Colorado’s U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (left) and Cory Gardner introduced legislation recently that would force lawmakers remain at the Capitol to prevent the shutdown of government agencies. (Associated Press and Getty file photos)
Re: “How to stop a shutdown? Threaten arrest, say Bennet and Gardner,” March 12 news story.
I thought April 1st had creeped up on me when I read the top story on the front page of the March 12 Denver Post. But, sadly, it was not an April Fool’s joke.
Upon reading that Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner have actually “been working on the legislation for months,” ostensibly to ensure senators do what they were elected to do anyway, I’m left pondering if they think they were elected to become the self-appointed, de facto Senate truancy officers. Itap difficult to believe that they have spent so much time on this while so many important domestic issues remain unresolved.
Ensuring a quorum so critical issues can be debated and voted on is surely important. But rather than working to “get colleagues on board” with their superfluous legislation, perhaps Sens. Bennet and Gardner could attempt to convince their fellow senators to undertake more of a statesman-like behavior, where integrity and impartial concern for the public good is the intrinsic motivation for addressing our nation’s pressing issues.
One might think that such an effort would be more constructive than spending their valuable time on “Shame on you! You missed class!” legislation.
Gary Garrison,Ward
This letter was published in the March 22 edition.
