COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper toured the Space Foundation Discovery Center on Saturday.
He also addressed the recent federal firings by the Trump Administration and Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The senator argues many important federal workers were being fired, like bird flu vaccine researchers and those who fight wildfires.
Indicating he, and some in Congress, will be fighting the ongoing terminations.
"If you're shutting down a government agency, and yet it's Congress that authorized that agency. Well, I think we argue that we in Congress argue the president can't do that without Congress's approval, and he's trying to say that's not the case. In a democracy, we go to the courts."
The Trump administration says the cuts and layoffs will shrink the federal workforce and limit what his administration calls wasteful spending.
While Senator Hickenlooper was in town, he toured the Space Foundation's Discovery Center and celebrated Colorado's leadership in aerospace innovation.
The senator says he wanted to "catch up" on the progress made at the center to get the next generation interested in space and science.
Hickenlooper says in his home, he's already seeing the next generation take that interest.
"So, I have a two-year-old son at home, and he is already excited about science. He loves all the books we read to him. He can't read yet, of course, but when we read to him the books about space, his eyes bug out. I mean, he loves it. So walking around here and seeing all these kids kind of fired up, it makes my heart sing."
He says visiting the discovery center has been on his to-do list for the last six months, but he hasn't been able to make the trip until now.
The senator praised the interactive aspects of the center as one of the most interesting parts of his tour.
Pueblo School District 60 addressing enrollment decline with community meetings
Along with many districts in Colorado, Pueblo School District 60 has seen a decline in enrollment, resulting in underutilized buildings.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
