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It hardly feels like campaign season with no rallies and debates. While most of the country has slowed down, Coloradans are more politically engaged than ever.

Congresswoman Diana DeGette, who's served for more than 20 years, says she's never seen so many emails, letters and calls.

"It has been overwhelming."

She says before COVID-19, her town halls averaged 250 people. Now, her telephone town halls draw 8,000.

Colorado Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette and Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton have been working on updating the 21st Century Cures Act since the fall. But with the country facing an unprecedented public health crisis, the bipartisan duo is hoping some elements of their upcoming bill are included in the next relief package Congress passes.

"We realized a number of the things we wanted to do could help us right now with the research that we're doing on COVID-19," DeGette said.

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette released her blueprint for a "Cures 2.0" bill, an update to the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 that would address clinical trials, modernization of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and pandemic preparedness in the future.

"We've seen a record number of new drugs approved, including new generics, which have helped lower health care costs for millions of Americans. And we're on the cusp of finding a cure for sickle cell," said DeGette and her co-sponsor Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich. "But despite these successes, there's still much more work to be done."