url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trumps-assault-on-wind-energy-leaves-permitting-reform-dead-in-the-water,Trump’s Assault on Wind Energy Leaves Permitting Reform Dead in the Water,2025-12-22,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), issued the following statement after the Trump Administration stopped five offshore wind farms that were under construction—adding to the growing number of onshore solar and wind energy projects that are still waiting for approval from the Department of Interior—preventing the delivery of affordable, reliable energy to tens of millions of Americans: “We want to thank Chairs Capito and Lee for their good-faith efforts to negotiate a permitting reform bill that would have lowered electricity prices for all Americans. There was a deal to be had that would have taken politics out of permitting, made the process faster and more efficient, and streamlined grid infrastructure improvements nationwide.” “But any deal would have to be administered by the Trump Administration. Its reckless and vindictive assault on wind energy doesn’t just undermine one of our cheapest, cleanest power sources, it wrecks the trust needed with the executive branch for bipartisan permitting reform. By sabotaging U.S. energy innovation and killing American jobs, the Trump Administration has made clear that it is not interested in permitting reform. It will own the higher electricity prices, increasingly decrepit infrastructure, and loss of competitiveness that result from its reckless policies.” “The illegal attacks on fully permitted renewable energy projects must be reversed if there is to be any chance that permitting talks resume. There is no path to permitting reform if this administration refuses to follow the law.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-issues-statement-on-trump-administration-breaking-the-law-by-refusing-to-release-complete-epstein-files,Heinrich Issues Statement on Trump Administration Breaking the Law by Refusing to Release Complete Epstein Files,2025-12-19,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that President Trump’s Department of Justice would only release a portion of the Epstein files today, in direct violation of federal law: “The law could not have been clearer: President Trump’s Department of Justice had 30 days to release ALL the files. Presumably, President Trump signed the bill into law himself, so he should know that... “But let’s not forget — President Trump has always had the power to release these files on his own. Ignoring the law now isn’t confusion or delay. It’s a deliberate attempt to bury the truth and protect the pedophiles who exploited and abused young girls. “The American people deserve transparency. Survivors deserve justice. President Trump: Release all the files. Now.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-releases-new-fact-sheet-on-rising-electric-bills-on-trumps-watch,Heinrich Releases New Fact Sheet on Rising Electric Bills on Trump’s Watch,2025-12-19,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released a new fact sheet that details how President Trump’s actions are gutting the energy sector and hiking up costs for families across the country. Since President Trump took office, household electricity bills have gone up 13%, with consumers soon to face a total of $85.8 billion in proposed or approved cost increases. Additionally, the Trump Administration has stalled the permits of more than 500 clean energy projects, rolled back tax credits that are helping families save money, taxed critical metals that are the backbone of the electric grid, and forced rate payers to bear the cost of keeping fossil fuel plants online past their retirement dates, exacerbating the nation’s energy affordability crisis. Data Source: Monthly Form EIA-861M (formerly EIA-826) detailed data - Revenue, sales, customer counts, and retail price by state and sector (https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861m/xls/sales_revenue.xlsx) “Right now, Americans are facing an energy affordability crisis – electric bills are skyrocketing for families, and we’re not getting enough energy on our grid to meet the increasing demand from communities and data centers,” said Heinrich. “Donald Trump’s actions are single-handedly making this crisis worse. If we’re serious about lowering utility costs for working families, Donald Trump and his agencies need to stop sitting on routine approvals that are stalling projects across America and preventing them from bringing additional supply onto the grid.” Read the factsheet here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-during-committee-markup-heinrich-spotlights-need-to-pass-his-bipartisan-legislation-to-complete-continental-divide-trail,"ICYMI: During Committee Markup, Heinrich Spotlights Need to Pass His Bipartisan Legislation to Complete Continental Divide Trail",2025-12-19,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — In his opening statement at a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee business meeting to examine pending legislation, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the Committee’s Ranking Member, emphasized the need to pass legislation to improve New Mexicans’ access to their public lands, including his bipartisan Continental Divide Completion Act, which would complete the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail to better maintain the trail’s purpose while ensuring a safer more enjoyable journey for hikers. In addition to the Continental Divide Completion Act, Heinrich also highlighted the need to pass U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján's (D-N.M.) New Mexico Land Grant-Mercedes Historical or Traditional Use Cooperation and Coordination Act to improve coordination of New Mexico land grants and public land agencies, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet’s (D-Colo.) Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act, which protects the Dolores River in Colorado by establishing a National Conservation Area and Special Management Area in the public land surrounding the river, and U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis’ (R-Wyo.) Wyoming Education Trust Modernization Act, which allows Wyoming greater flexibility on how to manage revenue from their state land. VIDEO: Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers opening remarks during a Committee business meeting, December 17th, 2025. “The CDT is not just for through-hikers; for many New Mexicans, the CDT is their local trail. The trail where they walk their dog or spend time with their families. And the problem has been that there are still many gaps in the trail, where hikers have to literally hike on roads, even highway shoulders to connect from one segment to the next,” noted Heinrich. “The Continental Divide Completion Act, which we will consider today, would direct the land management agencies to work with trail users and local communities to fill in the gaps and complete this trail,” continued Heinrich. “I want to thank Senator Daines for partnering with me on this legislation.” A video of Heinrich’s opening remarks is here. A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and I am pleased to see us considering 12 bills today. I hope that we can build on this for the future. And I want to point out that our agenda today includes the Continental Divide Completion Act, a bill I introduced along with Senator Daines. The CDT stretches from the Mexican border to the Canadian border, crossing more than 3,000 miles of some of the most rugged terrain in the U.S. While Senator Daines and I disagree on which portions of the trail are more scenic, we agree on getting this across the finish line. The trail is part of the Triple Crown of hiking and brings visitors from around the world to climb the spine of the North American continent. And for the mountain towns along the way, the trail really means economic development, it means good jobs, and it means money in their pockets. The CDT is not just for through-hikers; for many New Mexicans, the CDT is their local trail. The trail where they walk their dog or spend time with their families. And the problem has been that there are still many gaps in the trail, where hikers have to literally hike on roads, even highway shoulders to connect from one segment to the next. The Continental Divide Completion Act, which we will consider today, would direct the land management agencies to work with trail users and local communities to fill in the gaps and complete this trail. I want to thank Senator Daines for partnering with me on this legislation. -- And while there are too many bills on today’s agenda to mention all of them, but I do want to quickly highlight three others: S. 1363 would improve coordination between New Mexico land grants and the public land agencies on traditional uses of public land. S. 1787 would protect the Dolores River in Colorado by establishing a National Conservation Area and Special Management Area on the public land along this river. And lastly, S. 2273 would allow the state of Wyoming greater flexibility in how they manage state revenues derived from state lands. New Mexico recently needed Congressional action to change how we use state land revenues, so I know how important it is that this committee address these state trust land issues quickly as they arise. And I’ll hold the rest of my comments on other bills until we reach them on the agenda, and yield back my time. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-applauds-committee-passage-of-legislation-toprovide-greater-cooperation-between-the-federal-government-and-land-grant-communities/,Luján Applauds Committee Passage of Legislation to Provide Greater Cooperation between the Federal Government and Land Grant Communities,2025-12-19,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) applauded the passage of the New Mexico Land Grant-Mercedes Historical or Traditional Use Cooperation and Coordination Act in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. This legislation will provide greater cooperation between the federal government and land grant communities. There are 27 community land grant-mercedes that are recognized as political subdivisions under New Mexico law. “I’m proud that my legislation to strengthen cooperation between the federal government and land grant communities, which are an essential part of New Mexico’s history and culture, has passed through committee and is one step closer to becoming law. These communities have cared for our land for generations, and preserving that connection is crucial for our land and cultural heritage,” said Senator Luján, member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. “This legislation ensures that the federal government considers historical traditional uses in federal land management planning, helping to protect these valuable traditions for future generations.” “Land grant communities represent farmers and ranchers, families, and elders. They care for and sustain our lands,” said Rep. Leger Fernández, House lead of the legislation.“The New Mexico Land Grant Council’s work to advocate for their communities is a perfect example of the beauty of democracy in action. We’re happy to see that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee took action on this bill today. We will continue to work towards passage to improve cooperation and communication between federal agencies and our land grant communities to make sure these communities can access lands for the historical and traditional uses they have been practicing for centuries.” The New Mexico Land Grant-Mercedes Historical or Traditional Use Cooperation and Coordination Act: Directs the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) and Department of Agriculture (USDA), through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the New Mexico Land Grant Council, to clarify existing agency processes that qualified land grant-mercedes may use to seek authorization for historical or traditional uses on Federal public lands, including permit requirements and associated fees; Clarifies that the MOU does not directly authorize any uses or activities on Federal public lands; Directs the DOI and USDA to consult with Tribes when the MOU is entered into, extended, renewed or revised; Ensures that the MOU contains a description of the notice and comment procedures on agency land management planning decisions, and that qualified land grant-mercedes, the New Mexico Land Grant Council, and Tribes are notified of opportunities to comment on and be involved in agency land management planning decisions; and Requires the DOI and the USDA to evaluate impacts on historical or traditional uses in Federal land use planning. In April 2025, Senator Luján and Representative Leger Fernández reintroduced the New Mexico Land Grant-Mercedes Historical or Traditional Use Cooperation and Coordination Act. In March 2022, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest, and Public Lands held a hearing on a previous version of the legislation. In June 2022, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing on the legislation. In July 2022, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources unanimously passed the legislation, and in December 2022, the Senate passed the legislation unanimously. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives during the 116th Congress, Senator Luján unanimously passed similar legislation through the House to make it easier for land grant-mercedes to work with federal land management agencies. A summary of the bill is available HERE. Full text of the legislation is available HERE. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-fighting-for-new-mexicans-in-2025/,Luján: Fighting for New Mexicans in 2025,2025-12-19,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Luján Saved Over $7.4 Million for New Mexicans, Closed 1,204 Constituent Cases in 2025 VIDEO: A Message From Senator Luján to New Mexicans Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) highlighted legislative victories, constituent services successes, and efforts to push back against extreme policies that hurt New Mexicans in 2025. “It is an honor and a privilege to represent New Mexico every day in the United States Senate,” said Senator Luján. “From securing an extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, to delivering more than $200 million for projects across New Mexico, I am proud to have delivered real results for New Mexicans in 2025 – even as the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans have continued to advance policies that harm our state. This year, we have seen this administration hurt New Mexico’s farmers, ranchers, small business owners, veterans, and families trying to make ends meet. I will continue fighting to defend New Mexicans from these extreme policies, mass firings, and deep cuts that unravel the fabric of our communities.” “Providing the best constituent services for New Mexicans has always been a top priority for my office, and I am extremely proud of the work that we accomplished for my constituents this year,” continued Senator Luján. “As always, I encourage New Mexicans to reach out to my office for assistance whenever they need help.” Hosting Town Halls Across New Mexico In 2025, Senator Luján held four in-person town halls across New Mexico to hear directly from hundreds of constituents and engage in conversations regarding issues impacting New Mexicans. During the town halls, Senator Luján highlighted his work on behalf of New Mexicans and took questions from community members on their concerns. Spotlight Forums Senator Luján led two Senate Spotlight Forums, events where he brought together Senate colleagues and industry experts to bring attention to policies implemented by the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans that are hurting Americans across the country. To highlight devastating cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Senator Luján convened a Spotlight Forum titled “Hunger by Design: The GOP’s Assault on SNAP” to underscore the devastating impact of Congressional Republicans’ plan to gut SNAP. Examining how President Trump’s tariff policies raise costs for working families and fuel economic instability, Senator Luján hosted a Spotlight Forum titled “Costs, Chaos, Corruption: The Household Impact of Trump’s Tariffs,” featuring testimony from policy experts, labor leaders, and small business owners directly impacted by the reckless tariffs. Fighting for New Mexicans by Holding the Trump Administration Accountable Since taking office in January 2025, President Trump has undermined the rule of law, gutted key federal programs, shutdown our federal government, and created chaos and confusion. New Mexicans deserve a federal government that works for them, not a presidential administration that only looks out for themselves. In 2025, Senator Luján has fought in Congress to defend New Mexicans from extreme policies, mass firings, and deep cuts to federal programs that New Mexicans rely on. Learn more about how Senator Luján has held the Trump administration accountable here. Helping New Mexicans in 2025 In 2025, Senator Luján saved constituents over $7.4 million, helped close 1,204 constituent cases on issues ranging from taking care of our state’s veterans to helping our seniors collect their benefits. In 2025, Senator Luján’s office received correspondence from more than 256,000 New Mexicans and sent over 530,000 pieces of mail in response. New Mexicans in need of assistance in navigating federal agencies and issues can contact Senator Luján’s office here or by calling 575-252-6188 or 202-224-6621. Delivering Legislative Victories This year, Senator Luján introduced 47 bills and 71 amendments and co-sponsored over 350 bills and amendments to boost the quality of life for New Mexicans. Of the legislative work that Senator Luján championed, 6 bills authored by Senator Luján were signed into law. Significant initiatives Senator Luján championed this year include: Senator Luján led the Senate Democratic Caucus in proposing legislative solutions to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits that make health care affordable for families in New Mexico and people across the country. Senator Luján led the Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing legislation to repeal the devastating Republican cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) made in the Republican Budget Betrayal. Based on years of work spearheading legislation to strengthen the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) program, Senator Luján helped secure an expansion and extension of RECA to compensate victims of radiation and uranium mine workers. Since being elected to Congress, Senator Luján has played a leading role in advancing legislation to strengthen the RECA program in both the House and Senate, introducing RECA legislation in every Congress and twice passing it through the Senate. Four bills led by Senator Luján to combat the fentanyl crisis through addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery were signed into law as a part of the SUPPORT Act – a bipartisan package of fentanyl prevention bills. In appropriations bills that were signed into law, Senator Luján successfully secured $202,188,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for 13 critical New Mexico projects. Looking Ahead to 2026 Since being elected to Congress, Senator Luján has developed extensive relationships with his House and Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance legislation, make life more affordable for Americans, and defend New Mexico values and priorities. In 2026, Senator Luján will continue delivering results for New Mexicans. He will stand up to protect New Mexicans from attacks from the Trump administration, defend health care and Social Security, protect our public lands, serve our veterans, honor our commitment to Tribal Nations, invest in National Laboratories, and promote affordability for all New Mexicans. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-statement-on-trump-administrations-failure-to-release-all-epstein-files/,Luján Statement on Trump Administration’s Failure to Release All Epstein Files,2025-12-19,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after the Department of Justice refused to release the full Epstein files: “Today is the deadline for the Trump administration and the Department of Justice to release all of the documents related to the Epstein files. The DOJ was given sufficient time to properly review and redact information pertaining to the privacy of the victims in order to make the files available to the public and to brief Congress. “President Trump’s failure to release the full report only impedes long-awaited justice for Epstein’s victims and further implicates this administration in a cover-up. This administration must follow the law and release all of the files immediately.” Senators Luján and Merkley introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act earlier this year to ensure full transparency for the American people, accountability for those involved with Epstein, and justice for victims. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/n-m-delegation-calls-on-trump-administration-to-support-states-application-for-federal-rural-health-transformation-program-funding/,N.M. Delegation Calls on Trump Administration to Support State’s Application for Federal Rural Health Transformation Program Funding,2025-12-19,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), along with U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz in support of New Mexico’s Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program application. The RHT program was established following the passage of the Republican Budget Betrayal, which is estimated to cut $137 billion in funding for rural hospitals across the country. In their letter, the New Mexico delegation stresses the urgent need for federal support to meet New Mexico’s rural health needs. Following cuts made to rural health care in the Republican Budget Betrayal, 6 to 8 rural hospitals are at risk of closure in New Mexico in the next 18 months, with a potential of up to 15 closures. “We write to express our enthusiastic support for New Mexico’s Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program application. As members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation, we are proud to endorse our state’s ambitious plan to improve health care access, quality, and sustainability across New Mexico’s rural, frontier, and Tribal communities,” said the lawmakers. “New Mexico’s geography and demographics present unique challenges that our RHT program application will help us to address. Nearly one-third of our residents live in rural areas, and many face long travel distances to receive health care services and have limited provider availability in their immediate communities,” continued the lawmakers. “Our state’s rural health transformation plan is also actionable, designed to deliver both immediate and long-term benefits to our rural providers and community members,” concluded the lawmakers. The full text of the letter is available here and below: Dear Administrator Oz, We write to express our enthusiastic support for New Mexico’s Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program application. As members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation, we are proud to endorse our state’s ambitious plan to improve health care access, quality, and sustainability across New Mexico’s rural, frontier, and Tribal communities. New Mexico’s geography and demographics present unique challenges that our RHT program application will help us to address. Nearly one-third of our residents live in rural areas, and many face long travel distances to receive health care services and have limited provider availability in their immediate communities. Our rural community members often face persistent health challenges, especially chronic disease management. Additionally, although our provider community is both strong and resilient, many rural providers are facing ongoing challenges to maintain viability and their ability to deliver highly necessary services. The transformation plan defined in our state’s RHT Program application offers a bold and thoughtful response to these challenges, built on suggestions received through community engagement and aligned with our state’s most pressing rural health care needs. The plan’s five initiatives (Healthy Horizons, Rooted in New Mexico, the Rural Health Innovation Fund, Bridge to Resilience, and the Rural Health Data Hub) reflect a comprehensive strategy to enhance and modernize rural health care across New Mexico. These initiatives will help our state expand specialty care access, strengthen chronic disease management, build a sustainable health care workforce, support community-led and community-tailored innovation, stabilize and support rural providers, and improve data transparency and infrastructure. We are especially encouraged by the plan’s commitment to keeping care close to home and respecting the sovereignty and cultural priorities of New Mexico’s 23 tribal nations, pueblos, and sovereign communities. Our state’s rural health transformation plan is also actionable, designed to deliver both immediate and long-term benefits to our rural providers and community members. The plan includes clear performance metrics, robust ongoing stakeholder engagement, and a sustainability plan that will help promote impact beyond the five-year funding period. By improving access to care, investing in community-designed and led solutions, empowering rural communities, and helping to stabilize our rural health care providers, New Mexico will set a national example for how to effectively use rural health transformation funding in a way that will help every rural resident, regardless of their zip code, to access the care they need to live healthy, full lives. We urge CMS to approve and support this application. We are thankful for Governor Lujan Grisham’s leadership in preparing this transformation plan and look forward to its successful implementation. Thank you for your consideration and for your continued commitment to improving health and health care access across rural America. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/albuquerque-journal-congressional-proposal-would-transfer-more-land-to-fast-growing-indian-pueblo-cultural-center-campus,Albuquerque Journal: Congressional proposal would transfer more land to fast-growing Indian Pueblo Cultural Center campus,2025-12-18,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"A fast-growing area of Albuquerque would get another boost from federal legislation that would transfer the nearly 10 acres that were part of the former Albuquerque Indian School to a trust run by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. The transfer would be for the benefit of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which is run jointly by the 19 pueblos of New Mexico. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich sponsored the legislation, while U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján is a co-sponsor. Luján is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. On the House side, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury is supporting the legislation. All are New Mexico Democrats. “My legislation expands on decades of bipartisan work to put the former Albuquerque Indian School campus and surrounding tracts of land in to trust for the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico,” Heinrich said in a statement. “This land, in particular, will be used by the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to scale Native-owned businesses, create jobs, and expand business services for local and Native-owned businesses – an economic win for everyone.” “Our 19 Pueblos of New Mexico have come together to create a place in the heart of Albuquerque where Pueblo culture is celebrated and uplifted while creating pathways for progress,” Indian Pueblo Cultural Center President and CEO Monique Fragua said in a statement. “This congressional action to transfer federal land honors our mission and empowers us to expand economic opportunities and cultural initiatives. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Sen. Heinrich and his team for their unwavering commitment to this cause and to the future of Pueblo people.” The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center campus includes 80 acres of land in Albuquerque, which includes a museum and gallery space. The campus is located in a cultural and business district, which is also owned and operated by the Pueblos. This includes the Indian Pueblo Kitchen, an entrepreneurial complex, the Four Winds convenience store, commercial retail and restaurant lease space, multiple hotels and more. “The Albuquerque Indian School Land Transfer Act of 2025 will expand economic development and cultural education opportunities for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which serves all nineteen of New Mexico’s Pueblos,” Luján said in a statement. “I am proud to introduce this legislation to help the center grow its capacity as a cultural and economic institution, creating jobs and generating revenue for New Mexico’s Pueblos and our communities.” In 2015, Congress passed a law that transferred 11.1 acres that were part of the Albuquerque Indian School to the trust of the 19 Pueblos.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/nm-delegation-condemns-trumps-plan-to-cut-veterans-health-administration-positions,N.M. Delegation Condemns Trump’s Plan to Cut Veterans Health Administration Positions,2025-12-18,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) released the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s announced plan to eliminate tens of thousands of positions within the Veterans Health Administration, which could include positions at the Raymond G. Murphy U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Albuquerque and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in New Mexico. “New Mexico veterans answered the call to serve our country and defend our freedoms. We owe it to these men and women to honor their sacrifice and ensure they have access to the care they have earned. The VA must be held accountable for plans to cut their essential workforce and for President Trump’s pattern of disrespecting our veterans by further delaying their care and benefits. “This is just another step toward the Trump Administration’s goal of privatizing the VA. Let’s be clear: New Mexico veterans do not want a private VA. They want a better VA that is their own. We will fight like hell to protect their VA and ensure these heroes receive the health care they were promised.” The VA has already lost more than 30,000 employees this year and Trump’s newest plan to eliminate tens of thousands more jobs will only exacerbate staffing shortages due to mass firings, hiring freezes, and contract cancellations earlier this year. Eliminating vacant positions will only make it even harder for VA to meet increased demand for services as more than one million veterans enrolled as a result of the expanded eligibility under the PACT Act for toxic exposure, as well as urgently needed mental health care resources aimed at reducing the veteran suicide rate. While the VA has not announced how many positions will be cut from New Mexico, the plan would shrink the VA’s essential workforce across the country. Today, N.M. Delegation staff asked the VA if any positions at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center will be cut and how those cuts will be determined. But the VA did not provide any answers specific to New Mexico. The N.M. Delegation will continue to press the Trump Administration for transparency and concrete answers on these planned VA cuts and their impacts on essential medical services for New Mexico veterans. Earlier this year, Heinrich and Luján introduced the Putting Veteran’s First Act, which reverses the chaos and damage created at the VA by the Trump Administration. Additionally, Heinrich and Luján called on VA Secretary Doug Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated in February who serve veterans and their families nationwide, including critical employees combatting veteran suicide working at the Veterans Crisis Line. This week, Heinrich and Vasquez successfully passed their TRICARE Travel Improvement Act to ensure active-duty service members and their families can be reimbursed when they travel for medical care. In March, Vasquez introduced the New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act to protect access to care for rural veterans living in Otero and Eddy counties. In 2022, Heinrich, Lujan, Leger Fernández, and Stansbury also successfully defeated recommendations put forth to the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission, which threatened to close the CBOCs in Gallup, Las Vegas, Española, and Raton, New Mexico. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-fischer-lead-colleagues-to-preserve-states-ability-to-use-broadband-infrastructure-funds-as-congress-intended/,"Luján, Fischer Lead Colleagues to Preserve States’ Ability to Use Broadband Infrastructure Funds as Congress Intended",2025-12-18,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, sent a letter to Arielle Roth, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), urging the administration to preserve states’ ability to use their non-deployment Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds consistent with congressional intent and the bipartisan infrastructure law. Luján and Fischer’s letter also requests NTIA to provide a public accounting of unspent BEAD funds for each state, clarification of NTIA’s current interpretation of allowable “non-deployment” uses, and a timetable for revised guidance on non-deployment funds. The lawmakers write: “We write to request the agency’s attention to a major question emerging within the BEAD Program. Under the latest BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity, many states likely will — or already do — have leftover BEAD allocations. Given the intent of Congress that these resources be used to expand broadband access nationwide, we respectfully seek clarity on how NTIA will ensure proper stewardship and redistribution of non-deployment funds to close the digital divide.” In addition to Senators Luján and Fischer, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Moran (R-KS), Cantwell (D-WA), Risch (R-ID), Rosen (D-NV), Crapo (R-ID), Shaheen (D-NH), Sullivan (R-AK), Markey (D-MA), Murkowski (R-AK), Baldwin (D-WI), Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Klobuchar (D-MN). Full text of the letter is here and below. Dear Administrator Roth, We write to request the agency’s attention to a major question emerging within the BEAD Program. Under the latest BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity, many states likely will — or already do — have leftover BEAD allocations. Given the intent of Congress that these resources be used to expand broadband access nationwide, we respectfully seek clarity on how NTIA will ensure proper stewardship and redistribution of non-deployment funds to close the digital divide. Under the statutory framework established by Section 60102 of the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (47 U.S.C. § 1702), BEAD funding was intended first and foremost to fund broadband expansion: deployment to unserved locations, then underserved areas and connection of eligible community anchor institutions, before consideration of a broader set of permissible “non-deployment” uses to facilitate goals of the program. Congress granted this authority, along with the authority to redistribute unallocated funding amongst eligible entities, to maximize broadband infrastructure expansion – and thereby boost the economic productivity that connectivity brings to every corner of our country. The current status of non-deployment funding, however, appears unsettled. While NTIA’s recent guidance stated that allowable non-deployment purposes were still under review, we were encouraged by your public comments on December 2, 2025, stating that the agency is “operating under the assumption that the states will get to use their BEAD savings,” though noting that “nothing has been finalized.” Given these considerations, we respectfully request that NTIA provide: 1. A public accounting of the unspent BEAD funds for each state, including amounts already committed to deployment projects and amounts remaining unallocated or reserved for non-deployment uses; 2. Clarification of NTIA’s current interpretation of allowable “non-deployment” uses in light of the June 2025 policy notice and consistent with authorized use of the funds under 47 U.S.C. § 1702 moving forward, and whether any previously approved non-deployment activities may remain eligible; and 3. A timetable for revised guidance on non-deployment funds, along with any criteria or conditions under which non-deployment programs will be permitted or prioritized. In responding, we strongly urge NTIA to preserve states’ ability to use their non-deployment BEAD funds consistent with congressional intent and the bipartisan infrastructure law. We look forward to your timely reply and to ensuring that every BEAD dollar is used to connect Americans for generations to come, as Congress intended. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-reintroduces-legislation-to-increase-multilingual-content-moderation-enforcement-and-transparency/,Luján Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Multilingual Content Moderation Enforcement and Transparency,2025-12-18,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, led U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Ron Wyden (D-Oreg.) in introducing the Language-Inclusive Support and Transparency for Online Services (LISTOS) Act to improve multilingual large language models, automated decision-making systems, and content moderation practices online to better protect non-English speaking communities. The LISTOS Act requires online platforms to consistently communicate and enforce their policies across languages and transparently report on the processes used to enforce policies. “Despite having a global user base that speaks multiple languages, tech platforms do not make adequate investments in protecting families who speak Spanish and other non-English languages online,” said Senator Luján. “I’m proud to reintroduce the LISTOS Act to require platforms to provide more transparency of multilingual AI models and staff used to moderate content, and enforce their policies consistently across languages.” “The LISTOS ACT ensures inclusive access to AI and equitable online safety for non-English language communities who are currently underserved by major social media companies,” said Senator Padilla. “Investing in multilingual access to information and services will improve online communication and propel innovation while helping to bridge the gap between English and non-English speakers.” “Many non-English speaking communities are being left out of online safety measures, as protections and filters that would apply to content in English, are neglected for other languages, putting many online users at a higher risk of disinformation, scams, and fraud,” said Senator Hirono. “I am proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this legislation to ensure that online platforms are consistent across languages, accessible to non-English speaking communities, and help to protect users against fraud attempts, regardless of their native language.” “Big tech companies are failing millions of people by allowing scams, fraud and other slime to spread in Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese, where the same posts in English would be filtered out. At the same time, tech companies are fueling crises abroad by refusing to invest adequate resources in their overseas offices,” said Senator Wyden. “Every community in Oregon and nationwide deserves the same protections from Big Tech as their English-speaking neighbors. I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this bill, which would protect online communities, no matter what language they speak.” “Far too often, online platforms create double standards regarding content moderation. While English-language content receives some oversight and clearer enforcement, Spanish and other languages are treated as an afterthought,” said Mark Magaña, GreenLatinos Founding President & CEO.“Nearly 22% of the entire population in the U.S. spoke a language other than English at home. False and harmful narratives remain unchecked in Spanish and other languages, allowing for disinformation and hate to spread readily throughout our communities. The LISTOS Act is a critical step in addressing these disparities by requiring online platforms to communicate and enforce their policies consistently across languages, increase transparency around their content moderation practices, and allocate resources equitably. Green Latinos is proud to support this measure and looks forward to how this act will provide the foundation for stronger accountability, greater transparency, and a safer online environment for non-English speaking communities.” “Online access to information across languages is essential in today’s digital-first world. We do everything online — from finding jobs, paying bills, chatting with friends, catching up on news of the day. The LISTOS Act is a critical step towards ensuring equity of access for non-English users and holding social-media platforms accountable to content moderation policies and practices. Free Press Action Fund is honored to endorse the LISTOS Act at a time when the role of fact-checkers faces undue scrutiny and online manipulation risks further tearing at collective cohesion and democratic engagement,” said Nora Benavidez, Senior Counsel at Free Press and Free Press Action Fund. This legislation is endorsed by Free Press, National Hispanic Media Coalition, GreenLatinos, and Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA). Full text of the bill is available HERE. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-schiff-colleagues-blast-fcc-efforts-to-strip-broadband-price-transparency-labels-for-consumers-demand-reversal/,"Luján, Schiff, Colleagues Blast FCC Efforts to Strip Broadband Price Transparency Labels for Consumers, Demand Reversal",2025-12-18,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) led six senators to urge Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr to reverse the agency’s decision to weaken broadband label rules that help consumers understand the type of broadband services they are buying before committing to a provider. In a letter to Chairman Carr, the Senators expressed strong opposition to the FCC’s proposed rulemaking that would scale back key broadband consumer label requirements adopted unanimously in 2022. Congress gave the Commission explicit instructions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to create these labels. “The broadband label framework was designed to work like nutrition labels, giving consumers a clear, consistent way to understand what services they are buying before they commit. After years of development and a bipartisan vote to implement these protections, we are now at the point where providers have integrated these labels into their systems and consumers are beginning to rely on them. This is not the moment to reverse course,” the Senators wrote. “The entire purpose of the broadband label is to show consumers the real, total cost of service so that they can make informed choices. Allowing providers to bundle these fees into vague line items recreates exactly the kind of billing opaqueness that Congress sought to end. Families need to see what they are being charged and why,” the Senators continued. Under the FCC’s proposal, internet service providers would be allowed to take actions such as bundling optional fees instead of listing them clearly and removing labels from customer account portals which consumers often use to compare and review their service terms. The proposal could also allow providers to not display labels in the same languages used to advertise their plans. In addition to Senators Luján and Schiff, this letter is also signed by Senators Brian Schatz (D- Hawai’i), Ron Wyden (D-Ore,), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.). This letter follows an earlier letter sent by Senators Lujan and Klobuchar on October 24, 2025. The full text of the letter can be found hereand below: Dear Chairman Carr: We write to express strong opposition to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would scale back key broadband consumer label requirements this Commission adopted unanimously in 2022. Congress gave the Commission explicit instructions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to create these labels, and we are concerned that the current proposal moves in the opposite direction from what the law requires and what consumers deserve. This letter is submitted as a follow-up to the letter sent by Senators Klobuchar and Lujan on October 24, 2025, prior to the Commission’s 2-1 vote to advance the proposed changes. The broadband label framework was designed to work like nutrition labels, giving consumers a clear, consistent way to understand what services they are buying before they commit. After years of development and a bipartisan vote to implement these protections, we are now at the point where providers have integrated these labels into their systems and consumers are beginning to rely on them. This is not the moment to reverse course. The proposal to exclude telephone sales from point-of-sale disclosure requirements would eliminate transparency for some of the most vulnerable consumers in our country. Seniors, people with disabilities, rural residents, and households shopping for their first internet service frequently rely on phone conversations to compare plans and sign up for service. Under this proposal, those consumers would lose access to the very information that online shoppers take for granted. Instead of regulatory efficiency, this change would create a two-tier system that disadvantages the Americans who can least afford confusion about the services they are purchasing. We are equally troubled by the Commission’s proposal to let providers aggregate discretionary fees that companies choose to impose rather than itemize them. The entire purpose of the broadband label is to show consumers the real, total cost of service so that they can make informed choices. Allowing providers to bundle these fees into vague line items recreates exactly the kind of billing opaqueness that Congress sought to end. Families need to see what they are being charged and why. Comparison shopping becomes meaningless if the prices are not actually comparable. The proposal to remove labels from customer account portals is also misguided. Right now, a consumer can log into their account months after signing up, pull up their label, and verify what they were promised at the initial point of sale. They can check whether their promotional rate is about to expire or compare their current plan to newer options. Eliminating that access would leave consumers with no reliable way to review their own service terms. At a time when internet service costs are rising and many families are managing tighter budgets, we should be making it easier for people to understand what they are paying for. Public interest advocates have long emphasized that ongoing access to these labels is not merely a convenience but a core consumer protection. Broadband plans change frequently, promotional rates expire, and providers sometimes introduce new terms or fees long after the initial sale. Without a persistent label visible in customers’ online accounts, consumers have no simple way to verify whether their service still matches what they were promised or to detect price increases and speed changes that may occur over time. Removing this requirement would make it easier for providers to bury bill changes in dense terms of service or scattered emails, and it would hinder consumers’ ability to exercise their rights, switch plans, or challenge inaccurate billing. Continuous transparency is essential to preventing bait-and-switch tactics and to ensuring broadband markets function fairly for all people. We also urge the Commission to reconsider eliminating multilingual label requirements. Providers actively market to non-English-speaking communities in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and other languages. It is both reasonable and fair to require that the same consumers receive pricing and service term disclosures in the language they were sold in. Marketing in one language while providing key financial information only in English will only result in confusion and exploitation. Furthermore, the proposed elimination of machine-readable formats and archiving requirements would undermine accountability across the board. These technical features allow consumer advocates, researchers, regulators, and journalists to analyze pricing trends, track harmful practices, and fuel tools that help families make fully informed financial decisions. They also support the Commission’s own enforcement work. Removing these features would weaken oversight at a time when the broadband market needs more scrutiny. The broadband label program represents bipartisan recognition that clear information is essential to a functioning market. The law Congress passed was not a suggestion. It was a directive, rooted in the straightforward principle that consumers deserve to know what they are purchasing in easy-to-understand terms and what it costs when they sign a contract. We respectfully urge the Commission to withdraw or substantially revise this proposal and to maintain the comprehensive transparency protections that Congress mandated in IIJA. Families across the country are counting on the FCC to ensure that broadband providers compete in quality and price. That requires consumers to actually see and understand both. Thank you for considering these views. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/n-m-delegation-condemns-trumps-plan-to-cut-veterans-health-administration-positions/,N.M. Delegation Condemns Trump’s Plan to Cut Veterans Health Administration Positions,2025-12-18,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) released the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s announced plan to eliminate tens of thousands of positions within the Veterans Health Administration, which could include positions at the Raymond G. Murphy U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Albuquerque and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in New Mexico. “New Mexico veterans answered the call to serve our country and defend our freedoms. We owe it to these men and women to honor their sacrifice and ensure they have access to the care they have earned. The VA must be held accountable for plans to cut their essential workforce and for President Trump’s pattern of disrespecting our veterans by further delaying their care and benefits. “This is just another step toward the Trump Administration’s goal of privatizing the VA. Let’s be clear: New Mexico veterans do not want a private VA. They want a better VA that is their own. We will fight like hell to protect their VA and ensure these heroes receive the health care they were promised.” The VA has already lost more than 30,000 employees this year and Trump’s newest plan to eliminate tens of thousands more jobs will only exacerbate staffing shortages due to mass firings, hiring freezes, and contract cancellations earlier this year. Eliminating vacant positions will only make it even harder for VA to meet increased demand for services as more than one million veterans enrolled as a result of the expanded eligibility under the PACT Act for toxic exposure, as well as urgently needed mental health care resources aimed at reducing the veteran suicide rate. While the VA has not announced how many positions will be cut from New Mexico, the plan would shrink the VA’s essential workforce across the country. Today, N.M. Delegation staff asked the VA if any positions at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center will be cut and how those cuts will be determined. But the VA did not provide any answers specific to New Mexico. The N.M. Delegation will continue to press the Trump Administration for transparency and concrete answers on these planned VA cuts and their impacts on essential medical services for New Mexico veterans. Earlier this year, Heinrich and Luján introduced the Putting Veteran’s First Act, which reverses the chaos and damage created at the VA by the Trump Administration. Additionally, Heinrich and Luján called on VA Secretary Doug Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated in February who serve veterans and their families nationwide, including critical employees combatting veteran suicide working at the Veterans Crisis Line. This week, Heinrich and Vasquez successfully passed their TRICARE Travel Improvement Act to ensure active-duty service members and their families can be reimbursed when they travel for medical care. In March, Vasquez introduced the New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Actto protect access to care for rural veterans living in Otero and Eddy counties. In 2022, Heinrich, Lujan, Leger Fernández, and Stansbury also successfully defeated recommendations put forth to the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission, which threatened to close the CBOCs in Gallup, Las Vegas, Española, and Raton, New Mexico. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-applaud-senate-passage-of-legislation-to-amend-water-rights-settlements-and-return-earned-interest-to-tribes,"Heinrich, Luján Applaud Senate Passage of Legislation to Amend Water Rights Settlements and Return Earned Interest to Tribes",2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, applauded the Senate passage of the Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act that authorizes the release of $18.312 million in water settlement interest funds to New Mexico Tribes to support water development projects. The legislation is co-led by Luján and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.). Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.). Specifically, the legislation authorizes the appropriation of $6.3 million for the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Fund; $7.8 million for the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund; and $4.3 million for the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund, which covers Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque Pueblos. The bill provides a technical fix so Tribes can access interest payments they are owed on their trust funds. The additional interest funding will support water resources development projects for the affected Tribes. “I’m proud the Senate passed our legislation, acknowledging the Federal government’s continued role in ensuring these Tribes have the necessary resources to use the water they own,” said Heinrich. “The amendments to these settlements will also ensure water security for many communities in northwest New Mexico. I urge the House to quickly take up and pass these bills to help New Mexico communities modernize and secure their water infrastructure.” “Water is a fundamental part of the federal trust responsibility,” said Luján. “Amending current law is vital to ensure the Navajo Nation, Taos Pueblo, and Aamodt Settlement Pueblos have access to clean, safe, and reliable water resources. I’m proud to have led the charge to get this legislation through the Senate, and to push for impacted Tribes to collect the interest owed to support critical water infrastructure projects. Getting this legislation through the Senate is a vital step and we must continue to honor our trust responsibility and promote water security for Tribes and Pueblos, as well as non-Tribal users, in New Mexico.” “Indian water rights settlements are not abstract promises—they’re about whether families have clean, reliable water today and for generations to come,” said Leger Fernández. “This bill is a common sense fix to make sure Tribes receive the interest they rightfully earned on their own trust funds. Returning these dollars to the Navajo Nation and Pueblos of Taos, Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque honors our federal trust responsibility so that water settlements actually deliver the infrastructure and security they were meant to provide.” Background: Tribal water rights settlements commonly allow the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary to invest trust funds after the funds are appropriated. This legislation provides Tribes with additional resources to support their water infrastructure. However, some Tribal water rights settlements enacted in 2009 and 2010 prohibited the Interior Secretary from investing the trust funds prior to the relevant settlement’s enforcement date. That included the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act (Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project/Navajo Nation Water Rights), the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act. As a result, the affected Tribes lost out on interest that was or could have been earned from investing the trust funds between the date they were appropriated and the settlement enforcement date. Instead of allowing the Tribes to keep the interest, as many settlements allow, the funds were returned to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This legislation provides a technical fix so that the affected Tribes can receive that interest. Read the full bill text here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-secures-wins-for-nm-service-members-military-installations-and-national-labs-in-fy2026-national-defense-bill,"Heinrich Secures Wins for N.M. Service Members, Military Installations, & National Labs in FY2026 National Defense Bill",2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"NDAA includes Heinrich’s bills to reimburse service members and their families for medical travel and to honor New Mexico Downwinders WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) welcomed final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). The legislation includes major wins that Heinrich secured, including investments in New Mexico’s service members, military installations, national labs, job-creating initiatives throughout the state, and two specific Heinrich-led bills. “This bipartisan defense bill includes important provisions to support our service members, invest in New Mexico’s military installations, strengthen our national labs, and accelerate critical environmental clean-up work in New Mexico. It also includes my legislation to ensure military families stationed at White Sands Missile Range, Holloman Air Force Base, and rural bases across the U.S. are reimbursed for medical travel under TRICARE Prime,” said Heinrich. “I’m proud that this legislation also further cements New Mexico’s leadership on emerging defense and space capabilities, includes my Downwinder Commemoration Act and International Nuclear Energy Act, and builds on important cybersecurity provisions that grew out of my work in the Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group. This bill will help make New Mexico and our country stronger and safer.” Heinrich successfully included within the FY26 NDAA his TRICARE Travel Improvement Act to ensure active-duty service members and their families can be reimbursed when they travel for medical care. Currently, families stationed at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base travel nearly 100 miles to El Paso, Texas, for specialist medical care, but are denied reimbursement because they are just under the 100-mile threshold. Heinrich’s TRICARE Travel Improvement Act will ensure fairness for military families serving in remote areas by lowering the travel reimbursement threshold under TRICARE Prime from 100 miles to 75 miles for military families. Heinrich also successfully included in the FY26 NDAA his Downwinder Commemoration Act to recognize the harm endured by New Mexico’s Downwinders following the 1945 Trinity Test — the first nuclear detonation in U.S. history. The bill directs the Department of Defense (DoD) to place commemorative monuments in publicly accessible areas at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base in their honor. Both the TRICARE Travel Improvement Act and the Downwinder Commemoration Act are led by Heinrich in the Senate and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) in the House. “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I’m fighting for New Mexico’s interests and fair share of funding in the nation’s defense bill,” said Vasquez. “With the passage of these two bipartisan bills I have led, we will finally recognize the families who have suffered in silence from the impacts of the Trinity Test and also ensure military families at White Sands and Holloman Air Force Base don’t have to pay out of pocket to access health care.” Additionally, Heinrich successfully included the FY26 NDAA his International Nuclear Energy Act, co-led with U.S. Senators James Risch (R-Idaho), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah), to provide the federal government new tools to coordinate on nuclear energy policy with allied nations and help American energy companies thrive on the world market. The FY26 NDAA now heads to the White House. The NDAA sets the DOD spending levels and policies for the upcoming fiscal year and authorizes funding for the U.S. Department of Energy's programs at Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, as well as the Department of Energy's environmental cleanup programs including the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Heinrich has long championed provisions that benefit New Mexico’s service members, national laboratories, and defense missions. Heinrich served as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee from 2013 to 2020 and as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee from 2021 to 2022. He is also a member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. During his time in Congress, Heinrich has doubled the total budgets for Sandia and Los Alamos, significantly increasing the total employees and local economic impact of both labs. Heinrich has also delivered a total of more than $1.5 billion for military construction projects at defense installations in New Mexico over the course of his career in Congress. FY26 Defense Authorization Bill Highlights Military Construction Heinrich championed a historic number of investments in our military installations in New Mexico, including: $90 million for a new 192-bed dormitory at Cannon Air Force Base. $79 million for a Deployment Processing Center at Cannon Air Force Base. $83 million for a Space Rapid Capabilities Office Headquarters at Kirtland Air Force Base. $10 million for a dormitory for the 58th Special Operations Wing on Kirtland Air Force Base. $26 million for an Explosive Operations Building on Kirtland Air Force Base. $38.5 million for a Power Generation and Microgrid project on White Sands Missile Range. $4.25 million for a Soldier Performance Readiness Center for the New Mexico Army National Guard at the Sante Fe Training Center. Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Heinrich helped secure provisions that ensure the DoD only uses commercial AI services from companies with a reliable cybersecurity posture. AI companies that do not take appropriate steps to defend themselves in cyberspace may become the victims of supply chain attacks that compromise the trustworthiness of their products. Pay Raise for Junior Enlisted Service Members The FY26 NDAA authorizes a 3.8 percent pay raise for service members. This builds off of a 14.5 percent pay raise for the most junior-ranking enlisted service members, and a 4.5 percent pay raise for the rest of the force in the FY25 NDAA. Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories The FY26 NDAA authorizes $1.79 billion for LANL’s ongoing research and development programs. The funding supports personnel, equipment, and other activities at LANL. Within the FY26 NDAA's overall $26 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Sandia National Laboratories will receive funding to support and sustain system integration, engineering, and science programs. Sandia is also receiving $40 million for their Microsystems, Engineering, Science and Applications (MESA) Photolithography Capability and $52.2 million for Combined Radiation Environments for Survivability Testing. Additional Heinrich-led provisions include: Directing the U.S. Department of Energy Secretary to brief Congress on recommended actions to accelerate environmental cleanup milestones with the State of New Mexico at Los Alamos National Laboratory, including interim measures to control migration of a hexavalent chromium plume and progress on the groundwater remedies for the Royal Demolition Explosive (RDX) plume in Cañon de Valle. Directing the NNSA Administrator for Nuclear Security and Directors of Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, along with leaders from other national labs, to evaluate site strategies that can aid the NNSA in making greater use of facilities in areas neighboring existing laboratory and site installations, particularly where workforce housing is less constrained. Directing the U.S. Comptroller General to assess: What Unexploded Ordnance remediation efforts the NNSA has completed in the vicinity of Sandia National Laboratories; and The extent to which additional efforts are needed to ensure that all affected nearby communities have been cleared of legacy unexploded ordnance. Authorizing nearly $300 million for environmental cleanup efforts at Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories. Directing the NNSA Administrator for Nuclear Security to conduct a study of portions of Tract A-14 (Rendija Canyon) of Los Alamos National Laboratory that may be suitable for conveyance. Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) The FY26 NDAA authorizes over $415 million to operate WIPP including $2 million to construct a hoisting capability project to improve facility capacity and effectiveness. Space Force Modeling, Simulation & Analysis Hub The FY26 NDAA authorizes $7.5 million for the ongoing establishment and deployment of a U.S. Space Force modeling and simulation hub at the Air Force Research Lab on Kirtland Air Force Base. Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program The FY26 NDAA authorizes over $182 million for the DoD’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program. Cannon Air Force Base, Melrose Air Force Range, and White Sands Missile Range utilize the REPI to prevent encroachment and preserve their testing and training missions. The program as a whole is critical to assisting military installations and ranges as they are increasingly impacted by extreme weather, flooding, wildfires, drought, and other threats to resilience. Advanced Simulation and Computing for Nuclear Stockpile Stewardship The FY26 NDAA authorizes $866 million in funding for the NNSA’s advanced simulation and computing efforts in the Stockpile Stewardship Program. This program ensures continued reliability of the stockpile and allows realistic simulations on supercomputers to understand how they would behave, without requiring explosive testing. Intelligence Authorization Act The FY26 NDAA includes the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY26, legislation that equips U.S. intelligence agencies with the tools, resources, and personnel they need to protect the American people, while also ensuring congressional oversight over those same agencies. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-sheehy-introduce-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-to-reduce-deadly-roadway-collisions-and-expand-wildlife-migration-crossings,"Heinrich, Sheehy Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Reduce Deadly Roadway Collisions & Expand Wildlife Migration Crossings",2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Wildlife Road Crossings Program Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation to make permanent the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Wildlife Crossings Program and authorize funding for the program through 2031. U.S. Representatives Ryan Zinke (R-Mont) and Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced companion legislation in the House. The Wildlife Crossings Program is a competitive grant program established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation Heinrich championed into law, to address dangerous wildlife-vehicle collisions by supporting wildlife crossing projects that save lives by reducing collisions, protect migration corridors, and improve habitat connectivity. “Building wildlife crossings is about saving lives and reducing the risk of dangerous vehicle collisions in New Mexico and across the country. I’m proud to have established the first-of-its-kind $350 million Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program in the Infrastructure Law, and to now lead the bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Program's funding and make it permanent,” said Heinrich. “I call on my Senate colleagues to pass this bill to keep people safe on the road — while also protecting big-game migration corridors and letting wildlife safely move within their ranges.” “Montanans know better than anyone the danger of running into wildlife on the road as we’re traveling the state. I’m proud to support this bipartisan, commonsense bill to invest in making our roads safer, protecting wildlife, and helping better connect communities in rural Montana and across the West,” said Sheehy. “The wildlife crossings program created by Congress in 2021 has proven to be one of the most effective, popular, and bipartisan actions Congress has taken on wildlife in recent decades. It has delivered real results on the ground by saving lives, creating jobs, improving outdoor recreation, and maintaining magnificent wildlife migrations. We are glad so many Senators from both parties are working hard to reauthorize the wildlife crossings program and find more ways for Tribes and other communities to participate,” said Mike Leahy, Senior Director for Wildlife, Hunting, and Fishing Policy for the National Wildlife Federation. “Thank you to the bill’s sponsors for their work to reauthorize and increase funding for the national wildlife crossings program.” ""Wildlife crossings are an investment in a better future, for the individual animals and people whose lives will be saved and for our nation's wildlife that depend on connected landscapes,"" said Katie Davis, Executive Director of Wildlands Network. ""We applaud Senators Heinrich and Sheehy for their leadership in responding to Americans' overwhelming support for more crossings by introducing and moving forward this bill."" The text of the bill is here. Earlier this year, Heinrich welcomed $6,372,354 from the Infrastructure Law for the Pueblo of Santa Ana to design wildlife corridors complete with wildlife exclusion fencing, overpasses, and underpasses, along 7.6 miles of US-550 and 19 miles of Interstate-25. Additionally in 2023, Heinrich welcomed then-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to New Mexico, where they visited a culvert under a busy stretch of I-25 for drivers commuting between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. This is also the middle of a very busy wildlife corridor between the Sandias and the Jemez. The Pueblo of Santa Ana has installed cameras in this culvert that have seen animals use this safer way to get under — rather than through — all the lanes of traffic on the Interstate. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-convenes-experts-to-create-roadmap-for-native-maternal-health-solutions/,Luján Convenes Experts to Create Roadmap for Native Maternal Health Solutions,2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Most American Indian/Alaska Native Pregnancy-Related Deaths Were Deemed Preventable Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, convened more than 55 American Indian, Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Native Hawaiian (NH) maternal health experts and organizations to create a landmark set of five reports outlining the current state of Native maternal health. The five reports synthesize national findings on maternal mortality, workforce equity, access to health care services, data sovereignty, and funding inequities. AI/AN people face pregnancy-related mortality ratios two to three times higher than non-Hispanic White counterparts, and Native Hawaiian mortality remains similarly elevated. The reports underscore that today’s disparities are the result of generations of harmful federal Indian policies, underfunding of the Indian Health Service (IHS) and Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs), and ongoing barriers to culturally-based, accessible maternal health care. “For far too long, Native families have had to be subjected to a maternal health system that was never built for them. These reports offer a roadmap that is based on data sovereignty, community-led care, and sustained federal investment and support,” said Senator Luján. “I am proud of the work these experts from across the country have led to identify solutions to the unacceptable and preventable disparities in Native maternal health outcomes. I look forward to seeing many of these solutions put to work and to making things better for Native mothers and care facilities.” “One hundred percent of maternal deaths among American Indian and Alaska Native women were found to be preventable. We know exactly where the system is failing—now we need the courage and commitment to fix it. Native Hawaiian women face some of the highest rates of hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, and cardiometabolic complications in the nation—yet their risks remain masked by aggregated reporting. Disaggregation is not optional; it is lifesaving. Misclassification hides American Indian, Alaska Native women and Native Hawaiian women in our data—and when women disappear from the data, they disappear from the solutions. Until we correct how we count, we cannot correct how we care,” said Janelle Palacios, PhD, CNM, Founder & CEO, Encoded 4 Story, Committee Member, California Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Committee, COVID Expert Committee “The disparities facing AI/AN/NH birthing people are both profound and preventable. ACNM urges policymakers and partners to act on these findings by resourcing Indigenous-led systems of care, strengthening IHS infrastructure, and upholding Tribal sovereignty in workforce pathways. Equity depends on our willingness to follow—and fund—the leadership of Native communities,” said Michelle L. Munroe, DNP, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer, American College of Nurse-Midwives. Additional quotes from report contributors can be found HERE. The reports recommend federal action across three areas: Data Sovereignty, Law, and Funding: Advance Indigenous data sovereignty, modernize race/ethnicity standards, and close long-standing IHS and UIO funding gaps. Coverage, Workforce, and Infrastructure: Guarantee permanent 12-month postpartum Medicaid and CHIP coverage, invest in Indigenous perinatal workforce pathways, and stabilize rural and community-based maternity care. Safety, Mental Health, Intimate Partner Violence, and Carceral Reform: Improve maternal safety, strengthen mental health and substance use supports, and implement protections for pregnant and postpartum people in carceral settings. Links to all five reports can be found below: From Barriers to Bridges: Implementing Access Solutions to Improve American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Maternal Health Strengthening Maternal Health Data to Improve Health and Wellbeing in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities Preventing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity among American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian People Building Systems of Care: Investment in Native Maternal Health Infrastructure Workforce Equity in Maternal Health: Tribal and Native Community-Led Solutions Participating organizations and contributors: American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM), Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM), Every Mother Counts (EMC), Roanhorse Consulting, Brindle Foundation, Anchorum Health Foundation, Urban Indian Health Institute, Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services, Center for Reproductive Rights, American Association of Birth Centers, National Indian Health Board, Pacific Birth Collective, Seattle Indian Health Board, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, National Partnership For Women & Families; Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, and The Family Van & Mobile Health Map Harvard Medical School, NM Department of Health Office of Tribal Liaison. Report Authors: Jessica Akin MSN, APRN, CNM; Jennifer Almanza, DNP, APRN, CNM; Andrea Carpitcher, MSN, RNC-OB; Seth Chase, MA; Karen Crowley, DNP, APRN-BC, WHNP, ANP, CNE; Cassaundra Jah, PhD, CPM, LM, IBCLC; Amy Kohl; Michelle Munroe, DNP, CNM, FACNM, FAAN; Felina M. Ortiz, DNP, CNM, RN, FACNM; Misty Wilkie, PhD, RN, FAAN; Hailey A. Baker MD: Janelle Palacios PhD, CNM, RN; Amanda Roedl MSN, RNC-OB; Chelsea Bellon, MPH; Charla Naone, DNP, APRN, FNP-B: Jessica Perfette, MPH ; Margaret P. Moss, PhD, JD, RN, FAAN, FADLN; Lannesse Baker; Tess Abrahamson Richards; Amy Stiffarm (HMHB-MT); Katie Hess (King County, WA); Dr. Katy Backes Kozhimannil, PhD, MPA; Alyssa Fritz, MPH, RD, CLC; Lucy Rogers, MPH ; Carla Britton, PhD, MS ; Annette Marley, MPH ; Chelsea Bellon, MPH; Charlotte Little: Kait Guild; Nicolle L. Arthun FACNM, CNM, RN; Morea Mendoza; Carolina Nkouaga, MPH, LM, CPM; Jessica Whitehawk MPH; Chelsea Bellon MPH; Angela Cruz-Traditional Medicine Practitioner; Jill Alliman, DNP, CNM, FACNM: Janet Johnson. