Ken Buck

Buck was born in Ossining, New York, in 1959.{{cite news |url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/10/04/how-old-is-ken-buck/|title=How Old Is Ken Buck?|date=2010-10-04|work=Politics Daily |access-date=December 13, 2013}} He and his two brothers were encouraged by their parents, Ruth (Larsen) and James Buck, both New York lawyers, to attend Ivy League colleges.{{cite web |url=https://www.greeleytribune.com/2008/01/08/tributes-for-jan-9-5/ | title=Tributes for Jan. 9 | date=January 8, 2008}} Buck earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics from Princeton University in 1981 with a 75-page long senior thesis titled "Saudi Arabia: Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place".{{Cite thesis |last=Buck |first=Kenneth R. |title=Saudi Arabia: Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place |date=1981 |access-date=2024-06-11 |url=http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp01ng451k26p}} Buck later said that the Princeton degree was "more important to [my father] than me".

At Princeton, Buck played four years of football on the Princeton Tigers football team, including one year as a defensive back/punter/kicker and three years as a punter, earning All-Ivy League honors as a punter his senior year.{{cite web|url=http://www.princeton.edu/football/allivy.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021022173232/http://www.princeton.edu/football/allivy.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2002-10-22 |title=All Ivy Tigers|date=2002-10-22|access-date=2018-07-24}} After college, he worked in Wyoming at the state legislative services office and received a Juris Doctor from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1985. He was also an instructor at the University of Denver Law School and for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy in Colorado.

In 1986, Buck was hired by Congressman Dick Cheney to work on the Iran–Contra investigation. Following that assignment, he worked as a prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C.{{Cite news |url=http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_16175688 |title=Bucks' East Coast ambition meets West allure |publisher=The Denver Post |date=2010-09-26 |first=Allison |last=Sherry |access-date=2010-10-30}}

In 1990, Buck joined the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, where he became Chief of the Criminal Division. Buck was formally reprimanded and required to take ethics classes in 2001 for a meeting he had with defense attorneys about a felony case he thought should not be pursued.Allison Sherry [http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15626839 "Ken Buck's family background helps him stand strong on principles"] July 29, 2010, The Denver Post.Allison Sherry [http://www.denverpost.com/ci_15364174 "Belittled case drew Senate candidate Buck a rebuke from boss"] June 24, 2010, The Denver Post. Only one of the three men initially indicted on felony charges was convicted for a misdemeanor offense. Buck said he is "not proud" of the incident that effectively ended his career with the Justice Department, but that he felt it was unethical to prosecute such a "weak" case. One of the three men donated $700 to Buck's 2010 Senate campaign.

Buck was elected the District Attorney for Weld County, Colorado, in 2004. When he suspected that Social Security numbers were being stolen by undocumented immigrants, he raided a tax service in Greeley, Colorado, and seized more than 5,000 tax files. The American Civil Liberties Union sued Buck's office for violating the privacy of the service's clients and after an appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court, costing the county approximately $150,000, the raid was deemed unconstitutional. Buck has said that his time enforcing laws for the Justice Department and Weld County stoked his desire to become a lawmaker himself.

During the 2010 Senate race, The Colorado Independent ran an article titled "Suspect in 2005 Buck rape case said he knew it was rape." The article, about a case Buck refused to prosecute in 2006, included a complete transcript of a tape between the victim and her attacker, including the following dialogue:

:Victim: "You do realize that ... it's rape."

:Suspect: "Yeah, I do."

:Victim: "Like in a number of different ways, because I didn't want to do it and because I was intoxicated and because I was afraid."

:Suspect: "Yes I do. I know."

The tape, which Greeley police had the victim record during its investigation, was available before Buck made his decision not to prosecute the woman's admitted rapist.{{cite news|url=http://coloradoindependent.com/63925/suspect-in-troubling-05-buck-case-said-he-knew-it-was-rape|title=Suspect in troubling '05 Buck case said he knew it was rape|work=The Colorado Independent|access-date=December 13, 2013}} According to a following article in the Independent, "Buck's refusal to prosecute 2005 rape case reverberates in U.S. Senate race", the reporter provides a transcript of another tape of a conversation between the woman and Buck, in which "Buck appears to all but blame her for the rape and tells her that her case would never fly with a Weld County jury."{{cite news|url=http://coloradoindependent.com/63491/bucks-refusal-to-prosecute-2005-rape-case-reverberates-in-u-s-senate-race|title=Buck's refusal to prosecute 2005 rape case reverberates in U.S. Senate race|work=The Colorado Independent|access-date=December 13, 2013}}

Buck told the Greeley Tribune in 2006: "A jury could very well conclude that this is a case of buyer's remorse."{{cite web|last1=Waddingham|first1=Rebecca|url=http://www.greeleytribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060301/NEWS/103010095&parentprofile=&template=printart |title=Woman Angry that Her Sex Assault Case Won't be Prosecuted |date=July 8, 2008|access-date=March 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015210714/http://www.greeleytribune.com:80/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060301/NEWS/103010095&parentprofile=&template=printart |archive-date=October 15, 2010}} The victim told the Colorado Independent in 2010: "That comment made me feel horrible. The offender admitted he did it, but Ken Buck said I was to blame. Had he [Buck] not attacked me, I might have let it go. But he put the blame on me, and I was furious. I still am furious." According to the Independent, "A man entered the alleged victim's apartment and had sex with her while she was drunk, she says. As she passed in and out of consciousness, she says she told him 'no' and tried to push him away. If he had been a stranger, the case may have played out differently, but he was a former lover, and she had invited him over." In the meeting that she recorded, Buck said, "It appears to me … that you invited him over to have sex with him," and that he thought she might have wanted to file rape charges to retaliate against the man for some bad feeling left over from when they had been lovers more than a year earlier. According to the Independent, "Buck also comes off on this tape as being at least as concerned with the woman's sexual history and alcohol consumption as he is with other facts of the case." Drawing on Buck's abortion stance, the Independent wrote, "The suspect in this case had claimed that the victim had at one point a year or so before this event become pregnant with his child and had an abortion, which she denies, saying she miscarried. The suspect's claim, though, is in the police report, and Buck refers to it as a reason she may be motivated to file charges where he thinks none are warranted."{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/2010/10/12/ken_buck/index.html|title=Rape case catches up with Ken Buck – Salon.com|date=2010-10-12|work=Salon|access-date=December 13, 2013}}

