Bennet, HELP Committee Advance Bill to Fix No Child Left Behind

Bennet Secures Key Provisions in Bill, Pledges Continued Push for Additional Changes

Senator Bennet helped to pass the Every Child Achieves Act, a bill to fix No Child Left Behind, out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The bill, approved 22-0 by the committee, reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the chief federal law addressing K-12 education. It reforms many of the policies from No Child Left Behind, the previous version of the bill, while maintaining several key policies that have proved successful.

Bennet Secures Key Amendments During ESEA Markup

Committee Adopts Bennet Amendments to Support Innovation, Teacher Leadership, Rural Schools, Financial Aid Awareness

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today secured several key amendments during the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee's consideration of the Every Child Achieves Act. Bennet's amendments will help improve equity, support teachers, spur innovation, and provide for greater flexibility in our schools.
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 The bill repeals the outdated formula, known as the "sustainable growth rate" or SGR, for reimbursing Medicare providers for services.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.

Bennet Secures Amendment to Reduce Data Burden on Colorado School Districts

Also Pushes to Close Comparability Loophole, Improve Low-Performing Schools, Measure Student Growth

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.

Bennet Marks Equal Pay Day, Calls for Passage of Paycheck Fairness Act

Equal Pay Day Marks How Far Into a Year a Woman Must Work, On Average, to Earn as Much as a Man Earned the Previous Year

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.

Bennet: Two Colorado Companies Win $250,000 Innovation Grants to Produce Wood Energy and Products

Western Excelsior Corporation and Renewable Forest Energy will Use Funds to Expand Clean Energy Efforts and Wood Products

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.

Bennet: Colorado companies save lives, fuel economy

“Colorado Health Innovation: Improving Outcomes and Incomes” tour

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.