SenJohnMcCain: Congrats to @gretawire on 10 yrs @foxnews - great show, great person!

SenJohnMcCain: Dear Vlad, the #ArabSpring has arrived at a neighborhood near you "In Biting Cold, Protesters Pack Center of Moscow" http://t.co/pA5Yzwgk

SenJohnMcCain: Met w/ His Royal Highness Prince Faisal of Jordan, a great man & friend - I wish Americans could know how much Jordan does to keep us safe

SenJohnMcCain: Saw Prime Minister Jebali of #Tunisia, the first elected leader of his country - the #ArabSpring began in Tunisia, it must succeed there

SenJohnMcCain: Good mtg w/ the German foreign & defense ministers yesterday - appreciate their leadership on #Afghanistan & #Iran

SenJohnMcCain: Made brief stop Friday in Spain to meet their new leader, PM Rajoy - he has huge challenges w/ the economy, but also a plan to tackle them

SenJohnMcCain: Good give & take on Asia yesterday w/ Henry Kissinger & officials from China, Aus, EU & Singapore - supporting human rights is key

Colorado U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet today welcomed the decision by Susan G. Komen for the Cure to reinstate funding to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings.  And they applauded the efforts by Komen's Denver and Aspen affiliates, which helped convince their parent group to change its position.  In a letter to the leaders of the Denver and Aspen Komen affiliates, Udall and Bennet thanked them and their leadership teams for their efforts to prevent politics from keeping Colorado women from accessing critical health care services.  They shared several stories of women who received life-saving treatment as a result of the Komen-PPRM partnership to illustrate its importance to women's health in the Denver area.

'Your relationship with Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains (PPRM), which is based on the mutual goal of prevention of and early screening for breast cancer, is an effective and critical one for the women of Colorado.  In Denver alone, we can't help but be impressed by the fact that while PPRM received only 4.3 percent of Denver Komen's funding last year, its clinics found nearly 20 percent of all breast cancer detected through Denver Komen resources,' Udall and Bennet wrote.  'In sum, your work is life-saving.  On behalf of women across our great state, thank you.'

In Colorado, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has helped nearly 2,500 low-income women access breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Women's Wellness Program.  Because of budget constraints this year, Colorado was forced to cut funding for breast cancer screenings, effectively leaving 5,500 Colorado women without access to these life-saving services.  Denver Komen's grants to PPRM provided a crucial bridge for this gap in funding.

The full text of the letter is included below:

Dear Ms. Ostrander and Ms. Hood:

We are writing to thank you and the rest of the leadership team at the Denver and Aspen Komen affiliates for your steadfast efforts to prevent politics from standing between Colorado women and their access to health care.  Your decision to stand firm and call on your national office to reverse its decision to cut off funding for important breast cancer screening programs at Planned Parenthood clinics across the country no doubt played a crucial role in the announcement today that Susan G. Komen for the Cure is changing course and taking politics out of its granting process.

Your relationship with Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains (PPRM), which is based on the mutual goal of prevention of and early screening for breast cancer, is an effective and critical one for the women of Colorado.  In Denver alone, we can't help but be impressed by the fact that while PPRM received only 4.3 percent of Denver Komen's funding last year, its clinics found nearly 20 percent of all breast cancer detected through Denver Komen resources.

As you know, PPRM has helped nearly 2,500 low-income women statewide access breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Women's Wellness Program.  Because of budget constraints this year, our state was forced to cut funding for this program - effectively leaving 5,500 Colorado women without access to these life-saving services.  Denver Komen's grants to PPRM provide a crucial bridge for this gap in funding, and the decision earlier this week by Susan G. Komen's national office to cut funding to Planned Parenthood would have thrown that relationship into jeopardy. 

In sum, your work is life-saving.  We know you fight for Colorado women every day, and we want to share a few of their stories, which were made possible through your determination:

- Sarah C. of Aurora shared that nearly three years ago, a close friend discovered a lump in her breast.  However, because she was uninsured, Sarah's friend had nowhere to go.  Sarah brought her friend to a local Planned Parenthood clinic, which guided her through the health care system.  Within a month of her visit to Planned Parenthood, her friend discovered she had stage 3 breast cancer and was able to get the treatment she needed to save her life and be cancer free two years later.

