Raymon Doane defeated Gaylon Kent in the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Colorado on June 30, 2020.

Unity Party convention

Unity party convention for u.s. senate colorado.

Stephan Evans defeated Joshua Rodriguez in the Unity Party convention for U.S. Senate Colorado on April 4, 2020.

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) won the presidential election on November 3, 2020. Biden received 306 electoral votes and President Donald Trump (R) received 232 electoral votes. In the national popular vote, Biden received 81.2 million votes and Trump received 74.2 million votes. Hickenlooper announced that he was running for president on March 4, 2019. [1] On August 15, 2019, Hickenlooper suspended his presidential campaign. [2]

Ballotpedia compiled the following resources about Hickenlooper and the 2020 presidential election:

• Recent news stories about the 2020 presidential election;
• An overview of key national and state campaign staffers ;
• Endorsements from politicians, public figures, and organizations;
• An overview of candidate campaign travel ; and
• A list of other presidential candidates who are running for election.

Click here for Hickenlooper's 2020 presidential campaign overview.

Hickenlooper was unopposed in the August 10 primary. [34] On November 2, 2010, John Hickenlooper won election to the office of Governor of Colorado. He defeated Tom Tancredo (ACP), Dan Maes (R), Jaimes Brown (L), Jason Clark (I) and Paul Fiorino (I) in the general election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses.

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Hickenlooper has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to John Hickenlooper asking him to fill out the survey . If you are John Hickenlooper, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey .

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John Hickenlooper did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Hickenlooper's campaign website stated the following:

Possible 2016 Democratic vice presidential candidate

Hickenlooper was mentioned as a possible Democratic vice presidential candidate. On July 22, 2016, Hillary Clinton announced that she had selected U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) as her running mate. [37]

Notable endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Noteworthy events

Tested positive for coronavirus on august 19, 2021.

On August 19, 2021, Hickenlooper announced he tested positive for COVID-19. He received his second COVID-19 shot on January 21, 2021. [38]

Allegation of state gift ban violation

After two days of hearings, on June 5, 2020, the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission found John Hickenlooper violated Amendment 41, a state law that bars officials from accepting gifts. Hickenlooper was found in violation of the law on two separate instances—when he accepted a limo ride and private security while on a trip to Italy and when he accepted a flight to Connecticut on a private jet. Both events occurred in 2018. [39] [40]

The former governor was held in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena to testify at the hearing. Hickenlooper claimed the hearing, which was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic , would violate his right to due process; however, he did appear for the second and final day of the proceedings. [41] [39]

On June 12, 2020, the commission fined Hickenlooper $2,750 as a penalty for the gift ban violations. He was not fined additionally for the contempt citation. [40] Hickenlooper stated in a June debate that he believed the initial complaint was filed by a group seeking political leverage, but he accepted the decision of the commission. [42]

Stance on Syrian refugee resettlement

Following the Paris terrorist attacks on November 13, 2015, in which members of the Islamic State (ISIS) killed at least 129 people and wounded more than 350, reports surfaced showing that one of the terrorists responsible for the attacks in Paris may have come to France posing as a Syrian refugee. [43] Many governors issued statements of support or opposition to President Obama’s plan to allow 10,000 new Syrian refugees into the United States. Hickenlooper had strong support for the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state of Colorado . He said:

Challenging Attorney General's authority to join Colorado in Clean Power Plan lawsuit

On November 4, 2015, Hickenlooper filed a petition with the Colorado Supreme Court challenging Attorney General Cynthia Coffman ’s authority to join a federal lawsuit challenging the federal Clean Power Plan targeting power plant emissions. The governor, who supported the plan, believed that Coffman overstepped her authority when she joined Colorado in the 24-state lawsuit. [45] Coffman disagreed and on November 20, 2015, petitioned the high court to dismiss Hickenlooper’s complaint, arguing that her office had both the authority and obligation to independently file lawsuits to protect Colorado’s interests. [46] On December 4, 2015, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in Coffman's favor. [47]

