Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement in response to today's announcement from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) on water in ski area permits.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet has introduced a bill to help put college back in reach for middle class families by giving students the opportunity to earn grant money or loan forgiveness by completing community or national service.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today helped pass a year-end bill to fund the government and extend tax provisions crucial to Colorado's economy. The bill includes numerous Colorado priorities Bennet helped secure in the bill.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet applauded news that Silverton School is now able to access high-speed Internet following the successful completion of a project to run a fiber-optic connection to the school. Following an Internet speed test this morning, they reported an extremely quick connection of 96 mbps download speed.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet secured improvements to the teacher tax deduction in a bill to fund the government and extend several tax provisions. The improvements stem from an amendment Bennet introduced and passed in the Senate Finance Committee earlier this year.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet secured extensions for the wind production tax credit (PTC) and the solar investment tax credit (ITC) in a bill Congress is considering to fund the government and extend several tax-related provisions. The long-term extensions finally give certainty to renewable energy manufacturers and producers in Colorado and around the country.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined U.S. Senators Ben Cardin, Chuck Schumer, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Coons, Gary Peters, Ron Wyden, Jeanne Shaheen, Debbie Stabenow, Heidi Heitkamp, Tim Kaine, Bill Nelson, Ed Markey, Kirsten Gillibrand, Bob Casey, Mark Warner, Cory Booker, Maria Cantwell, Martin Heinrich, Barbara Mikulski, and Jeff Merkley in expressing profound concern in a letter to President Obama regarding a second ballistic missile test conducted by Iran on November 21st.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet secured funding for both the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program - both of which are top Colorado priorities - in a bill to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2016.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today joined 21 other senators in calling for the Department of Homeland Security to immediately require social media background checks as part of the screening process for all foreigners seeking an American visa. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, the senators also requested more information from the agency on the existing screening process, such as if the agency faces any resource barriers to implementing these background checks, to ensure the process is as rigorous and comprehensive as possible.

The Senate last week passed a bipartisan bill introduced by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, along with Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Jon Tester (D-MT), to give Indian tribes more tools to develop their energy resources and to remove unnecessary barriers to economic development in Indian Country.