1st Congressional District race: DeGette urges policy certainty

Democratic Congresswoman Diana DeGette is campaigning to continue to continue to represent Colorado's Congressional District 1 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

DeGette is a fourth- generation Coloradan who graduated from Denver South High School. She earned her bachelor's degree from Colorado College and her law degree in 1982 from New York University.

She was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1993 and again in 1995. In 1996, when Democratic District 1 Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder decided not to run for another term, DeGette was selected as the candidate by Democrats and won the election.

She and her husband live in Denver. The DeGettes have two daughters.

Colorado Community Media asked the following questions of the candidates in the Congressional District 1 race. Below are DeGette's answers.

What makes you the best candidate for this office?

I'm honored to currently represent the 1st Congressional District. Every day I have the privilege of bringing my constituents' concerns and priorities to my colleagues, and this year I'm particularly proud to welcome the input of new constituents in our district. I'm proud to have fought for quality, affordable health care; led the charge on stem cell research; spearheaded reforms to ensure food safety and worked to protect our resources, while driving a clean energy future.

I'm the senior member of Colorado's delegation and ranking member on Oversight & Investigations, so I can ensure Colorado always has a seat at the table, and our shared values are reflected in national policy.

If elected, what would you do to promote job growth?

Our most important task is to get Americans back to work. I talk to many business owners and they say what holds them back is policy uncertainty in D.C. We must come together and address our fiscal challenges immediately to bring certainty back to the markets and the business community. Doing so will prompt more hiring and help our small businesses get the capital they need to grow.

What is the best way to meet the nation's growing energy demands?

Here in Colorado we are well-positioned to drive the 21st-century clean energy economy, in our nation and across the globe. Colorado's research base, our well-educated workforce, and our vast natural resources offer our state a unique opportunity.

In our state, clean-tech jobs are already vastly outpacing overall job growth overall, meaning not only can we provide the energy our nation needs, but we can create jobs in the process. Through renewable energy and our vast natural resources, we can meet the nation's energy demands. However, we must have policies that promote all types of energy, driving innovation and job creation.