Lawsuit by county sheriffs

In March 2015, sheriffs from six Colorado counties sued the governor over the state's recreational marijuana laws. The sheriffs involved in the lawsuit argued that they were stuck between the state's allowance for marijuana use and a federal prohibition on possession. Sheriffs from neighboring counties in Kansas and Nebraska joined the lawsuit, citing increased trade in states where marijuana had not been legalized. [48] The suit was dismissed with prejudice on February 26, 2016. [49]

The sheriffs' suit was the third brought against Hickenlooper in 2015, joining two suits brought on behalf of Safe Streets Alliance claiming that state marijuana laws break federal law. Hickenlooper and Attorney General Cynthia Coffman (R) stated that they would defend state laws in court, noting that the marijuana laws were decided by a majority of voters in 2012 . Tom Angell of the group Marijuana Majority dismissed the lawsuits as efforts by "prohibitionists who lost at the ballot box on Election Day ... trying to overturn the will of the voters by making a last-ditch attempt in the courts." [50]

On May 4, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court asked the solicitor general's office for an opinion in Nebraska and Oklahoma v. Colorado , a lawsuit about commercial sales of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado that was originally filed in December 2014. The attorneys general of Nebraska and Oklahoma asked the Supreme Court to rule on the legality of Colorado’s legalized marijuana law. The supreme court has original jurisdiction in disputes between the states. [51] [52]

Solicitor General Donald Verrilli filed a friend of the court brief on December 16, rejecting claims that legalizing the sale of cannabis in Colorado "increases the likelihood that third parties will commit criminal offenses in Nebraska and Oklahoma." [53]

The entire document can be seen here: "Brief for the United States as Amicus Curiae"

At least four justices would have been required to vote to accept the case before arguments would be scheduled. On March 21, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case by a 6-2 margin. [54]

Medicaid expansion in Colorado

In January 2014, Hickenlooper expanded the state's Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act. [55] This was expected to require $1.4 billion from the state over 10 years, with the federal government providing 100 percent of expansion costs through 2016. In 2013, president of the Colorado Hospital Association Steven Summer argued that the expansion could save state hospitals money they had spent treating uninsured patients. [56] Most Republican lawmakers were critical of the expansion, citing concerns about both state and federal spending on the program. [57]

Signed education funding bill

Hickenlooper signed Senate Bill 213 on May 21, 2013, a bill that would have increased education funding if voters approved a constitutional amendment to provide funds for the increase. Amendment 66, which would have increased the state's income tax to fund SB 213, was rejected later that year. [58]

For more information on SB 213 and the constitutional amendment, including arguments for and against, see our page on Amendment 66 .

Signed background check, ammunition magazine bills

On March 20, 2013, Hickenlooper signed new firearms laws into effect. The bills expanded background checks on gun purchases and limited the size of ammunition magazines. [59]

Declined to enter federal health exchange

In December 2012, Hickenlooper declined to enter Colorado into the federal health-exchange system established under the Affordable Care Act , known as Obamacare, in favor of setting up a state-based system. [60] Colorado was one of eighteen states that decided to create and run individual health-exchange systems by the December 14 deadline. The exchange is an online marketplace for citizens to purchase health insurance. [61] [62]

Named one of Governing' s "Public Officials of the Year"

In 2005, Governing magazine named Hickenlooper as one of eight "Public Officials of the Year," citing in part his role in passing a sales tax referendum to fund a new mass transit system. [63] The Public Officials of the Year program began in 1994 and, according to Governing , "recognizes leaders from state, city and county government who exemplify the ideals of public service." [64]

Campaign finance summary

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update. When he served as governor, Hickenlooper resided in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver, CO . After separating from his first wife, Hickenlooper remarried in 2016. He had one son from his first marriage. [3] [65]