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-heinrich-applaud-senate-passage-of-legislation-to-amend-water-rights-settlements-and-return-earned-interest-to-tribes/,"Luján, Heinrich Applaud Senate Passage of Legislation to Amend Water Rights Settlements and Return Earned Interest to Tribes",2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) applauded Senate passage of the Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act, legislation led by Senator Luján that authorizes the release of $18.312 million in water settlement interest funds to New Mexico Tribes to support water development projects. Specifically, the bill authorizes the appropriation of $6.3 million for the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Fund; $7.8 million for the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund; and $4.3 million for the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund, which covers Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque Pueblos. The bill provides a technical fix so Tribes can access interest payments they are owed on their trust funds. The additional interest funding will support water resources development projects for the affected Tribes. The bill is led by Senator Luján and Representative Leger Fernández. Senator Heinrich and Representative Stansbury are original cosponsors. “Water is a fundamental part of the federal trust responsibility,” said Senator Luján. “Amending current law is vital to ensure the Navajo Nation, Taos Pueblo, and Aamodt Settlement Pueblos have access to clean, safe, and reliable water resources. I’m proud to have led the charge to get this legislation through the Senate, and to push for impacted Tribes to collect the interest owed to support critical water infrastructure projects. Getting this legislation through the Senate is a vital step and we must continue to honor our trust responsibility and promote water security for Tribes and Pueblos, as well as non-Tribal users, in New Mexico.” “I’m proud the Senate passed our legislation, acknowledging the Federal government’s continued role in ensuring these Tribes have the necessary resources to use the water they own,” said Senator Heinrich. “The amendments to these settlements will also ensure water security for many communities in northwest New Mexico. I urge the House to quickly take up and pass these bills to help New Mexico communities modernize and secure their water infrastructure.” “Indian water rights settlements are not abstract promises—they’re about whether families have clean, reliable water today and for generations to come,” said Representative Teresa Leger Fernández, House lead of the legislation. “This bill is a common sense fix to make sure Tribes receive the interest they rightfully earned on their own trust funds. Returning these dollars to the Navajo Nation and Pueblos of Taos, Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque honors our federal trust responsibility so that water settlements actually deliver the infrastructure and security they were meant to provide.” Background: Senator Luján and Representative Leger Fernández initially introduced this bill in December 2023. Indian water rights settlements commonly allow the Secretary of the Interior to invest trust funds after the funds are appropriated. This provides tribes with additional resources to support their water infrastructure. However, some Indian water rights settlements enacted in 2009 and 2010 prohibited the Secretary from investing the trust funds prior to the relevant settlement’s enforcement date. That included the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act (Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project/Navajo Nation Water Rights), the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act. As a result, the affected Tribes lost out on interest that was or could have been earned from investing the trust funds between the date they were appropriated and the settlement enforcement date. Instead of allowing the tribes to keep the interest, as many settlements allow, the funds were returned to the Treasury. This legislation provides a technical fix so that the affected tribes can receive that interest. Read the full bill text here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-joins-leader-schumer-and-senate-democrats-to-unveil-new-initiative-to-lower-costs-as-trump-and-republicans-continue-to-burden-americans-with-tariffs-unstable-economy-and-skyrocketing-prices/,"Luján Joins Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats to Unveil New Initiative to Lower Costs as Trump and Republicans Continue to Burden Americans with Tariffs, Unstable Economy, and Skyrocketing Prices",2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats to unveil a new forward-looking Democratic initiative to lower costs. Since taking office, President Trump—abetted by the Republicans in Congress—has plagued American families with higher costs. From slashing health care, housing, and food assistance to hiking prices with indiscriminate tariffs to handing new tax breaks to special interests and corporations, Republicans have tanked the economy and sent costs skyrocketing while prioritizing their billionaire donors over American families. Despite his lofty campaign promises, it is clear – Trump and Republicans are raising costs, catering to the wealthy and well-connected, and leaving American families behind. The American people know from utilities to housing to health care, this economy isn’t working for middle-class families. Rather than “starting on day one [to] end inflation and make America affordable again,” Republicans have relentlessly pursued an agenda that has raised prices for families and businesses. “President Trump promised to lower costs on day one, but prices for food and groceries continue to climb under his administration,” said Senator Luján. “President Trump might think the affordability crisis is a hoax, but the data shows, and hardworking families know the real story. Senate Democrats will continue to push back against harmful Republican policies and fight for an economy that works for American families, not just the wealthy.” “Quite simply – the Republicans are leaving the American people behind. Now, families are left with high prices, inflation, and an erratic economy,” said Leader Schumer. “The first year of Trump’s administration has been nothing more than broken promises and handouts to corporations and the ultra-wealthy, while families pay the price. Their incompetence and malice demands a new vision for our country, one that actually focuses on the folks in the middle, not those at the top. Trump claims affordability is a “scam,” but Senate Democrats know that these skyrocketing prices can be a matter of life and death. And we are going to fight to make sure millions of families can reclaim the American dream.” The new initiative from the Senate Democratic Caucus will focus on five key policy failures of the Republican Party’s agenda: Health Care: Trump and Republicans are responsible for skyrocketing premiums, deductibles, coverage loss, and the rising cost of caregiving. Energy: By blocking cheaper, cleaner energy sources from the grid and raising taxes on more than 90% of new electricity, Trump and Republicans are skyrocketing working families’ electric bills and demolishing high-quality jobs. Housing: Trump and Republicans are dramatically worsening the housing crisis, slashing critical housing programs, and imposing punishing tariffs that are driving up construction costs for new homes. Groceries & Household Goods: Trump and Republican policies have driven up prices on everyday essentials and pushed higher costs onto American families, all the while gutting critical food assistance, spiking broadband bills, and imposing tariffs on everything from strollers to car seats to cribs. Tariffs: Trump and Republican chaotic, ill-considered tariffs are unilaterally raising prices for families by nearly $1,700 a year. Consumers, small businesses, manufacturers, and farmers are paying the price. “We know what is dominating discussions across the country: costs. Americans don’t know if they can afford their bills, whether it’s for groceries, prescription drugs, or utilities. Those bills don’t lie,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Instead of working to lower costs like they promised, President Trump and Republicans in Congress are raising costs and leaving families behind. Our forward-looking initiative will focus on lowering costs for Americans’ basic needs. Together, Democrats will keep fighting to deliver common sense solutions to the problems plaguing hardworking Americans and our nation.” “Electric bills are going to keep going up for people because the Trump Administration is driving them up on purpose,” said Senator Whitehouse. “When you sabotage clean energy—as Trump and his minions are trying to do—you drive up demand for more expensive energy from fossil fuels. So, as Trump takes cheap clean energy off the grid, a big fossil fuel donor gets to run a plant that would otherwise be idle because it’s too expensive to run. It’s money directly from consumers to Trump’s big fossil fuel donors. This is not only a cost problem, but it is also a corruption case, and we intend to make it aggressively.” “Donald Trump promised to lower costs ‘on day one.’ Instead his chaotic tariffs and failed economic policies have raised costs on Americans, especially the cost of housing,” said Senator Warren. “If Republicans refuse to act to bring down housing costs, Democrats will do it ourselves when we take back Congress.” “What should be a season of giving has become a season of paying for America’s 36 million small businesses. Instead of making it affordable to start and run a small business, Trump’s terrible tariffs are bringing Pain to Main Street,” said Senator Markey. “Tariffs have driven up costs for toys, clothing, and even Christmas trees—and once again it’s small businesses who are paying the price. We need to end the Pain on Main and lower costs for small businesses, their employees, and their customers.” “When I travel across Georgia, I always hear the same thing: that folks’ dollar isn’t going far enough, and things are only getting more expensive. Because of the president’s reckless tariffs, the cost of almost everything continues to skyrocket,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “During a holiday season when almost half of all families are buying fewer gifts for their loved ones, Congress should roll back these tariffs and focus our efforts on lowering costs for families.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-questioning-exposes-that-fcc-is-no-longer-an-independent-agency/,Luján Questioning Exposes that FCC is no Longer an Independent Agency,2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"FCC Chairman Carr in Response to Senator Luján’s Questioning: “The FCC is not an Independent Agency” FCC Edits Website Minutes After Questioning to Strip Word “Independent” Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, pressed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing regarding the independence of the FCC. In Senator Luján’s questioning, he pressed FCC Chairman Carr on the independence of the FCC and displayed images of the FCC’s own website, which minutes prior to the hearing, stated in its mission statement that the FCC is “[a]n independent U.S. government agency.” In response to Senator Luján, Chairman Carr contradicted previous testimony he has given and the FCC’s own mission statement by stating that the FCC is not an independent agency. Minutes after Senator Luján’s questioning, the FCC edited its own website to remove the word “independent.” “Today’s hearing made clear to the American people that Chairman Brendan Carr has weaponized the FCC on behalf of President Trump. Just this morning, the FCC’s own website correctly stated that it was an independent agency. In 2022, before Congress, Chairman Carr himself testified that the FCC was ‘an independent, expert agency.’ However, in today’s hearing, Chairman Carr contradicted himself and his own agency’s stated mission. Minutes later, the FCC edited its own website to cover Chairman Carr’s tracks and to please President Trump. Chairman Carr continues to fail the American people by treating the FCC as an extension of the President’s corrupt agenda,” said Senator Luján. Watch Senator Luján’s exchange with FCC Chairman Carr here. KEY MOMENTS: Sen. Luján: Chairman Carr, yes or no, and please yes or no. Is the FCC an independent agency? Chairman Carr: Thanks for that question. Sen. Luján: Yes or no is all we need. Chairman Carr: There is a test for this in the law. Sen. Luján: On your website, it says the FCC is independent. This is not a trick question. Chairman Carr: It is not independent. Sen. Luján: Is your website wrong? Is your website lying? Chairman Carr: The FCC is not an independent agency. Sen. Luján: The FCC’s mission on the homepage of the FCC: “An Independent U.S. Government agency overseen by Congress.” Is that factual? Is that a lie? Chairman Carr: The FCC is not formally an independent agency. Sen. Luján: Is this true, or is this a lie? Chairman Carr: The FCC is not an independent agency, formally speaking. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-statement-on-passage-of-the-national-defense-authorization-act/,Luján Statement on Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act,2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which now heads to the President’s desk: “Today, I voted to pass the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, which makes critical investments to ensure our Armed Forces remain prepared to meet an increasingly complex global landscape. New Mexico’s military installations and National Laboratories play an essential role in safeguarding our nation, and this year’s NDAA delivers the resources and support these vital facilities need to continue protecting Americans. “This legislation makes targeted investments in our most pressing national security objectives – prioritizing a well-deserved pay raise for our service members and making key investments that strengthen research and development at our National Laboratories. This NDAA reinforces both New Mexico’s contributions to our national defense and the security of our country. I was proud to support and help secure these critical measures for New Mexico and the nation.” Senator Luján helped secure the following provisions in the NDAA: Supporting Our Military Personnel: Provides a 3.8% pay raise for military service members; Requires DOD to document all servicemember radiation and toxic exposures, including those that occur domestically, so our veterans can be seen by the VA after they’ve separated from the military; Supports Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) crews like those stationed at Holloman and Cannon Air Force Bases by recognizing their combat participation and enabling access to combat-related mental health services. Boosting Energy Security and our National Laboratories: Authorizes $25.9 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to support and sustain its system integration, engineering, and science programs; Authorizes $6.9 billion for DOE’s defense environmental cleanup activities, including $278.2 million for Los Alamos National Lab and $1.03 million for Sandia National Labs to support defense-related environmental cleanup, and authorizes $415.4 million for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP); Authorizes $45 million for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; Requires the Secretary of Energy to brief Congress on actions that can be taken to accelerate cleanup milestones with the State of New Mexico at Los Alamos National Laboratory, including the hexavalent chromium plume. Protecting Against Threats From China: Prohibits the Secretary of Defense from directly or indirectly acquiring computers or printers manufactured by covered Chinese entities; Protects against China buying land near U.S. military bases. Formally Ending Iraq Wars Repeals the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force for the Gulf and Iraq wars. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/source-new-mexico-new-mexico-us-sen-heinrich-reintroduces-act-to-strengthen-tribal-buffalo-herds,Source New Mexico: New Mexico U.S. Sen. Heinrich reintroduces act to strengthen tribal buffalo herds,2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) announced Tuesday he is reintroducing legislation to improve federal support for tribal buffalo herds, an effort he said he hopes will return the buffalo within his lifetime “to the prominent place they once occupied as the keystone species on American shortgrass prairies.” Co-sponsored with U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.,), the Indian Buffalo Management Act directs the federal Interior Department to work with tribes to develop, protect and grow buffalo herds across the country, authorizing up to $14 million annually. The bill seeks to spur more coordination and consistent investment at the Interior Department, which has provided only “nominal” funds over the last 20 years to tribes that want to start or expand buffalo herds, according to a news release from Heinrich’s office. The InterTribal Buffalo Council, which has been pushing to return buffalo to tribal land for more than 30 years, endorsed the legislation. The council has 89 tribal members in 22 states, including at least 10 New Mexico tribes and pueblos, according to a recent membership list. “Helping Tribes reestablish herds of buffalo on our reservations is a righteous thing for the Congress to do and will be thoroughly welcomed by Tribes and Indian people across the county,” council leaders, including Delbert Chisholm of Taos Pueblo, said in a statement. At least 60 million buffalo once roamed throughout much of the United States before European settlers and the United States military destroyed all but a few hundred by the end of the 19th century. Indigenous people relied on the buffalo — “culturally and nutritionally” — for thousands of years, according to the council leaders’ statement. Versions of the legislation have passed either the House of Representatives or the Senate, but not both, in recent years. Heinrich and Mullin (R-Okla.) also cosponsored the bill last year, and it passed the Senate in December but never received a hearing in the House. “I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation to strengthen federal support for Tribal buffalo programs and continue the growth of Tribal buffalo herds,” Heinrich said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Mullin to strengthen this federal partnership and secure future funding for this initiative.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-introduces-legislation-to-support-new-mexico-family-farmers-and-grow-agritourism,Heinrich Introduces Legislation to Support New Mexico Family Farmers & Grow Agritourism,2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined Senate colleagues to introduce the Accelerating the Growth of Rural Innovation and Tourism Opportunities to Uphold Rural Industries and Sustainable Marketplaces (AGRITOURISM) Act, bipartisan legislation to support the economic development and growth of agritourism businesses in New Mexico and nationwide. “New Mexico family farmers and rural communities have been hit hard by Trump’s tariffs and affordability crisis. We need to do everything we can to support and expand opportunities for these New Mexicans,” said Heinrich. “I’m proud to cosponsor legislation that will give family farmers much-needed resources to not only survive but also grow and thrive.” From McGinn’s PistachioLand in Alamogordo to Los Poblanos Inn and Organic Farm in Albuquerque, Agritourism is an important and growing business strategy for small farms in New Mexico to diversify their income streams by offering outdoor recreational services like beer tasting, berry picking, seasonal festivities, bed-and-breakfast accommodations, and event venues. New Mexico farmers generated over $20.3 million in revenue in 2022 from agritourism, up from $18.6 million in 2017. However, without action, the number of participating farms is diminishing: the number of farms providing agritourism and recreational services in New Mexico has gone down from 465 in 2017 to 326 in 2022. The AGRITOURISM Act will support local, family-owned businesses by designating a senior official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the federal agritourism advisor. This role will coordinate with stakeholders and other federal agencies to promote the growth of family-owned farms and advise the USDA Secretary on this essential industry. The AGRITOURISM Act is led by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C). Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.). The House companion legislation is led by U.S. Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.). The AGRITOURISM Act is endorsed by the Brewers Association, American Craft Spirits Association, and WineAmerica. The text of the bill is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-leads-legislation-to-transfer-federal-land-to-pueblos-for-the-indian-pueblo-cultural-center,Heinrich Leads Legislation to Transfer Federal Land to Pueblos for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center,2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025, legislation to place three tracts of land from the former Albuquerque Indian School campus and surrounding land into trust for the benefit of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. Heinrich’s Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025 is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and led in the House by U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.). “My legislation expands on decades of bipartisan work to put the former Albuquerque Indian School campus and surrounding tracts of land in to trust for the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico. This land, in particular, will be used by the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to scale Native-owned businesses, create jobs, and expand business services for local and Native-owned businesses – an economic win for everyone,” said Heinrich. “The Albuquerque Indian School Land Transfer Act of 2025 will expand economic development and cultural education opportunities for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which serves all nineteen of New Mexico’s Pueblos,” said Luján. “I am proud to introduce this legislation to help the center grow its capacity as a cultural and economic institution, creating jobs and generating revenue for New Mexico’s Pueblos and our communities.” Heinrich’s Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025 builds upon a longstanding, bipartisan effort to transfer the former Albuquerque Indian School campus and surrounding tracts to the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico for the development and growth of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a nationally recognized museum and cultural institution owned and operated by the Pueblos, dedicated to both preserving and perpetuating pueblo history, culture, and art, while facilitating their future economic growth and long-term economic sustainability. The text of the bill is here. In 2015, Heinrich, Luján, and the rest of the N.M. Delegation successfully passed into law the Albuquerque Indian School Land Transfer Act, legislation to place four tracts of land from the former Albuquerque Indian School into trust for the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, consolidating the last parcels of the old school property into the Albuquerque Indian School campus. This followed several prior legislative efforts, from 1969 to 2008, led by former Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), former Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), and former Representative Manuel Lujan Jr. (R-N.M.). ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-mullin-reintroduce-bipartisan-indian-buffalo-management-act,"Heinrich, Mullin Reintroduce Bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act",2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) reintroduced the bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act, legislation to direct the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary to coordinate with Tribes and Tribal organizations that have an established buffalo herd and management program, as well as provide resources for Tribes that would like to establish new herds. ""For generations, buffalo have been a critical part of our culture – in New Mexico, the West, and especially in Indian Country. And I hope that within my lifetime, thanks to our broad coalition, buffalo will return to the prominent place they once occupied as the keystone species on American shortgrass prairies,” said Heinrich. “That’s why I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation to strengthen federal support for Tribal buffalo programs and continue the growth of Tribal buffalo herds. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Mullin to strengthen this federal partnership and secure future funding for this initiative.” “The buffalo is essential to our heritage and must be supported. I am proud to reintroduce this important legislation that will help Tribes reestablish buffalo herds on reservation lands,” said Mullin. “Doing so ensures that Native peoples across the country will continue reconnecting with a keystone of their historic culture and way of life.” The Indian Buffalo Management directs the Interior Secretary to work with Tribes and Tribal organizations to: Promote and develop the capacity of Tribes and tribal organizations to manage buffalo and buffalo habitat; Protect and enhance buffalo herds for the maximum benefit of Tribes; and Ensure that Tribes are directly involved in the Interior Department decision-making regarding buffalo. The bill has been endorsed by the InterTribal Buffalo Council, the National Wildlife Federation, the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and the National Bison Association. “We are so pleased that Senators Heinrich and Mullin are reintroducing this important legislation. There are 89 Tribes who are members of the ITBC in 22 states. We have been dependent on the buffalo spiritually, culturally and nutritionally for thousands of years, as this wonderful animal, whom we consider our relative, has provided for our people in ways too numerous to list. The Indian Buffalo Management Act passed the House in the 117th Congress when the late Don Young sponsored it and it passed the Senate last year. Now we look forward to passage through both bodies of Congress. Helping Tribes reestablish herds of buffalo on our reservations is a righteous thing for the Congress to do and will be thoroughly welcomed by Tribes and Indian people across the county,” said Ervin Carlson, President of the InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), Delbert Chisholm, Taos Pueblo of New Mexico Member, and Randy Hawk, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma Member. “Buffalo are a treaty right afforded to Tribes in support of food sovereignty and self-determination. This bill recognizes the federal government’s trust obligation to build capacity and access to buffalo on Tribal lands,” said Jason Baldes, Senior Tribal Buffalo Program Manager for the National Wildlife Federation. “We’re working toward large scale restoration of buffalo across even larger landscapes, and the Indian Buffalo Management Act prioritizes the cross collaboration needed to amplify that effort.” ""American buffalo are a national icon, as well as a global symbol of strength and resilience. They deserve protection—in the form of buffalo recovery and buffalo habitat restoration on Tribal lands. And Native American communities are best positioned to lead this work, given their ancient, ceremonial connection to buffalo. That is why The Nature Conservancy, which supports the transfer of buffalo to Tribal partners across the nation, is excited about this legislation,” said Dr. Shane Doyle, North American Indigenous Right Relations Director for The Nature Conservancy. “Buffalo represent everything that is strong, and good, and resilient about America and its people. For many Tribal Nations, they are also our relatives who are at the heart of our traditional lifeways, which is why Tribal Nations have led efforts to save them in the face of enormous historical challenges. The Indian Buffalo Management Act acknowledges the critical role that Tribal Nations are playing in bringing buffalo back – and the essential role that buffalo continue to play in food security, economic development, and cultural and spiritual life. We thank Senators Heinrich and Mullin for their leadership in reintroducing this bill to ensure continued federal support for Tribes and their work to restore and conserve this iconic American species,” said Heather Dawn Thompson, Vice President for Native Nations Conservation and Food Systems, World Wildlife Fund. Last year, Heinrich and Mullin secured Senate passage of their Indian Buffalo Management Act. Additional Background: Full Bill Text Fact Sheet The American Plains Bison, also known as the American Buffalo, is deeply connected to many Tribes, and has long held great meaning for Native Americans. Prior to the systematic destruction of the buffalo in 1800s, there were over 60 million bison roaming freely throughout much of the United States. They provided Tribes with everything from clothing, to food, shelter, utensils, pouches, headdresses, containers, arrows and much more. It is impossible to overstate their importance to Native Americans historically and, to this day, culturally. The U.S. Department of the Interior has provided nominal funds for buffalo management for over 20 years. This legislation grows and strengthens that work by directing the Interior Secretary to support the work of Tribes and Tribal organizations that already have established buffalo herds and management programs and providing the opportunity to expand the program to other interested Tribes. There are now 89 Tribes in 22 states that are members of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, up from 19 in 1991. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-heinrich-rosen-press-meta-on-dramatic-rise-in-antisemitism-on-their-social-media-platforms-and-artificial-intelligence-models/,"Luján, Heinrich, Rosen Press Meta on Dramatic Rise in Antisemitism on Their Social Media Platforms and Artificial Intelligence Models",2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) pressed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Meta’s failure to address antisemitic content on its platforms and potentially promote antisemitism through its artificial intelligence models. Specifically, the senators highlight how a rise in antisemitic content can be linked to the recent changes in community standards and content moderation practices, which were announced by Meta in January. Additionally in the letter, the senators press Meta to disclose its policies and procedures to address antisemitism on their platforms and combat hate speech. “In recent months, there has been a nearly fivefold increase in antisemitic behavior on Meta’s platforms. The rise in antisemitic content has been linked to the recent changes in community standards and content moderation practices, which were announced by Meta in January,” wrote the senators. “We are deeply concerned about the increase of hate speech and antisemitic content on Meta’s platforms. Platforming antisemitic speech normalizes it and breeds further hateful speech. Additionally, online hateful conduct can and often leads to real-world violence,” continued the senators. “Meta has an outsized role in its ability to combat antisemitism and we encourage Meta to consider how its policies and practices can be a force to unite communities and foster understanding rather than promote hate speech,” concluded the senators. The full text of the letter is available here and below. Dear Mr. Zuckerberg, We write regarding the drastic rise of antisemitic content on Meta’s platforms and its artificial intelligence models. Before Congress, representatives of Meta, including yourself, have asserted Meta’s responsibility in ensuring its platforms are not used to “hurt others.” During a joint session of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees, you stated “It’s not enough to just give people a voice, we have to make sure people aren’t using it to hurt people.” When Neil Potts, Meta’s current Vice President of Content Policy, testified to Congress in 2022 on antisemitism, he said: “We also recognize that bad actors may seek to use our platform in unacceptable ways, and we take our responsibility to stop them seriously as we give people a voice. We want to ensure that they are not using that voice to hurt others.” In recent months, there has been a nearly fivefold increase in antisemitic behavior on Meta’s platforms. The rise in antisemitic content has been linked to the recent changes in community standards and content moderation practices, which were announced by Meta in January. This change in policies stands in conflict with the assurances you and others representing Meta made to Congress: that it was Meta’s responsibility to ensure its platforms are not weaponized. We are deeply concerned about the increase of hate speech and antisemitic content on Meta’s platforms. Platforming antisemitic speech normalizes it and breeds further hateful speech. Additionally, online hateful conduct can and often leads to real-world violence. Finally, allowing antisemitic content remaining on Meta’s platforms while using that same content to train Meta’s AI models could lead to Meta’s AI models reproducing antisemitic hate speech and promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories. With these issues in mind, we request written responses to the following questions by January 7, 2025: As part of the policy changes announced by Meta in January, it is no longer automatically removing “less severe” violative content. According to a study of Meta’s transparency reports, last year there were 277 million posts correctly taken down that, under Meta’s new policies, would be left up6. How does Meta plan to handle the influx of reports of violative content, assuming this number stays static? Has Meta hired additional reviewers to respond to the expected increases in reports? Are any additional mechanisms being enacted to respond to reports of violative content? What percent of posts that would have been removed under Meta’s previous policies and are now being left up specifically target the Jewish community? What actions has Meta taken or does Meta plan to take to improve the timely takedown of reported violative content? Please describe Meta’s current review process, expected response time, and actions Meta takes once content has been reviewed. In a letter to Senators Luján, Shaheen, Warren, Wyden, and Merkley in November 2024, Meta stated, “our automated systems flag and remove content that violates our policies. AI has improved to the point that it can detect violations across a wide variety of areas, often with greater accuracy than reports from users.” Our staff has found examples of clear slurs on Meta’s platforms that could be easily detected by keyword search and would not require an AI reasoning model in order to be identified and removed. Please detail the reasons why Meta has stopped auto-removing clearly violative antisemitic content, despite Meta’s assertion that AI can now detect violations with greater accuracy than reports from users. Staff have found many examples of blatant antisemitism on Meta’s platforms (see Appendix) that were reported and reviewed twice. In each case, the review resulted in claiming that the content “doesn’t go against [Meta’s] community standards.” Please confirm that the changes to Meta’s content moderation policies announced in January did not include a policy change toward antisemitic content and what content violates its community standards. Does using antisemitic slurs violate Meta’s community standards? Does using antisemitic slurs only violate Meta’s community standards when it includes language to incite violence? Do antisemitic slurs only violate Meta’s community standards when that content is visible to enough people? How many users does an antisemitic slur have to be visible to before Meta determines it violates community standards? One study found that one week after reporting anti-Jewish hate to Group admins, 76% of content and 90% of accounts promoting anti-Jewish hate had not been removed or hidden. Does Meta take any steps to take down content, remove Admins, or limit posting in groups where violative antisemitic content is repeatedly posted? Does Meta take any steps in its content moderation practices to address the unique danger of the proliferation of violent and harmful content, especially anti-Jewish content, within Facebook Groups? With Meta’s policy change to prioritize reviewing and taking down the most visible and most harmful content on its platforms, is Meta taking any steps to address the potential for harmful, violative content to proliferate on less visible parts of Meta’s platforms, like private groups? Is Meta taking any action to prohibit participation in Meta’s creator funds, or remove and suspend profiles of individuals or pages that repeatedly post antisemitic content that violates Meta’s community guidelines? Does Meta train its AI models on content posted on its platforms? Does that include private content? Does that include content posted in private groups? Does that include content posted in public groups? What steps will Meta take to ensure antisemitic content that violates community standards is not included in training sets for its AI models? A recent study of antisemitic content in AI models found that Meta’s Llama model is the most anti-Jewish of the major models tested7. Given the rapid rise of antisemitic content on Meta platforms, we are concerned Meta’s models will become drastically more antisemitic. Does Meta remove content or clean data sets from posted content before using them to train their AI models? What specific steps is Meta taking to reduce antisemitism in its AI models? What metrics does Meta use internally to track antisemitic content in its AI models? Please share these metrics with us. What percent improvement of these metrics will you commit to over the next 6 months? We remain deeply concerned with Meta’s failure to address antisemitic content on its platforms and potentially promote antisemitism through its AI models. Meta has an outsized role in its ability to combat antisemitism and we encourage Meta to consider how its policies and practices can be a force to unite communities and foster understanding rather than promote hate speech. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-lummis-applaud-house-passage-of-bipartisan-congressional-award-reauthorization-act/,"Luján, Lummis Applaud House Passage of Bipartisan Congressional Award Reauthorization Act",2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) applauded the Congressional Award Program Reauthorization Act passing the U.S. House of Representatives, as it now goes to the president to be signed into law. This bill reauthorizes the board that administers the Congressional Award Program through FY2028. The Congressional Award is the highest honor bestowed by Congress for our nation’s youth ages 14 to 24, encouraging young Americans to unleash their potential by achieving personal goals focused on volunteerism, character, development, exploration, and fitness. “The Congressional Award Program has inspired thousands of young Americans to challenge themselves, build valuable skills, and give back to their communities through countless hours of volunteer service,” said Luján. “I am proud to have worked with Senator Lummis to pass this bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the Congressional Award Act, ensuring the program continues to inspire young people in New Mexico and across the nation to serve their communities.” “The Congressional Award has a rich history with the state of Wyoming, and I am proud to continue supporting this program that inspires our nation’s youth to serve selflessly and dutifully,” said Lummis. “Wyoming Senator Malcolm Wallop helped found this wonderful tradition in 1979, and more than four decades later, we continue to see the success and prosperity of the young Americans who choose to participate and serve their communities. I want to thank Senator Luján for his critical role in getting this bipartisan legislation across the finish line, and I am pleased to see it now headed to President Trump’s desk.” Click here to read the bill text. About the Congressional Award Program: As the United States Congress’ only non-profit and highest honor for youth civilians, the Congressional Award program was started by late Wyoming Senator Malcolm Wallop in 1979, and Senator Lummis is proud to carry on his legacy by serving on the national board of directors. To achieve a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Congressional Award Certificate or Medal, each participant sets and achieves challenging goals in four program areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. Medals are presented by members of the House and Senate, with the Gold Medal Ceremony/Summit taking place each June at a Ceremony in the U.S. Capitol. The Congressional Award is a public—private partnership. Although created by Congress, the Congressional Award program is funded entirely through private-sector donations. Congress provides in-kind support, including office space, the medals from the U.S. Mint and the audit oversight by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). There are currently more than 50,000 youth enrolled throughout the country and reside in every congressional district. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-merkley-no-business-as-usual-until-justice-delivered-for-jeffrey-epsteins-victims/,"Luján, Merkley: No Business as Usual Until Justice Delivered for Jeffrey Epstein’s Victims",2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Oreg.)—the lead Senate sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act—announced they would block any pending civilian nominations before the Senate from being carried over to the new session of Congress in response to the Trump Administration’s failure to provide a briefing to lawmakers on the release of the Epstein Files. Merkley and Luján issued this statement announcing their hold: “There can be no business as usual until justice is delivered for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes. The Trump Administration’s lack of transparency about its plans to release the Epstein Files signals it is gearing up to disregard the law we led the fight in the Senate to pass, which overwhelmingly passed both chambers of Congress. Without full transparency and accountability, there can be no ‘equal justice under the law.’ Until the administration reverses course and provides a common-sense briefing, which lawmakers from both parties requested, we are blocking the Senate from carrying over any outstanding civilian nominations into next year.” Earlier this month, Merkley teamed up with Luján and a bipartisan group of lawmakers to demand a briefing from Attorney General Pam Bondi on the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act and fully release the Epstein Files by December 19, 2025—as required by the law Merkley and Luján championed. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/ktsm-new-mexico-launches-gun-crime-center-inside-ags-office,KTSM: New Mexico launches gun crime center inside AG’s Office,2025-12-15,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, along with state law enforcement partners, announced the creation of the first Crime Gun Intelligence Center housed within an attorney general’s office in the country. They made the announcement during a news conference on Monday, Dec. 13. The New Mexico Department of Justice’s (NMDOJ) Crime Gun Intelligence Center uses forensic evidence to find connections between firearms used in crimes across the state. “The information collected will help law enforcement in every corner of New Mexico identify key suspects, witnesses and other key information,” the NM Attorney General’s Office said. In addition to announcing the intelligence center, Torrez also announced that his office has received the funding to acquire four National Integrated Ballistic Information Network machines to be distributed across the state. Law enforcement officers will use these machines to conduct highly technical inspections of gun casings, which will provide meaningful leads connecting crimes and firearms used in crimes across the state, Torrez’s office said. “This Crime Gun Intelligence Center is the first of its kind, allowing for start-to-finish information gathering and intelligence analytics that will be key to the arrests of dangerous criminals,” Torrez said. “This unit and its statewide network will help law enforcement solve crimes at a faster rate and produce leads in criminal cases that would otherwise not be known. I’m extremely grateful to Senator Heinrich for his work to secure the funding we needed to get this crimefighting network up and running.” U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, said: “New Mexicans want to be safe in their homes and communities, and I am committed to delivering the resources and legislation to make that a reality. From cracking down on firearms trafficking and straw purchases to ensuring illicit fentanyl remains a controlled substance, I remain committed to protecting our communities from violence in all forms. But public safety cannot be maintained through laws alone. It requires the dedication and partnership of state and local law enforcement throughout our state. “It’s delivering major investments like these NIBIN machines that make me proud to fight for New Mexico on the Senate Appropriations Committee. These state-of-the-art tools will be transformational in how we solve violent crime, giving law enforcement the ability to rapidly trace firearms used in crimes across our state and better hold repeat offenders accountable,” Heinrich said. The four new machines will be located with the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the Gallup Police Department, the Roswell Police Department and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. These machines will share information via the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network with the Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Albuquerque, where trained NMDOJ staff will analyze the results and produce leads for partnering law enforcement agencies, Torrez’s office said.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-legislation-to-ensure-new-mexico-schools-offer-more-dairy-and-non-dairy-options-heads-to-white-house,Heinrich Legislation to Ensure New Mexico Schools Offer More Dairy & Non-Dairy Options Heads to White House,2025-12-15,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration, welcomed the House passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, legislation he cosponsored that will allow schools to provide more dairy options and non-dairy alternatives for school lunches. Currently, schools participating in the National School Lunch Program must provide milk that is consistent with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which means that schools can only provide fat-free or low-fat milk. Heinrich’s Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act will alter that restriction and allow schools to offer whole milk, reduced-fat milk, and non-dairy beverages, in addition to fat-free and low-fat milk. Earlier this month, Heinrich secured Senate passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. The legislation now heads to the White House. “Every student in New Mexico and across the country deserves access to school meals that work for their needs. I’m proud that legislation I cosponsored to ensure schools can offer a wider range of dairy options, including non-dairy alternatives, has passed both chambers of Congress and is now headed to the White House,” said Heinrich. “This bipartisan bill is a meaningful step forward, making it easier for families to request alternatives for children who are lactose intolerant, while continuing to support our state’s dairy producers and agricultural workers. I urge the president to quickly sign this bill into law so New Mexico students and schools can benefit from these improvements.” The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is led by U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators David McCormick (R-Pa.