Mark Udall | U.S. Senator for Colorado

TAKE ACTION: Stop Credit Card Companies from Unfairly Raising Rates!

Please sign my petition today, and help me in my fight against credit card companies that take advantage of their customers.

Mark's Newsletter Update: Ending Credit Card Abuses, Fighting for Colorado's Military Bases, Reining in Federal Debt, Cleaning up Abandoned Mines

I hear stories every day from Coloradans who are struggling just to pay their bills in this economic recession. The last thing families and small businesses need is their credit card company jacking up rates with no warning - but that's exactly what’s happening. It's wrong, families need immediate relief, and that's why I've introduced two bills to put an end to credit card companies' abuses.

Demanding Fair Credit Practices

This week I co-sponsored a bill with Senator Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, demanding that the credit card companies immediately freeze interest rates on existing balances until the remaining provisions in the Credit CARD Act go into effect.

Gaming the System

The Credit CARD Act was set to take effect in February of 2010 to give the credit card industry ample time to update their computer systems and implement the new, consumer friendly policies. Instead, credit card companies have taken advantage of responsible consumers with rate increases and dishonest practices.

Longmont Times Call Editorializes In Favor of the Rural Doctors Bill

"Colorado Sen. Mark Udall and Rep. John Salazar are sponsoring legislation designed to train more doctors to practice in rural areas, something that deserves the attention of the full Congress."

As City Budgets Stretch Thin, Udall, Bennet Announce Durango Police Department On Track to Receive $200,000 for Law Enforcement Efforts

Washington, D.C. -- Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, U.S. Senators for Colorado, announced today that the City of Durango is on track to receive $200,000 to boost the Durango Police Department's local law enforcement efforts and help southwest Colorado law enforcement agencies work together to fight crime.

Udall: Health Reform Essential to Reduce ‘Staggering’ Waste in Health Care System

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mark Udall, delivered a speech on the Senate floor emphasizing ways health insurance reform would reduce wasteful spending and increase efficiency - putting the focus of the health care system back on patients where it belongs. The U.S. spends over $2 trillion per year on health care - nearly one fifth of the economy - yet between 30 and 50 percent of these dollars are not contributing to better patient health. That's unsustainable and unhealthy, Senator Udall said.

Udall Statement on Fort Hood Tragedy

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mark Udall delivered the following statement in response to the tragic shootings at Fort Hood in Texas.

"The shootings at Fort Hood this afternoon were horrific and devastating. My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the victims as well as the greater military community. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will continue to press for answers to how this incident unfolded."

Bennet, Udall Urge Immediate Action to Jumpstart Small Business Lending

Washington, D.C. -- Michael Bennet and Mark Udall, U.S. Senators for Colorado, are pushing the Obama administration to support Colorado's - and the nation's - struggling small businesses by unlocking the credit lines typically offered by small, independent and community-based banks.

Udall, Bennet: Long-Awaited Funding for Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Project Will Boost Energy Efficiency & Improve Environment

Washington, D.C. -- Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, U.S. Senators for Colorado, today announced the 100-year-old Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Project will get up to $1.18 million to replace two old turbines for higher efficiency and output.

Nuclear Power and a Comprehensive Energy Policy

Mr. President, the environmental and energy security challenges we faced in the 1970s, when the decade closed in the shadow of Three Mile Island, have changed significantly. When my dad campaigned for president in the New Hampshire primary in 1976 and was asked about the controversial Seabrook nuclear facility, no one had climate change on their list of environmental concerns.

The Role of Wellness and Prevention in Health Reform

Mr. President, as you've heard, my colleagues and I agree that a vital component of health reform will be to bring affordable, quality care to all Americans. The bill we will debate here on the floor in the coming weeks will include important insurance reforms to make that a reality.

Good Samaritan Legislation To Clean Up Abandoned Mines

Senator Udall introduces his bill to to clear legal obstacles for individuals or groups who voluntarily clean up abandoned hardrock mines. Abandoned mines are a serious environmental and safety concern in Colorado many cause acid or heavy metals to leach into rivers and streams. Senator Udalls bill would open up a path for community groups or others to get these mines cleaned up throughout the West.

Honoring Eight Fort Carson Soldiers

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to eight young men from Fort Carson in Colorado who perished last weekend in Afghanistan. This was the heaviest U.S. loss of life in a single battle since July 2008, when nine American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan.

Strengthening Medicare and Reducing Waste

For the second time in two weeks, U.S. Senator Mark Udall joined U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-CO, and eight other Democratic freshman Senators on the Senate floor to give a series of speeches urging their colleagues to act on health insurance reform to slow the growth in health care costs.