2026 Elections

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• ↑ 1.0 1.1 CNN , "Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper announces 2020 presidential campaign," March 4, 2019
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 Twitter , "John Hickenlooper on August 15, 2019," accessed August 15, 2019
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Colorado.gov , "About the Governor," accessed July 5, 2011
• ↑ National Governors Association , "Gov. John Hickenlooper," accessed July 17, 2019
• ↑ 5.0 5.1 Archive.org - State of Colorado , "About the Governor," accessed July 17, 2019
• ↑ The Middletown Press , "Wesleyan grad Hickenlooper still has strong ties to Middletown," March 6, 2019
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.2670 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024," accessed February 27, 2024
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.6363 - Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024," accessed February 27, 2024
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5860 - Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act," accessed February 27, 2024
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3746 - Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023," accessed February 27, 2024
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.J.Res.7 - Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020." accessed February 23, 2024
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.J.Res.44 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'"" accessed February 28, 2024
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.J.Res.30 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to 'Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights'." accessed February 23, 2024
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5376 - Inflation Reduction Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "S.1605 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.7776 - James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "S.3373 - Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.4346 - Chips and Science Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3755 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.8404 - Respect for Marriage Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.6833 - Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "S.937 - COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.3076 - Postal Service Reform Act of 2022," accessed January 23, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "S.2938 - Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5305 - Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act," accessed January 23, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.Res.24 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.350 - Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022," accessed January 23, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "S.Con.Res.14 - A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023 through 2031.," accessed April 15, 2022
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.5746 - Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ Congress.gov , "H.R.2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
• ↑ 'Colorado Secretary of State', "COLORADO CUMULATIVE REPORT: OFFICIAL RESULTS - GENERAL ELECTION," November 29, 2010
• ↑ 35.0 35.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
• ↑ John Hickenlooper's 2020 campaign website , “Issues,” accessed Nov. 2, 2020
• ↑ The New York Times , "Hillary Clinton selects Tim Kaine, a popular senator from a swing state, as running mate," July 22, 2016
• ↑ KDVR , "Sen. Hickenlooper tests positive for COVID-19 despite receiving vaccine," August 19, 2021
• ↑ 39.0 39.1 The Hill , "Hickenlooper violated gifts rule twice while governor: state ethics panel," June 6, 2020
• ↑ 40.0 40.1 9News , "Ethics commission fines Hickenlooper $2,750 for ethics violations, Colorado taxpayers pay $127,000 in attorney fees," June 12, 2020
• ↑ The Denver Post , "John Hickenlooper held in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoena in ethics case," June 4, 2020
• ↑ Colorado Public Radio , "In The First Colorado Senate Primary Debate, Romanoff Attacks Hickenlooper While Hickenlooper Attacks Gardner," June 9, 2020
• ↑ Washington Post , "Were Syrian refugees involved in the Paris attacks? What we know and don’t know," November 17, 2015
• ↑ Denver Post , "Colorado will accept Syrian refugees, Hickenlooper says," November 16, 2015
• ↑ Mark Harden, Denver Business Journal , “Hickenlooper v. Coffman: Clean-power dispute goes to the Supreme Court,” November 4, 2015
• ↑ Thomas Peipert, Aurora Sentinel , “AG Cynthia Coffman asks state Supreme Court to dismiss governor’s complaint,” November 20, 2015
• ↑ Colorado Politics , "Supreme Court denies Hickenlooper on Clean Power Plan dispute with Coffman," December 4, 2015
• ↑ CBS News, "Sheriffs sue Colorado governor recreational marijuana law," March 6, 2015
• ↑ Leagle , "Smith v. Hickenlooper," February 16, 2016
• ↑ International Business Times, "Marijuana Legalization: Colorado Faces Lawsuit from Sheriffs over Cannabis Law," March 5, 2015
• ↑ Constitution Daily , "Supreme Court asks Justice Department to weigh in on legal marijuana lawsuit," May 4, 2015
• ↑ SCOTUSblog.com , "Nebraska and Oklahoma v. Colorado," accessed September 8, 2015
• ↑ Westword , "Feds Side with Colorado Over Nebraska, Oklahoma in Supreme Court Pot Lawsuit," December 17, 2015
• ↑ Denver Post , "Supreme Court denies Oklahoma and Nebraska challenge to Colorado pot," March 21, 2016
• ↑ Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing , "Colorado Medicaid Expansion," July 2018
• ↑ Denver Business Journal , "Hickenlooper unveils Colorado Medicaid expansion plan," January 3, 2013
• ↑ Kaiser Health News , "Colorado Medicaid Expansion Moves Forward With One Republican Vote," April 29, 2013
• ↑ Colorado General Assembly, "Senate Bill 213," May 21, 2013
• ↑ NBC news, "Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper signs landmark gun-control bills," March 20, 2013
• ↑ The New York Times , "Most states miss deadline to set up health exchange," December 14, 2012
• ↑ The Daily Times, "Governor Susana Martinez to tackle state-based health exchange," January 9, 2013
• ↑ Alan Greenblatt, Governing , "On a Roll," 2005
• ↑ Governing , "GOVERNING Announces 2012 Public Officials of the Year," October 19, 2012
• ↑ The Denver Post , "Who is the new Mrs. Hickenlooper?" February 25, 2016
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Tracking Colorado members’ committee assignments in the 117th Congress