On May 6, 2020, The Denver Post published a recording of a conference call between Buck and local Republican party official Eli Bremer, who confirmed the authenticity of the recording.{{cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2020/05/06/colorado-ken-buck-gop-primary/|title=Colorado GOP Chair Ken Buck pressured local official to submit incorrect election results|date=May 7, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200507022930/https://www.denverpost.com/2020/05/06/colorado-ken-buck-gop-primary/|work=The Denver Post|archive-date=May 7, 2020}} In the recording, Buck first asked Bremer if he understood "the order of the executive committee and the central committee" to put activist David Stiver "on the ballot" in the November 2020 election for the District 10 state senate seat. Stiver had not qualified for the November ballot because he only received 24% of votes from Republicans in the district, short of the 30% qualifying mark. Bremer replied: "Uh, yes, sir, I understand the central committee has adopted a resolution that requires me to sign a false affidavit to the state". Buck continued: "And will you do so?" Bremer replied: "I will seek legal counsel as I am being asked to sign an affidavit that states Mr. Stiver received 30% of the vote. I need to seek legal counsel to find out if I am putting myself in jeopardy of a misdemeanor for doing that." Buck lastly asked: "And you understand that it is the order of the central committee that you do so?", to which Bremer replied he understood, and reiterated he would seek legal advice.

Buck told The Denver Post on May 6 that Colorado political party committees traditionally made such decisions. The primary between Stiver and his opponent had been unfair due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado, Buck said. He further claimed he was not asking Bremer "to commit fraud", but asking "if he understood the decision of the central committee and if he was willing to follow the request of the Republican central committee". Buck also said he had no "personal stake in the process". Meanwhile, Bremer decried that the Republican Party he belonged to was "for the rule of law except when it applies to us".

{{Main|2010 United States Senate election in Colorado}}

File:KenBuck.jpg

Angered by what he later called the nation's "lurch to the left,"{{cite news |url=http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_15527703 |work=The Denver Post |title=A conversation with Ken Buck |date=July 18, 2010}} Buck announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate on April 28, 2009.Federal Election Commission filing; [http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/99995-ken-buck-us-senate Ken Buck for U.S. Senate], The Colorado Statesman, May 1, 2010. In his first run for statewide office, Buck frequently referenced national issues in defining his goals as a U.S. senator. Among these were his opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (a program of federal economic stimulus initiated under President George W. Bush and finalized under President Barack Obama) and the role of federal policy czars. Buck also stressed mounting governmental debt, an issue to which he frequently returned during the primary campaign. Contrasting himself to what he argued was the "top down" style of early Republican favorite Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton, Buck pledged a "bottom-up" campaign that would include visits to each of Colorado's 64 counties.

Initially Norton was seen to have had a nearly insurmountable advantage against "a band of underfunded unknowns" that included Buck, who early in the primary season was called "a dead-in-the-water Republican U.S. Senate candidate with laughable fundraising totals and little establishment GOP support". Norton's staff at the beginning of the campaign was twice the size of Buck's. He attempted to make a virtue of his meager war chest by positioning "himself as the small-money underdog" in an election cycle that saw a "populist push for outsider candidates to upset the Washington establishment".{{cite news |url=http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14886345|title=Long-shot Senate candidate Buck hits bull's-eye in Colo. – The Denver Post |work=The Denver Post|access-date=December 13, 2013|first=Allison|last=Sherry|date=April 15, 2010}}

After receiving nearly $600,000 in a television advertising support from Americans for Job Security and a victory in March at the state party's caucuses, Buck began to receive endorsements and notice. By late spring of 2010, Colorado had highly competitive Republican and Democratic primaries.

Although Buck positioned himself as the candidate for the Tea Party movement during the Republican primary,{{cite news|url=http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15600796 | work=The Denver Post | first=Allison | last=Sherry | title=Senate hopeful Buck regrets criticism of Tea Party birthers | date=July 26, 2010}} he stirred controversy at times with remarks critical of former Representative Tom Tancredo, a Tea Party favorite, and the statement "Will you tell those dumbasses at the Tea Party to stop asking questions about birth certificates while I'm on the camera?"—a reference to those suspicious of President Barack Obama's place of birth. Buck blamed the comments on his exhaustion and frustration after months of campaigning, and on his exasperation that it was difficult to keep debate focused on the mounting governmental debt.{{cite web|url=http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14886345|title=Long-shot Senate candidate Buck hits bull's-eye in Colo. - The Denver Post|date=April 17, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417103543/http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14886345|archive-date=2010-04-17}} Tea Party leader Lu Busse criticized Buck's "choice of words" and inclination to treat all Tea Party adherents as a uniform group.{{cite web|url=http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15600796|title=Senate hopeful Buck regrets criticism of Tea Party birthers - The Denver Post|date=July 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729044909/http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15600796|archive-date=2010-07-29}}

Buck again stirred controversy by suggesting voters should cast their votes for him over Norton because, unlike Norton, "I do not wear high heels."{{cite news|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/in-colorado-race-a-focus-on-footwear/|title=In Colorado race, a focus on footwear|date=2010-07-22|work=The Caucus (blog)|publisher=The New York Times|access-date=December 13, 2013|first=Janie|last=Lorber}}{{cite web|url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/07/22/high-heel-remark-shoe-horned-into-ad-rotation/12184|title=Jane Norton ad takes on Ken Buck over 'high heels' comment|work=denverpost.com|access-date=August 3, 2016}} Buck later said he was responding to Norton's television ad claiming he was not "man enough" to attack her himself.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gop-rivals-jane-norton-ken-buck-fight-over-high-heels-and-manhood/|title=GOP Rivals Jane Norton, Ken Buck Fight Over "High Heels" and Manhood|work=CBS News|access-date=August 3, 2016}} (According to a mass email sent on behalf of Senator Jim DeMint, it was a joking paraphrase of his opponent's suggestion to vote for her "because I wear high heels.")

