{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/2025-review-rep-vasquez-delivered-big-bipartisan-wins-new-mexico", "2025 in Review: Rep. Vasquez Delivered Big, Bipartisan Wins for New Mexico", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NM", "Gabe Vasquez", "V000136", "vasquez.house.gov", "vasquez", "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In a year marked by partisan gridlock and politics, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) managed to put common sense over D.C. dysfunction to deliver big, bipartisan wins for New Mexicans.\n\nIn 2025, seven of Rep. Vasquez\u2019s bipartisan bills were signed into law by President Trump, including:\n\nAerial Firefighting Enhancement Act \u2013 boosts resources for aerial wildfire suppression to better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfires\n\nSecure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act \u2013 restores $9 million in annual federal support for rural New Mexico counties to fund essential infrastructure like roads and schools\n\nTRICARE Travel Improvement Act \u2013 expands access to medical travel reimbursement for military families by lowering the mileage threshold under TRICARE Prime to 75 miles, helping families stationed at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base who routinely drive up to 95 miles each way for care\n\nWolf and Livestock Fairness Act \u2013 ensures ranchers are made whole when wolves kill their livestock by raising federal reimbursement from 75% to 100%\n\nDownwinder Commemoration Act\u2013 directs the Department of Defense to establish permanent memorials at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base honoring New Mexican Downwinders impacted by the 1945 Trinity Test\n\nCOUNTERAct \u2013 combats national security risks posed by unidentified drones by bolstering military base commanders\u2019 counter-drone authorities\n\nWhole Milk for Healthy Kids Act \u2013 allows schools to serve whole milk to ensure that students receive the many health benefits and nutrients whole milk provides to young Americans\n\nIn addition to fighting to pass the above pieces of practical, bipartisan legislation, Rep. Vasquez remained laser-focused on protecting his constituents from extreme Republican plans to jack up the price of health care and other essentials like food and utilities. He also introduced legislation to protect New Mexican renters from being priced out of their homes by greedy, corporate landlords.\n\n\u201cFrom boosting New Mexico\u2019s ability to fight wildfires to protecting our rural schools and roads to ensuring our military families can access the health care they deserve, every day I am working to make life better for New Mexicans. I am proud that the seven bipartisan bills I led to passage this year will do just that,\u201d said Vasquez. \u201cWhether they voted for me or not, I represent all New Mexicans who call our district home, and these are the folks I work for \u2014 not any one political party or special interest group.\u201d\n\nOther wins Rep. Vasquez delivered in 2025 for New Mexicans included:\n\nReturned $4.5 Million to NM Taxpayers: In 2025, Rep. Vasquez supported New Mexicans when they needed it most. His team resolved 654 constituent cases this year, including 59 cases with the IRS, Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, and more, helping folks navigate red tape and bureaucracy to make the federal government work for them and returning nearly $4.5 million to taxpayers who were rightfully owed.\n\nKept Public Lands in Public Hands: The Congressman built a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers \u2014 the first-ever Public Lands Caucus \u2014 and successfully blocked extreme Republicans\u2019 attempts to sell off millions of acres of public lands.\n\nSecured Federal Dollars for Smart Investments Back Home: Rep. Vasquez also worked hard to secure federal grants to improve life in New Mexico, including:\n\n$11 million to address homelessness in New Mexico\n\n$745,000 for rural New Mexico airports to improve safety and boost local economies\n\n$4 million for new Las Cruces-El Paso Express Bus Service\n\n$500,000 for the Las Cruces Fire Department to train 15 additional paramedics\n\n$850,000 to construct a workforce training center in Bayard, NM\n\n$1 million to construct a public meeting space and multi-use community area in the Mesilla Town Hall\n\nWent the Extra Mile: New Mexico\u2019s second Congressional district is roughly the size of Pennsylvania \u2014 one of the largest in the country \u2014 but that didn\u2019t stop Rep. Vasquez from going the extra mile to hear from his constituents directly. In 2025, he traveled over 5,000 miles across New Mexico\u2019s second district and visited 14 counties and five Tribal nations to make sure New Mexicans\u2019 voices are heard and acted on.\n\nPut Constituent Service First: With over 190 stakeholder meetings and nearly 35,000 constituent letters, Rep. Vasquez stayed in constant contact with New Mexicans. He also made sure the doors to his D.C. office were always wide open to welcome New Mexicans, and his team provided 104 tours of the Capitol to groups visiting from the Land of Enchantment.\n\nIntroduced a New, Commonsense Immigration Plan: As someone raised on both sides of the border who now represents 180 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, the Congressman knows both parties have gotten immigration and border security wrong for far too long. That\u2019s why he introduced his New American Immigration Plan \u2014 a commonsense path forward to secure our borders, grow our economy, live up to our American values, and create strategic pathways to legal status.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/2025-review-rep-vasquez-delivered-big-bipartisan-wins-new-mexico"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8135849386453629, "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"}