State’s 9-member delegation has strong presence in natural resources oversight, by: chase woodruff - march 16, 2021 5:00 am.

A view of the U.S. Capitol in September 2012. (Architect of the Capitol)

Colorado’s nine-member congressional delegation has already played an outsized role in the 117th Congress, which convened on Jan. 3, 2021.

After former President Donald Trump was impeached over allegations that he incited the violent mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol just three days later, Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette of Denver and Joe Neguse of Lafayette served as impeachment managers in his second trial .

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First-year Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, meanwhile, drew national scrutiny over her own fiery rhetoric leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection, and has continued to grab headlines as a vocal opponent of President Joe Biden’s new administration. The election of Boebert’s fellow D.C. newcomer, Sen. John Hickenlooper, helped Democrats gain control of the Senate for the first time since 2014.

With Democrats now in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress and intent on pursuing an ambitious agenda, Colorado’s representatives will likely continue to play a key role in crafting legislation through their work within congressional committees. Coloradans could be especially pivotal in negotiations over energy and climate change, public lands, military and intelligence issues, antitrust law and more.

Here are the major committee assignments and leadership posts held by all nine members of Colorado’s delegation:

Sen. Michael Bennet, D

Colorado’s senior senator, who has served in Congress since being appointed to his seat by Gov. Bill Ritter in 2009, is a member of:

• Senate Committee on Finance
• Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
• Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Within the Finance Committee, Bennet is chair of the Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure. Within the Agriculture Committee, he is chair of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry and Natural Resources, which has been renamed in the 117th Congress to reflect a new emphasis on climate change.

“I’m glad that we’ve expanded the scope of the conservation and forestry subcommittee to focus in a bipartisan manner on locally-led efforts to build climate resilience,” Bennet said in a statement. “On the energy and infrastructure subcommittee, I’ll work to promote a forward-looking energy policy that addresses climate change while working to build consensus to finance our nation’s infrastructure needs.”

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D

Colorado’s junior senator, who defeated former Republican Sen. Cory Gardner last year, has been named as a member of:

• Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
• Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP
• Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Hickenlooper chairs the Commerce Subcommittee on Space and Science and the HELP Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. He is the first Democratic senator since 1979 to chair two subcommittees in their first term, according to a press release from his office.

Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver

Representing Colorado’s 1st Congressional District, DeGette is a member of:

• House Committee on Energy and Commerce
• House Committee on Natural Resources

She chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation.

Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Lafayette

Serving his second term in Congress after first being elected to represent the 2nd Congressional District in 2018, Neguse is a member of:

• House Judiciary Committee
• House Natural Resources Committee

He is also serving his second term as a member of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, a special panel convened by Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2019 to advance federal efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to clean energy.

“We have entered a new era for climate action,” Neguse said in a statement earlier this year. “I look forward to working collaboratively with my colleagues on the Committee, and our partners across government to get to work tackling the climate crisis, preserving our lands, waters and forests and ensuring we leave a planet worthy of inheriting for future generations.”