Making reference to Buck's mandatory ethics classes, Norton argued that she "didn't need an ethics class to know what's right. ... Ken broke the rules, and the facts speak for themselves."{{cite news|url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/06/24/odd-bedfellows-together-scold-buck/10944/|title=Colorado Democrats and GOP Senate hopeful Jane Norton scold Ken Buck|date=2010-06-24|work=The Spot (blog)|publisher=The Denver Post|access-date=December 13, 2013}} After Buck's former supervisor, then-U.S. Attorney John Suthers, endorsed Norton, the Colorado Democratic Party Chair called for Buck's resignation from his Weld County post because of his "career bypassing justice and ethics to reward political allies and campaign contributors".

On August 10, Buck defeated Norton in the Republican primary, 52% to 48%,[http://www.denverpost.com/frontpage/ci_15737667 Buck defeats Norton in bruising GOP primary for Senate seat], Allison Sherry, The Denver Post, August 11, 2010. the end of "a bitterly contested primary that saw him go from an obscure and cash-starved underdog to a gaffe-prone mascot for anti-establishment conservatives [in Colorado] and nationally."{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41023.html#ixzz0wVt4FQXr|title=Can he Buck the system?|work=Politico|date=August 13, 2010 |access-date=August 3, 2016}}

This was one of the most expensive elections in the nation, as more than $30 million was spent by outside organizations.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110708171909/http://cnmnewsnetwork.com/129853/co-colorado-election-2010-results-senate-update [CO] Colorado Election 2010 Results [SENATE UPDATE] | CNM News Network] Conservative third party groups hammered Bennet for voting 92% of the time with the Democratic leadership, including voting for healthcare reform and the stimulus package.[https://web.archive.org/web/20101001010458/http://www.buckforcolorado.com/bennet-vs-bennet%E2%80%94claims-represent-colorado-votes-washington-agenda-92-time Buck for Congress (campaign website)] Liberal third party groups called Buck extremist. Bennet focused on attacking Buck's views on abortion, which he believed should be banned, including in cases of rape and incest. He was also attacked for wanting to eliminate the Seventeenth Amendment{{cite web | last1=Brady | first1=Jeff | url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130864318 | title=Money Has Poured Into Colorado's Senate Race | date=October 27, 2010 | work=npr.org | access-date=August 3, 2016}} and refusing to prosecute an alleged rapist as Weld County district attorney. Planned Parenthood mounted a mail campaign, targeting women voters with the warning that "Colorado women can't trust Ken Buck." Bennet won women's vote by 17 points, according to exit polls. After the election, Buck conceded to the Denver Post that the main reason he lost was because of social issues.{{cite web | last1=Burns | first1=Alexander | url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45069.html#ixzz15BNjLgXu | title=Abortion was winning issue for Dems | date=November 13, 2010 | work=politico.com | access-date=August 3, 2016}}

In the November 2010 general election, Buck lost to appointed Senator Michael Bennet, by 29,896 votes.{{cite web|url=http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/results/colorado|title=Colorado - Election Results 2010 - The New York Times|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 3, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/pdf/2000-2099/2010AbstractBook.pdf |title=Results |publisher=www.sos.state.co.us |date=2010 |access-date=2020-05-09}}

{{See also|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado#District 4}}

On August 19, 2013, Buck emailed supporters and announced that the lymphoma he had been diagnosed with was in remission following treatment and he would run against Senator Mark Udall in 2014. He had already filed to run on August 7, 2013, before he sent out the email.{{cite news|title=Ken Buck enters Colo. Senate race|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2013/08/08/ken-buck-mark-udall-colorado-senate-2014/2631783/|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=August 20, 2013|first1=Susan|last1=Davis|date=August 8, 2013}} In March 2014, Buck withdrew from the race following the entrance of Cory Gardner and decided instead to run for Gardner's seat in Colorado's 4th congressional district.{{cite web|url=http://atr.rollcall.com/ken-buck-senate-cory-gardner-seat/|title=Ken Buck Drops Senate Bid to Run for Cory Gardner's Seat|date=February 26, 2014|access-date=December 25, 2014|work=Roll Call}}

Buck won the Republican primary, defeating three other candidates with 44% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/51557/135690/en/summary.html|title=Official Colorado Secretary of State Results|access-date=December 25, 2014}} He defeated Democratic nominee Vic Meyers in the general election with 65% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/53335/148826/Web01/en/summary.html |title=Official Results November 4, 2014 General Election |publisher=Colorado Secretary of State |access-date=December 25, 2014}}

{{See also|2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado#District 4}}

Buck ran for reelection unopposed in the Republican primary.{{cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/61960/173504/Web01/en/summary.html |title=June 28, 2016 Primary Election Official Results|publisher=Colorado Secretary of State |access-date=March 13, 2021}} He defeated Democratic nominee Bob Seay in the general election with 63.5% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/63746/184388/Web01/en/summary.html |title=Official Results November 8, 2016 General Election |publisher=Colorado Secretary of State |access-date=March 13, 2021}}

{{See also|2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado#District 4}}

Buck ran for reelection unopposed in the Republican primary.{{cite web|title=2018 Colorado Republican primary election results|url=https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/2018/primary/republican/usRepresentatives.html|access-date=March 13, 2021}} He defeated Democratic nominee Karen McCormick in the general election with 60.6% of the vote.{{cite web|title=2018 Colorado general election results|access-date=March 13, 2021|url=https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Results/Abstract/2018/general/usRepresentatives.html}}

{{See also|2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado#District 4}}

Buck ran for reelection unopposed in the Republican primary.{{cite web |title=June 30, 2020 Primary Election - Official Results |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/103901/web.255599/#/summary |website=Colorado Secretary of State |access-date=March 13, 2021}} He defeated Democratic nominee Ike McCorkle in the general election with 60.1% of the vote.{{cite web |title=2020 General Election - Official Compiled Results|url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/105975/web.264614/#/summary |website=Colorado Secretary of State |access-date=March 13, 2021}}

{{See also|2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Colorado#District 4}}

Buck won the Republican primary, defeating Robert Lewis. He defeated Democratic nominee Ike McCorkle a second time in the general election with 60.9% of the vote.

