Joe was first elected in 2018 to represent Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first African-American elected to serve in Congress in Colorado history. He serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Public Lands and was elected by his peers to the No. 8 position in House Democratic Leadership as the Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.
Joe believes that the American dream should be attainable for every family, including access to a good-paying job, quality public schools and economic opportunity. In Congress, Joe is fighting to close the gender pay gap and raise the minimum wage to $15, through the Paycheck Fairness Act and Raise the Wage Act. He is also advocating for paid leave, affordable child care and expanded nutrition assistance to support working families. His proposal to increase the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 15% was signed into law in 2021. In 2020, Joe helped lead an investigation into anti-competitive behavior in the digital marketplace, to ensure that small business innovation and entrepreneurship is not threatened by the monopoly power of big tech. He also helped secure PPP, EIDL and Restaurant Revitalization Funds for struggling small businesses in his district amidst the economic crisis.