Senator Michael Bennet Focusing on Ag Issues
S enator Bennet, a Democrat, was first appointed to a vacant seat in the U.S. Senate to represent Colorado in 2009. He was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2016.
What legislation are you most focused on passing during the 117th Congress? As Congress turns its attention to an infrastructure package to create jobs and grow our economy, I will work to put our farmers and ranchers, water systems,
immigrants. While our proposal passed on the Senate floor with 68 votes, it failed in the House of Representatives. The Gang of Eight worked well together because we understood that immigration has been a defining characteristic of American history
natural landscapes, and rural communities at the forefront. I was pleased to see President Biden include my Outdoor Restoration Partnership Act in his American Jobs Plan. My bipartisan bill would invest billions into collaborative, locally led forest and watershed restoration projects across the West. If it’s done right, we can create millions of good paying jobs in rural parts of the country.
and those who come to our country are an engine of innovation that strengthen communities in Colorado and across the country. That’s why I’m working on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to reform the H-2A program and provide a pathway to legal status for certain farmworkers. Republicans and Democrats support this
Tom Nassif, Sen. Bennet, and Craig Reade
I also plan to introduce the Senate companion bill to the House’s FarmWorkforce Modernization Act with Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). This legislation would make much-needed improvements to our immigration system for producers and farmworkers. It would reform the H-2A agricultural guestworker program and create a visa program specifically designed for our country’s agricultural sector. The FarmWorkforce Modernization Act passed the House of Representatives in March 2021 on a bipartisan vote; it’s time for the Senate to do its job and pass this legislation. What have you done on immigration? In 2013, I was part of a group known as the Gang of Eight—four Democrats and four Republicans— who put together a proposal for comprehensive immigration reform. Our bill had $46 billion for sophisticated, 21st century border security, supported seasonal workers and business owners, and created a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented
legislation because they understand we need to bring certainty to our country’s agriculture industry and the hard-working producers and farmworkers who have put their lives on the line to feed and sustain the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. You have a history of winning tough elections. What do you think sets you apart from other legislators? What do you credit your success to as legislator? My job as a senator is to listen and take Coloradans’ experiences and ideas with me back to Washington to make life better for them. Over the last decade, I’ve held more than 2,200 events and meetings, and driven more than 100,000 miles across Colorado because it’s important that I hear from Coloradans in every corner of our state to help inform the decisions I make in Washington. Before every Farm Bill, I’ve held at least 20 listening sessions to find out what is and isn’t working for Colorado’s agricultural
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