Buck voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.{{cite news|last1=Almukhtar|first1=Sarah|title=How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/19/us/politics/tax-bill-house-live-vote.html?_r=0|website=The New York Times|access-date=December 22, 2017|date=December 19, 2017}} He said the bill is "fairer for American families" and that it would "keep more jobs in America."{{cite web|last1=Matthews|first1=Mark K.|title=How Colorado lawmakers voted on the federal tax overhaul — and why|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2017/12/20/colorado-lawmakers-tax-vote/|website=The Denver Post|access-date=December 22, 2017|date=December 20, 2017}}

On March 4, 2020, Buck was one of only two representatives to vote against an $8.3 billion emergency aid package meant to help the United States respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news |last1=Cochrane |first1=Emily |title=House Passes $8.3 Billion Emergency Coronavirus Response Bill |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/us/politics/coronavirus-emergency-aid-congress.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=March 23, 2020 |date=March 4, 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Shutt |first1=Jennifer |title=House OKs $8.3 billion coronavirus aid package with little debate |url=https://www.rollcall.com/2020/03/04/trump-expected-to-receive-8-3b-coronavirus-bill-from-congress-quickly/ |website=Roll Call |access-date=March 23, 2020 |date=March 4, 2020}}[https://www.denverpost.com/2020/03/04/house-bill-coronavirus-bipartisan/ U.S. House passes $8.3B bill to battle coronavirus; Ken Buck casts 1 of 2 votes against it], The Denver Post, Andrew Taylor (AP), March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020. He subsequently voted against the March 14, 2020 Coronavirus Relief Bill that passed the House by a vote of 363–40.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/14/us/politics/coronavirus-house-vote.html|title=How Every House Member Voted on the Coronavirus Relief Bill|last=Lee|first=Jasmine|date=March 14, 2020|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=The New York Times}}

While vaccines were approved for use to prevent the coronavirus and being distributed, Buck told Fox News he would refuse inoculation: "I will not be taking the vaccine. I'm an American. I have the freedom to decide if I'm going to take a vaccine or not and in this case I am not going to take the vaccine. I'm more concerned about the safety of the vaccine than I am the side effects of the disease."[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/colorado-cogressman-ken-buck-covid-vaccine-b1776559.html GOP congressman says he will not take the Covid vaccine because he's 'an American'], The Independent, Danielle Zoellne, December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.

In September 2023, Buck came out against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's decision to announce an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The inquiry was launched by McCarthy to uncover alleged corruption on the part of the President in relation to his son Hunter's business dealings. Buck said that McCarthy and Republicans pushing the inquiry did not have enough evidence to launch it and said it relied on "fictitious" facts and "imagined history."{{cite news |last1=Alafriz |first1=Olivia |title='Fictitious' facts and 'imagined' history: GOP Rep. Ken Buck slams Biden impeachment effort |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/16/gop-rep-ken-buck-impeachment-biden-00116396 |access-date=September 19, 2023 |work=Politico |date=September 16, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Irwin |first1=Lauren |title=Buck turns up heat against House impeachment inquiry of Biden in op-ed |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4208132-buck-turns-up-heat-against-house-impeachment-inquiry-of-biden-in-op-ed/ |access-date=September 19, 2023 |work=The Hill |publisher=Nexstar Media Inc. |date=September 16, 2023}} Nevertheless, Buck would vote to formalize inquiry.{{cite news |last1=Metzger |first1=Bryan |title=Every single Republican voted to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden — including one who had long said he was against it |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/every-house-republican-votes-for-biden-impeachment-inquiry-ken-buck-2023-12 |access-date=December 23, 2023 |work=Business Insider |date=December 13, 2023}}

In February 2024, Buck was one of three Republicans who voted against impeaching Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on both motions. Much like the Biden impeachment, Buck found the charges against Mayorkas to be inappropriate.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-06 |title=House vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas fails, thwarted by Republican defections |url=https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-impeach-homeland-security-secretary-mayorkas-8209736501ed4fe12e4b164443d6a8a9 |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=AP News |language=en}}

In April 2023, Buck was one of only four Republican representatives who voted against the proposed Limit, Save, Grow Act, which raised the debt ceiling while at the same time providing for cuts to non-mandatory spending;{{cite web |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023199 | title=Roll Call 199 Roll Call 199, Bill Number: H. R. 2811, 118th Congress, 1st Session | date=April 26, 2023}} he explained in a subsequent Washington Times op-ed that "[i]f this plan with modest spending reductions is the best the GOP can provide, Americans could be forgiven for wondering what the point of a Republican majority in the House is."{{Cite news |date=2023-04-27 |title=Raising the debt ceiling again will not solve our nation's spending crisis |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/apr/27/raising-debt-ceiling-again-will-not-solve-our-nati |access-date=2023-04-27 |newspaper=The Washington Times |language=en-US}}

Later the same year, Buck was also among the 71 Republicans who voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.

On October 3, 2023, Buck was one of eight Republicans who voted to remove Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House;{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/03/us/politics/mccarthy-house-speaker-vote-live.html |title=Live Vote Count: House Decides Whether to Oust McCarthy as Speaker |last1=Cook Escobar |first1=Molly |last2=Elliott |first2=Kennedy |last3=Levitt |first3=Zach |last4=Murphy |first4=John-Michael |last5=Parlapiano |first5=Alicia |last6=Reinhard |first6=Scott |last7=Shorey |first7=Rachel |last8=Wu |first8=Ashley |last9=Yourish |first9=Yourish |date=October 3, 2023 |work=The New York Times |access-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003164341/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/03/us/politics/mccarthy-house-speaker-vote-live.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}} he cited McCarthy's broken promises on spending negotiations as the main reason for his vote.

