Michael Bennet

Michael Bennet was selected by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter to replace Sen. Ken Salazar in the 111th Congress (Salazar accepted a position within the Obama Administration). Prior to joining the Senate on January 22, 2009, Bennet served as the Denver Public Schools Superintendent.

Positions, record, and controversies
Energy

http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/991971-innerview-with-michael-bennet

Bennet believes that a sustainable way to promote job growth is through increased attention to breaking dependence on foreign oil and promoting domestic sources of production, as well as committing ourselves to a clean energy economy. He states that he is dedicated to the development of renewables and biofuels, building an infrastructure in the U.S. for natural gas and environmentally sound extraction of domestic gas.

http://bennet.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=bae604e3-bab5-42d7-813a-3d51b5c786dd - Bennet is committed to holding BP accountable for the mess it created in the Gulf. He has joined an effort to ensure that big oil companies are forced to pay for damages incurred from oil spills. He favors removal of the liability cap, and does not want taxpayers to foot the bill.

http://coloradoindependent.com/46380/udall-bennet-tout-stimulus-funding-of-new-wind-project-in-ne-colorado&amp;CFID=50547148&amp;CFTOKEN=95004950 - $2.5 million in stimulus funds will go towards expanding a wind-energy project in northeastern Colorado from 30 mega watts to 650 mega watts. Bennet praised the project as an innovative way CO to spur economic recovery and energy independence.

Healthcare

http://bennet.senate.gov/issues/issue/?id=76CD3D27-E049-4B01-B471-D5A1D866B231 - Bennet stated that health reform will ensure that all Americans have access to quality affordable healthcare, and will eventually rein in healthcare costs.

STEM Education

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/ED_47088.html - Bennet requested $500,000 for CO State University-Pueblo to encourage students to learn about and pursue studies in the STEM fields. This project is designed to address the problem of education reform, academic preparation in math and science, and will work to increase the number of minority graduates in the STEM disciplines.

Bio
Prior to his position with DPS, Bennet served for two years as the Chief of Staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. He worked for six years prior to his tenure at the City of Denver as Managing Director for the Anschutz Investment Company in Denver. Prior to moving to Denver, Bennet served as Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration.Bennet earned his bachelor's degree in history with honors from Wesleyan University and his law degree from Yale Law School, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of The Yale Law Journal.

Appointment to Senate
Bennet was appointed to fill Sen. Salazar's seat in the Senate. Salazar has been appointed to be Obama's Secretary of the Interior. . Bennet was sworn in by Vice President Joseph Biden on January 22, 2009. The seat comes open in 2010, and Bennet has said he plans to run for it.

External articles
http://bennet.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=3121b0f1-a9a6-409e-b4aa-7e2eba51889d

http://bennet.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=bae604e3-bab5-42d7-813a-3d51b5c786dd

http://www.ontheissues.org/International/Michael_Bennet_Energy_+_Oil.htm

http://www.ontheissues.org/Domestic/Michael_Bennet_Environment.htm

http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Michael_Bennet_Health_Care.htm

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/earmarks.php?cid=N00030608

http://bennet.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=973a8a51-35ae-4f8f-b5a0-e0d3e56fd128

http://bennet.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=FEDA82C0-6C2F-4405-8457-531B84CFCB7D

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/ED_47088.html

http://bennet.senate.gov/issues/issue/?id=2447b931-58ed-4695-9c7c-f3eef5b8e6f3

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/03/sen_michael_bennett_nothing_in.html

http://bennet.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=f46e477f-7e28-4f41-9ee2-3b4780a1bd09

http://bennet.senate.gov/issues/issue/?id=2e0b7b91-9d7e-419b-b6b5-a9d57a34e21f

http://coloradoindependent.com/46380/udall-bennet-tout-stimulus-funding-of-new-wind-project-in-ne-colorado&amp;CFID=50547148&amp;CFTOKEN=95004950

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/10/30/16515/866

http://bennetforcolorado.com/issues/details/2009-11-protecting-colorados-natural-heritage

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/22/michael-bennet-ill-lose-m_n_366780.html

http://http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1668&amp;tab=summary

www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1683&amp;tab=summary

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1009

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=sr111-440

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/20/bennet_buck_lead_for_senate_in_colorado.html