Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today applauded the $211 million investment in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Sage Grouse Initiative 2.0 announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today. The strategy will build upon successful public and private conservation efforts made since 2010 to improve both Gunnison and Greater sage grouse habitat.

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) announced today that they have sent a letter to Arthur A. Elkins, Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), demanding answers to several pressing questions related to the EPA's spilling of wastewater into the Animas River.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) draft rules to reduce methane emissions.

Members of the Colorado and New Mexico Congressional delegations today are urging President Barack Obama to direct any and all appropriate federal resources to help respond to damage from the Gold King Mine spill that occurred in southwest Colorado last week. Communities in both states along the affected rivers are working quickly to minimize the short-term and long-term public health and economic challenges caused by the tragic spill. Recovering from the spill will take a full and coordinated approach from the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies working with state, tribal, and local officials.

Following up on their earlier letter requesting that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy visit the site of the Animas River spill, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Representative Scott Tipton (R-CO) wrote to the EPA Administrator to request that the EPA establish and disclose its plan for the both the near-term cleanup of the recent release into the Animas River and a long-term plan to ensure economic and environmental recovery.

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Representative Scott Tipton (R-CO) sent a letter today to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy, requesting that she visit San Juan and La Plata Counties in Colorado to discuss the damage done by the EPA's accidental release of contaminated waste water into the Animas River.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement on this week's Colorado mine spill.

Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet signed on as a cosponsor to The Helping Working Families Afford Child Care Act. The bill, introduced by Senator Patty Murray, helps families pay for the increasing cost of child care by expanding and increasing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC). The CDCTC, enacted in 1976, was intended to help offset the cost of child care for working class families, but unfortunately has not kept up with the rising cost of care.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet has introduced the Hunger Free Summer for Kids Act with Senator John Boozman (R-AR). This bill makes child nutrition programs more efficient and flexible to help them reach more children in need, particularly children in rural communities, during the summer months when school meals are not available.

U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) reintroduced a bill to provide targeted investments for wildfire mitigation. The bill would help save future costs related to wildfire response efforts and the damage to property and land without adding to the deficit.