{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221103824/http://pearce.house.gov/press-release/pearce-nm-delegation-26-million-mineral-royalty-payments-returning-nm", "Pearce, NM Delegation: $26 Million in Mineral Royalty Payments Returning to NM", "2013-08-27", "2013", "2013-08", "Republican", "House", "NM", "Steve Pearce", "P000588", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u00a0\u2013 Today,\u00a0U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and the New Mexico Congressional Delegation announced the U.S. Department of the Interior will return $26 million in mineral royalty payments to the state of New Mexico as a result of the N.M. lawmakers\u2019 call for the state to be rightfully paid under the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA).\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased that the Department of the Interior has decided to return the mineral royalties withheld earlier this year,\u201d Pearce said.\u00a0\u201cIt is unacceptable that a unilateral decision in Washington can so easily cut off millions of dollars that are the lifeblood of western states like New Mexico.\u00a0 New Mexico\u2019s classrooms and communities should not suffer at the whim of DC bureaucrats\u2014the Administration\u2019s reckless handling of this issue led to delays and uncertainty that are sure to impact our economy.\u201d\n\u00a0\nIn fiscal year 2013, administration officials unilaterally made the decision that state\u2019s share of royalties under the MLA would be subject to sequestration \u2013 automatic, across-the-board federal government spending cuts. Pearce, with the rest of the New Mexico delegation, opposed the move, which would cost 35 states a total of $109 million, including $26 million from New Mexico in 2013, and similar amounts in future years.\u00a0The delegation, along with lawmakers from other Western states, led a bipartisan call\u00a0for the administration to return the payments.\u00a0In a May 16 letter,\u00a0they also noted the hardship\u00a0that states and local communities would experience if the sequestered revenues were not returned.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe full text of the letter from the Department of the Interior can be viewed\u00a0here.\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe full release from the New Mexico delegation can be viewed here.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://web.archive.org/web/20140221103824/http://pearce.house.gov/press-release/pearce-nm-delegation-26-million-mineral-royalty-payments-returning-nm"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9828808251768351, "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"}