Senate Report Card: Ken Salazar D-CO

Senator Ken Salazar is the junior Democratic United States Senator from the state of Colorado. Senator Salazar assumed office in 2005.

Senator Salazar serves on the Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment, Aging, Ethics, Agriculture and Finance Committees.

Salazar has continued efforts to secure greater cooperation from the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Interior with the state of Colorado regarding oil and gas development in the State, drilling on and around the Roan Plateau, and other public land-use issues. He voted to send Bureau of Land Management nominee James Caswell's nomination to the Senate floor. He cosponsored a bill that was unanimously approved bipartisan legislation to allow the states of Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming to share resources used to fight wildfires. This legislation ratifies an interstate compact for fighting wildfires.

He pushed through the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act. Salazar approved a broad package of energy tax incentives. The Finance Committee's energy tax package helps further America's progress towards energy independence and includes two Salazar-authored renewable energy incentives which will benefit farmers, ranchers, small businesses and homeowners. He added the Wind Energy Investment Tax Credit and the Cellulosic Biofuels Tax Credit. He voted for alternative energy subsidies and for the Clean Energy Act.

Salazar was one of fourteen moderate senators to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster, thus blocking the Republican leadership's attempt to implement the nuclear option of changing Senate rules. He has been highly criticized by conservative group Focus on the Family over judicial nominations.

Senator Salazar voted for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and for subsidy cuts for student loan providers and student grants.

Senator Salazar was a supporter of President Bush's comprehensive immigration reforms which failed to pass. He voted for English as the unifying language, but against English as the National Language.

Salazar voted against a troop redeployment amendment in 2006 but has voted for a troop reduction in 2007. He voted for placing restrictions on troop deployments that would increase leave times and times between tours of duty for soldiers. With regards to a troop surge and new strategy in Iraq, Salazar released this statement: "We need a new strategy in Iraq. It is time to change the mission of our troops from combat to support, to begin a major diplomatic offensive in the region, and to put additional pressure on the Iraqi government to take responsibility for the future of their country. The most encouraging aspect of this Iraq debate is the increased interest in and growing acceptance of the Iraq Study Group recommendations. The brave men and women serving in Iraq deserve our best effort to reach common ground in defining this new way forward in Iraq. The Iraq Study Group's recommendations are a roadmap to creating a new and successful policy for the war in Iraq. The Group's recommendations remain just as viable today as they were when they were released last December."

Senator Ken Salazar is up for reelection in Colorado in 2011.