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Angus King (I-Maine), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.). “Dairy Producers of New Mexico celebrates the congressional passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, not only for the nutritional improvement American school kids will be able to receive, but also for our dairy farmers in New Mexico and across the country. Studies have shown that children perform better in school when they have access to nutrient-rich meals, and milk has proven to be a super-food with 13 essentials vitamins and nutrients that lead to better health and stronger kids,” said Beverly Idsinga, Executive Director of the Dairy Producers of New Mexico. “Parents, nutritionists, and dairy farmers have been advocating for this legislation for over a decade, and we applaud the efforts of the bill’s sponsors and cosponsors, especially the New Mexico delegation. We would like to give a special thanks to Senator Martin Heinrich and his staff for cosponsoring and keeping in touch with us during this process. Senator Heinrich values the efforts of New Mexico family dairy farmers and we appreciate the changes this legislation will bring to child nutrition in schools.” The text of the bill is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/albuquerque-journal-new-mexico-senators-ask-for-post-fire-money-to-clean-up-public-lands,Albuquerque Journal: New Mexico senators ask for post-fire money to clean up public lands,2025-12-12,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"As the state faces a dry winter, New Mexico’s U.S. senators are pushing for emergency funds to remove hazardous fuels from federally owned public lands in the state. “Repairing the wildfire damages to national parks, national forests and Bureau of Land Management lands is vital for the safety and economies of the entire country,” Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján wrote in a letter to U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee leadership — Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Patty Murray, D-Wash. The letter was led by Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and supported by seven other Democratic senators. It asked that any emergency disaster appropriations bills drafted this year include money for wildfire recovery on federal lands. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds do not cover damage to federal lands. Instead, land agencies pay for fire cleanup and restoration costs. The mitigation work for ehich the senators want money includes removing hazard trees, road and bridge assessment, structural replacements and trail repairs. The letter points out that many western states experienced fires on federal lands this year, including the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. There were at least seven fires in the Gila National Forest and Gila Wilderness Area from May through November this year. The Turkeyfeather Fire burned more than 24,000 acres and the Trout Fire burned over 47,000 acres, according to U.S. Forest Service news releases. Both were caused by lightning strikes. Sens. Heinrich, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also led a letter asking Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz how prepared his agency is for wildfire risk reduction. The letter was signed by nine other Democratic senators, including Luján. “It is imperative that the Forest Service works closely with Congress to address shortfalls in wildfire mitigation and ensure staffing and budgetary resources are sufficient to fulfill the agency’s mission,” the senators wrote. A report from the nonprofit Grassroots Wildland Firefighters released in October found that the Forest Service was behind on mitigating the risk of wildfire through hazardous fuels reduction projects compared to previous calendar years. As of September in New Mexico, “the Forest Service has treated just 68,000 acres of national forestland — barely half (53%) of the average amount treated each of the previous four years,” the analysis said. USDA Forest Service spokesman John Winn took issue with the analysis, as in fiscal year 2025, which runs from October through September, the Forest Service “completed more than 3.25 million acres of hazardous fuels reduction work, over 90% of our target.” “One metric alone doesn’t tell the story of what it takes to protect communities or rebuild healthier, more resilient forests. The truth is that this year was one of the most successful wildfire years in recent history,” Winn said in a statement. “Despite recording the highest number of wildfire starts on Forest Service lands since 2016, the agency held total acres burned to nearly half the 10-year average – a reduction of almost 1 million acres.” The Forest Service also delivered a high level of post-fire restoration, including more than 285,000 acres of reforestation, Winn said.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/kob-lawmakers-push-for-chimayo-post-office-rebuild-demand-clear-timeline,"KOB: Lawmakers push for Chimayó post office rebuild, demand clear timeline",2025-12-12,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"CHIMAYÓ, N.M. – Nearly three years after the Chimayó post office burned down, lawmakers are pushing for its reopening next year. Senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich, along with Congresswomen Teresa Leger Fernández and Melanie Stansbury, have taken action. They wrote a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General. The letter claims the United States Post Office has repeatedly failed to provide a clear timeline about the construction. They are asking for the Chimayó office to be a priority.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/santa-fe-new-mexican-heinrich-presses-top-forest-service-officials-for-meeting-on-pecos-protections,Santa Fe New Mexican: Heinrich presses top Forest Service officials for meeting on Pecos protections,2025-12-12,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"The yard signs and bumper stickers in western San Miguel County show the anxiety mining will someday return remains red-hot months after the Trump administration’s rollback of protections for the Upper Pecos watershed. Recently, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich announced he secured a commitment from a top U.S. Forest Service official during a committee meeting to host a public forum meeting in the Pecos area on the issue. However, it is unclear when such a meeting could occur. A 165,000-acre area in the Upper Pecos watershed was temporarily closed to mining by former Biden administration Interior Secretary Deb Haaland while the Forest Service considered a longer, 20-year withdrawal. But the agency, which manages the majority of the land in question, alerted the Bureau of Land Management earlier this year it wanted to cancel that withdrawal application, according to a BLM New Mexico spokesperson. A public meeting to discuss the withdrawal was canceled. Terrero, about 10 miles north of Pecos, was a major mining center in the early 20th century, and concerns have long simmered in the Pecos area over the potential environmental impact if mining were to return. Mining in the Pecos Valley has been contentious for decades, especially after contamination from abandoned mines got into the water, killing fish downstream from the spill, in the 1990s. Signs and bumper stickers with the words “Terrero Mine” in bold, a red line slashing across it signaling opposition, are a frequent sight in the area. Local and federal officials have also expressed opposition to renewed mining. Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation have reintroduced the Pecos Watershed Protection Act this year to permanently withdraw the Upper Pecos watershed from mining, but the bill has not advanced in the Republican-controlled Congress. During a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on Dec. 2, Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, pressed U.S. Forest Service Acting Associate Chief Christopher French on the matter. French did appear to commit to a community meeting in the Pecos Valley. “Your agency even canceled a public forum that would have allowed for discussion ... of the withdrawal and given the community a chance to share their views with the Forest Service,” Heinrich said. “Would you commit to coming out to the Pecos Valley and meeting with that community and having a public meeting?” “Of course, and we’ll have a conversation around any of those issues,” French said. “We know that the comments that we received on the withdrawal itself overwhelmingly supported the withdrawal, but across the agency, the administration’s policy is to preserve the spaces we have right now for future development until such time that we understand what our current mineral development is across the agency,” French added. In 2019, filing dozens of mining claims, Comexico LLC, the Colorado subsidiary of Australian mining company New World Resources, announced plans to do exploratory drilling in the Pecos watershed, near Terrero, looking for gold, copper, zinc, lead and silver. A representative of Comexico told The New Mexican in April the company has not actively worked on the project for several years. Past community meetings have drawn high attendance and featured strong opposition. Ralph Lopez, Pecos’ mayor-elect, said the Trump administration’s decision to cancel the protections for watershed mining caused concern in the community. “We don’t want any mining. We were born and raised here,” Lopez said. “We’ll fight tooth and nail to keep anything like that from happening, and I’m pretty much sure I speak for pretty much all of the people of Pecos and the surrounding areas.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which includes the Forest Service, did not respond to an inquiry Friday about a potential public forum on the matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/source-new-mexico-senators-call-for-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-vaccine,Source New Mexico: Senators call for highly pathogenic avian influenza vaccine,2025-12-12,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Nearly two dozen U.S. senators urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a letter, to “prioritize” a vaccine strategy for the highly pathogenic avian influenza. The virus has impacted more than 184 million commercial and backyard poultry birds and more than 1,000 head of dairy cattle since February 2022. The letter comes as detections of the bird flu have increased over the winter months in states across the country, according to reporting from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. A case of bird flu was detected in Iowa Dec. 2, in a Hamilton County commercial turkey flock, and as recently as Tuesday in flocks in Indiana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Washington. The bipartisan letter, which included Iowa Republicans Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, said a “thoughtful and comprehensive vaccine strategy” would “strengthen” the nation’s ability to fight the bird flu, as it prepares for a “resurgence.” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins launched a $1 billion plan in February to combat the ongoing outbreak of the H5N1 virus. Part of that plan included $100 million for research into a bird flu vaccine and other potential treatments. The letter said USDA has a “draft proposal of an avian flu vaccine strategy for poultry” that is “currently under review” and the signed senators urged the department to advance the process with “speed and diligence.” A draft proposal for a bird flu vaccine strategy had not been filed in the Federal Register as of Friday. In June, Reuters reported USDA was “considering” a plan to vaccinate poultry for HPAI and expected the plan would be completed in July. USDA did not respond Friday to a request for comment and for additional information on the vaccination plan. Members of the Congressional Chicken Caucus, representing the interests of poultry producing states, submitted a letter to Rollins in February, noting they were wary of a vaccine, as it might interrupt export markets. While the December letter from senators urged the advancement of the vaccine process, it also asked for “proactive consultation with affected stakeholders.” “Any finalized vaccine strategy must take into account feedback from animal health stakeholders, industry experts, and be grounded in sound science,” the letter said. Senators said the vaccine strategy should also address “all impacted species” of poultry and that the department should then prioritize a vaccine strategy for dairy cattle. “Finally, as the USDA rolls out any avian flu vaccine strategy, it is critical that clear and transparent communication to producers, veterinarians, and state animal health officials, along with direct guidance and resources are in place,” the letter said. The letter was addressed to Rollins and dated Dec. 11. Signees included: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota; Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania; Sen. John Thune R-South Dakota; Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona; Sen. James Justice, R-West Virginia; Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan; Sen. Michael Lee, R-Utah; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York; Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia; Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio; Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minnesota; Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina; Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia; Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado; Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana; Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico; Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio; Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-cosponsors-legislation-to-close-the-charleston-loophole,Heinrich Cosponsors Legislation to Close the Charleston Loophole,2025-12-12,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined 25 Senate Democrats to introduce the Background Check Completion Act, legislation to close a current loophole that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed within a certain time period, even if the gun buyer is not legally allowed to purchase a gun. The gap in existing law has allowed thousands of gun sales to prohibited buyers, including the sale of the firearm used by the shooter in the deadly attack at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church. The bill is led by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in the Senate and the companion legislation is led by U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) in the House. When a criminal background check indicates that a firearm purchaser may have a criminal record, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tries to determine whether the purchaser can legally buy a gun. If this process takes longer than 72 hours for those 21 years of age or older, or 10 days for those under 21, gun dealers can complete the sale even though there is a heightened risk that the purchaser is legally disqualified from purchasing a gun. The Background Check Completion Act will require a completed background check for every gun buyer who purchases a gun from a federally-licensed gun dealer. Alongside Heinrich, the Background Check Completion Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The legislation has been endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety, Giffords, Brady, Sandy Hook Promise and Newtown Action Alliance. The text of the bill is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/nm-delegation-demands-usps-take-urgent-action-to-restore-full-service-postal-operations-in-chimayo,N.M. Delegation Demands USPS Take Urgent Action to Restore Full-Service Postal Operations in Chimayó,2025-12-12,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), sent a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) to take all necessary actions to prioritize and ensure that the rebuilding project for USPS operations in Chimayó is completed in 2026. This letter follows the USPS’s repeated failure to provide a clear timeline or adequate information about the construction of a new Chimayó Post Office, which burned down nearly three years ago. The N.M. Delegation has continually fought to restore a permanent, full-service post office in Chimayó, where it has long served as a cornerstone of the community. “Since the Chimayó Post Office burned down on February 14, 2023, we have persistently called on the United States Postal Service to reinstate operations in Chimayó. Time and again, however, our requests—and those of the community—have been met with a troubling lack of urgency,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Postmaster General David Steiner. “Despite the extensive correspondence, community engagement, and ongoing inquiries initiated by our offices, we remain concerned about USPS’s limited responsiveness to the needs of the Chimayó community. We recognize that rebuilding a facility requires time; however, more than two years have passed, and the community has received only broad assurances,” the lawmakers continued. “In the absence of direct and transparent communication from USPS, members of the community understandably question the status of the project and whether progress is being made.” The lawmakers concluded by demanding urgent action: “We strongly urge USPS to prioritize and expedite the rebuilding of the Chimayó Post Office and to commit publicly to a clear, achievable timeline for completion in 2026. The community of Chimayó deserves transparent communication and timely action from USPS.” Read the full letter here and below: Dear Postmaster General Steiner, With the end of the year approaching, we write as a delegation to strongly urge the United States Postal Service to take all necessary actions to prioritize and ensure that the rebuilding project for USPS operations in Chimayó is completed in 2026. Since the Chimayó Post Office burned down on February 14, 2023, we have persistently called on the United States Postal Service to reinstate operations in Chimayó. Time and again, however, our requests—and those of the community—have been met with a troubling lack of urgency. On May 23, 2023, we sent a joint letter expressing our concerns regarding the continued absence of postal services in Chimayo. One year after the disastrous fire, we again urged USPS to publicly communicate its commitment and timeline for establishing a new, permanent post office for the community. In response dated March 6, 2024, the Senior Government Relations Representative stated that the construction of a new postal facility requires a minimum of 12 to 18 months, as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations. Earlier this year, on the two-year anniversary of the Chimayó Post Office burning down—the delegation once more urged USPS to prioritize the return of a full-service post office, emphasizing its ongoing importance to the residents of this beautiful community. Despite the extensive correspondence, community engagement, and ongoing inquiries initiated by our offices, we remain concerned about USPS’s limited responsiveness to the needs of the Chimayó community. We recognize that rebuilding a facility requires time; however, more than two years have passed, and the community has received only broad assurances. In the absence of direct and transparent communication from USPS, members of the community understandably question the status of the project and whether progress is being made. On November 3, 2025, USPS informed Senator Ben Ray Luján’s office that the USPS is now negotiating a lease with Santa Fe County and the Board of Finance. The selected location is 205 Juan Medina Road, the former Santa Fe County Head Start facility. While the space will require a buildout, USPS stated that it cannot provide a completion timeline until the lease is finalized. Additionally, we were notified by Santa Fe County having finalized its portion of the lease. The agreement now awaits action from USPS. The Deputy Manager also noted that once the lease is finalized the County will complete minor building repairs before turning the property over to USPS for redevelopment. We respectfully request clarification on when USPS anticipates completing these lease negotiations and providing a timeline for the project’s completion. We have previously urged former Postmaster General DeJoy to expedite the rebuilding of the Chimayó Post Office, but those efforts did not result in meaningful progress. With your leadership, we hope to work with you to ensure that USPS prioritizes this project and takes the necessary steps to achieve its timely completion for the Chimayó community. To that end, we strongly urge USPS to prioritize and expedite the rebuilding of the Chimayó Post Office and to commit publicly to a clear, achievable timeline for completion in 2026. The community of Chimayó deserves transparent communication and timely action from USPS. We appreciate your attention to this critical matter affecting our constituents and urge USPS to provide a timely and detailed response outlining the concrete steps it will take to fulfill its obligations to the residents of Chimayó. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-sheehy-introduce-bill-to-provide-free-national-parks-passes-to-law-enforcement-wildland-firefighters/,"Luján, Sheehy Introduce Bill to Provide Free National Parks Passes to Law Enforcement, Wildland Firefighters",2025-12-12,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recreation Pass Act, a bill to provide free annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes to law enforcement officers and firefighters, including wildland firefighters. The bill ensures those who ensure the security and protection of these recreation spaces for Americans across the country are able to access them at no cost. “In New Mexico and across the country, our law enforcement officers and firefighters put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. I’m proud to partner with Senator Sheehy to introduce bipartisan legislation that would allow law enforcement officers and firefighters to enjoy National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands free of charge. Whether it’s visiting White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, or New Mexico’s vast Federal Recreational Lands, allowing these heroes to visit for free is a simple way for us to say: thank you,” said Senator Luján. “Countless firefighters and law enforcement officials across our nation work day and night, year-round to keep our communities, national parks, and public lands safe for American families. It’s only right that we ensure these heroes can enjoy these treasured landscapes free of charge, and I’m proud to lead this commonsense, bipartisan bill in the Senate,” said Senator Sheehy. Senators Luján and Sheehy were joined by Senators Cassidy (R-La.), Crapo (R-ID), and Risch (R-ID) in introducing the Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recreation Pass Act. The House of Representatives companion to the bill was introduced by Representative Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) and passed the House under suspension of the rules in July of this year. Background: Under current law, members of the Armed Services and their dependents are provided free annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes. These passes cover entrance fees and standard amenity (day-use) fees at recreation areas managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (US ACE). Law enforcement officers and firefighters are currently not eligible for a free annual pass unless they are members of the Armed Services, veterans, or a Gold Star family member. The Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recreation Pass Act amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide free annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes to law enforcement officers and firefighters, including wildland firefighters. This bill ensures that those who are often tasked with ensuring the security and protection of recreation spaces that Americans across the country enjoy will be able to access them at no cost. Read more on the bill HERE. Read the full text of the bill HERE. