“Insulting.” “At odds.” “Anti-woman.” “Outside the mainstream.”

These are just some of the terms being used by left-leaning groups in Colorado to describe Republican Donald Trump’s picks for his cabinet.

Confirmation hearings began Tuesday before the U.S. Senate, with Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions being the first of Trump’s nominees to go before the confirmation firing squad.

Sessions – who could impact Colorado most in terms of policies around legal marijuana and illegal immigration – denied having a history of being racist, as Democrats grilled the attorney general hopeful on Tuesday.

Sessions has been forced to answer for charges of racism stemming from allegations that cost him a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama after being nominated by former President Ronald Reagan in 1986.

Democrats acknowledge that they are unlikely to derail any of Trump’s choices from being confirmed. But the spotlight offers an opportunity to continue to bash Trump and highlight issues that are important to the left. In Colorado, the situation has been no different.

NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado Executive Director Karen Middleton is calling on the Senate – including Republican Cory Gardner of Colorado – to block the nomination of Sessions for attorney general, as well as Georgia Rep. Tom Price for head of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Trump’s nominees couldn’t be more at odds with Colorado’s pro-choice values. They view women as second-class citizens when it comes to our rights and our health care,” Middleton said.

“Jeff Sessions has just about the most horrifically anti-woman, anti-women’s health, anti-reproductive freedom records we’ve ever seen. As AG, he would pose a serious threat to the rights and health of Colorado women.”

Meanwhile, Colorado unions are in an uproar over Trump’s nominee for secretary of labor, Andrew Puzder.

“I’m going to say this straight up: Andy Puzder’s nomination to be Secretary of Labor is an insult to the dignity of working families everywhere,” said Colorado AFL-CIO Executive Director Sam Gilchrist. “It’s an insult to the notion of a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.”

Local labor leaders worry that Puzder would undermine efforts to raise the national minimum wage – something Colorado voters backed on the state level in November – and they fear that he would favor chief executives over middle class workers.

Puzder is the chief executive of CKE Restaurants, which is the parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.

In terms of broader health care issues, such as the fate of the Affordable Care Act, Colorado advocates on Tuesday were expected to rally against a possible “repeal and delay” strategy, in which the federal health law would be repealed, without a valid replacement option.

A petition is circulating from the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, which has been signed by about 4,000 people, asking Congress “Not to gamble with your health care.”

“Colorado has made big advances in getting our families and communities better access to health care. Over 500,000 Coloradans have gained health coverage since 2014,” the petition reads. “All of that could be jeopardized if Congress votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement plan.

“Real lives are at stake, and the stability of our health care system and economy are in jeopardy.”