- Lisa S. of Boulder turned to Planned Parenthood after discovering a lump on her breast.  She had been receiving her primary care from Planned Parenthood since she was 16.  Without Planned Parenthood, Lisa would not have been referred to a special program for uninsured women under 40 where she was able to get the care she needed.

- Belinda B. of Westminster learned about breast health education through her physician at Planned Parenthood.  As a busy working young adult who had no history of cancer in her family, Belinda would never have thought she could be affected by cancer.  But Planned Parenthood discovered a lump in her breast during her routine checkup, helping her identify this early and stay healthy.

These are just a few of the countless stories of Colorado women whose lives have been changed for the better because of your hard work and Komen's partnership with PPRM.  Again, on behalf of women across our great state, thank you.

 

MarkWarner: Sen Warner meets Carlin Springs Elementary School delegation, some students apparently #notimpressed. -staff http://t.co/NQBOntBp

SenatorTomUdall: Great piece by @ToddKOAT7 on drug trafficking w/ ultralights and how our bill helps fight it: http://t.co/pyNhudBH

MarkWarner: $3.2M in @FEMA emergency funds for Louisa Co School Board for new school construction after 2011 quake: http://t.co/y7hgw3wp -staff

KOAT: Bill Tackles Ultralight Drug Smuggling
New Mexico's KOAT profiles how ultralight aircraft are used for drug smuggling and how legislation championed by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rep. Gabby Giffords would help law enforcement put a stop to it. From: SenatorTomUdall Views: 3 0 ratings Time: 02:57 More in News & Politics

Menendez Discusses Komen's Decision To Continue Planned Parenthood Funding on CNN
From: SenatorMenendezNJ Views: 1 0 ratings Time: 06:36 More in News & Politics

SenJeffMerkley: Jeff stopping by the Venetian theater during his main street tour of Hillsboro. http://t.co/6S89Gr0v

SenatorTomUdall: RT @SenatorDurbin: We have to overturn #CitizensUnited. We have to restore accountability in our campaigns and ensure #FairElections. ht ...

Today, Mark Udall released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of the Interior's decision to back continued research and development of oil-shale technology before pursuing commercial-scale oil shale development on public lands on the Western Slope. 

'I applaud the Department of Interior's decision today to continue research and development of Colorado's oil shale resources, rather than moving forward with a commercial leasing program before economically feasible technology is proven.  While I have long felt there is potential for oil shale development, it is critical that a number of unanswered questions be resolved before commercial-scale leasing takes place.  Fully understanding the demands of oil shale development on Colorado's water and local communities is essential to ensuring responsible development.

'The 90-day public comment period for the Interior Department's announcement will ensure that the views of stakeholders and affected communities on the Western Slope are heard before a final decision is made.  For the sportsmen, farmers, ranchers and communities on the Western Slope that depend on clean air and clean water, making sure development is done right the first time is vital to their way of life.'

SHAHEEN WAGERS NH BREW IN SUPER BOWL BET
As the New England Patriots gear up for their Super Bowl contest with the New York Giants, US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chuck Schumer have thrown down the gauntlet in a wager on the outcome. According to the terms of the bet, a Patriots win means Schumer will buy a New Hampshire craft beer for every member of the United States Senate, while a Giants victory requires Shaheen to offer Senate colleagues a round of New York craft beers. (February 3) From: SenatorShaheen Views: 12 0 ratings Time: 03:27 More in News & Politics

SenatorTomUdall: Our constitutional amendment would allow Congress to turn back the tide of unlimited corporate money in our #elections. http://t.co/Eov6ezPE

SenatorTomUdall: RT @jfleck: Chances of NM #drought breaking don't look particularly good (and OMG, look at California!): http://t.co/tdMuvc9s #cawater ...