The last several weeks have been action-packed both in Colorado and the Nation’s capital.

Last week, the national media spotlighted the existence of substandard conditions for our American soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. At the same time the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) have failed to provide wounded veterans with a “seamless transition” from inpatient and outpatient medical care. I asked the DOD and VA compile a series of joint recommendations that would provide: 1) a clear accounting of America’s service members and veterans, 2) service member Medical record portability and 3) identification of and fixing of the bureaucracies at the DOD and VA.

Looking forward, Colorado is quickly becoming the Nation’s renewable energy capital. Last week Dr. Dan Arvizu, Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, testified before the Senate Finance Committee during a hearing on America’s energy future. I introduced Dr. Arvizu because of the groundbreaking work NREL is doing to bring renewable energy to prominence. While recently in Colorado, I helped FedEx roll-out its Denver fleet of hybrid electric trucks -these vehicles cut fuel consumption by 50 percent and reduce pollution by 90 percent compared to conventional vehicles.

I want us as a Nation to break the bonds of our dependence on foreign oil soon. To highlight the advances Colorado companies, institutions and individuals are making on the renewable energy front I have co-sponsored the Colorado New Energy Summit – 2007 with Senator Wayne Allard, Representatives DeGette, Udall, Musgrave, Salazar and Perlmutter, Governor Ritter, Mayor Hickenlooper, State Senate President Fitz-Gerald and State House Speaker Romanoff. The Summit is scheduled for Saturday, March 24 at the Colorado Convention Center and will be keynoted by Robert McFarlane, National Security Advisor to former President Reagan. For more information and the online registration form, click here.

In other action, the Senate recently voted overwhelmingly for a bipartisan amendment I introduced to the 9/11 Commission implementation bill to create a Rural Policing Institute (RPI). This is an important step forward for rural law enforcement agencies everywhere, putting them closer to receiving the cutting edge training that is foregone too often due to budget and time constraints.

And on Monday I took a step to help both our veterans and our schools in need of teachers by introducing a bill that will boost the number of schools qualifying for the highly successful “Troops to Teachers” program that places veterans with education degrees in “high-need” schools.

Colorado has a lot going for it right now with its elected leaders working together on renewable energy incentives, businesses and educational institutions partnering in “collaboratories” to research better technologies and with the re-authorization of the farm bill which will help rural communities grow their economies.

Thank you,

Ken Salazar

United States Senator

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