The House recently passed their “Big Beautiful Bill” of health care cuts, cuts to veteran services, increased energy bills and juicy tax cuts that disproportionately benefit billionaires. This bill’s passage would not have been possible without the vote of support from Jeff Hurd.
Hurd’s support of this bill may come to surprise some, given his attempt to present himself as a moderate, as well as his promise to not support “any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.”
Hurd also signed a May 14 letter supporting clean energy tax incentives, which have helped encourage new jobs and lower utility bills across the Western Slope. Unfortunately, the final text of the bill passed protects neither the most vulnerable from losing health care coverage nor the energy tax incentives.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated 7.6 million will lose their health insurance under the passed Medicaid cuts. A recent study from an independent researcher estimates Colorado utility bills could rise up to 5.8% annually by 2030 if the elimination of energy tax incentive are signed into law.
What happened to Hurd’s intentions of supporting continued health care coverage for vulnerable populations and the preservation of energy tax incentives keeping utility bills low? Either Hurd is not the moderate he claims to be, or he does not have sufficient courage to defend the Western Slope’s interests in the nation’s capital when push comes to shove. One of these must be true and either one should disqualify Hurd to be our region’s leader in Congress.
Gunnar Doyle
Ophir