He also was one of 20 Republicans to support a candidate other than Jim Jordan on the first ballot of the October 2023 Speaker vote, as he was concerned about Jordan's stance on the January 6 United States Capitol attack and his denial about the results of the 2020 presidential election.{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4260442-jim-jordan-fails-to-win-speakership-first-ballot/|title=Jordan fails to win Speakership on first ballot|access-date=October 17, 2023|date=October 17, 2023|work=USA Today|author=Mychael Schnell}}

Buck announced on November 1, 2023, that he would not seek a sixth House term in the November 2024 election. He spent most of his three-minute video announcement chastising fellow Republicans for being "obsessively fixated on retribution and vengeance for contrived injustices of the past." He continued that "Too many Republican leaders are lying to America, claiming that the 2020 election was stolen, describing January 6 as an unguided tour of the Capitol and asserting that the ensuing prosecutions are a weaponization of our justice system." He asserted, "Our nation is on a collision course with reality, and a steadfast commitment to truth — even uncomfortable truths — is the only way forward."{{cite news |last1=Peipert |first1=Thomas |title=Republican US Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado won't seek reelection, citing party's 'insidious narratives' |url=https://apnews.com/article/ken-buck-colorado-retire-republican-conflict-congress-3fb96d1e158405ab78892fdf71632b46 |publisher=Associated Press |date=November 1, 2023}}{{cite news |title=GOP Rep. Ken Buck plans to challenge his party's direction under Trump as he leaves the House |url=https://apnews.com/article/house-ken-buck-trump-2024-reelection-colorado-237860f2ee09e4e54c7545f8562050b2 |publisher=Associated Press |date=November 4, 2023|author1=Stephen Groves|author2=Farnoush Amiri}}

Buck announced on March 12, 2024, that he would leave Congress within days, rather than when his term expired in January 2025.{{cite news |last1=Solender |first1=Andrew |last2=Brufke |first2=Juliegrace |date=12 March 2024 |title=House GOP majority to shrink as Rep. Buck plans early resignation |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/03/12/ken-buck-resigns-house-gop-majority |work=Axios |access-date=30 March 2024}} He said, "It is the worst year of the nine years and three months that I've been in Congress. And having talked to former members, it's the worst year in 40, 50 years to be in Congress. But I'm leaving because I think there's a job to do out there that I want to go do."{{cite news |title=Buck to retire next week, narrowing House GOP majority |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4526727-buck-retiring-next-week/ |work=The Hill |date=March 12, 2024|author1=Mychael Schnell|author2=Caroline Vakil}} The Freedom Caucus symbolically ejected Buck days before his departure, citing differences on "major issues", such as his disdain for the Caucus's election denialism and opposing the impeachment votes.{{cite news |last=Solender |first=Andrew |date=21 March 2024 |title=House Freedom Caucus kicks out another member |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/03/21/house-freedom-caucus-ken-buck |work=Axios |access-date=30 March 2024}}{{cite news |title=Freedom Caucus votes to remove Ken Buck |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4545351-freedom-caucus-ken-buck/ |work=The Hill |date=March 20, 2024|author1=Mychael Schnell}}

For the 118th Congress:{{cite web |title=Ken Buck |url=https://clerk.house.gov/members/B001297 |publisher=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives |access-date=16 April 2023}}

• Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific
• Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere
• Committee on the Judiciary
• Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement
• Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust

• Congressional Western Caucus{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://westerncaucus.house.gov/about/membership.htm|publisher=Congressional Western Caucus|access-date=June 27, 2018}}
• Congressional Antitrust Caucus{{Cite web |last=Oprysko |first=Caitlin |date=2023-02-10 |title=Anti-Big Tech lobbyist heads to the Hill |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2023/02/10/anti-big-tech-lobbyist-heads-to-the-hill-00082402 |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=Politico|language=en |quote="Buck and former antitrust Chair David Cicilline (D-R.I.) recently launched the Congressional Antitrust Caucus in an effort to sustain focus on the issue."}}
• Freedom Caucus{{cite web|title=What is the House Freedom Caucus, and who's in it?|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/20/house-freedom-caucus-what-is-it-and-whos-in-it/|publisher=Pew research center|date=October 20, 2015|access-date=October 26, 2017}}
• Republican Study Committee{{Cite web|date=2017-12-06|title=Membership|url=https://rsc-banks.house.gov/about/membership|access-date=2021-03-28|website=Republican Study Committee|language=en}}
• Second Amendment Caucus
• Freedom from Big Tech Caucus{{Cite web |last=Fennell |first=Julia |date=2021-07-19 |title=Rep. Buck is co-founder of new anti-Big Tech caucus |url=https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/rep-buck-is-co-founder-of-new-anti-big-tech-caucus/ |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=Colorado Newsline}}

File:Ken Buck (32339092623).jpg (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.]]

In December 2020, Buck was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.{{Cite news|last=Liptak|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Liptak|date=2020-12-11|title=Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html|access-date=2020-12-12|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=December 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211234955/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Order in Pending Case|url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/121120zr_p860.pdf|date=2020-12-11|publisher=Supreme Court of the United States|access-date=December 11, 2020|archive-date=December 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211234004/https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/121120zr_p860.pdf|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/read-house-republicans-texas-supreme-court/index.html|title=Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court|first=Daniella |last=Diaz|work=CNN|access-date=December 11, 2020|archive-date=December 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212000435/https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/read-house-republicans-texas-supreme-court/index.html|url-status=live}}

Buck later became one of a group of seven Republicans who did not support their colleagues' efforts to challenge the results of the election on January 6, 2021. These seven signed a letter that, while giving credence to election fraud allegations Trump made, said Congress did not have the authority to influence the election's outcome.{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/532440-coalition-of-7-conservative-house-republicans-says-they-wont-challenge|title=Coalition of 7 conservative House Republicans says they won't challenge election results|work=The Hill|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=January 3, 2021|access-date=January 3, 2021}} In a 2021 interview with Kara Swisher of The New York Times, Buck distanced himself from Trump's claims regarding the 2020 election.{{Cite news |date=2021-10-25 |title=Opinion {{!}} Why Republican Ken Buck Believes in Antitrust and Doesn't Believe in the 'Big Lie' |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/opinion/sway-kara-swisher-ken-buck.html |access-date=2023-03-22 |issn=0362-4331}}

