Buck: I will keep fighting for you as your congressman

This Op-Ed from Congressman Buck ran in the Greeley Tribune.

Buck: I will keep fighting for you as your congressman

Two years ago you elected me to serve the 4th District as your congressman. You trusted me to take Colorado values to Washington and to speak with an independent voice. I’m deeply appreciative of the faith you placed in me, and I’ve done my best to fight for our community.

Last month, the WATER Act moved out of committee and I’m confident it will soon pass the House of Representatives. This bipartisan legislation allows ditch companies to maintain their tax-exempt status while increasing revenue so that farmers, ranchers, and ultimately rural and urban communities can have lower water prices.

I also introduced the Blue Lives Matter Act. Every time we hear news about the targeted assassination of another police officer, my heart breaks. These men and women of law enforcement live down the street and shop in the same grocery store. They deserve our protection, which is why my legislation enhances the sentence for individuals who choose to target an officer based on his or her status, calling or employment.

Finally, I’m focused on reducing poverty, which affects so many people in our district. House Republicans recently rolled out an in-depth policy proposal on this topic. I want to reward individuals who work and who invest in their skills. I also want to align poverty-fighting programs with the specific needs of individuals. At the same time, I want to add accountability to our welfare system and invest in education. We need to make existing programs work for the people, not force the people to fit an inefficient government program. We must provide opportunity to rise out of poverty, without increasing the national debt or adding tax burdens to the middle class.

We have a choice this election, a choice between saddling future generations with debt and sky-high taxes or offering them a nation more prosperous than the one we inherited. If you elect me to serve as your congressman for another term, I promise to keep fighting for our nation’s future. I humbly ask for your vote on Nov. 8.

— Ken Buck, U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 4th congressional district.