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/members-of-the-n-m-delegation-demand-usps-take-urgent-action-to-restore-full-service-postal-operations-in-chimayo/,Members of the N.M. Delegation Demand USPS Take Urgent Action to Restore Full-Service Postal Operations in Chimayó,2025-12-12,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) sent a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) to take all necessary actions to prioritize and ensure that the rebuilding project for USPS operations in Chimayó is completed in 2026. This letter follows the USPS’s repeated failure to provide a clear timeline or adequate information about the construction of a new Chimayó Post Office, which burned down nearly three years ago. The N.M. Delegation has continually fought to restore a permanent, full-service post office in Chimayó, where it has long served as a cornerstone of the community. “Since the Chimayó Post Office burned down on February 14, 2023, we have persistently called on the United States Postal Service to reinstate operations in Chimayó. Time and again, however, our requests—and those of the community—have been met with a troubling lack of urgency,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Postmaster General David Steiner. “Despite the extensive correspondence, community engagement, and ongoing inquiries initiated by our offices, we remain concerned about USPS’s limited responsiveness to the needs of the Chimayó community. We recognize that rebuilding a facility requires time; however, more than two years have passed, and the community has received only broad assurances,” the lawmakers continued. “In the absence of direct and transparent communication from USPS, members of the community understandably question the status of the project and whether progress is being made.” The lawmakers concluded by demanding urgent action: “We strongly urge USPS to prioritize and expedite the rebuilding of the Chimayó Post Office and to commit publicly to a clear, achievable timeline for completion in 2026. The community of Chimayó deserves transparent communication and timely action from USPS.” Read the full letter here and below: Dear Postmaster General Steiner, With the end of the year approaching, we write as a delegation to strongly urge the United States Postal Service to take all necessary actions to prioritize and ensure that the rebuilding project for USPS operations in Chimayó is completed in 2026. Since the Chimayó Post Office burned down on February 14, 2023, we have persistently called on the United States Postal Service to reinstate operations in Chimayó. Time and again, however, our requests—and those of the community—have been met with a troubling lack of urgency. On May 23, 2023, we sent a joint letter expressing our concerns regarding the continued absence of postal services in Chimayo. One year after the disastrous fire, we again urged USPS to publicly communicate its commitment and timeline for establishing a new, permanent post office for the community. In response dated March 6, 2024, the Senior Government Relations Representative stated that the construction of a new postal facility requires a minimum of 12 to 18 months, as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations. Earlier this year, on the two-year anniversary of the Chimayó Post Office burning down—the delegation once more urged USPS to prioritize the return of a full-service post office, emphasizing its ongoing importance to the residents of this beautiful community. Despite the extensive correspondence, community engagement, and ongoing inquiries initiated by our offices, we remain concerned about USPS’s limited responsiveness to the needs of the Chimayó community. We recognize that rebuilding a facility requires time; however, more than two years have passed, and the community has received only broad assurances. In the absence of direct and transparent communication from USPS, members of the community understandably question the status of the project and whether progress is being made. On November 3, 2025, USPS informed Senator Ben Ray Luján’s office that the USPS is now negotiating a lease with Santa Fe County and the Board of Finance. The selected location is 205 Juan Medina Road, the former Santa Fe County Head Start facility. While the space will require a buildout, USPS stated that it cannot provide a completion timeline until the lease is finalized. Additionally, we were notified by Santa Fe County having finalized its portion of the lease. The agreement now awaits action from USPS. The Deputy Manager also noted that once the lease is finalized the County will complete minor building repairs before turning the property over to USPS for redevelopment. We respectfully request clarification on when USPS anticipates completing these lease negotiations and providing a timeline for the project’s completion. We have previously urged former Postmaster General DeJoy to expedite the rebuilding of the Chimayó Post Office, but those efforts did not result in meaningful progress. With your leadership, we hope to work with you to ensure that USPS prioritizes this project and takes the necessary steps to achieve its timely completion for the Chimayó community. To that end, we strongly urge USPS to prioritize and expedite the rebuilding of the Chimayó Post Office and to commit publicly to a clear, achievable timeline for completion in 2026. The community of Chimayó deserves transparent communication and timely action from USPS. We appreciate your attention to this critical matter affecting our constituents and urge USPS to provide a timely and detailed response outlining the concrete steps it will take to fulfill its obligations to the residents of Chimayó. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-urge-usda-to-prioritize-hpai-poultry-vaccine-strategy,"Heinrich, Luján Urge USDA to Prioritize HPAI Poultry Vaccine Strategy",2025-12-11,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined their colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to move forward with the USDA’s avian flu vaccine strategy for poultry while encouraging a comprehensive, science-based approach. “We are writing to encourage the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue prioritizing an avian flu vaccine strategy that takes into account a comprehensive, science-based approach for the potential vaccination of poultry and livestock that have been impacted by this disease,” wrote the Senators. “Avian flu infections have already begun to increase as winter approaches, and it is essential that USDA take renewed action to address and fight this virus.” “The USDA recently noted that a draft proposal of an avian flu vaccine strategy for poultry was currently under review, and we strongly urge the Department to advance this review process with speed and diligence, while allowing for proactive consultation with affected stakeholders,” the Senators continued. “Any finalized vaccine strategy must take into account feedback from animal health stakeholders, industry experts, and be grounded in sound science. It must also be comprehensive in scope, addressing all impacted species, including turkeys and egg-laying hens. Once a vaccine is developed and USDA has confirmed its safety and efficacy, a vaccine strategy for dairy cattle should also be prioritized.” The National Turkey Federation, the United Egg Producers, the National Milk Producers Federation, the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, and the Minnesota Milk Producers Association endorsed the Senators’ call for an HPAI poultry vaccine strategy. “The National Turkey Federation (NTF) commends Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Rounds for their bipartisan leadership in elevating the need for a credible, science-driven approach to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vaccination,” said Leslee Oden, president and CEO of the National Turkey Federation. “NTF supports USDA developing a vaccination strategy as one component of a broader approach to HPAI, and we believe that plan should be shaped through meaningful stakeholder input and accompanied by active engagement with trading partners to modernize international standards and ensure trade continuity. We look forward to continuing our work with USDA, members of Congress and industry partners to strengthen animal health, ensure food affordability and maintain access to key export markets.” “America's egg farmers genuinely appreciate the bipartisan Senate cooperation in support of farmers' fight against HPAI. Like everyone, we value food affordability, and we believe that a successful trade strategy that leads to a viable vaccine strategy is the right long-term solution. Consumers love eggs, and we all benefit from the stability of a market where outbreaks of HPAI can be contained,” said Chad Gregory, President and CEO, United Egg Producers. “Dairy farmers and their cooperatives appreciate Ranking Member Klobuchar and Senator Rounds in their efforts to unite the Senate in advocating to give high priority to a national vaccine strategy for avian influenza that includes dairy cattle considerations. As we approach the two-year mark since the H5N1 bird flu virus began affecting our herds, biosecurity remains critical for the dairy industry,” said Dr. Jamie Jonker, Chief Science Officer at the National Milk Producers Federation. “Investing in vaccine development and strategic deployment will be a critical piece of controlling and eradicating this disease from dairies across the country,” said Jonker, who leads NMPF’s efforts to coordinate the dairy industry’s response to bird flu. “Until that day, we remain diligent in our work with our partners on Capitol Hill, at USDA, and in the private sector to mitigate H5N1’s negative effects on dairy producers and consumers.” The letter was led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). Along with Along with Heinrich and Luján, the letter was signed by Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa),Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). The full text of the letter is below and can be found HERE. Dear Secretary Rollins, We are writing to encourage the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue prioritizing an avian flu vaccine strategy that takes into account a comprehensive, science-based approach for the potential vaccination of poultry and livestock that have been impacted by this disease. We have appreciated your commitment to addressing avian flu thus far in your tenure as Secretary, including the release of the Department’s February 26, 2025, “Five-Pronged Approach to Address Avian Flu”. Since the beginning of this outbreak in 2022, avian flu has impacted more than 184.03 million birds in 1,905 flocks, including more than 21.1 million turkeys and 141.1 million layers, and 1,083 dairy herds across the country. Avian flu infections have already begun to increase as winter approaches, and it is essential that USDA take renewed action to address and fight this virus. The USDA recently noted that a draft proposal of an avian flu vaccine strategy for poultry was currently under review, and we strongly urge the Department to advance this review process with speed and diligence, while allowing for proactive consultation with affected stakeholders. Any finalized vaccine strategy must take into account feedback from animal health stakeholders, industry experts, and be grounded in sound science. It must also be comprehensive in scope, addressing all impacted species, including turkeys and egg-laying hens. Once a vaccine is developed and USDA has confirmed its safety and efficacy, a vaccine strategy for dairy cattle should also be prioritized. We encourage the Department to work closely with trading partners and impacted producers to fully assess and manage any potential trade implications. Finally, as the USDA rolls out any avian flu vaccine strategy, it is critical that clear and transparent communication to producers, veterinarians, and state animal health officials, along with direct guidance and resources, are in place. We value USDA’s continued action to curb the spread of avian flu. Producers, veterinarians, and the American public depend on timely, science-based action to safeguard animal health and protect our nation’s food security. As we prepare and respond to the resurgence of this virus, a thoughtful and comprehensive vaccine strategy will strengthen our ability to fight and mitigate avian flu. Thank you for your continued attention to this urgent matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-statement-on-senate-republicans-blocking-aca-tax-credit-extension-and-raising-health-care-premiums-on-thousands-of-new-mexicans,Heinrich Statement on Senate Republicans Blocking ACA Tax Credit Extension & Raising Health Care Premiums on Thousands of New Mexicans,2025-12-11,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked the Lower Health Care Costs Act, legislation led by Senate Democrats, which extends the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits through 2028. With Congressional Republicans and President Trump blocking this bill — alongside Republicans in the New Mexico state legislature refusing to call on Trump to address skyrocketing health care costs — Republicans are effectively raising the cost of health care for New Mexico families. “Working families are being crushed by soaring health care costs — and instead of helping, Senate Republicans slammed the door on extending the ACA tax credits. Their decision means New Mexicans will be stuck paying more for the care they rely on. Trump and Republicans love to preach affordability, but when it comes time to actually deliver for families, they walk away every time. “Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House. And they made a choice — a choice that ignores the mom in Farmington trying to afford her kid’s next checkup and the retiree in Las Cruces who’s now wondering whether they can keep their health coverage. That level of callousness is infuriating. Make no mistake, Republicans are responsible for every consequence New Mexicans are about to feel. “I will keep fighting to rein in Trump’s affordability crisis and permanently extend the ACA tax credits. Because New Mexico families deserve certainty, stability, and a health care system that doesn’t force them to choose between paying their bills and staying healthy.” Heinrich remains unwavering in the fight to permanently extend the ACA tax credits and lower health care costs for New Mexico families. Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House. In the most recent government shutdown, Trump and Republicans chose not to work with Heinrich and Democrats to extend the ACA tax credits, chose to shut down the government for 44 days, which made it the longest government shutdown in American history, and chose to pass a government funding bill that failed to extend the ACA tax credits. The ACA tax credits expire on December 31. BeWell New Mexico estimates that over 6,300 New Mexico enrollees will be impacted if the enhanced advanced premium tax credit is not extended. Heinrich repeatedly voted for a government funding bill that included an extension of the ACA health tax credits and urged Congressional Republicans to come to the negotiating table to engage in good faith bipartisan negotiations with Democrats to extend these tax credits and reopen the government. Meanwhile, Republicans refused and voted to let insurance premiums skyrocket, let children go hungry, and let working people fend for themselves. Heinrich voted to pass the American Rescue Plan in 2021, which authorized initial enhancements to the premium tax credit to make health insurance more affordable for more people and increase subsidies for working, middle-income families in New Mexico. In 2022, Heinrich voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which extended the enhanced premium tax credit through 2025. In addition to voting for the Lower Health Care Costs Act, Heinrich cosponsors the Health Care Affordability Act of 2025 to make the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credit permanent and build upon record health care marketplace enrollment. Recently, Heinrich hosted a roundtable to hear directly from New Mexicans whose premiums will rise significantly as a result of Congressional Republicans’ refusal to extend the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits. In September, Heinrich hosted a press conference with BeWell New Mexico and the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty to highlight how the health care crisis, created by Trump and Republicans, will hike health care premiums if Republicans allow ACA premium tax credits to expire. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-heinrich-speaks-at-semafors-principals-event-on-permitting-reform,ICYMI: Heinrich Speaks at Semafor’s Principals Event on Permitting Reform,2025-12-11,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"PHOTOS HERE WASHINGTON — Last night, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, spoke at Semafor’s Principals Live – Powering America’s Future event in D.C. about permitting reform legislation in Congress. During the fireside chat moderated by Semafor’s Congressional Bureau Chief Burgess Everett, Heinrich emphasized the importance of passing bipartisan permitting legislation, the negative impacts of Trump’s actions to kill fully permitted projects, and how data centers play a role in permitting reform. VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, answers questions on future permitting legislation in Congress, December 9, 2025. On Working in a Bipartisan Fashion to Pass Permitting Reform “Has it been your experience that [Senator Mike Lee] is open to working with Democrats, and the Democratic Party on getting this done and trying to separate out the issues?” asked Semafor’s Congressional Bureau Chief Burgess Everett. Heinrich responded, “I’m optimistic that this is a space where... we're more aligned than maybe some of the other spaces. And so, I think we need to take advantage of that. And I'm a big believer, you know, do what you can, when you can, and don't wait for the perfect moment to suddenly manifest itself. We've got a lot of great foundational work that he and I were both part of in the previous Congress. And so let's build on that.” On Trump Canceling Energy Projects Burgess followed, “Yeah, and the dynamics, we were referencing this a little bit, have changed a bit, because the change in administrations.” Heinrich responded, “That's actually something that worries me more than him and I being in different places, on the policies. The dynamic where you have an administration that's willing to do things like issue stop work orders on fully permitted NEPA compliant projects, that's caused a lot of angst in my colleagues. And you know... we know things like the offshore wind — Empire and Revolution — and then there's literally a stack of red tape now on Doug Burgum's desk where, you know, he issued a directive that said for 68 different things that are usually handled at a very low level, that are very, you know, routine that they all have to go through his desk. And things like, right of ways for a solar or wind project, that's a recipe for not building things. And so we have to figure out a way to insert more certainty for both sides and for traditional and new clean generation. Like, how do we make it about whether you check the actual boxes that are relevant to the permit, and you insulate it from the politics?” Burgess asked, “Is that something you guys can legislate on, or is your concern that if you did legislate on — that the Trump administration wouldn’t follow the legislation or the law?” Heinrich responded, “Well that’s what the courts are for, right? I do think to the extent that we can create law that is more clear, that sets standards instead of allowing for one person's discretion.” On Permitting Legislation Negotiations Burgess asked, “Have you guys started like real discussions on what sort of legislation would come out of your committee, or are you waiting to see what happens in the House at this point?” Heinrich answered, “We’re not waiting on the House. I think both our teams are figuring out, you know, what's important to the two different caucuses on the committee, and, you know, I hope to be trading paper with Chairman Lee very soon.” Burgess followed, “Is the House bill a non-starter? Heinrich responded, “No, it's not a non-starter. I think anytime the House can move on things it's helpful for the overall dynamic. It's a very different... it's not an analogous permitting reform effort to what our committee is going to do because it's NEPA-centric.” Burgess asked, “Yours would be much broader, correct?” Heinrich answered, “It would, but the NEPA stuff also lives at EPW. It’s in a different committee, right? So, you know, speed is not necessarily analogous to the things that we would work on in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, like geothermal that Chairman Lee talked about and transmission and those things.” On the Importance of Building New Energy Projects Faster Burgess followed, “We hear also a lot about this Abundance agenda for Democrats. Democrats want to build.” Heinrich answered, “I think that's a real dynamic. I mean, as a country, we need to be able to build big things. And to use an example that I worked on, I worked on a transmission project that I started working on with a developer when I got to the House of Representatives in 2009. It’s being energized right now. Seventeen years. That’s not functional. We need to do better than that. Now it's a great project, inserting, injecting, you know, tens of billions of dollars into the economies of New Mexico and Arizona. It's the largest clean energy project ever built in the Western Hemisphere. But come on, like capital, they talk about patient capital, nobody’s that patient.” Burgess asked, “Has your party been too resistant, historically to building things quickly?” Heinrich answered, “I think the times have changed, yes, and I think my party feels a sense of urgency that was not shared by a number of my colleagues in the past.” Burgess followed, “Are you having to convince them? Or is this happening naturally as they read the national politics?” Heinrich answered, “It’s kind of both. I would tell that story about that one power line in caucus in the past as a way to say, ‘No, we really do have to do this.’ And so we had those conversations hoping to get EPRA, the previous iteration, onto the floor, but it didn't quite get there. But we've also just seen a shift that people realize whether you want to solve for climate, or whether you want to solve for AI, I mean, we have to be able to build stuff. And you know, if you look at the pipeline right now of new generation onto the grid because of price, 95% of it is actually clean energy. And if that all gets hung up in the permitting process or on somebody's desk, like the Secretary of Interior, we're not going to be able to win the AI race. We just won't.” On Relationships with Administration Officials Burgess asked, “When you have a problem with Secretary of Interior, is he taking your calls?” Heinrich responded, “He takes my calls.” Burgess asked, “You still have a decent relationship with them? I know that’s been something... I feel like you’ve gone out of the way to maintain.” Heinrich responded, “I've tried very hard over the years, in both the first Trump administration and in this Trump administration, to try to maintain a relationship with the Secretary of Energy and Secretary of Interior, because my state has so many things that are directly related to those agencies, from our public lands to our national laboratories that are some of our biggest employers and do some of the most incredible government work that exists. I need to be able to pick up the phone and talk to those folks.” On AI Data Centers Burgess asked, “You mentioned the AI data centers. Is it difficult to get communities bought into those sprouting out around the country or are people ambivalent about this movement? What’s your take? What are people in your state telling you?” Heinrich answered, “I think that a lot of AI developers are not experienced in this state, and they're kind of where transmission projects were twenty years ago – they're making a lot of mistakes out of the gate. And so I actually do think that there's a way to do this that does not generate the kind of backlash that we're starting to see in a number of different states, but it requires things, you know, and I'll talk for a moment about a place I think that Chairman Lee and I very much agree is that those AI, large loads generally should pay their own freight. They should not be asking some community to subsidize their electricity. So if you know, if that's step one, if you screw that up out of the gate, people are going to turn against you. And then there are things like water consumption that are really acute in states like Arizona and Nevada.” Burgess asked, “Senator Lee says he’s talked to his leadership, they seem onboard with prioritizing this. Where do things stand in the Democratic caucus, because as you know, these things are hard. People want to fight Trump. Now this may not have anything to do with Trump, but sometimes that could just mean blocking legislation that Republicans support.” Henrich answered, “I think the leadership in my caucus is very interested in getting this done, and Sheldon Whitehouse and myself have had regular meetings with our leadership and with the caucus members that are interested in this space as well.” Burgess asked, “How do you handle sensitivities of making big changes in environmental policy here? Are there red lines for you that you will not touch?” Heinrich answered, “So I think we need to get to yes or no a lot faster. But that doesn't mean you, like, lower the standard. It just means that the process gets you to an outcome. Sometimes the outcome is no for good reason, but you shouldn't have to invest 10 years of effort to get no. You need to know earlier in the process. And one of the things that I found very frustrating in the course of working for well over a decade on a route for transmission line, and getting that right, is that the federal family does not always work well together. And you can have one agency hang up a project that nine other agencies think is the right answer, and so that takes leadership in the administration to do both concurrent processing, but also have somebody who can say no, this is going to be a no or it's going to be a yes, but we're not going to give a veto authority to every single agency. They need to tell you, like, if not here, that where?”