Within the Natural Resources Committee, Neguse chairs the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. He is also vice chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Neguse serves as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, the outreach and messaging arm of the House Democratic majority. DPCC co-chair is the eighth-ranked position in House leadership.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Silt

Colorado’s first-term GOP congresswoman, who represents the 3rd Congressional District, is a member of:

• House Budget Committee

“With over half of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District containing federal land, I’ll have a unique opportunity to be a strong voice for my constituents on important issues impacting their livelihoods,” Boebert said in a January press release. “I look forward to getting to work and what we will accomplish for the people of Colorado’s 3rd District.”

Rep. Ken Buck, R-Windsor

Buck, who was first elected to represent Colorado’s 4th Congressional District in 2014, serves on:

• House Foreign Affairs Committee

He is the ranking member — i.e., the top Republican — on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law.

Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs

Lamborn, who has represented Colorado’s 5th Congressional District since 2007, sits on:

• House Armed Services Committee
• House Veterans’ Affairs Committee

He is the ranking member of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Aurora

Crow, who defeated longtime former GOP Rep. Mike Coffman in a hotly-contested 6th Congressional District race in 2018, serves on:

• House Small Business Committee

Within the latter, he chairs the Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development.

Crow was also appointed last week to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees U.S. spy agencies.

“As we face foreign and domestic threats, a rising China and resurgent Russia, and ongoing cyber attacks, the work of the Intelligence Committee has never been more important,” Crow said in a statement. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to conduct the necessary oversight of our nation’s most sensitive intelligence matters, while safeguarding our privacy, civil liberties, and national security.”

Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Arvada

Perlmutter, a Democrat who represents Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, serves on:

• House Financial Services Committee
• House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
• House Rules Committee

He is chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions, and vice chair of the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House.

Additionally, Perlmutter serves on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, a special panel tasked with making the House “more effective, efficient, accessible, and transparent for the American people.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the date the 117th Congress convened.

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Chase Woodruff

Chase Woodruff is a senior reporter for Colorado Newsline. His beats include the environment, money in politics, and the economy.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom , the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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Sen. John Hickenlooper joins four Senate committees

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper was assigned to four Senate committees Tuesday.

Hickenlooper will join the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

“Senate committees may not receive wall-to-wall coverage on cable news, but they are crucial to the job – where key legislation is crafted, debated and approved,” Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said in a statement.

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources supervises legislation related to energy, the national parks and public lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

The BLM has been an important topic to the new senator, given that its headquarters is in the middle of moving from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction. In recent weeks, members of Colorado’s Capitol Hill delegation have sent letters to President Joe Biden expressing support for a fully functioning BLM headquarters in Grand Junction.

Colorado is also home to four national parks, and many acres across the state are overseen by the BLM.

Hickenlooper will also join the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over a range of affairs, including interstate commerce, highways, economic development, technology and consumer issues.

Former Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner was on both the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Commerce Committee before Hickenlooper unseated him in the 2020 election.

Hickenlooper has also been chosen to serve on the HELP Committee, which oversees and considers a range of legislation, including education, public health and labor.

He will also join the Small Business Committee, which oversees the Small Business Administration and considers legislation, investigates problems and compiles federal resources for the small business community.

Before getting into politics, Hickenlooper was a small business owner himself. He co-founded Wynkoop Brewing Co. in downtown Denver before becoming governor of Colorado.

“We have secured committee assignments that can have significant impact over issues that Coloradans care about: health care, transportation, climate and small business,” Hickenlooper said in a statement. “We look forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting to work!”

Grace George is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C.

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A Familiar Face In Colorado Politics, Hickenlooper Is About To Become A Fresh Face On Capitol Hill

John Hickenlooper isn’t new to politics — or even to Congress, to a degree.

During his eight years as governor, he worked with Colorado’s congressional delegation on numerous issues to get the things the state needed.

“A lot of people don’t appreciate that when you’re talking to the delegation as a governor, you’re beseeching, you’re asking, you’re suggesting that they support this or that,” Hickenlooper explained.

