{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/09/30/bennet-wyden-veasey-colleagues-recognize-september-as-national-voting-rights-month-ahead-of-midterm-elections/", "Bennet, Wyden, Veasey, Colleagues Recognize September as National Voting Rights Month Ahead of Midterm Elections", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "CO", "Michael F. Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", "bennet", "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "scraper", "Resolution comes amid efforts by Donald Trump and Republicans to upend vote-by-mail and make voting harder for Americans\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, joined U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), U.S. Representative Marc Veasey (D-Texas), and 60 congressional colleagues to announce the introduction of a bicameral resolution recognizing September as \u201cNational Voting Rights Month.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis month, we celebrate the fundamental right to vote, and the importance of free, fair, and secure elections,\u201d said Bennet. \u201cThis right lies at the core of our democracy, but President Trump and his administration continue to attempt to undermine it for millions of Americans. We must continue our fight to defend Colorado\u2019s gold standard election system against Trump\u2019s baseless attacks and conspiracy theories.\u201d\n\n\u201cTrump is doing everything he can to disenfranchise American voters in this year\u2019s midterms because he\u2019s afraid his platform of jacking up costs is about to lose Republicans the midterms,\u201d said Wyden. \u201cAccess to the ballot and the right to vote are the bedrock of our democracy, and Congressman Veasey and I will continue fighting to protect this fundamental right for all Americans.\u201d\n\n\u201cOver the past year, we\u2019ve seen our fundamental right to vote eroded and access to critical information about the voting process worsen. In my home state alone, we\u2019ve seen efforts to redistrict mid-decade, introduce restrictive voter ID laws, and reduce the number of polling locations available to voters,\u201d said Veasey. \u201cNow more than ever, it is essential for Americans to understand their voting rights, stay informed about what is happening around them, and help to keep their communities informed. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to introduce a resolution alongside Sen. Wyden to designate September 2026 as National Voting Rights Month \u2013 a step towards raising awareness, encouraging civic participation, and ensuring that Americans have the information they need to exercise their right to vote and make their voices heard in November.\u201d\n\nSince the start of his second term, Trump has worked to undermine election systems nationwide, from appointing election deniers to key positions, to firing all members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission, and attempting to limit mail-in voting.\n\nThis resolution encourages voter registration in the month of September and calls on Congress to preserve the right to vote by passing the Freedom to Vote Act and the Democracy Restoration Act, and by restoring the Voting Rights Act of 1965.\n\nBennet has consistently fought against blatant efforts from the Trump administration and Republicans to undermine federal elections. In August 2026, Bennet joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and 26 Senate colleagues to demand the Trump administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act\u2019s \u201cquiet period\u201d that prohibits large-scale voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Trump administration\u2019s ongoing voter suppression efforts. In May 2026, Bennet released a statement following the release of the U.S. Postal Service\u2019s proposed rule that would implement part of Trump\u2019s executive order attacking mail in voting. In April 2026, Bennet joined Padilla and 36 of their colleagues to introduce the Mail and Absentee Voter Protection Act, legislation that would block Trump\u2019s illegal and unconstitutional executive order that attacks Coloradans\u2019 ability to cast mail-in ballots. In March 2026, Bennet condemned the SAVE America Act on the Senate floor and called out Trump for holding the Senate hostage to pass this legislation.\n\nIn April 2025, he spoke on the Senate floor, calling out the SAVE America Act that would make it harder for millions of American citizens to register and exercise their right to vote, including women and voters in rural communities across the country. In February 2025, Bennet slammed Trump for sowing distrust in elections. In July 2023, Bennet and his Democratic colleagues introduced the Freedom to Vote Act to improve Americans\u2019 access to the ballot, invest in state election infrastructure, strengthen campaign finance disclosure requirements, and ensure our elections are free from interference.\n\nIn addition to Bennet, Wyden, and Veasey, U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai\u2019i.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif)., Brian Schatz (D-Hawai\u2019i), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) as well as U.S. Representatives Andr\u00e9 Carson (D-Ind.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Jonathan Jackson (D-III.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), Nellie Pou (D-N.J.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) cosponsored this resolution.\n\nThe text of the resolution is available HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/09/30/bennet-wyden-veasey-colleagues-recognize-september-as-national-voting-rights-month-ahead-of-midterm-elections/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8861999958753586, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}