Blog: Making Government Work Better For You

Statement

As the end of the year approaches, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the progress we made in 2014. While we can all agree there is not much to be proud of in today's Congress, there were several victories in our effort to make government work better for Colorado. Here are just a few examples of what we've accomplished this year:

Just last week, Congress passed our Hermosa Creek Protection Act, a great example of Coloradans coming together to produce better outcomes. We first introduced the legislation in 2012 based on recommendations from our Hermosa Creek River Protection Workgroup, which included dozens of local elected officials, conservationists and sportsmen, recreationalists and property owners, grazing permit holders, and other interested citizens. Working together, they found the right balance of use and conservation. We took their proposal and wrote it into a bipartisan bill with Congressman Scott Tipton and Senator Mark Udall. The cooperation, compromise, and hard work put into this bill by a diverse group of Coloradans should serve as a model for Washington.

We used that same approach with the 2014 Farm Bill, which Congress approved in February. Our office met with farmers and ranchers from across the state, who effectively wrote the conservation portion of bill. Our changes will improve and streamline conservation programs, allowing landowners to more easily preserve their land for future generations while still using it for crop production and grazing. It also included a number of other changes important to Colorado, including a strengthened crop insurance program, reauthorization of the livestock disaster program, and forestry measures to reduce the risk of wildfires.

We also passed legislation to research whether some service members with behavioral health issues are receiving less-than-honorable discharges for behavior that could be related to their injuries. The bill stems from recommendations from veterans around the state who are concerned that our system isn't working as well as it should be veterans and their families. Veterans should not be punished for injuries sustained in service and this research will help determine whether there is a system-wide problem.

Working with the Colorado delegation, we secured full funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, which provides local communities with federal support to carry out vital services like fire and police protection, school construction, and road maintenance. Last year, Colorado counties received $34.5 million from the program, but counties were saddled with uncertainty as the funding decision was delayed and local budget deadlines approached. We also secured funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LCWF), the Forest Legacy Program, and the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program. With this funding, communities across our state will be able to reap the benefits of the program and they now know it will be there in time to make sound budget decisions.

Congress also passed our Federal Data Center Consolidation Act, which was co-sponsored by Republican Senators Tom Coburn and Kelly Ayotte. The legislation is an important step toward a smarter, more efficient way to operate government by setting hard deadlines and requiring federal agencies to implement strategies to consolidate their data centers. These efficiencies could save taxpayers up to $3 billion annually by reducing wasted space and energy in the federal IT infrastructure.

And over the summer we passed a new law that can serve as the building block for transformative progress. The law allows local governments to redirect a portion of their federal job training funds to new pay-for-success contracts. Workforce development service providers would set rigorous goals for job training and placement, and would only be paid if they meet these goals.

This pay-for-success model sets the stage for one of our top bipartisan priorities in 2015: social impact bonds. It's an innovative yet simple idea that will allow local governments to pay government contractors only when they achieve a certain agreed-upon outcome, such as increasing employment at workforce centers, improving health care results, or reducing recidivism at prisons. Service providers would have an incentive to find more effective and efficient ways to deliver quality work or they aren't paid, while taxpayers avoid the risk of cost of delays, poor performance, or outright failure.

You will hear more about social impact bonds, and our other priorities, when the new Congress convenes in a few weeks. I look forward to working with my colleagues, including our new senator Cory Gardner, to introduce innovation and fresh thinking to the way Washington does business. Until then, I wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday season, and best wishes in the New Year.

Source