After Liz Cheney was ousted as Republican Conference Chair for refusing to accept Trump's claims of a stolen election, Buck likened her ouster to cancel culture, further stating that the decision would alienate voters who agreed with Cheney's stance.{{cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Scott |last2=Lillis |first2=Mike |title=GOP votes to dump Cheney from leadership |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/553046-gop-votes-to-dump-cheney-from-leadership/ |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=The Hill |publisher=Nexstar Media Inc. |date=April 12, 2021}}

After Trump was indicted for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, Buck distanced himself from comments made by fellow members of the House Freedom Caucus, which accused federal law enforcement of targeting Trump, saying that he trusted the process to take its course.{{cite news |last1=Shapero |first1=Julia |title=GOP's Buck says Trump 'needs to tell all Americans to stand down' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4171344-ken-buck-trump-needs-tell-americans-stand-down/ |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=The Hill |publisher=Nexstar Media Inc. |date=August 25, 2023}}

Prior to the first nomination election for the October 2023 Speaker of the House election, Buck asked the two Republican candidates, Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan, if the 2020 election was legitimate. Both Scalise and Jordan voted against certifying the results. Buck told reporters that they avoided answering his question. He thus voted "present" in the nomination election and later did not vote for Jordan in any of the votes of the full House.{{cite news |last1=Knutson |first1=Jacob |title=Rep. Buck says next speaker must publicly support 2020 election results |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/10/11/republican-speaker-vote-ken-buck-2020-election |access-date=15 October 2023 |work=Axios |date=October 11, 2023}} Buck would, however, vote for Mike Johnson, who voted against certifying the 2020 election and organized failed lawsuits to reverse the election results in key states. When asked about his about-face support of an election denier, Buck said Johnson's actions were mistakes, but they did not disqualify him from the speakership, and claimed Johnson's actions were not as significant as the moves Jordan took to overturn the election. Buck also stressed the need to elect a speaker and pass legislation once again.{{cite news |last1=Klamann |first1=Seth |title=Ken Buck backs new House speaker despite election denialism — the reason he opposed others' bids |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2023/10/25/ken-buck-congress-speaker-mike-johnson-election-denialism/ |access-date=12 December 2023 |work=The Denver Post |publisher=MediaNews Group |date=October 25, 2023}}

Buck opposes abortion, including in cases of rape and incest, but makes exceptions if the mother's life is in danger.{{cite web|title=Respect for Life|url=http://buckforcolorado.com/respect-life|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902112408/http://buckforcolorado.com/respect-life|archive-date=September 2, 2010|work=Buck campaign website}}

Buck favors bipartisan legislation designed to bolster the federal government's ability to bring antitrust cases against "Big Tech" companies. In 2021, he introduced the House version of the Open App Markets Act alongside Democrat Hank Johnson.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-13 |title=Congressmen Johnson, Buck Introduce Bipartisan Plan to Rein in App Store Monopolies |url=https://hankjohnson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressmen-johnson-buck-introduce-bipartisan-plan-rein-app-store |access-date=2022-02-26 |website=Congressman Hank Johnson |language=en}} Buck supports the proposed American Innovation and Choice Online Act.

In 2022, Buck was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/29/house-passes-antitrust-bill-raising-ma-fees.html | title=House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled | website=CNBC | date=September 29, 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/117-2022/h460 | title=H.R. 3843: Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 -- House Vote #460 -- Sep 29, 2022}} In 2023, Buck and Representative David Cicilline co-founded the Congressional Antitrust Caucus.

In 2022, Buck gave a speech on antitrust law and Big Tech at the National Conservatism Conference.{{Cite web |title=Rep. Ken Buck |url=https://nationalconservatism.org/natcon-3-2022/presenters/rep-ken-buck/ |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=National Conservatism Conference, Miami 2022 |language=en}}

Buck opposed many of Colorado's COVID-19 restrictions, including the closing of businesses.{{Cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2020/03/18/ken-buck-coronavirus-congress-mnuchin/|title=Ken Buck: "It's just craziness to shut down businesses" due to coronavirus|work=The Denver Post|first=Justin|last=Wingerter|date=March 18, 2020|access-date=November 28, 2023}} Of COVID-19 restrictions, he told The Denver Post, "we went like lambs to the slaughter. We can't allow that to happen again".{{Cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2021/06/19/western-conservative-summit-2021/|title=Four scenes from this year's Western Conservative Summit|date=June 19, 2021}} Buck voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, calling it "funding for pet projects in Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer's home states, money for Obamacare subsidies and Planned Parenthood, and stimulus checks for prisoners and illegal immigrants".{{Cite web|url=https://kdvr.com/news/politics/how-did-colorados-lawmakers-vote-on-the-american-rescue-plan-stimulus-bill/|title=How did Colorado's lawmakers vote on the American Rescue Plan stimulus bill?|date=March 10, 2021}}

Buck supports a revamp of the Department of Education and questions the department's constitutionality.

Buck rejects the scientific consensus on climate change. In an October 2010 meeting with supporters in Fort Collins, Colorado, he endorsed the views of Senator James Inhofe, saying, "Inhofe was the first person to stand up and say this global warming is the greatest hoax that has been perpetrated. The evidence just keeps supporting his view, and more and more people's view, of what's going on."{{cite news|first=Robert|last=Moore|title=Buck makes stop in Fort Collins, discusses statement making headlines this week|work=The Coloradoan|date=August 21, 2010|url=http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20101021/NEWS03/10210366|access-date=December 8, 2013}} According to a Buck spokesman, "Ken believes there is global warming but thinks the evidence points to it being natural rather than man-made."{{cite web|first=Allison|last=Sherry|url=http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_16402655#ixzz134NRglDs|title=Buck clarifies comments on global warming "hoax"|work=The Denver Post|date=October 22, 2010|access-date=November 28, 2023}}

In 2020, Buck voted against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021, which would prevent the president from withdrawing soldiers from Afghanistan without congressional approval.{{Cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/116-2020/h152|title=H.R. 6395: William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act ... -- House Vote #152 -- Jul 21, 2020|website=GovTrack.us}}

