DEMOCRAT FOR COLORADO CD-4
MEET KAREN BRESLIN:
ATTORNEY. PROFESSOR. REPORTER.
FIGHTER FOR EASTERN COLORADO.
✓ STRONG COMMUNITIES
✓ A FAIR SYSTEM
✓ FIGHTING INFLATION
✓ PROTECTING CONSUMERS
✓ DEFENDING OUR ENVIRONMENT
✓ STANDING UP FOR EASTERN COLORADO
I’m a political science professor, attorney, and former program manager and policy advisor for the National Park Service. As a Congressional and legal reporter, I've witnessed Washington's corruption up close. Policies have an impact, and today many of those decisions made by Congress disadvantage working people. The largest corporations and the billionaire class often steer economic, healthcare, and environmental policies to line their own pockets, all while claiming allegiance to "free markets" and "limited government." This must change.
We need a break from tired partisan scripts and repeating the same failed policies. That’s why I’m running to represent you in Congress.
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KAREN’S PRIORITIES:
STRONG COMMUNITIES
From cracked roads to limited healthcare access, food insecurity to a rising cost of living, Colorado’s 4th District needs a champion to reinvest in our communities: as the late senator Paul Wellstone said, we all do better when we all do better.
I am committed to hands-on collaboration with our communities, seeking their input to improve federal support for local needs. This includes targeted initiatives such as infrastructure repairs, expanded healthcare services, and efforts to combat food insecurity. Together, we can create a comprehensive support system that helps ensure every resident, regardless of where they live in Colorado, can thrive. Let's bridge the gap between urban and rural well-being, and create resilient communities that uplift us all.
A FAIR SYSTEM
Our tax system demands a reset to ensure equity, with the largest corporations and the billionaire class shouldering their fair share to alleviate the middle-class burden. In my first 90 days in office, I will spearhead legislation targeting windfall corporate profits. This includes closing existing tax loopholes, and requiring greater transparency and accountability in financial practices.
A rework of our unfair tax laws will help us reinvest into critical areas like infrastructure, education, and healthcare. I am committed to engaging communities in this process, seeking diverse perspectives to tailor legislation to meet local needs.
FIGHTING INFLATION
The cause of inflation isn't a mystery; it's a consequence of decisions made in Congress, the presidency, and the Federal Reserve. As we grapple with a cost of living crisis, it's imperative that we reduce the burden of inflation on working class Americans.
I will address the factors contributing to inflation's pinch on our wallets. I pledge to scrutinize key elements such as supply chains, corporate greed, war spending, and relief payments. We can develop targeted strategies to combat rising prices, and promote economic stability for households across the nation. Let's demystify the complexities and work towards a transparent and effective approach to alleviate the impact of inflation on everyday lives.
DEFENDING OUR ENVIRONMENT
Solar & wind power are one piece of the puzzle when it comes to climate change, but we often overlook the hidden cost of our push for renewable energy: strip mines that devastate our natural environment and enormous powerlines like Xcel Energy’s Power Pathway Project, displacing farmers, prairies, and wildlife. We need to do more to preserve our land, reduce our energy consumption, and create truly sustainable solutions for our planet.
While federal environmental laws set standards, the heart of environmental decisions lies in state and local jurisdictions. Here, choices reverberate through our air, water, and land: developers convert open space and farmland to sprawling subdivisions, or buy up water rights to support developments in other parts of the state.
Drawing on decades of research, I support a comprehensive approach to curbing the climate crisis. Protecting lands and forests that absorb carbon, reducing energy consumption, discouraging car-dependent urban sprawl and relying more on mass transit in urban areas, are more effective ways of protecting the earth and addressing climate change than just pushing for solar and wind energy as a band-aid solution.
STANDING UP FOR EASTERN COLORADO
In Colorado, rural counties often experience lower incomes than urban areas, lack access to health care, and experience mental health and substance abuse without access to treatment. Behind those facts are lives burdened by unnecessary struggle and at times suffering and even early death.
