As the Colorado General Assembly prepares to return to the Capitol on May 26, the remainder of the session will inevitably look much different than the first 67 days did. As legislators, we are facing a tough challenge. So much of what we hoped to accomplish for the people of Colorado is now on hold due to significant budgetary setbacks.

Originally, the 2020 budget was expected to have millions of dollars in surplus – giving us the latitude to enhance the lives of countless Coloradans. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic downfall, the General Assembly is now looking at a more than $3.3 billion revenue deficit. This is undoubtedly troubling for our state.

But we will weather the economic storm.

Since suspending session, your Colorado Senate Democrats have spoken to hundreds of constituents in countless town halls. We’ve heard your fear and frustration about getting sick or paying rent or caring for your kids. We’ve also spoken with local mayors, the governor and our congressional delegation on how best to alleviate the pain Coloradans are experiencing. This has and will continue to help us shape our agenda when returning to the Capitol.

The first and most important issue we will take up is the budget, which as I mentioned, has been devastated by the pandemic. Right now, our Joint Budget Committee members are making gut-wrenching decisions about programs we love and have fought for but will inevitably suffer losses. However, as we navigate this new normal, we remain committed to fighting for Coloradans – ensuring the health, safety, and economic dignity of all those living in our beautiful state.

We will prioritize K-12 schools to be sure that our children can continue to receive a high-quality education — working with districts across the state to assess different needs arising as a result of coronavirus and the transition to online schooling.

We will further support our social safety nets that are essential to a growing portion of the state’s population right now, including unemployment insurance, renter’s assistance and accessible health care.

We will also prioritize passing critical legislation in response to the pandemic, such as policies that help small businesses keep from shuttering, support college students getting their degrees on time, and solutions to make it easier for families to find affordable health care.

But no matter what we protect in our budget or what we pass when we return, we can’t navigate this storm on our own. We need help from the federal government to mitigate the devastating impacts of COVID-19. Unfortunately, many members of Congress seem to be more interested in buoying Wall Street than Main Street.

Right now millions of people are out of work and thousands are dying which is only the immediate impacts of the crisis — the more insidious effects will ripple out for years to come, as state infrastructures crumble from inadequate funding.

We need to demand that the federal government use our tax dollars to ease the suffering of Coloradans rather than grease the wheels of corporate campaign donors. Luckily many of our own congressional members such as Rep. Ed Perlmutter and Sen. Michael Bennet have put forth bills to help states directly.

Regardless of federal inaction, the legislature remains committed to the people of Colorado. We understand that we need to make tough decisions and that the remainder of this session will not be easy. But we were all elected to serve, and come Hell or high water, we will. We will work to balance the budget and to do what we can to minimize the economic pain that the state is feeling. We will fight tirelessly for your health and safety. And we will protect the future for you and your children.

Colorado can and will come together to overcome this challenge, and, as your senators and representatives, we will continue working hard for you through it all.

Sen. Leroy Garcia of Pueblo represents Senate District 3 in the Colorado General Assembly and serves as Senate president.