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David Skaggs, 82, served six terms in Congress as the U.S. Representative from Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District from 1987 to 1999. He also served three terms in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1981 to 1987, the last two terms as minority leader.

In Congress, Skaggs organized the effort to encourage greater civility and bipartisan cooperation in the House, resulting in what came to be known as the House Bipartisan Retreats. He was the principal House sponsor of the 1993 Colorado Wilderness Act, secured funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration labs in Boulder and worked successfully for the closure and clean-up of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant.

After receiving his law degree from Yale Law School in 1967, Skaggs practiced law with various firms in New York, Boulder, Denver and Washington, D.C., He served on the boards of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the American University of Iraq and the National Endowment for Democracy.

He was executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education for former Gov. Bill Ritter and has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado and its law school. For 13 years, he chaired the board of the U.S. House Office of Congressional Ethics.

Skaggs served on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1968 to 1971, including time in Vietnam with the 1st Marine Division, and remained active in the Marine Reserves until 1978, attaining the rank of major.

Skaggs and his wife live on a small farm near Niwot. He has three adult children and four grandchildren. He has sung in the choir at First Congregational Church of Boulder for 54 years.

Why did you want to become a congressman?

The work of the legislature — drafting laws and making public policy — is and was enormously interesting, challenging and important. I experienced that first as a staffer to my predecessor Tim Wirth, and then as a State Representative myself. Public service was satisfying and rewarding and gave me purpose. When Tim left the U. S. House to run for the Senate in 1986, I decided to see if I could make it to the national legislature and decided to run for the 2nd CD seat.

What are you, as a retired congressman, up to now?

I’ve continued to be involved in public policy and public service. These days that means figuring out how to help keep our democracy on track and preserve NOAA’s labs here in Boulder. I recently completed 13 years as board chair or co-chair of the U.S. House Office of Congressional Ethics (2008-21) and just ended nine years on the board of the National Endowment for Democracy.

What do you consider some of your greatest accomplishments throughout your life?

I’m proud to have secured funding for the NOAA labs here and to have helped protect thousands of acres of Colorado’s public lands, much of it added to wilderness and RMNP. Back in the ’90s, a few of us in the House sensed a decline in civility and cooperation. Attempting to prevent things from getting worse, we organized the House Bipartisan Retreats to try to nurture better relations across the aisle. Sadly, after four of the retreats, it became apparent that the growing tide of extreme partisanship was against us.

What was a challenge that you faced and how did you overcome it?

I’m a little shy, so learning to campaign and to develop relationships with colleagues did not come naturally. I realized that was something I could get over with some practice and determination, or I wasn’t going to be successful as a candidate or in office. Earlier in life, I joined the Marine Corps, and making it through officer training was not easy.

What do you think about the state of our political climate today, and how do we begin to come together amid so much division?

The condition of politics and national government is deeply distressing. It’s sad to say that the future of our democratic system and the rule of law are at grave risk. Part of the solution lies with the citizenry. Over a couple of generations now, many haven’t received adequate instruction in school in government and civics. It’s hard to run a representative democracy when many voters don’t understand our complicated system of government. But turning that around would take years to have much effect. In the meantime, I pray that legislators at every level — from city councils to Congress — will remember that society’s problems can only be resolved through a bit of good will and some compromise, and then will adjust their official conduct accordingly.