it also detracts from the taste of the product itself, the taste and nutritional value of the product itself

I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 1549, and would like to thank Chairwoman Slaughter for bringing this important bill forward.

However, the mountain pine beetle epidemic is fundamentally changing this landscape, and with it our culture and economy.

I worked in the forest products industry for over two decades and know that, outside of protected roadless and Wilderness areas, we need proactive forest management to restore our forests to a more healthy condition and reduce the threat…

One of the primary needs in addressing this epidemic is increasing the awareness and understanding of how vast this problem is.

In large parts of my district in Colorado it is no longer a discussion of saving the forest. Our forest has died off.

This hearing will help to highlight the problems that we currently face and continue to bring more minds to the table and a better Federal partnership to join those who are working constantly to promote mitigation solutions and keep our…

Colorado's Second District relies heavily on those visitors who come to our state to ski, camp, climb, bike and boat.

The beauty of a public charter school lies in its great autonomy and self-determination--this is what drew me to charter schools in the first place.

some might call Lieutenant Governor Barbara O'Brien the mother of charter schools in Colorado.

All children deserve to learn, and proven models exist today. That is why I will soon introduce the All Students Achieving Through Reform--ALL-STAR--Act.

I think all of us on this committee, regardless of ideology, wish that there was a single silver bullet...

Thank you Chairman Miller and I applaud you holding a hearing on such an important issue as charter schools, to which I have devoted much of my policy and philanthropic efforts.

Thank you so much for holding a hearing on such an important issue as charter schools.

Both you and the president have repeatedly called for federal investment in innovative programs with a proven track record of helping schools meet high standards and close the achievement gap.

Today, more than one in 10 Colorado children is obese.

86 percent of Coloradoans support requiring 30 minutes of physical education each day in our schools.

Healthy habits start early in life, and the public overwhelmingly supports immediate action to reverse the obesity trend.

In my district, we have 2,670 arts-related businesses that employ 8,292 people.

The multiplier effect of arts spending is impressive: every dollar in cultural spending returns nine in federal income taxes.

These businesses stimulate innovation and play a critical role in building and sustaining our economy.

As a result of my life experiences and background, I am a strong supporter of the arts and have been a longtime advocate of arts education.

In growing up, arts put food on my table.

One of the things we can do is remove barriers to effective parenting.