Congressman Neguse To Highlight Superior Mayor Clint Folsom As Virtual State Of The Union Guest, Uplift American Resilience

Statement

Congressman Joe Neguse, Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communication Committee (DPCC), announced today that he will honor Superior Mayor Clint Folsom as his virtual guest for President Biden's first State of the Union Address.

"Folks like Mayor Clint Folsom represent our country's resilience and recovery. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating Marshall Fire, he has shown great leadership helping communities come together, rebuild and recover," said Congressman Joe Neguse. "Colorado has been through a lot this past year, and through all of it, President Biden has shown that the federal government will never allow American communities to tackle these challenges on their own. His historic American Rescue Plan brought emergency funds to ramp up vaccinations, help families and support struggling businesses, and now with passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are on track to create millions of good-paying jobs, restore our roads and bridges and support our wildland firefighters. Even with all our communities have been faced with, America is on the move again, and the progress we are making can be credited to folks like Mayor Folsom and to hard working everyday Americans at the heart of our country's resilience."

"The town of Superior has faced unprecedented challenges this past year as we rebuild from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and are now faced with the devastating aftermath of the Marshall Fire," said Superior Mayor Clint Folsom. "In each of these crises, the work of the Biden Administration and of the Congress have proved essential to help our families and communities' recover and rebuild. American Rescue Plan funds have bolstered our community, helping to keep businesses open, supporting families through the Child Tax Credit and providing direct support to our town government operations. Now as we work to recover from the devastating Marshall Fire, the partnership of FEMA and the federal government are all the more essential as we work to rebuild."

On December 30th, the Marshall Fire--the most destructive in Colorado history--tore through Superior and other parts of Boulder County, ultimately destroying 1,084 homes and businesses in a matter of hours. The devastating rangeland fire follows the destructive 2020 wildfire season which impacted other parts of Congressman Neguse's district and has left many businesses and communities in recovery. In the wake of western wildfires, President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided over $5 billion for wildfire resiliency and a much-needed pay raise for federal wildland firefighters. Congressman Neguse, through his role on the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, has been pushing for a more robust investment, his $40 billion investment in forests was included in the House-passed Build Back Better Act.

The State of the Union Address will highlight the achievements and work still to be done under the leadership of President Biden. While safety protocols mean this year's in-person attendance will be limited, Congressman Neguse said inviting Mayor Folsom as his virtual guest is an important way to honor the people of Colorado and uplift their stories.

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