Democrat Rep. Jason Crow has represented CO-6 since 2019, after flipping the seat in a blue wave year to become the first Democrat to represent the district since its creation.
Crow has been named to the bipartisan U.S. House Task Force investigating the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.
He is also on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and is a Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability, which visited Kyiv, Ukraine in February. He has been outspoken with support of the House passing a National Security Supplemental package to Ukraine in April.
Crow serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the subcommittee on Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Modernization and Readiness and the subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture.
In 2019, his team announced the ICE Accountability Act, pledging to visit the Aurora Contract Detention Facility every week in order to, according to his website, push Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to claim responsibility for the medical conditions at its private, for-profit detention centers. CPR News reached out to Crow’s office to see if the visits are still ongoing, but has not received an answer.
Crow gained national attention while serving as a House manager during the first impeachment of former President Trump. The former Army Ranger was in the House chamber when rioters broke into the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He has said he pulled from his combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan to help seal the chamber while other members of Congress got to safety.
Crow was born and raised in Madison, Wis. He earned a bachelor’s from the University of Wisconsin in 2002, and in 2009, he received his law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. In between, Crow enlisted in the Army where he served three combat tours. As an Army Ranger he rose to the rank of captain and was awarded the Bronze Star. Crow served on the Colorado Board of Veterans Affairs from 2009 to 2014 and spent time in private practice at the law firm Holland & Hart. He had never held elected office before defeating five-term Republican Congressman Mike Coffman in 2018.
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. Archuleta’s answers are below.
Jason Crow on the economy and cost of living
What would you do, as a member of Congress, to address the cost of housing?
There is a housing crisis in America, with a more than 125,000 unit shortage in Colorado alone.
This leads to a lack of affordable housing, increased cost of homeowners insurance, skyrocketing rent, and homelessness.
This is why I will continue to fight for increased federal investment aimed at fixing the housing
crisis. To start, I will support the expansion of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, which
provides incentives for developers to build affordable housing units. Additionally, I will work to
increase the capacity of the VA to ensure veterans experiencing homelessness are supported and HUD-VASH vouchers are being fully utilized. Finally, I’ll oppose any efforts to cut funding for
important federal programs like McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants, HUD-VASH, and
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
What can Congress do to address inflation, particularly around the cost of food?
I hear from hardworking Coloradans everyday who are struggling with the high costs of goods,
including groceries. I grew up working class and understand how rising prices can hurt families.
When the price of food goes up, families have to make hard decisions about saving less, limiting
other expenses, and paying their bills. That’s why I work every avenue to bring down prices,
address supply chain issues, and deliver relief to Coloradans.
This included helping pass the Inflation Reduction Act — which lowered the deficit and lowered
healthcare costs by capping the price of insulin and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
Additionally, I voted to pass the America COMPETES Act in the House of Representatives —
which invested in domestic semiconductor manufacturing and strengthened our supply chains. I
also supported the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, and to stop opportunistic companies from
price gouging, I passed the Freedom From Price Gouging Act and supported the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act. I am committed to fighting inflation and reducing barriers for
people so they have every opportunity to achieve the American Dream.
What are your views on raising tariffs on foreign goods?
I believe that trade is important to our economy — but every situation isn’t one size fits all. On
one end, trade opens markets for domestic manufacturers, supports good jobs, and provides
American families with affordable goods and services. On the other end, it can force businesses to close shop and cost working Americans their jobs.
This is why it’s important to make sure our trading partners aren’t unfairly hurting our domestic
producers with artificially cheap goods and are adhering to the same rules we are — including product safety standards, IP protections, and strong labor protections. And when adversarial
nations decide to engage in unfair trade practices, I believe tariffs can be leveraged to protect
American companies and protect working Americans from unfair trade practices.
However, overly broad tariffs raise the cost of goods, open markets to adversarial nations like
China to fill the gap we leave, and subject American businesses to retaliatory tariffs in return. I
believe in a nuanced approach to tariffs, and that our policies should seek to minimize harm to
Americans, strengthen investment in US manufacturing, and create jobs by seizing on our
competitive advantages.
Jason Crow on democracy and good governance
What are your top three ideas for reforms to make Congress work better?
- Institute nonpartisan gerrymandering reform used in Colorado nationwide. This would ensure
members of Congress are held accountable to ALL their constituents. And if they’re not, they get voted out. - Root out Corruption. We need to get money out of politics, require transparency, ban Members of Congress from trading stocks, and close the revolving door once and for all. It’s time to restore Americans' trust in government and ensure elected officials are working on behalf of their constituents — not big money donors and corporations.
- End the Senate Filibuster. The American people are tired of the endless gridlock and obstruction in D.C. The filibuster is a powerful tool allowing one Senator to stand in the way of something the overwhelming majority of Americans support — like passing bipartisan gun control measures, making it easier for Americans to vote, and protecting women’s fundamental right to abortion and reproductive care.
If control of the federal government remains divided between the parties after the election, how do you plan to be effective for your district?
The divided nature of our current political environment demands that elected representatives seek out bipartisan efforts and solutions to get things done. This means constantly reaching out across party lines, communicating and listening, and finding ways to work together. We must recognize that we want the same thing - security and prosperity for all Americans. I see this everyday in the work I do with the For Country Caucus, a bipartisan group of veterans working together to pass meaningful legislation in support of that goal.
