Jared Polis

Jared Polis has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 2nd district of the State of Colorado, since 2009.

Positions, record and controversies
During the 2008 campaign, Polis took positions on the following issues:

Environment and Climate Change
Polis said he will support policies that emphasize sustainability through innovation and collaboration. He does not believe that the goals of environmental protection and economic growth are necessarily in opposition to each other. The best environmental policy, Polis says should include defending the Clean Water Act, working to expand community-based recycling, reducing pollution, restoring the Clean Air Act and preserving woodlands and wetlands.

To slow the progress of climate change, Polis said he would pass carbon emission–reduction legislation, increase investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy research and technology, and provide incentives for research into green technology.

Healthcare
To create a better healthcare system for the U.S, Polis says he will support establishing a universal healthcare program that provides coverage for all Americans, regardless of age or employment status. He would also like to strengthen Medicare by implementing simple, affordable and reliable prescription drug benefits and control the increasing costs of medical care and insurance premiums. Polis also wants to expand Medicaid and SCHIP to cover additional groups.

Immigration
Polis supports immigration legislation that establishes a pathway to citizenship for qualifying immigrants, increases the number of border patrol agents, tightens security at the borders and work sites, and sets up an identity verification system. He also supports a merit-based system, focusing on skills and education, for allocating 40% of future visas.

Iraq
Polis opposed the war in Iraq, believing it to be a mistake. He supports withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq as quickly as it is possible to do safely. He believes success should be defined as
 * Controlled withdrawal of U.S. forces that minimizes U.S. casualties and equipment losses
 * A functioning Iraqi government operating on the basis of a ratified constitution
 * Commitment from regional countries and major industrial nations to provide political, economic and diplomatic support to the Iraqi government during the withdrawal and beyond, and to facilitate dialogue among warring factions towards developing a stable Iraq
 * Commitment from the United States and other countries to contribute long-term financial aid for rebuilding infrastructure as well as providing security training and ongoing anti-terrorism support

He is also one of the endorsers of the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq.

Ethics
Polis stricter ethical standards. He would support banning lobbyists gifts, free meals and use of private planes. Also, Polis wants increased disclosure of contributions made to lawmakers by lobbyists, tougher penalties for violations, and restrictions on public officials working as lobbyists after leaving office.

Poverty
He would expand vocational training programs for unemployed workers, raise the minimum wage, target redevelopment in depressed regions, and support affordable housing initiatives. Polis also says he would reduce predatory lending and unfair mortgages, encourage more Americans to save, and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Jobs
Polis supports investing in research and development, increasing access to broadband internet, protecting the intellectual property of American inventors, strengthening the patent system, and ending tax breaks for companies that are outsourcing jobs to other nations. Polis believes taking these steps will help provide for economic recovery. He would also increase investment in areas with high returns like education, research and development and national infrastructure.

For retired workers, Polis opposes attempts to privatize Social Security and supports plans to create incentives for personal savings to augment social security benefits such as AmeriSave.

Human and Equal Rights
Polis' human rights strategy would include respecting international law, defending human and civil rights internationally, ending the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, increasing American involvement in global environmental issues, and working to end terrorism and genocide.

Polis is also a strong supporter of American equal rights. He supports federal legislation that would prohibit discrimination in employment because of sexual orientation or gender identity, the rights of same-sex couples to marry, the Equal Rights amendment, and the end of the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy in the military.

Privacy
Polis supports the right to privacy and abortion.

Education
Polis believes that an adequately funded public education system can provide opportunity to all students. He supports universal access to preschool, increasing funding for No Child Left Behind so schools can meet its mandates, offering additional programs that help reduce high school dropout rates, the use of creative teaching methods, and the use of assessment tools for teacher evaluation that measure learning broadly and across many areas. Polis does not support alternatives that divert attention and resources from reducing class size, enhancing teacher quality, and providing every student with books, computers, and safe schools.

As for higher education, Polis supports increasing levels of financial aid through grants and loans, passing the DREAM Act to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who go to college or serve in the military, and reducing interest rates and fees on student loans.

Bio
Jared Polis has founded a number of e-business ventures including an online greeting card website and a company that sells flowers directly from growers. He has been an active philanthropist, focusing especially on schools. In 2000 he was elected to the Colorado Board of Education, where he served for six years.

2008 elections
Polis won the Democratic nomination seeking to replace incumbent Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), who was running for Senate, in the 2008 congressional elections. He went on to defeat Republican nominee Scott Starin in the November 2008 general election.

Money in Politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Education and Labor

Twitter
 Jared Polis posts on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jaredpolis/

Latest posts: http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/jaredpolis.rss|title=none| max=3| short See all the members of Congress who Twitter

External resources

 * 2008 Race Tracker page on Colorado's 2nd Congressional District
 * Official Jared Polis for Congress website
 * Jared Polis's personal website
 * Colorado Pols: Politics, News & Inside Information (website on Colorado politics)