Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse is seeking his fourth term in office to represent Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District.
Neguse has quickly worked his way up the Democratic House leadership ladder and currently serves as Assistant Leader of the caucus. He also sits on the Judiciary, Rules and Natural Resources committees and is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. During his time in office, he has had 25 bills signed into law.
In 2022, he was awarded the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Legislative Action Award and a year earlier, the Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked him among the top 10 most effective members of Congress.
Prior to going to Congress, Neguse was elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents in 2008 and ran unsuccessfully for Secretary of State in 2014. He attended the University of Colorado where he earned a bachelor’s in political science and economics in 2005. During his time at CU, he started New Era Colorado, a progressive organization focused on getting young people involved in politics. He attended the University of Colorado Law School and earned his Juris Doctor in 2009.
Neguse is the son of Eritrean refugees. He is the first Black congressman elected from Colorado.
CPR News is part of Voter Voices, a statewide effort to ask Coloradans what issues matter most to them in this election. We used those responses to develop the questionnaire CPR sent to major party candidates. Neguse’s answers are below.
Joe Neguse on the economy and cost of living
What would you do, as a member of Congress, to address the cost of housing?
I have long supported efforts to make housing more affordable and expand federal investments in affordable housing programs, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and down-payment assistance programs. In Congress, I’ll continue to champion such efforts, as well as pursue innovative reforms that help address housing affordability — such as my bicameral bill with Senator (Michael) Bennet, the Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships Act.
Context: Legislative uncertainty leads to new push for workforce housing project on U.S. Forest Service land in Steamboat (Steamboat Today)
What can Congress do to address inflation, particularly around the cost of food?
In the last Congress I introduced bills to improve supply chains and strengthen our antitrust laws to protect consumers, both of which were signed into law by the President. I firmly believe we must do more on both fronts, in terms of improving our domestic food supply chains (including investing in sustainable agriculture) and strengthening consumer protections that protect families from price gouging. Additionally, targeted relief for families struggling with food insecurity, including expanding access to SNAP benefits and child nutrition programs, has been and should remain a priority for Congress.
What are your views on raising tariffs on foreign goods?
While tariffs can sometimes be an effective tool, they must be utilized judiciously and with thoughtful consideration as to their impact on consumers, workers and economic growth, and I pledge to continue utilizing such a framework when evaluating future tariff proposals.
Joe Neguse on democracy and good governance
What are your top three ideas for reforms to make Congress work better?
I believe we must cut through the chaos, extend the hand of partnership, and work together in good faith to address the pressing issues facing our country. That means fostering collaboration and working to find common ground — which has been my approach throughout my time in Congress.
In terms of my proposed reforms, I believe we must enact serious ethics reform and campaign finance reforms, both of which would make the Congress function better. For example, I have led the effort to ban Members of Congress from trading stocks and to reform lobbying and transparency laws, and will continue to prioritize such legislation. I also support H.R. 1 — the For the People Act, which would enact campaign finance reforms, and thereby help ensure the Congress functions more effectively.
If control of the federal government remains divided between the parties after the election, how do you plan to be effective for your district?
I was proud to be recognized as the most bipartisan member of Colorado’s delegation earlier this year, and believe my legislative record of having 18 bipartisan bills signed into law, by presidents of each party, demonstrates my commitment to working collaboratively.
I am also the founder and Co-Chair of three bipartisan caucuses: the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, the Colorado River Caucus, and the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus. Through these caucuses, we have been able to coordinate efforts with members from both sides of the aisle and work to propose and implement solutions. I plan to continue with this work, knowing that so many issues facing our communities don’t respect political boundaries or jurisdictional limitations.
There is an initiative on Colorado’s ballot to do away with party primaries and institute ranked choice voting. How will you vote on it and why?
The questions posed by the state ballot initiative are ultimately for the voters to decide.
Do you trust the current electoral system in Colorado? What about the rest of the country?
I trust Colorado's electoral system and our electoral system nationwide. I believe our state ensures accessible, secure, and fair elections, and Colorado's mail-in voting system has been a model for the nation with regard to voting access and election integrity.
Joe Neguse on immigration
How should the U.S. Congress address current and future waves of people crossing at the border?
I have long supported comprehensive immigration reform, including strengthening resources for border security, reforming our broken immigration system on a number of fronts, and protecting Dreamers and DACA recipients, and will continue to champion such legislation in the Congress.
Name one aspect of the current legal immigration system the U.S. Congress should reform or abolish, and why?
As stated above, there are multiple parts of our immigration system that are broken and warrant reform by the Congress (as the last significant reform was enacted in 1986), which is why I am a strong proponent of comprehensive immigration reform.
What should the U.S. do about people who have lived in the country for a long time without documentation, including so-called Dreamers?
As stated above, I support enacting protections for Dreamers and DACA recipients, and have long supported the Dream and Promise Act (which would do precisely that).
Joe Neguse on climate and natural resources
What is the most pressing environmental or natural resource issue facing Colorado?
There are a multitude of environmental challenges facing our state. In my view, the looming threat of more pervasive droughts and wildfires is a potent one. During my time in the Congress, I have made wildfire resiliency and drought preparedness a top priority, serving as Founder and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus and Founder of Co-Chair of the Colorado River Caucus, and securing tens of millions of dollars for wildfire and drought resiliency and mitigation, to restore our lands, watersheds and communities.
What are the most urgent steps the country should take to address climate change, if any?
As the only lawmaker from the Rocky Mountain region who served on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Federal Lands, I have long been focused on combating climate change, including our successful effort to launch the 21st Century Civilian Climate Corps. I will continue to propose legislation to increase investments in renewable energy, and build upon our successful efforts in securing millions of dollars to support Federal research and scientific labs across Colorado. I’ve passed the Sustainable Agriculture Research Act, which was included in the base text of the House Farm Bill, which was passed out of the Agriculture Committee and if re-elected, will continue to make combating climate change, expanding clean energy and protecting our environment a top priority.
Should the federal government take steps to limit new oil and gas production on public lands?
I believe we must protect our treasured public lands across Colorado, and have led on that front throughout my time in the Congress. For years, I’ve worked to shepherd our public lands package — the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act (CORE Act) — through the U.S. House, a major Colorado wilderness legislation package aimed at preserving 400,000 acres of public lands. And I’m proud that over the past two years, multiple components of the legislation have become a reality — including the Camp Hale Continental Divide National Monument, and a 20-year mineral withdrawal in the Thompson Divide to prohibit future oil and gas development while preserving existing private property rights for leaseholders and landowners. Our treasured public lands are integral to the fabric of our state, and I’m committed to advancing protections and further investing in our outdoor recreation economy, safeguarding wildlife and biodiversity and tackling western wildfires.
