{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://stansbury.house.gov/media/press-releases/heinrich-stansbury-lead-nm-congressional-delegation-bill-rename-belen-post", "Heinrich, Stansbury Lead N.M. Congressional Delegation On Bill To Rename Belen Post Office In Honor Of Former U.S. Senator Dennis Ch\u00e1vez", "2022-07-29", "2022", "2022-07", "Democrat", "House", "NM", "Melanie A. Stansbury", "S001218", "stansbury.house.gov", "stansbury", "https://stansbury.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) introduced legislation to rename the U.S. Post Office facility located at 400 North Main Street in Belen, New Mexico, in honor of former U.S. Senator Dennis Ch\u00e1vez. Senator Ch\u00e1vez, the first American-born Hispanic Senator, worked to further civil rights, education, conservation, and economic development in New Mexico and across the nation.\n\nThe legislation is supported by Senator Ch\u00e1vez\u2019s family, the Belen City Council, New Mexico Chapter of the American Postal Workers Union, and the local Postmaster in Belen.\n\n\u201cDuring his decades-long career in public service, Senator Ch\u00e1vez worked tirelessly to advance the interests of every New Mexican,\u201dsaid Heinrich. \u201cHis legacy continues to impact and inspire my work in the Senate today. I am proud to introduce this legislation to commemorate his service to New Mexico.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the first Hispanic senator to serve in the U.S. Senate, Senator Dennis Ch\u00e1vez did not just break barriers\u2014his commitment to justice, civil rights, and honoring New Mexico\u2019s communities made a lasting difference for our state,\u201dsaid Stansbury. \u201cKnown as \u2018El Senador\u2019 by his colleagues, Senator Ch\u00e1vez never backed down from defending what he knew to be right, whether it was championing organized labor and our communities or being the first to speak out against dangerous anti-democratic smear campaigns. I am proud to introduce this bill honoring his legacy\u2014so that all who enter the Senator Dennis Ch\u00e1vez Post Office in Belen can honor and remember one of New Mexico\u2019s finest public servants.\u201d\n\nSenator Heinrich and Representative Stansbury are joined by U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) and Teresa Leger Fern\u00e1ndez (D-N.M.).\n\n\u201cSenator Dennis Ch\u00e1vez's career stands as a shining example of a trailblazer who gave our communities hope as he fought tirelessly for civil rights and labor protections for hardworking families in New Mexico,\u201dsaid Luj\u00e1n. \u201cThis legislation to rename the Belen Post Office in Senator Ch\u00e1vez\u2019s honor is just a small token of gratitude for his long career of service to the people of New Mexico. I\u2019m honored to follow in his footsteps as a Hispanic U.S. Senator, and I will continue to champion those same issues he did and be a voice for the voiceless.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am glad we have the opportunity to honor America\u2019s first Hispanic senator, Dennis Chavez,\u201dsaid Herrell. \u201cIn Congress he fought for veterans, for hard-working American families, and for the people of the young state of New Mexico. May his legacy of public service inspire new generations of New Mexicans to help their fellow citizens and strengthen our great nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cNew Mexico selected Senator Ch\u00e1vez as one of our two commemorative statues in the Capitol for a reason,\u201d said Leger Fern\u00e1ndez. \u201cHis work ethic and philanthropy during his service between 1936 and 1962 represent a grand legacy that speaks of his love for service and his passion for working tirelessly for New Mexicans. I am honored to support the first Hispanic senator to serve in the U.S. Senate and rename the Belen Post Office in his honor.\u201d\n\nSenator Ch\u00e1vez dropped out of school at age of 13 in order to help support his family. However, he continued his education independently, and eventually gained admission to Georgetown University Law School.\n\nSenator Ch\u00e1vez began his political career in 1922 when he was elected to the New Mexico State House of Representatives. In 1930, he was elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he sat on the Public Lands and Indian Affairs Committees. Senator Ch\u00e1vez was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1936. In 1950, he was selected to be the Chairman the Senate Committee on Public Works. As Chairman, he oversaw critical advancements in our nation\u2019s infrastructure, including expansion of the interstate highway system, improvements to water infrastructure, and construction of federal buildings, including post offices.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"]], "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://stansbury.house.gov/media/press-releases/heinrich-stansbury-lead-nm-congressional-delegation-bill-rename-belen-post"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5209629200398922, "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"}