Two years ago The Denver Post editorial board endorsed Mike Coffman for House District 6.
We found it hard to envision a more dedicated public servant than Coffman, a Republican, for the heavily gerrymandered 6th Congressional District that surrounds metro-Denver like a backwards “C.” And we liked the way Coffman stood up to his own party, especially when it came to pushing back against President Donald Trump.
Jason Crow, whose military service and straightforward manner proved compelling to voters, won in a landslide that year and we are happy to report the Democrat from Aurora is just as hardworking and effective as Coffman. He has proven not to be a hyper-partisan individual, and in terms of pushing back against Trump’s corruption, well, Crow was one of a handful of representatives to present the compelling case for impeachment to the U.S. Senate.
We’re proud to endorse him for a second term in office.
Crow will face Republican Steve House on Nov. 3. House has some creative ideas for how to fix America’s health care system, and we hope he gets the chance to lead these reforms someday. He’s a former health care executive who is thoughtful.
One of the most impressive things Jason Crow accomplished in his first two years in office, was opening up the privately owned and operated Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Aurora to visits from members of Congress. The detention facility lacked oversight, and Crow rapidly got a law through Congress that required these prison-like facilities to open their doors.
Since passing the law, Crow or someone from his office has visited the facility 60 times, and he says conditions for those awaiting judgment on deportation cases, have improved. There was confusion about who was responsible for the facilities’ health inspections and Crow sorted through the bureaucracy to find a solution.
“We have delivered in so many ways, in ways that maybe don’t grab headlines, but that make real differences in people’s lives. I’m proud of that,” Crow told us last week. “I have a history of and a focus on uniting folks and trying to find common ground and leading with civility and respect.”
If more of Congress would take that approach, America would be a better place.
Crow has worked with Coffman, who later became the mayor of Aurora, to secure stimulus funds for the district and advocate for federal funds for local governments that faced a steep decline in revenue following the coronavirus shutdowns.
Many of Crow’s bills have been bipartisan, and of the nine that passed the House, three became law by being absorbed into larger bills and passed through the Republican-controlled Senate. That is no small feat.
The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act included Crow’s Military Installation Resilience Assuredness Act, which requires America’s military bases to prepare for the impacts of climate change, including severe weather events.
Crow is a lawmaker with good ideas and follow-through.
On health care, Crow prefers a public-option-like program similar to Sen. Michael Bennet’s Medicare X proposal that would keep the private insurance industry intact but provide an affordable public insurance system for people to elect.
On gun safety, Crow, a former Army Ranger, is not looking to trample Second Amendment rights, but he has seen the damage military-style rifles, like the AR-15, have done in the hands of evil civilians. He cosponsored the Assault Weapons Ban and is advocating for national universal background checks, something Colorado already requires, and closing what he calls the “Colorado-loophole,” where folks can cross state lines and purchase weapons under potentially less restrictive state laws.
On the debt and deficit, Crow is concerned that for the first time in decades the deficit is going to be larger than the GDP, but he argues the current financial crisis is not the time to cut federal spending or increase taxes. Spending now will mean a faster recovery later on. He’s urging compromise in Congress to pass another larger coronavirus relief bill, but he said the Republican offer on the table early last week was inadequate to address America’s needs.
And on his efforts to impeach Trump as one of a handful of House impeachment managers: “I’m somebody who is going to do my duty, regardless of the politics of it and political expediency aside, I’m going to defend this country. Because it’s a country I love. It’s a country I believe in and for all our faults and our failings in history … I still believe in that promise that we can move forward and be better.
“On the last day of the trial, the impeachment managers asked a rhetorical question. We asked ‘how much damage can the president do between now and election day.’ It turns out a lot.”
We need men and women like Crow in Congress.
