U.S. Senator from Colorado

Michael Bennet

Democrat · Colorado

Appointed in 2009, subsequently elected. Former Denver school superintendent. Ran for president in 2020. Focus on education, child poverty, and bipartisan problem-solving.

Record

Moderate-progressive Democrat. Known for bipartisan approach. Authored Child Tax Credit expansion. Focus on education reform, reducing child poverty, and western water issues.

Legislative Record

Recently sponsored bills (8 on record)

S.5142 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve the process for providing refunds to taxpayers. (Introduced, Jul 28, 2026)
S.5144 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to eliminate installment agreement fees for certain individuals. (Introduced, Jul 28, 2026)
S.5143 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify procedural requirements for penalties and disallowance periods. (Introduced, Jul 28, 2026)
S.5141 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve the notice and review procedure with respect to multi-year bans on claiming credits. (Introduced, Jul 28, 2026)
S.5101 — Glenwood Hot Springs Protection Act (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
S.5077 — Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act (Introduced, Jul 22, 2026)
S.4862 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to consider certain acreage not planted due to a lack of irrigation water to be eligible for prevented planting payments, and for other purposes. (Introduced, Jun 23, 2026)
S.4866 — Farmers’ Market Local Revitalization Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jun 23, 2026)

Notable votes

Voted Nay on S.Res. 817 — S. Res. 817 (Resolution Agreed to, Jul 30, 2026)
Voted Nay on S.Res. 817 — Motion to Invoke Cloture: S. Res. 817 (Cloture Motion Agreed to, Jul 29, 2026)
Voted Nay on S.Res. 690 — Motion to Invoke Cloture: S. Res. 690 (Cloture Motion Agreed to, Apr 30, 2026)
Voted Nay on S.Con.Res. 33 — S.Con.Res. 33, As Amended (Concurrent Resolution Agreed to, Apr 23, 2026)
Voted Yea on S.Con.Res. 33 — Schiff Amdt. No. 5333 (Amendment Rejected, Apr 23, 2026)
Voted Yea on S.Con.Res. 33 — Wyden Amdt. No. 5336 (Amendment Rejected, Apr 23, 2026)
Voted Yea on S.Con.Res. 33 — Merkley Amdt. No. 5235 (Amendment Rejected, Apr 23, 2026)
Voted Nay on S.Con.Res. 33 — Paul Amdt. No. 5378 (Amendment Rejected, Apr 23, 2026)

Recently cosponsored bills (12 on record)

S.1289 — 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act (Introduced, Jul 30, 2026)
S.2903 — Safe Step Act (Introduced, Jul 28, 2026)
S.5145 — A bill to clarify the use of certain existing grants under the Clean Air Act to purchase air sensors, and for other purposes. (Introduced, Jul 28, 2026)
S.494 — National Plan for Epilepsy Act (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
S.3103 — A bill to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to products of certain countries. (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
S.4379 — Russia’s War on Faith Act (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
S.5108 — A bill to protect and expand nationwide access to assisted reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization. (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
S.1277 — IDEA Full Funding Act (Introduced, Jul 22, 2026)

Voting analysis

Michael Bennet is ranking member of a finance subcommittee overseeing taxation and the Internal Revenue Service, and his sponsored bills are almost entirely tax administration — the plumbing of how citizens deal with the revenue system rather than what rates they pay.

5.2%

Votes against the Democrat majority

211

Roll calls where a party majority formed

28 of 45

Rank among Senate Democrats, most defections first

Against the caucus's compromises

His departures run leftward. He opposed a bill at passage and the cloture motion that carried it, declined to clear a motion to concur in a House amendment, and voted against an amendment offered by a Democratic colleague. None of it moves toward the Republican position.

The 10 most recent of 11 roll calls where Michael Bennet voted against the Senate Democrat majority.
Roll call	Date	Outcome	Their vote
H.R. 6938 On Passage of the Bill H.R. 6938 · roll call 119	Jan 15, 2026	Bill Passed	Nay (party: Yea)
H.R. 6938 Motion to Invoke Cloture: H.R. 6938 On the Cloture Motion H.R. 6938 · roll call 119	Jan 15, 2026	Cloture Motion Agreed to	Nay (party: Yea)
S. 1071 Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1071 On the Cloture Motion S. 1071 · roll call 119	Dec 15, 2025	Cloture Motion Agreed to	Nay (party: Yea)
H.R. 3944 Van Hollen Amdt. No. 3115 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3115 to S.Amdt. 3411 to H.R. 3944 (No short title on file) · roll call 119	Aug 1, 2025	Amendment Rejected	Nay (party: Yea)
S. 5 Ernst Amdt No. 8, As Amended On the Amendment S.Amdt. 8 to S. 5 (No short title on file) · roll call 119	Jan 20, 2025	Amendment Agreed to	Yea (party: Nay)
S. 5 Cornyn Amdt. No. 14 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 14 to S.Amdt. 8 to S. 5 (No short title on file) · roll call 119	Jan 15, 2025	Amendment Agreed to	Yea (party: Nay)
H.R. 7888 Durbin Amdt No. 1841 as Modified On the Amendment S.Amdt. 1841 to H.R. 7888 (No short title on file) · roll call 118	Apr 19, 2024	Amendment Rejected	Nay (party: Yea)
S.J.Res. 62 On the Joint Resolution S.J.Res. 62 · roll call 118	Mar 21, 2024	Joint Resolution Passed	Nay (party: Yea)
H.R. 6363 On Passage of the Bill H.R. 6363 · roll call 118	Nov 15, 2023	Bill Passed	Nay (party: Yea)
H.R. 4366 Hawley Amdt. No. 1200 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 1200 to S.Amdt. 1092 to H.R. 4366 (No short title on file) · roll call 118	Oct 31, 2023	Amendment Agreed to	Yea (party: Nay)

The steadier Colorado senator

Colorado's two seats are both Democratic-held, and Bennet leaves the caucus position less often than his colleague.

Among the 2 Democrats in the Colorado delegation, the average rate of voting against the party majority is 6.3%. Michael Bennet is below that average at 5.2%.

What he legislates on

Three consecutive filings amend the tax code in procedural ways: improving how refunds are provided, eliminating installment agreement fees for certain taxpayers, and modifying procedural requirements for penalties. He is also ranking member on an agriculture subcommittee covering conservation and forestry, which is where his classified bills land.

Sponsored bills carry the Congressional Research Service's own subject classification. Michael Bennet's cluster into: Agriculture and Food (2).

971

Bills sponsored

3282

Bills cosponsored

Of the 8 most recent of those, 8 currently sit at Introduced.

Tenure and attendance

Appointed to his seat before winning it outright, Bennet has served since the end of the two-thousands and counts as a veteran, under one party label. His absences are moderate.

First elected in 2009, now serving across 9 terms. Michael Bennet falls in the veteran cohort.

4.1%

Roll calls recorded as not voting

220

Roll calls eligible to vote on

Recorded as not voting

By the numbers

In the 119th Congress, Michael Bennet has 971 bills sponsored, 3282 cosponsored, 8 recent floor votes recorded.

Committee assignments

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Senate Committee on Finance
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology (Ranking Member)
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate Committee on Finance: Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
Senate Committee on Finance: International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
Senate Committee on Finance: Taxation and IRS Oversight (Ranking Member)

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