New Govtrack Report Lists Congressman Joe Neguse as Second Most Effective Lawmaker

Press Release

In his first term in Congress, Congressman Joe Neguse has positioned himself as one of the most effective lawmakers in the country. According to a new report from GovTrack, the Congressman enacted the second most laws in the 116th Congress of any lawmaker.

Each of the 9 laws enacted by Congressman Neguse in his first term all benefit Colorado communities and were developed with constituents and local leaders. They include:

Secure Rural Schools Extension Act, to support Colorado's mountain communities with funding for rural schools and road maintenance;
Platte River Recovery Implementation Program Extension Act, to protect wildlife in the Platte River Basin and reauthorize a popular project that ensures continuation of water projects in the area;
Bolts Ditch Access and Use Act, to ensure water access for the town of Minturn, Colorado at the Bolts Ditch Headgate;
Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act, which incorporates a small land parcel adjacent to Arapaho National Forest into the park;
Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Permanent Extension Act; which reauthorizes a critical antitrust enforcement program to ensure consumer protection;
H.R. 473 which authorizes installation of a national women's suffrage monument in the nation's capital;
Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act; which will extend whistleblower protections to antitrust whistleblowers;
Rocky Mountain National Park Boundary Adjustment Act; to authorize a 40 acre land donation from former naval officer, NASA astronaut and Longmont, Colorado native Vance Brand; and
Rocky Mountain National Park Ownership Correction Act; to correct a longstanding bank error and ensure proper ownership of the Forsyth family cabin.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic Congressman Neguse introduced 13 legislative proposals to equip communities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, several of which were included in the emergency COVID-19 relief package enacted in late December:

A 15% increase in monthly SNAP benefits; as proposed in Congressman Neguse's Food for Families in Crisis Act;
A provision to exclude the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Advance when determining loan forgiveness for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), as proposed in Congressman Neguse's bill the EIDL Forgiveness Act;
$290 million for Emergency Solutions Grants, similar to Congressman Neguse's CARE Act for Those Without Homes;
$3.25 billion for the Strategic National Stockpile, which Rep. Neguse has advocated for improvements to since the start of the pandemic, and
$250 million for Head Start; similar to Congressman Neguse's Jumpstart for Head Start Act
Congressman Neguse also partnered with local public health experts and state officials to coordinate response to the pandemic; including:

ensuring first responders and firefighters be given priority COVID-19 testing;
advocating for increased federal testing and PPE resources for Colorado;
aiding in repatriation of stranded constituents;
Securing a FDA guidance change to allow distilleries to produce hand sanitizer; and
helping small business owners and Coloradans navigate CARES Act resources; PPP loans, economic impact payments, pandemic unemployment benefits, etc.
Additionally, Congressman Neguse played a leading role on climate action during his first term, as the only member representing the Rocky Mountain West to serve on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

In August 2019, Congressman Neguse secured Boulder, Colorado as the location for the first and only field hearing held by the Committee during the research phase for their comprehensive report. The Committee visited several labs in Colorado and heard testimony from Governor Jared Polis and local leaders on Colorado's leadership in battling the climate crisis. Many of these ideas were eventually cited in the Committee's final report, along with several Colorado priorities and initiatives led by Congressman Neguse, including his proposals to:

Expand clean energy and transportation;
Conserve public lands and stimulate the outdoor recreation economy;
Plan for wildfire mitigation and forest health;
Safeguard federal labs and climate science;
Invest in regenerative agriculture research and natural solutions;
Build resilient communities;
Address the national security threats posed by climate change; and
Bring Colorado's commitment to sustainability to Washington D.C.
Amidst devastating wildfires in the 2nd district and across Colorado, Congressman Neguse partnered with firefighters and local public safety officials to bring in needed federal resources.

He helped secure federal FEMA funds to assist with containment of the the CalWood, East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires and introduced the Wildfire Recovery Act to increase the federal cost-share of these grants to bring in more support to local communities;
He fought for late-season wildfire resources, and to improve pay, stability and benefits for federal wildfire personnel;
He led a successful effort to ensure prioritized access to COVID testing for our firefighters amidst the pandemic;
He helped secured expedited approval for a Major Disaster to be declared to bring in needed federal resources; and
Launched the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus in Congress to focus on wildfire mitigation and recovery efforts year round.
In the 116th Congress, Joe Neguse was elected by his colleagues to serve in House Democratic Leadership as Co-Representative to the Freshman Class. He was recently selected to serve another term in House Leadership as Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) in the 117th Congress.

116th CONGRESS BY THE NUMBERS:

55 bills introduced
9 bills signed into law
19 measures passed through Congress
46 town halls hosted
1,300+ constituent cases successfully closed
162,000+ emails, letters and calls to constituents
$1,850,000 returned to constituents

Source