Biden Water Heater Ban, DOGE Findings, and Colorado Coal Plant Closures

On February 26, 2025, Greg Lopez, Rob Knuth, and Greg Walcher joined the show. Former Congressman reports from Vivek Ramaswamy’s Ohio gubernatorial announcement, discusses DOGE committee work exposing government fraud, and warns that Colorado must match federal reform efforts against state overspending Colorado Union of Taxpayers VP reviews pending legislation including regional jail funding, retail crime penalties, nonprofit lobbying rules, migrant reception programs, and.

Federal Waste Exposed and Vivek’s Gubernatorial Run

Start listening at 5:18

Greg Lopez, former Congressman from Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, reported from Ohio where he attended Vivek Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial announcement. Lopez worked with Ramaswamy during his time in Washington on the DOGE committee examining fraud, waste, and abuse in government. The energy surrounding Ramaswamy’s campaign reflects his powerful message about the American dream, individualism, and the opportunities America offers everyone.

Lopez observed that protesters defending government waste have been exposed by President Trump’s rapid actions. Those demonstrating against DOGE transparency reveal their comfort with operating government in the shadows. The congressman emphasized that while federal progress is encouraging, Colorado faces its own challenges with a billion-dollar budget overrun and state legislators who refuse to change course.

“He has such a great following, and more importantly, he’s got a great message. He’s got a great message about the American dream and how important it is for us to make sure that we understand that it’s alive and well, that we need to bring it back.”

Greg Lopez, Former Congressman, CD-4

Colorado Legislative Overreach Continues

Start listening at 18:16

Rob Knuth, Vice President of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, reviewed several bills scheduled for hearing this week. With over 500 bills and resolutions introduced, the legislature operates like drinking from a fire hose. The CUT board analyzed HB 25-1050 on regional county jails, HB 1141 on gift card and retail crime penalties, HB 1170 on nonprofit lobbying, HB 1244 on migrant reception programs, and SB 25047 on federal immigration enforcement.

Knuth noted that HB 1244 attempts to give cover to illegal immigration by prioritizing assistance to migrants who arrived within the past three years. The taxpayer will bear the burden for these expenditures. In contrast, SB 25047 strengthens law and order by supporting federal immigration enforcement, giving cover to local officers who wish to cooperate with federal authorities.

“It’s kind of like drinking from a fire hose for us to try to stay on top of this. And it just shows the extent of what the importance of what President Trump and Elon Musk are doing on a federal level to work on downscaling government.”

Rob Knuth, VP, Colorado Union of Taxpayers

Biden’s Water Heater Ban and Energy Policy Failures

Start listening at 32:16

Greg Walcher, natural resources expert and author, exposed the Biden administration’s attempt to ban 40 percent of water heaters on their way out the door. The Department of Energy spent four years trying to ban everyday appliances from air conditioners to gas stoves to ceiling fans, adding an estimated $9,000 to average household costs. Though Trump’s executive order rolled back these regulations, the mean-spirited 11th-hour action revealed the administration’s true agenda.

Walcher connected this to the discovery of $20 billion squirreled away at the EPA, including $2 billion directed to Stacey Abrams. This represents just the tip of the iceberg as DOGE continues uncovering waste. The natural resources expert noted that people using the environment as cover for their agenda do not actually care about environmental outcomes. Those who live and work on the land love it more than anyone else.

“And so closing all of that down is just plain insane at a time when the country is in dire need of more electricity, not less.”

Greg Walcher, Natural Resources Expert

Colorado Coal Plants and the Energy Transition Myth

Start listening at 38:29

Kim Monson raised the scheduled closure of coal-fired plants in Craig and Hayden, where 146 workers will lose good-paying jobs. Local officials suggest transitioning to tourism, but rafting down rivers does not create affordable energy. Greg Walcher explained that these are among the most productive and efficient power plants in the United States from a clean air perspective, with coal mines right next door eliminating transportation costs.

Closing these plants while the country desperately needs more electricity for AI data centers makes no sense. Walcher proposed building AI data centers in Craig where power plants already exist rather than spending millions on a false “just transition” that tells northwest Colorado residents they no longer get to produce energy. Colorado electric rates have risen 60 percent over the last decade due to government policy, not business decisions.

Mining Independence and Rare Earth Minerals

Start listening at 49:20

The “Shovel Baby Shovel” agenda addresses America’s dangerous dependence on foreign minerals. China controls only 37 percent of known rare earth reserves but produces 80 to 90 percent of the world’s supply, while the United States remains almost completely reliant on imports. American mines were closed by government policy, not because reserves played out. Trump’s executive order directing agencies to reexamine mining regulations and add uranium to the critical minerals list signals potential revival of nuclear power.

Greg Walcher emphasized that nuclear energy represents one of the cleanest power sources available. The struggle for energy independence will continue for the rest of our lives, making it more important than ever to spread the truth. America has done more to improve the environment than any people who ever lived while creating the most prosperous and free country in history. We should be proud and show the rest of the world how they can achieve the same.