Soon he’ll be on the other side of that asking and suggesting that goes on between the state and the federal government. He’ll be Colorado’s junior senator, one of the nine members of Colorado’s congressional delegation.

“I’m kind of looking forward to it as a way that I can more directly have an impact that benefits Colorado.”

In the months since the election, Hickenlooper has been meeting with experts on COVID-19, as well as zooming with groups of Coloradans to gather ideas, learn their needs and listen to their opinions. He wants those conversations to be the cornerstone of bills he introduces.

“I hope as much as possible that my legislation is directly reflective of what the people of Colorado want and what they believe will be best for them,” he said.

He points to the CORE Act, the massive Colorado public lands bill pushed by his Democratic colleagues, as one example. It passed the House in the current ending session , but not the Senate, in part because Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, who lost to Hickenlooper in November , wasn’t on board with it.

Similar priorities as his time at the state Capitol, but at a very different pace

Some of Hickenlooper’s other priorities are in line with what he did as governor — skills training and youth apprenticeship programs that could serve as a model for the country — as well as issues that are important to a majority of Coloradans, such as tackling climate change or investing in highways or broadband.

“I still have this optimism that...on some of these issues, like infrastructure, we can find bipartisan agreement and roll up our sleeves and get to work,” Hickenlooper said. “And I really am looking forward to being part of that process.”

What he may not like is the speed of that process. The Senate is deemed the world’s greatest deliberative body. It’s meant to go slow. And that’s not necessarily Hickenlooper’s preferred setting.

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Before, as a business owner, mayor, and then governor, he was always the guy in charge. Hickenlooper said he’s always had this sense of urgency. Even more so now in the middle of a pandemic that has upended businesses and life for much of the year. But some of his colleagues have warned him, the pace can be different.

“A number of senators have warned me to — especially in the beginning — recognize there are 100 people you’ve got to persuade. You know, you’ve got to at least persuade 60 of them for any significant legislation,” he said.

He’s been learning more about the job from some current sitting senators, Democrats like Chris Coons, Joe Manchin and others, as well as Republicans like Sen. Roy Blunt and outgoing Sen. Lamar Alexander. Hickenlooper will also be able to lean on his senior colleague from Colorado. His relationship with Sen. Michael Bennet goes back almost 20 years, to when Hickenlooper was mayor of Denver and Bennet was his chief of staff.

“Every day that goes by I see a different potential opportunity and really look forward to getting to work with a group of very diverse and talented individuals,” Hickenlooper said.

Learning the ropes as a freshman senator but veteran politician

He points out the new class of senators includes people who haven’t been in politics before, such as a former football coach — Republican Tommy Tuberville of Alabama —  and a former astronaut — Democrat Mark Kelly of Arizona.

Hickenlooper said he’s enjoyed getting to know the other six senators-elect — two Democrats and four Republicans — during the Senate orientation held right after the election.

It was very short, but they covered the basics, the blocking and tackling of being a senator: hiring and staffing, office budgets, getting lots of background on legislation and procedures, and learning the rules of the senate right down to “when you can speak and when you can’t.”

A lot of Senate work happens in committees, which could be a challenge for Hickenlooper, who admits he's not a fan of long meetings. Assignments won’t be made until the new Congress is sworn in, but Hickenlooper has expressed interest in a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee. But he said he would be happy to end up on Energy and Natural Resources, a significant committee assignment for the state, Commerce, which fits his small business background, or Armed Services, another important committee for Colorado.

Hickenlooper has tempered his expectations; as a freshman senator he’s not necessarily going to get his first choices. He said he’s flexible and ready for any assignment. Given his background, he has thoughts on most of the significant issues the country faces.

“I’ve got opinions about how to be cost-effective and efficient in dealing with those things. So whatever committee I’m on I think I can engage and participate in an active way right from the beginning,” Hickenlooper said.

He’ll find out soon enough. Hickenlooper will be sworn in on Jan. 3, in a rare Sunday session of Congress, with his wife and son by his side. Given the challenges facing the country, the 117th Congress is expected to hit the ground not just running, but sprinting.

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