If you do not receive Rep. Jeff Hurd’s newsletter, you should. What you will see is Hurd smiling – a lot. Smiling in Pueblo, smiling in Crestone, smiling in Delta, smiling in Bayfield and, most importantly, smiling in Washington. He gets around smiling, and you know there is one happy guy.
And who wouldn’t be in his position? What is there to worry about when you are in a Congress that does not have to think independently about how to vote because you already know how to vote? You vote the way President Donald Trump, through Mike Johnson, tells you to vote. Life is simple. Life is good. Smile for the camera.
There is a good chance he is smiling because he does not have to fill up at gas pumps, shop for groceries or worry about finances, utility costs or the loss of Medicaid benefits he vowed to protect. He does not have to pay rent. He does not have to make decisions about Trump’s war with Iran. He evidently does not worry about assaults on democracy as Trump prepares the Department of Justice to challenge unfavorable results in the 2026 election.
He is simply a happy guy collecting a $174,000 paycheck, with excellent health insurance and a generous retirement package if elected three times.
So who’s smiling? Our own happy warrior of 2026.
Michael J. Lee
Durango
