U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Richard Burr (R-NC) today applauded the Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and the Committee's Ranking Member, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash), on their announcement of an agreement on a bill to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This bill would ensure LWCF can fully realize its promise to conserve parks, open spaces, and wildlife habitat for the benefit of hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement on the Senate's vote to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the highway bill.

The Senate Finance Committee today approved a bipartisan measure authored by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Richard Burr (R-NC) to put liquefied natural gas (LNG) on equal footing with diesel fuel under the federal highway excise tax. The measure would allow LNG to compete fairly with diesel by taxing LNG on energy output rather than per gallon. The proposal was included in a tax extenders bill that was approved by the committee in a 23-3 vote.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today secured a two-year extension of the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) in the tax extenders bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee. Bennet also fought back against several amendments designed to phase out and eliminate the credit altogether.

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee today adopted an amendment by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet to extend and expand tax deductions for teachers who spend their own money on the job. The amendment, also sponsored by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), to the tax extenders bill would increase the $250 educator expense tax deduction by indexing it to inflation. It would also allow teachers to use the deduction for professional development, which is often costly expenses for teachers.

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) and eleven of his Senate colleagues are urging the Senate's appointed conferees to exclude a misplaced attack on the environment from the conference report for the trade and customs enforcement bill.

The Senate last night passed the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act by voice vote. The bill, which was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee earlier this year, includes a provision authored by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet to encourage the use of locally grown foods by nutrition services providers. Bennet is a cosponsor of the bill.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Ohio U.S. Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown, and several of their colleagues continued their bipartisan push to crack down on currency manipulation by foreign competitors. In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, they urged the Administration to combat this practice that hurts exports, workers, and business through the ongoing trade negotiations.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 21 senators to introduce the Restore Honor to Service Members Act, a bill that will help service members discharged solely due to their sexual orientation correct their military records to reflect their honorable service and reinstate the benefits they earned. A companion bill has been introduced by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Charles Rangel (D-NY) in the House of Representatives.

The Senate Agriculture Committee today held a hearing to discuss several bills to help the National Forest Service manage its federal lands, including three bills sponsored by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.