In 2021, during a House vote on a measure condemning the Myanmar coup d'état that overwhelmingly passed, Buck was among 14 Republican representatives who voted against it, for reasons reported to be unclear.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/19/politics/house-republicans-myanmar-coup/index.html|title=14 House Republicans vote against a measure condemning military coup in Myanmar|publisher=CNN|last1=Diaz|first1=Daniella|last2=Wilson|first2=Kristin|date=March 19, 2021|access-date=March 24, 2021}}

In June 2021, Buck was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the Use of Military Force Authorization against Iraq.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-set-repeal-2002-iraq-war-authorization-n1271107|title = House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq War authorization|website = NBC News|first=Rebecca|last=Shabad| date=June 17, 2021|access-date=November 28, 2023}}{{Cite web |date=17 June 2021 |title=FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 172 |url=https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2021/roll172.xml |access-date=11 October 2023 |website=clerk.house.gov}}

In September 2021, Buck was among 75 House Republicans to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, which contains a provision that would require women to be drafted.{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/573751-house-passes-sweeping-defense-policy-bill|title=House passes sweeping defense policy bill|first=Regina|last=Zilbermints|date=September 23, 2021|website=The Hill}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/117-2021/h293|title=H.R. 4350: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 -- House Vote #293 -- Sep 23, 2021|website=GovTrack.us}}

Buck was among 19 House Republicans to vote against the final passage of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.{{Cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/117-2021/h405|title=S. 1605: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 -- House Vote #405 -- Dec 7, 2021|website=GovTrack.us}}

In 2023, Buck was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.{{cite web |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/118-2023/h136 | title=H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of … -- House Vote #136 -- Mar 8, 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2023-03-08/house-votes-down-bill-directing-removal-of-troops-from-syria |title=House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria |date=March 8, 2023 |agency=Associated Press}}

Buck voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.{{Cite news |last=Demirjian |first=Karoun |date=2023-10-25 |title=House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/us/politics/house-israel-vote.html |access-date=2023-10-30 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |date=2023-10-25 |title=Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023528 |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |language=en}}

Buck's last action as a congressman was to sign discharge petitions that would force votes on bills supplying military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.{{cite news |last1=Solender |first1=Andrew |title=Ken Buck's parting gift to GOP: Signing Democrats' Ukraine discharge petition |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/03/21/ken-buck-ukraine-discharge-petition |access-date=22 March 2024 |work=Axios |date=March 21, 2024}}

Buck opposes gun control and is endorsed by Gun Owners of America. He has said he would "oppose any federal legislation to compile a database of gun owners or to further proscribe Americans' freedoms under the Second Amendment".{{cite web|title=Ken Buck's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)|url=http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=125319|access-date=August 3, 2016|work=votesmart.org}}

Buck opposes the health care reform laws enacted in 2010. He instead favors free market-based reforms.{{cite web|url=http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Ken_Buck|title=Ken Buck (R) - WhoRunsGov.com, a Wash Post Co|date=February 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211212624/http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Ken_Buck|archive-date=2010-02-11}} While running for Senate in 2010, Buck's campaign website stated, "We need to let the market work, make people responsible for their own insurance, and restore Americans' freedom to decide for themselves whether and how much insurance to buy."{{Cite web |title=Healthcare |url=http://www.buckforcolorado.com/healthcare |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001000429/http://www.buckforcolorado.com/healthcare |archive-date=October 1, 2010 |access-date=October 17, 2023 |website=buckforcolorado.com}} He supported a state constitutional amendment that would give rights to unborn fetuses, but then later withdrew his support reportedly after he found out that the measure would have restricted certain fertility and contraception procedures.[https://web.archive.org/web/20101015040308/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gGYU9pDMSinkz0uPzi9Fpke3UT6wD9IPOOS03?docId=D9IPOOS03 "Dems seize on Tea Party candidates social issues"], Associated Press.

Buck supported the U.S. military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. He said, "I do not support the repeal of don't ask don't tell. I think it is a policy that makes a lot of sense."{{cite news|date=September 27, 2010|title=Senate debates reveal stark differences between candidates :: Northern Colorado Gazette|work=Greeley Gazette|url=http://www.greeleygazette.com/press/?p=5689|access-date=December 13, 2013}} Buck believes that being gay is a choice. He said, "I think birth has an influence over it, like alcoholism ... but I think that basically you have a choice."[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43716.html#ixzz12dmGvwr2 "Buck Stands By Controversial Remarks"], Politico.com. The Log Cabin Republicans have rebuked him for this comment.{{cite web|title=Log Cabin Republicans news release|url=http://online.logcabin.org/news_views/reading-room-back-up/log-cabin-republicans-32.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022152449/http://online.logcabin.org/news_views/reading-room-back-up/log-cabin-republicans-32.html|archive-date=2010-10-22|access-date=August 3, 2016|work=logcabin.org}} In 2015, Buck condemned the Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges, which held that same-sex marriage bans violate the constitution.{{Cite web |title=The Voter's Self Defense System |url=http://votesmart.org/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=Vote Smart}} On June 19, 2022, Buck voted against The Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would protect the right to gay marriage at a federal level.{{Cite web |last=Bobic |first=Igor |date=June 19, 2022 |title=These 157 House Republicans Voted Against Protections For Same-Sex Marriage |url=https://news.yahoo.com/157-house-republicans-voted-against-010924191.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEhbdxxH-juO35LzjTEdLr3e0lkvXWzM1xXU4DkDRs-1aT2Cs-YJtiFhF1L_z46P17afPPg8sism_-LcUgrjYqRPbguUouz8CZz51z_XcSwZ5obOVj_86DGCjjyAQxZ4q8W2cUxJExoccjp5mUGI-GNq1tbdmaTlLnwimWlwzNuo}}{{Cite web |last=Lai |first=Stephanie |date=June 20, 2022 |title=House Moves to Protect Same-Sex Marriage From Supreme Court Reversal |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/us/politics/house-gay-marriage-bill.html}}

