Bennet Highlights Dysfunction of Wildfire Funding at Agriculture Committee Hearing

Senate Hearing Follows Announcement between U.S. Forest Service, Colorado State Forest Service on Good Neighbor Authority Agreement

Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet discussed the threat of wildfire and the dysfunctional way wildfire suppression is funded, including the negative effects of "fire borrowing," at a hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. At the hearing, entitled "Wildfire: Stakeholder Perspectives on Budgetary Impacts and Threats to Natural Resources on Federal, State and Private Lands," Chris Treese of the Colorado River Water Conservation District discussed the problem of fire borrowing and the long-term effects of catastrophic wildfires.

Bennet, Colleagues Call for Investigation into Potential Wrongful Discharges of Servicemembers with Mental Health Diagnoses

Senators’ request comes after allegations that Soldiers have been discharged for misconduct after behavioral health diagnoses

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and ten of their colleagues calling on the Army to conduct a full Army Inspector General investigation into recent allegations that the Army wrongfully discharged for misconduct soldiers who had been diagnosed with mental health issues after returning from deployment.

Bennet, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Resolution in Solidarity with Israel, Condemning Palestinian Terror Attacks

Ten Israelis Have Been Killed and 135 Wounded This Month Because Of Scores Of Attacks By Palestinians Armed With Knives, Meat Cleavers, Guns, And Cars

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael today will join Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), along with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and John Cornyn (R-TX), to introduce a bipartisan resolution in the U.S. Senate in solidarity with Israel. The resolution condemns Palestinian terrorist attacks in Israel, and reaffirms support for Israel's commitment to maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount.
Today, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner and Congressman Scott Tipton are urging EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to assure local governments and tribes that they will be fully reimbursed for all costs related to the Gold King Mine spill. Currently, if affected local governments have not executed an agreement with the EPA by November 3, they may not be able to fully recover costs associated with the spill. Both La Plata County and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe have expressed concerns about the current deadline.

Final Crowdfunding Rules Released, Bringing New Potential for Small Business, Retail Investors

New Rules Allow Small Businesses and Start-Ups to Raise Capital Online and Through Social Media from Small Investors

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today welcomed the long-awaited announcement from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it has approved final rules for crowdfunding. Crowdfunding will provide a new avenue for Colorado small businesses and start-ups to acquire capital while ensuring strong protections for individuals who make small investments in these businesses. Bennet was a lead sponsor of the CROWDFUND Act, which was signed into law in 2012, that initiated the SEC's rulemaking process.
Senator Michael Bennet announced today that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Delta County as a primary disaster area due to damage caused by severe periods of freezing that took place April 2nd through the 19th . Gunnison County, Mesa County, and Montrose County have been designated as contiguous disaster areas. Both of these designations make farm operators in these counties eligible to be considered for federal assistance, including Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

Bennet Presses Colleagues to Pass Bill to Combat Childhood Hunger

Bipartisan Bill Ensures Access to Nutritious Meals in Summer Months

Following a discussion in the Senate Agriculture Committee about childhood hunger and the summer meals program with actor Jeff Bridges, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet is pressing his colleagues to pass his bipartisan bill to improve access to child nutrition programs during the summer months. The bill, introduced with Senator John Boozman (R-AR) in August, would make the summer meals programs more effective and flexible to help them reach more children in need, particularly children in rural communities.
Today, the U.S. Senate passed a provision written by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rob Portman (R-OH) to strengthen federal cybersecurity by implementing a consistent framework for identifying cyber-related positions and recruiting qualified personnel across the federal government. The measure was included as part of the bipartisan Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA), which allows public and private sector entities to share cyber threat data through a centralized Department of Homeland Security (DHS) portal.