On Equal Pay Day, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet called on his Senate colleagues to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to help close the pay gap between women and men working the same jobs. Equal Pay Day represents how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year.

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet today secured an amendment to a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that would help reduce the burden of data reporting requirements for local school districts. The amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act was approved by voice vote in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee today.

U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Harry Reid (D-NV) will introduce an amendment to the SGR fix to extend the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for a full four years. With CHIP's current funding set to expire in September, the amendment would extend funding through 2019. CHIP serves more than eight million children in working families nationwide.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet applauded the passage of a bill that will provide long-term certainty for Medicare providers and patients. The bill repeals the outdated formula, known as the "sustainable growth rate" or SGR, for reimbursing Medicare providers for services. It replaces SGR with a streamlined payment system based on the quality of care.

Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that Western Excelsior Corporation in Mancos and Renewable Forest Energy in Pagosa Springs have each won $250,000 Wood Innovation Grants to expand and accelerate wood energy and produce wood products.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet wrapped up his "Colorado Health Innovation: Improving Outcomes and Incomes Tour" today in Boulder, after making stops in Broomfield, Colorado Springs, and Denver.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet wrapped up his "Colorado Health Innovation: Improving Outcomes and Incomes Tour" today in Boulder, after making stops in Broomfield, Colorado Springs, and Denver.

Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson demanding that the VA swiftly present a comprehensive funding plan to Congress for completing the long-awaited VA medical facility in Aurora by identifying savings, efficiencies, and other accountability initiatives within the VA. This could include ruling out bonuses until the project is completed. The VA will also have to develop a plan that provides certainty that all options will be exhausted to complete the project. The letter comes in response to Deputy Secretary Gibson's announcement that the VA will submit a legislative plan for the hospital to Congress.

Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson's visit to the Aurora VA Hospital site today.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today called on the Senate to quickly take up a bill to provide long-term certainty for Medicare providers and patients. The bill, which passed the House yesterday 392-37, repeals the formula, known as the "sustainable growth rate" or SGR, for how Medicare providers are reimbursed for services and replaces it with a streamlined payment system based on the quality of care.