In 2021 Buck opposed the Equality Act, arguing that the legislation would force doctors to treat LGBT patients despite their religious objections, comparing it to forcing Jewish doctors to treat Nazi patients.{{Cite web|url=https://www.9news.com/video/news/local/next/congressman-ken-buck-responds-to-equality-act-testimony-with-question-about-nazis/73-155280fa-da2d-4b16-a784-6753a736a4b7|title=Congressman Ken Buck responds to Equality Act testimony with question about Nazis|date=April 2, 2019|website=KUSA.com}}

In 2023 Buck cosponsored the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, which is a nationwide ban on transgender and intersex girls and women from participating in girls and women's sports.{{Cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/734/cosponsors|title=Cosponsors: H.R.734 — 118th Congress (2023-2024)|date=April 20, 2023|website=congress.gov}}

Buck signed his support for Ajit Pai's motion to abolish net neutrality, alongside 106 other Republican representatives. When asked about Pai's work to unravel net neutrality rules, Buck said: "I support Chairman Pai's efforts to free internet providers from burdensome regulations that stifle innovation and increase costs for Coloradans."{{cite web|last1=Chuang|first1=Tamara|last2=Paul|first2=Jesse|date=2017-12-14|title=Where Colorado's 9 members of Congress stand on net neutrality|url=http://www.denverpost.com/2017/12/14/colorado-congress-net-neutrality/|access-date=July 19, 2022|website=The Denver Post}}

During debate over the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020, Buck offered an amendment to the title of the bill so as to read: "A bill to be known as the Federal Initiative to Spy on Americans (FISA) Act." With only 35 votes in favor, the amendment was not adopted.{{Cite web|last=Buck|first=Ken|date=2020-03-11|title=H.Amdt.814 to H.R.6172 - 116th Congress (2019-2020)|url=https://www.congress.gov/amendment/116th-congress/house-amendment/814|access-date=2020-08-18|website=www.congress.gov}}

Buck proposed privatizing Veterans Administration hospitals so they would "be better run".{{cite web|url=http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/09/24/120719/buck-privatize-va/|title=Ken Buck Campaign Can't Get Their Story Straight On Whether They Support Privatizing VA Hospitals|first=Scott|last=Keyes|date=September 24, 2010|work=thinkprogress.org|access-date=August 3, 2016}} Three months later, he changed positions and his campaign said, "while Buck does indeed believe that private sector providers might do a better job than the VA in delivering health care to veterans, he is not in favor of fully privatizing health care for veterans."{{cite news|url=http://www.kdvr.com/news/politics/kdvr-buck-va-health-care-privatizing-txt,0,4560478.story |title=Buck on VA health care privatizing |work=KDVR/Fox 31 TV |location=Denver, Colorado |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717001312/http://www.kdvr.com/news/politics/kdvr-buck-va-health-care-privatizing-txt%2C0%2C4560478.story |archive-date=July 17, 2011}}

The congressman supports a prohibition on members of Congress trading in stocks.Andrew Stanton. (24 January 2022). "Here Are 27 Congress Members Urging Nancy Pelosi, McCarthy to Ban Stock Trading in House". [https://www.newsweek.com/here-are-27-congress-members-urging-nancy-pelosi-mccarthy-ban-stock-trading-house-1672272 Newsweek website] Retrieved 11 May 2023.Karl Evers-Hillstrom. (11 May 2023). "Lawmakers call for markup on stock trading ban before August recess". [https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3999599-lawmakers-call-for-markup-on-stock-trading-ban-before-august-recess/ The Hill website] Retrieved 11 May 2023.

Buck was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.{{cite news |first=Jared |last=Gans |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4029522-republicans-and-democrats-who-bucked-party-leaders-by-voting-no/ |title=Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no |date=May 31, 2023}}

Both of Buck's marriages ended in divorce. Buck has two children from his first marriage. His son Cody (born 1988) is a 2011 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Buck married his second wife, Perry, in 1996 and they announced their divorce on November 9, 2018, three days after the midterm election.{{Cite web |last=Silvy |first=Tyler |date=2018-11-09 |title=Ken, Perry Buck to divorce |url=https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/ken-perry-buck-file-for-divorce/ |access-date=2020-03-07 |website=Greeley Tribune |language=en-US}}

Buck is Protestant.{{cite web |title=Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/12/PF_2023.01.03_congress_LIST.pdf |publisher=PEW Research Center |access-date=13 May 2023}}{{cite web |title=Faith on the Hill: The religious composition of the 118th Congress |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/ |website=Pew Research Center |access-date=6 March 2023}}

Buck's book Drain the Swamp: How Washington Corruption is Worse Than You Think was published in 2017.{{cite web |date=July 31, 2010 |title=Ken Buck's family background helps him stand strong on principles - The Denver Post |url=http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15626839 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731054521/http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15626839 |archive-date=2010-07-31}}{{cite news |title=Buck's 'Draining the Swamp' is a primer on Washington corruption |work=The Hill |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/lawmaker-news/329702-bucks-draining-the-swamp-is-a-primer-on-washington}} His book Crushed: Big Tech's War on Free Speech was published in 2023.{{Cite news |last=Lima |first=Cristiano |date=January 26, 2023 |title=Ken Buck says he's not backing down in push to check Big Tech |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/26/ken-buck-says-hes-not-backing-down-push-check-big-tech/ |access-date=January 26, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

{{reflist}}

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{{portal|United States|Colorado|Politics}}

• [https://buck.house.gov Congressman Ken Buck] official U.S. House website
• [http://www.buckforcolorado.com/ Ken Buck for Congress] official campaign website
• {{CongLinks | congbio=B001297 | votesmart=125319 | fec=H4CO04090 | congress=ken-buck/B001297}}
• {{C-SPAN|78285}}
• [http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?cycle=2010&id=COS1 Campaign contributions] at OpenSecrets.org.
• [http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/ken-buck/ Collected news and commentary] at The Washington Times.
• [http://www.denverpost.com/dnc/ci_15775613 Political Polygraph: A fact check on Ken Buck], Elizabeth Miller, The Denver Post, August 14, 2010.

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