Folks,

First, a big thanks to everyone who took my August survey.  Your responses were thorough and informative, and I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

After reading through what you had to say, I’d like to offer some thoughts of my own.

One of the most common responses I saw were concerns about climate change and preserving our environment. Myrna F. wrote that “if we don’t reverse this one, the rest won’t matter.”

To Myrna and everyone else who wrote some variation of this: I agree. We’re already starting to see the devastating effects of man-made climate change, and the top experts in the world agree that we only have 12 years to do something about it. Our health, economy, and national security will all be stronger with clean water, clean air, and clear solutions to address climate change. That’s why I voted to keep the United States in the Paris Climate Accord – the only member of Utah’s Congressional delegation to do so – to keep us moving towards a clean energy future.

Many of you wrote about your fears regarding election security and the strength and health of our democracy in general -- fears that I share.

First and foremost, we must be doing everything in our power to prevent foreign interference in our elections. But we also need to be doing everything in our power to increase involvement in our democratic process. This means strengthening voting rights, eliminating anti-democratic policies designed to disenfranchise minority voters, getting dark money out of politics by overturning Citizens United, and holding our elected officials accountable. I was the only Utahn in Congress to vote for HR1, a bill that would have achieved many of these goals, and I will continue to fight for these critical measures.

Over 96% of you who took the survey said you felt Congress should be doing more to address the epidemic of gun violence in this country.

In the wake of the recent violence in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton, it’s clear we need to do more to keep our families safe. It’s also clear that there is widespread support across the political spectrum for universal background checks and red flag laws that will keep guns out of the hands of criminals and others who should not have access. These are common-sense measures we can all agree on and which will save lives. It’s time for Congress to take action – that’s why I broke with the rest of my Utahn colleagues to vote to expand background checks and close the loopholes that criminals in this country have been exploiting for too long. The racially motivated attacks in El Paso and Gilroy also highlight the very real rise of white nationalism, which is ripping this country apart and putting us all in danger. We need to stand strong against this hate and continue to promote the values of diversity that make this country truly great.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and read some of mine. I believe that by sharing our ideas and listening to those we may not always agree with, we can find common ground and move this country forward. 

Thank you for being a part of that conversation.

-Ben