The Census Bureau released its annual report, showing that childhood poverty more than doubled last year. Its findings reveal an almost 140 percent increase in a single year. Five million new American children now live in poverty. Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement:

Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Colorado U.S. Representative Joe Neguse called on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to conduct a full environmental review of the proposed Wildcat Loadout expansion project to account for the project’s potential impacts on Colorado’s water, land, air, and climate.

Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed $18.83 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for agriculture producers and rural small businesses across Colorado to lower energy costs, expand access to clean energy, and fight climate change.

Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed the announcement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that $13.82 million in federal funding would be made available to support the Gold Hill Pipeline Project west of Greeley, Colorado, which will mitigate water shortages and enhance the responsiveness of Greeley’s water infrastructure to climate-related threats.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, the chair of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, alongside Colorado U.S. Representative Joe Neguse led a letter urging the Internal Revenue System (IRS) to not tax Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) refunds — as has been precedent for the past thirty years. The lawmakers’ letter follows a recent IRS policy proposal that would force Coloradans to pay taxes on future TABOR refunds. Colorado U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and Colorado U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette, Jason Crow, Yadira Caraveo, Brittany Pettersen, Ken Buck, and Doug Lamborn co-signed this letter.

Last week, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet traveled throughout the state to meet with Coloradans, hear about the challenges they face, and celebrate investments from congressionally directed spending, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) introduced the Rural Outdoor Investment Act to promote economic growth in rural communities by investing in outdoor recreation infrastructure, planning, and business development.

On Friday, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined City of Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar and leaders from CS Wind to tour the CS Wind America wind tower production facility in Pueblo, Colorado. This facility is the largest wind tower production facility in the world. CS Wind plans to expand the facility thanks in part to long-term clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that Bennet helped write and pass as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, including his Onshore Wind American Manufacturing Act, which provides incentives for the domestic production of onshore wind energy components, like towers. CS Wind’s Pueblo facility uses 100 percent U.S. steel to manufacture their towers.

Today, Colorado Politics highlighted an interview with Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet following his remarks celebrating federal investments in Western water infrastructure that he helped secure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act at the Colorado Water Congress Summer Conference. Bennet was joined at the conference by other members of the Colorado Congressional delegation.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources, and U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act to help American agriculture and communities become more resilient to drought and flooding by improving the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations program (also known as “PL-566”).