Residents of Douglas County have an average life expectancy of 83, but residents of Bent County live, on average, 74 years, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Rural residents also experience more food insecurity than do urban residents. This is particularly true in the northern and southern regions of the district.
Addressing these disparities and providing proper federal support with input from rural communities and stakeholders is central to my candidacy and the top priority for my first 90 days in office.
PROTECTING AMERICAN CONSUMERS
I stand with consumers against corporate greed. I am committed to scrutinizing mergers, such as the Albertson's/Kroger deal, which may limit consumer options and give large corporations more control over our daily life. I will challenge the Federal Trade Commission to rein in bad actors that deceive consumers with price gouging, monopolistic practices, and shrinkflation: charging more money for less product.
Let's uphold market integrity and strive for robust market access for all Americans to keep costs sustainable and improve our daily lives. History has proven that working-class Americans are the true economic engine of this country. Keeping more money in your pocket and out of the hands of greedy billionaires leads to a much stronger economy that benefits us all.
As your advocate, I will tirelessly work to safeguard your rights, promote fair market practices, and ensure that consumer interests are at the forefront of legislative decisions. Together, let's build a marketplace that benefits every American.
“My commitment to lifting up neighbors and communities stems from my conviction that every person’s wellbeing supports the wellbeing of all. Our democracy thrives when each one of us is strong and represented.”
— KAREN BRESLIN
★ ATTORNEY
★ PROFESSOR, POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, DENVER
★ CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER
★ PROGRAM MANAGER & POLICY ADVISOR, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MEET KAREN BRESLIN:
I have called our great state of Colorado my home for most of my life, and I now live in beautiful Elbert County, just a few miles down the road from a childhood home in Douglas County.
My professional background has been one of varied experiences – as a reporter covering Congress and the executive branch, an attorney with a focus on public interest law, a manager and policy advisor for the National Park Service, and a professor of political science with a focus on federal government and the law. These roles have given me a deep understanding of the intricacies of our nation's capital, the flaws in our legal system, and the importance of nurturing the values that define us as Americans.
WITNESSING CORRUPTION:
As a reporter covering Washington, I stood witness to the corruption of special interests and the troubling expansion of a system that favors Wall Street over Main Street, and billionaires over everyone else. This firsthand experience fuels my commitment to dismantling this unfair status quo.
FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE:
As an attorney I represented groups fighting to defend their communities from greedy developers and ecological destruction. I’ve defended protestors and represented other progressive causes. As a law student, I represented juveniles and saw the way systemic racism in the legal system affected children’s lives. These systemic flaws show the imperative need for legal reform.
BRIDGING THE POLITICAL DIVIDE:
As a professor of political science, I teach courses in constitutional law and civil liberties, global and U.S. environmental law and policy, and American government. I have researched the growing divide in American politics and believe the best way to fix it is through civil and substantive dialogue.
CRAFTING PUBLIC POLICY:
As a policy advisor and program manager for the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service, I managed the region's communications and legislative programs, and the region's planning program to protect plants, animals, and scenic features. I also served as policy advisor to the regional director including policy related to climate change, sustainability, and accessibility.
PRESERVING EASTERN COLORADO:
Living here on the eastern plains, I've found solace in the melody of meadowlarks, marveled at wildflowers blooming in June, and been captivated by the breathtaking beauty of our sunrises and sunsets. It's this very beauty that I'm determined to protect.
I'm running for Congress to safeguard this beautiful place we call home. My belief in lifting up neighbors and communities stems from the conviction that every person’s wellbeing supports the wellbeing of all. Our democracy thrives when each one of us is strong and represented.
MY PLEDGE TO YOU:
I believe in a better future, one that is not dictated by special interests but is driven by the collective strength of our democracy. As your representative, I am committed to championing your concerns, not just mine. Together, let's build a brighter and more equitable future for all.
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