| Supporting Law Enforcement and Strengthening Community Policing 
What's happening: Mental assistance responder teams play a critical role in partnering with law enforcement and emergency responders to connect at-risk individuals with resources, prevent crime, and improve public safety. Communities across Colorado are implementing successful models of community policing, which help reduce strain on first responders, create opportunities for law enforcement to focus on violent crime, and de-escalate encounters involving mental and behavioral health crises. Studies have confirmed this approach yields better public safety outcomes while conserving limited resources.
What I believe: Too often, people experiencing a mental health crisis end up in situations that escalate because they are not getting the care and support they need. Law enforcement agencies across Colorado are partnering with behavioral health specialists to help respond to calls involving situations with behavioral health concerns, ensure individuals receive the help they need in the moment, and connect people to treatment and long-term support. Congress needs to come together and build on successful approaches from Colorado so communities across the country can better respond to mental health crises while strengthening public safety.
What I'm doing: I joined Colorado U.S. Representative Jason Crow in reintroducing the Supporting Mental Assistance Responder Teams (SMART) Community Policing Act during National Mental Health Awareness Month. The legislation is based on successful Colorado programs and would provide dedicated funds for collaborative partnerships between law enforcement, health professionals, case managers, and outreach teams to improve public safety and connect people with mental health services and community resources. Instead of treating situations primarily as criminal matters, the goal is to stabilize the person, reduce escalation, and connect them with care to improve policing throughout Colorado and the nation. 2. Demanding Immediate Release of Funding to Ukraine and Baltic Allies 
What's happening: Last year, Congress appropriated $600 million in security assistance to Ukraine and the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI), a Department of Defense program to bolster the defense capabilities of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, our NATO allies. Yet, the Trump Administration has withheld these funds.
What I believe: The Ukrainian people have shown us what it means to fight and die for their country, for democracy, and for the West since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in 2022. They are not asking for our troops, just our support: our weapons and intelligence, for which Congress appropriated funding last year. Putin also continues to test our Baltic allies, who are among NATO's top per capita spenders on defense and need our assistance. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth must immediately release these funds for Ukraine and the Baltics. Withholding them signals weakness to Putin - not peace through strength.
What I'm doing: Last week, I joined a bipartisan group of senators to demand that Secretary Hegseth immediately release this stalled funding. Further delays risk our ability to adequately deter Russia. I will continue fighting to support Ukraine and our frontline NATO allies amid Putin's unrelenting aggression. 3. IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK - Today, a federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump's $1.8 billion 'weaponization' fund. Trump's slush fund is an illegal abuse of taxpayer dollars. Plain and simple. It's baseless corruption and we're going to stop Tina Peters and Trump's allies from getting CO taxpayer money one way or another.
- Before Trump's war in Iran, gas was $2.80 here in Colorado, and on Monday, it was $4.69 at the pump. That's 60 percent more than Coloradans were paying just months ago. This is the real cost of the waste-of-time war that Trump continues to wage with no end in sight, despite his desperate attempts at deal-making. Trump hasn't delivered on his promise of peace or security. Instead, he is forcing Colorado families to make an impossible choice between a full tank of gas or food on the table. Coloradans didn't ask for this war. We shouldn't be bankrupting ourselves to pay for it. Trump needs to end this war now.
- I joined Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and 22 of my Senate colleagues to introduce a resolution designating today, May 29th, as Mental Health Awareness in Agriculture Day. Colorado farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers face unprecedented challenges from severe drought to increased costs that can take a toll on their mental health. I've consistently worked to expand access to affordable, reliable mental health care for all Coloradans, and providing visibility and awareness to address these challenges is essential for progress.
- Eid Mubarak, Colorado! Wishing our Colorado Muslim community a joyful celebration of Eid al-Adha. May this holiday be filled with faith, community, and peace.
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