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?
Colorado’s elections are safe, secure, and accessible, which is why Colorado consistently ranks among the top in the nation in voter turnout. My focus in Congress is on protecting and strengthening this system, working to prevent foreign interference in our elections, and working to get corporate special interest money out of politics. That’s why I continue to support the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the first bill I introduce every Congress is the End Dark Money Act, which would stem the flood of unlimited dark money in our elections. I encourage every voter to make thoughtful decisions about the ballot measures this cycle.
Do you trust the current electoral system in Colorado? What about the rest of the country?
Accepting the results of a free and fair election is the cornerstone of American Democracy — and anyone who calls those elections into question without evidence is hurting our democracy,
oftentimes for their own gain.
To start, Colorado is the gold standard of election administration, and our accessible registration
and voting systems should serve as a national model. Nationally, although we need to address
barriers to participation, no credible evidence of voter fraud has been brought forth nationwide,
and the results of the 2020 election are unimpeachable. Joe Biden won. And Americans should be confident in the results of our elections.
Jason Crow on immigration
How should the U.S. Congress address current and future waves of people crossing at the border?
I represent one of the most diverse districts in Colorado and believe that the diversity of my
constituents is one of our community’s greatest strengths. I understand that Colorado has seen a significant influx of migrants and that this presents challenges for interior cities who may be
operating with limited resources. I am committing to working at the city, state, and federal level
to help address the challenges and provide support where needed.
I also believe that our current immigration system is failing this country, including the migrants
who come to America dreaming of a better life. Comprehensive reform is needed to secure our
borders and prevent the illegal flow of weapons and drugs into America while also providing an
efficient and dignified path to citizenship for migrants who come here legally. We need to be
smarter about the border and not waste billions of dollars on an ineffective wall by employing
methods that are proven to work and are cost-effective. A balanced approach to immigration must also seek to address the root causes of migration, including helping to address the dangerous conditions that force people to give up everything and leave their homes.
Name one aspect of the current legal immigration system the U.S. Congress should reform or abolish, and why?
One of many aspects of the current legal immigration system that should be reformed are the
barriers to employment for lawful immigrants and refugees. Many of our immigrant and refugee
neighbors have skills and professional credentials they can’t use because of regulatory hurdles,
including language barriers, visa restrictions, credential recognition difficulties, and lack of
professional networks and assistance. This means that foreign-educated immigrants and refugees with professional degrees are often unemployed or underemployed.
Simply put, immigrants and refugees want to make a good living for their families, contribute
fully to our economy, and reach their full potential. And at the same time, Colorado businesses —including farmers and healthcare providers — are facing challenges finding the workforce
necessary to keep their businesses running. This, among other things, leads to decreased farm
production and an overburdened healthcare system. We need to pass bills like the Farm
Workforce Modernization Act and expand the Conrad 30 program to bolster our workforce,
strengthen our economy, and provide opportunities for immigrants and refugees to contribute to our nation.
What should the U.S. do about people who have lived in the country for a long time without documentation, including so-called Dreamers?
I believe our immigrant neighbors deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and our laws should reflect that. This includes providing Dreamers with a path towards citizenship and reforming the immigration system to bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and provide certainty to them and their families.
I will always support immigrants brought to America as children. Family unity is a core value of our society and many immigrants also have family members who are American citizens. Our immigration and visa policies must reflect that. Keeping families together has been part of our visa system for decades, and for good reason. We must ensure that family-based immigration stands on equal footing with business- and skills-based immigration.
Jason Crow on climate and natural resources
What is the most pressing environmental or natural resource issue facing Colorado?
Climate change represents an existential threat to Colorado and its impacts have manifested in the form of extreme weather events, including droughts, wildfires, floods, and hail. While some
politicians continue to deny the existence of climate change for political gain, Coloradans saw our homes being burnt to the ground in the Marshall Fire, our farmers' crops being destroyed by hail,and everyday American’s property insurance shooting through the roof.
That’s why I’ve been fighting to enact policies like the Protect the West Act, which would increase support for local efforts to restore forests and watersheds, reduce wildfire risk, clean up public lands, enhance wildlife habitat, remove invasive species, and expand outdoor access. I also helped pass the Inflation Reduction act, which includes provisions that reduce consumer energy costs, and increase American energy security while substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
What are the most urgent steps the country should take to address climate change, if any?
Climate change is a global challenge, and the associated harms do not respect borders and
boundaries – what impacts one part of the world impacts us all. America must live up to its role
as a global leader to address climate change together with our partners and allies. We must
re-engage with other nations to work towards climate solutions, including encouraging clean
energy transitions.
Pushing for renewable energy development will also help grow our economy and create good-paying jobs. We know that the impacts of climate change are threat multipliers. The impacts aggravate existing stressors like poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions - which can have devastating and destabilizing consequences. By enacting policies and programs that address rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions that impact readiness and the war fighter, we’re also enacting policies and programs that protect our homes, our families, and our future.
Should the federal government take steps to limit new oil and gas production on public lands?
I believe the federal government should take steps to limit new oil and gas production on public
lands. That’s why I’m fighting to ensure that our public lands are not sold off to the highest bidder or destroyed by irresponsible drilling and mining. I’m working to enact policies like the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act which provides for the conservation and protection of specific lands in Colorado.
