Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today issued the following statement after the United States Senate failed to reach a compromise for a long-term budget agreement:

"This is no way to run our government. In the last 10 years I've been in the Senate, we have passed 36 temporary budget extensions. Tonight's would have been the 37th such half measure. Another four-week continuing resolution would put us right back in the same position. Our own Department of Defense has made it abundantly clear how damaging these resolutions are to our military's ability to train and maintain its readiness to fight and protect our nation.

"Without a strategy, the President chose to end the DACA protections and urged Congress to legislate a solution. In response, a bipartisan group of senators worked for months and reached an agreement to protect the Dreamers. This should be part of any long-term budget package.

"In addition to this issue, we had substantial bipartisan support to fix how we fund the Forest Service and fight our wildfires, and to provide long-term funding for our children's health insurance program and emergency relief to help us recover from recent disasters. These should have been included as well.

"I am convinced that there are people of goodwill in this chamber who want to reach a resolution on behalf of the American people, and we should continue working until we do so."