U.S. Rep Brittany Pettersen has spent her first year in office fighting for the people of Colorado's 7th Congressional District. She also has worked on several critical projects that directly affect her constituents in Fremont County.
She recapped her first year in office during a recent phone interview with the Daily Record.
But before getting down to business, Pettersen talked about her most recent visit to Cañon City in mid-December. She visited with local elected officials hearing updates and listening to what they think she should prioritize next year to address issues they are facing.
But during that trip, she also took some time for family fun. The highlight was riding the Santa Express with her 4-year-old son, Davis, who "loved it."
"He got to meet Santa for the first time," she said.
Looking back on 2023, and moving forward, Pettersen continues working on prioritizing building a VA clinic in Fremont County.
"We not only have been sending a letter on that and making sure it raises to the top when members of Congress are actually advocating for it, but we are looking into whether or not we can use congressional directed spending request to actually make it much more likely that this moves forward," Pettersen said.
She also has advocated for a group retention incentive bonus of 25% for prison staff and expediting background checks at the Federal Correctional Complex in Florence.
Pettersen has sent letters to the Federal Bureau of Prisons calling for action to address issues with understaffing and unsustainable working conditions at FCC Florence.
"That is something that we are also very proud of," she said.
Working on ways to address contamination around the Cotter Superfund site in Lincoln Park also has been one of Pettersen's projects.
"We are raising concerns with the EPA, we are trying to get funding to help support clean-up efforts," she said. "That is something that is a big priority, as well."
This year, Pettersen also urged the United States Postal Service to make changes and to address challenges rural communities face in areas where post offices struggle to hire and maintain a workforce.
Constituents in the smaller towns and cities across Colorado's 7th Congressional District have been experiencing extensive delays in mail delivery, complete halts in package delivery in some areas, and issues with ZIP Code assignment and P.O. boxes.
"I definitely support the postal service workers, but it has been difficult on the management side of things with prioritizing these rural districts," she said. "But I also want to recognize that across the board, the ability to hire people to fill these gaps - no matter what sector or industry you are looking at – it is very difficult. Our economy has grown, and we don't have the population to meet the current needs, let alone the long-term needs."
One of the barriers people face in places like Fremont County when considering a job with the USPS, or any similar employer, is housing and being able to afford to live there.
https://www.facebook.com/RepBrittanyPettersen/videos/380498257847495/
Many of Pettersen's bills and much of her work center around the opioid crisis, which is not only a concern for Fremont County but for many counties.
"It went from prescription drugs to heroin and now it is fentanyl, so we are in the third wave of the opioid epidemic and a very high overdose death rate across the country," she said. "It really has hit our rural areas hard."
She also talked about the need for local service support for people in recovery.
"We have introduced 29 bills, 23 of which are bipartisan and a large majority of that has been my work on addressing the opioid epidemic," Pettersen said. "We have the illicit financing side - I am on the national security subcommittee - and it is a great opportunity for me to go after drug traffickers and address the opioid epidemic in a different way."
Increasing access to mental health, treatment and recovery services, as well as Naloxone, are part of the effort to address the addiction and mental health epidemics.
Pettersen has introduced nearly a dozen bills this year to reduce the import of fentanyl, expand resources for those with substance use disorders, and increase access to naloxone. She is working on the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force. One bill that passed the House would help combat the cartels that are bringing illegal synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, into Colorado communities. Another provision passed in the SUPPORT Act to bolster recovery programs.
"We are looking at every opportunity that we have to get as much done as possible," she said.
Other concerns Petterson has addressed include measures to permanently authorize PILT to support counties with public lands; the Shelter Act to harden homes against natural disasters; School Safety Drill bill to keep kids safe and mentally well; "They're Fast, We're Furious" bill to address street racing; and more.
"We still have a lot of work to do to help support regular people and make sure that in this country, the American dream is still real, that if you work hard and play by the rules, you have the opportunity to succeed," Pettersen said.
During the interview, Pettersen discussed not only her 2023 accomplishments but also shared a little about what's in store for 2024.
"Our team has really been focused on making sure that people are planning in the long term and that they have the information that they need," she said. "We are still waiting on our appropriation requests to go through the process from this year. We are just getting ready for next year and trying to build over the long term for critical funding needs."
Pettersen's Cañon City District Office is located at 611 Greenwood Ave., Suite C. For more information, call 719-458-6161 or visit https://pettersen.house.gov/.
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