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-statement-on-republicans-voting-against-keeping-health-care-costs-down-for-millions-of-americans/,Luján Statement on Republicans Voting Against Keeping Health Care Costs Down for Millions of Americans,2025-12-11,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after Senate Republicans voted against the Democratic proposal to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits that make health care affordable for families in New Mexico and people across the country: “Just days before ACA tax credits are set to expire — and health care costs spike for Americans across the country — Republicans chose to ignore the affordability crisis they created. “Senate Democrats offered a simple proposal that would have kept health care costs down for more than 20 million Americans: a clean, straightforward extension of the ACA tax credits. Instead of supporting hardworking families, Republicans voted against this commonsense solution, allowing health care costs to skyrocket when families are being crushed by the Republican affordability crisis. “The reality is clear: Republicans are not serious about making health care more affordable. They offered no meaningful proposal to prevent these looming price hikes, and the President refuses to acknowledge the affordability crisis. Now, millions of Americans will see their premiums double or even triple because Republicans failed to act. “New Mexico families should not be forced to pay the price for a crisis manufactured by Republicans. Democrats put forward a real plan to protect affordability, support rural hospitals, and maintain access to health care for millions of Americans. Republicans stood in the way, and now hardworking New Mexicans and Americans will pay the price.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-lujan-on-ms-now-extending-aca-tax-credits-is-the-best-way-to-prevent-a-major-price-hike-to-millions-of-americans/,VIDEO: Luján on MS NOW — Extending ACA Tax Credits is the Best Way to Prevent a Major Price Hike to Millions of Americans,2025-12-11,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Watch Senator Luján’s full interview HERE. Washington, D.C. — Just days before Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits are set to expire, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined MS NOW’s Chris Jansing to discuss Democrats’ plan to avoid skyrocketing health care premiums for hardworking American families and Republicans’ refusal to prevent this crisis. Senator Luján stressed the impact of the Republican-made health care crisis on hard-working New Mexican families: “I’ve been receiving phone calls and messages from seniors across New Mexico who are even looking at what’s happening to their Medicare plans. They’re worried. “A single mom from New Mexico yesterday messaged me. She said, ‘Hey, if you need to know what’s going on, I just got my notice. And for me and my daughter, it’s going from $900 to $1300.’ Senator Luján underscored the fact that Americans are feeling the pain of this affordability crisis and need to be able to afford their health care: “The American people are paying way too much with health insurance companies. I say we should hold health insurance companies accountable. This notion that doctors can’t make decisions about how to treat a patient because they need some bean counter somewhere that works for an insurance company to see if you should or shouldn’t get it—I trust my doctor. I don’t trust that insurance company. So, I’m all about reform and working on this as well.” Senator Luján highlighted Republicans’ long history of not having a health care plan to bring to the table: “But don’t forget, Chris, Republicans have voted over 70 times to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. They don’t like it. They don’t want it in place. Well, over the last ten years, where is their plan? Let’s come up with something here. Stop playing games with the American people. “And the last thing that I would say to Leader Thune if he was talking to me, Chris — he knows I survived a stroke three years ago. He knows that I was in an ICU bed. I didn’t know if I was going to live one day to the next. But what I’ve been reminded day in and day out is when you’re in those situations, the only thing you should be worried about when you’re in a bed like that is about getting better. Not worried about paying the bills.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-highlights-economic-benefits-of-americas-national-parks-condemns-recent-announcement-to-remove-fee-free-admission-of-juneteenth-and-martin-luther-king-jr-day,"Heinrich Highlights Economic Benefits of America’s National Parks, Condemns Recent Announcement to Remove Fee-Free Admission of Juneteenth and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day",2025-12-09,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — During a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks hearing to consider 26 pending bills, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the full committee, delivered opening remarks on the role national parks play in boosting our country’s economy and the importance of protecting public lands as the Trump Administration continues to divest from National Park Service sites. Heinrich also sounded the alarm on the Trump Administration’s recent announcement to remove fee-free admission on Juneteenth and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, both federal holidays, and instead implement a fee-free day on President Trump’s birthday, a move that reflects the Administration's ongoing commitment to erasing our nation’s history. VIDEO: Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers opening remarks during a National Parks Subcommittee hearing, December 9th, 2025. “Every single day, the public lands recreation economy contributes over $350 million a day to our nation’s economic health,” began Heinrich, citing the economic impact of our nation’s public lands. “And that’s not a typo. It’s a testament to just how deeply Americans value time outdoors and their nation’s history and how crucial our public lands are to supporting job growth, supporting small businesses, rural communities.” “The Administration recently announced that Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth would no longer be fee-free days on our public lands, despite being federal holidays,” said Heinrich, pointing out the latest move the Trump Administration has made to denigrate our public lands. “Instead, Flag Day will be fee-free. And it’s a coincidence, I’m sure, that while Flag Day isn’t a federal holiday, it is the President’s birthday.” “Rest assured folks...when this President is in the past, Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth will not only have fee-free National Park admission, but they will occupy again incredible places of pride in our nation's history,” closed Heinrich. A video of Heinrich’s opening remarks is here. A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and I want to thank you and C0-Chair Angus King for convening today’s hearing. Though I may not agree with every bill on the agenda, I am so grateful that we have the chance to spend some time talking about an issue that literally touches every corner of this country: our national parks and the role they play in America’s incredible outdoor recreation economy. And I particularly look forward to working with you and the Co-Chair on the America the Beautiful Act. Every single day, the public lands recreation economy contributes over $350 million a day to our nation’s economic health. And that’s not a typo. It’s a testament to just how deeply Americans value time outdoors and their nation’s history and how crucial our public lands are to supporting job growth, supporting small businesses, rural communities. Our national parks and park system units are major contributors to the economic success that our public lands bring. Parks like Glacier, White Sands, Acadia are iconic for a reason. They are world-class destinations that draw millions of visitors from around the world. And today’s hearing also highlights something equally important: the hundreds of smaller national parks, historic sites, seashores, and monuments that really are the woven into the fabric of our nation’s history and communities across the United States. Places like Petroglyph National Monument or Pecos National Historical Park in New Mexico, these are places make a real difference in people’s lives. They preserve and celebrate our history, the good and the bad. They honor our heroes, they protect our wildlife and watersheds. And they offer outdoor classrooms for students and provide spaces for families to connect with the outdoors. They offer us opportunities to escape the pressures of everyday life and enjoy the outdoors. And unfortunately, you know, recent National Park Service management directives from this Administration, including the dramatic budget cuts that the Co-Chair referenced, major staffing reductions, proposals to divest of hundreds of NPS sites, are a significant threat to the parks that Americans know and love. What’s more, the Administration recently announced that Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth would no longer be fee-free days on our public lands, despite being federal holidays. Instead, Flag Day will be fee-free. And it’s a coincidence, I’m sure, that while Flag Day isn’t a federal holiday, it is the President’s birthday. Rest assured folks...when this President is in the past, Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth, will not only have fee-free National Park admission, but they will occupy again incredible places of pride in our nation's history. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-joins-senate-democrats-to-introduce-legislation-to-extend-the-aca-tax-credit-and-protect-new-mexicans-from-trumps-affordability-crisis,Heinrich Joins Senate Democrats to Introduce Legislation to Extend the ACA Tax Credit & Protect New Mexicans from Trump's Affordability Crisis,2025-12-09,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined Senate Democrats to introduce the Lower Health Care Costs Act, legislation to extend the enhanced premium ACA tax credits for three years and protect New Mexicans from Trump's affordability crisis, which is skyrocketing the cost of health care. The legislation is led by U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). The full text of the Lower Health Care Costs Act is here. Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House. In the most recent government shutdown, Trump and Republicans chose not to work with Heinrich and Democrats to extend the ACA tax credits, chose to shut down the government for 44 days, which made it the longest government shutdown in American history, and chose to pass a government funding bill that fails to extend the ACA tax credits. The ACA tax credits expire at the end of this month. BeWell New Mexico estimates that over 6,300 New Mexico enrollees will face increased health insurance costs starting January 1, 2026, if the enhanced APTC is not extended. Heinrich repeatedly voted for a government funding bill that included an extension of the ACA health tax credits and urged Congressional Republicans to come to the negotiating table to engage in good faith bipartisan negotiations with Democrats to extend these tax credits and reopen the government. Meanwhile, Republicans refused and voted to let insurance premiums skyrocket, let children go hungry, and let working people fend for themselves. Heinrich voted to pass the American Rescue Plan in 2021, which authorized initial enhancements to the premium tax credit to make health insurance more affordable for more people and increase subsidies for working, middle-income families in New Mexico. In 2022, Heinrich voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which extended the enhanced premium tax credit through 2025. Heinrich cosponsors the Health Care Affordability Act of 2025 (S.46) to make the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credit permanent and build upon record health care marketplace enrollment. Recently, Heinrich hosted a roundtable to hear directly from New Mexicans whose premiums will rise significantly as a result of Congressional Republicans’ refusal to extend the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits. In September, Heinrich hosted a press conference with BeWell New Mexico and the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty to highlight how the health care crisis, created by Trump and Republicans, will hike health care premiums if Republicans’ allow ACA premium tax credits to expire. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-pushes-for-additional-funding-for-the-federal-public-defender-program-in-fy26-funding,Heinrich Pushes for Additional Funding for the Federal Public Defender Program in FY26 Funding,2025-12-09,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, joined 23 Senate Democrats to send a letter calling on the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Financial Services and General Government to provide additional funding, beyond the recently released Republican budget proposal, for the Federal Defender Services program in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) bill. In their letter, the lawmakers urged subcommittee leaders to fully fund the program at $1.76 billion, as requested by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, to maintain baseline constitutional requirements for federal public defense instead of the lower amounts in House and Senate Republicans’ appropriations bills. “As you are aware, in FY24, an inadvertent failure to account for the federal defender program’s carryforward funding structure resulted in initial funding levels that were more than $100 million less than what the program needed. In response to those marks, the program implemented a set of cost-savings measures, including a hard hiring freeze, suspension of most in-person training opportunities, and deferral of other programmatic needs such as cybersecurity upgrades. In FY25, the Defender Services budget was frozen at the artificially low FY24 levels, leaving the program with a critical shortfall woefully inadequate to meet its identified needs,” the lawmakers wrote. “As a result of two years of underfunding because of a calculation error, Defender Services began FY26 significantly in the red. The current funding level, based on the recent anomaly, is still $194 million short of what is required to fund the program.” The lawmakers continued, “We are very appreciative of your inclusion of a $1.564 billion anomaly for Federal and Community Defenders in the Continuing Resolution. This is an important step in addressing the underfunding. Now we must fully fund the program as soon as possible. Full funding for the program to staff Federal Defender offices, pay the panel deficit for missed payments last fiscal year, and avoid missed payments to panel attorneys throughout FY26 requires $1.76 billion. Without full funding, Federal Defender Services will face more extreme shortfalls in FY26.” “The Defender Services program has a history of bipartisan support. This essential funding supports the more than 4,000 attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and other personnel throughout 83 federal defender organizations serving 92 of the 94 federal judicial districts, as well as approximately 12,000 private CJA panel attorneys. Criminal defense funding is non-partisan, and federal defenders represent everyone regardless of political affiliation. Currently, more than ninety percent of federal cases are handled by public defense lawyers,” the lawmakers underscored. “The inevitable cascading consequences of underfunding public defense will delay prosecutions, create backlogs in U.S. Attorneys Offices, compromise convictions and sentences, and deny witnesses and victims their day in court.” “In short, a fully funded federal defender system is necessary to promote public safety and the rule of law. We respectfully urge you to fully fund the Federal Defender Services program at $1.76 billion to maintain baseline constitutional requirements for federal public defense and appreciate the unprecedented challenges of the current appropriation process,” the lawmakers concluded. The Federal Defender Services program serves as an integral part of the federal judicial system by securing access to counsel and providing other necessary defense services for those who cannot afford counsel. The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to an attorney in criminal proceedings, and the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) provides that courts appoint counsel from Federal public and community defender organizations or from a panel of private attorneys established by the court. The court must employ private attorneys, often at a higher cost, to meet their constitutional duty to appoint counsel for individuals who cannot afford counsel. As the Executive Branch pursues increased federal prosecutions, including capital cases, it is important that constitutionally adequate counsel is provided. Federal Defender organizations have now entered their third year in a hard hiring freeze, resulting in more than 500 positions below what the Judicial Conference-approved staffing formula dictates. Additionally, CJA panel attorneys face another devastating year of months-long payment delays. In FY25, money to pay CJA panel attorneys for work performed in federal court ran out beginning in July 2025 and did not restart until the government shutdown ended this November, resulting in over four months without pay. Trials across the country were delayed because of the nonpayment, and at least one case was dismissed. The letter is led by U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.). Alongside Heinrich, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). The letter is led by U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) in the House. The text of the letter is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-gillibrand-reintroduce-legislation-to-expand-workplace-rights-for-domestic-workers/,"Luján, Gillibrand Reintroduce Legislation to Expand Workplace Rights for Domestic Workers",2025-12-09,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Bill Would Guarantee Domestic Workers Basic Rights Like Overtime Pay, Time Off, Sick Leave, Meal and Rest Breaks, and Legal Protections from Harassment and Unsafe Working Conditions Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) reintroduced the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act, commonsense legislation that would extend common workplace rights to the 2.2 million domestic workers in the United States. Under current law, domestic workers—including home health aides, nannies, cleaners, and live-in caretakers—are excluded from many of the labor, harassment, and discrimination protections guaranteed to other workers under federal law. As a result, severe financial insecurity and lack of workplace benefits are all too common in these professions. The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act would patch these flaws in existing labor law and also create new protections for domestic workers. “Domestic workers in New Mexico and across the country are essential members of our workforce and deserve dignity and respect. I’m proud to reintroduce legislation to require employers to establish clear standards for wages, responsibilities, schedules, and time-off policies to help protect the rights of the people who care for our families and support our communities,” said Senator Luján. “This legislation is critical to ensuring workplace protections and rights for domestic workers who have been left out for far too long.” “Caretakers, cleaners, nannies, and other domestic workers play a vital role in the economy and in American life. However, they’ve too often been overlooked in the fight for workers’ rights, leaving many working long hours, earning low wages, and struggling to make ends meet. This is unacceptable,” said Senator Gillibrand. “By closing loopholes that exclude domestic workers from federal labor and civil rights laws, theDomestic Workers Bill of Rights Act would afford these workers the safety, stability, and dignity that they deserve. I am honored to introduce this bill, and I will fight tooth and nail to get it passed.” “Domestic workers are too often called essential, but treated as expendable. These workers, who are predominantly women of color and immigrants, make all other work possible,” said Representative Jayapal.“This landmark legislation ensures that domestic workers are finally included in our existing labor laws, giving them access to the basic protections they deserve in the workplace, including overtime pay, guaranteed rest and meal breaks, time off, and legal protections from unsafe working conditions and harassment. It will finally give our domestic workers the dignity and respect they deserve. This legislation is more important now than ever as the Trump Administration works to strip many of the programs domestic workers rely on to survive, like Medicaid and food assistance.” Domestic workers have historically been excluded from worker protections and, as a result, often have no benefits, few protections, and little recourse to fight harassment and unsafe working conditions. A 2021 National Domestic Workers Alliance survey of domestic workers reported that: Only 16% of domestic workers have a written agreement with their employer laying out their job responsibilities and the terms of their employment. Over one-third of domestic workers do not get meal and rest breaks, and of those who do, only 34% are paid for those breaks. 81% of domestic workers receive no pay if their employer cancels on them with less than three days’ notice, and 76% receive no pay if their employer cancels on them after they show up for work. 23% of domestic workers do not feel safe at work. If passed, the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act would, among other things: Entitle domestic workers to overtime pay for hours worked above 40 hours per week. Ensure domestic workers have paid sick leave to take care of themselves or their families. Extend civil rights protections, including against workplace harassment and discrimination, to domestic workers. Afford domestic workers the right to meal and rest breaks. Require employers to provide domestic workers with written agreements detailing agreed-upon hourly pay rates, scheduling requirements, and termination procedures. In addition to Sens. Luján and Gillibrand, the bill is cosponsored by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). It is endorsed by the National Domestic Workers Alliance, as well as 38 other organizations. “Domestic workers across the country do the work that makes all other work possible by caring for our children, keeping our households running, and ensuring our loved ones can live with dignity and independence,”said Ai-Jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. “Yet, for over 400 years, this workforce, made up of predominantly women of color, has been largely excluded from basic labor protections. Today, they are facing an unprecedented crisis fueled by nearly one trillion dollars in Medicaid cuts, low wages, and widespread immigration raids that are creating a climate of fear. The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights will work to address these historical injustices, protect the dignity and financial security of these workers, and strengthen our care economy.” The full text of the legislation can be found here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-introduces-native-american-seeds-act,Heinrich Introduces Native American Seeds Act,2025-12-08,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) reintroduced the Native American Seeds Act of 2025, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will assist Tribal governments working to protect seeds that are culturally significant to their communities. U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) is a cosponsor of the bill. “I’m proud to lead legislation that will help preserve Tribes’ cultural practices and way of life by protecting Native seeds and traditional foodways for future generations,” said Heinrich. “This effort will grow local economies in Indian Country and help ensure Tribal members remain connected to their culture and heritage.” “The Pueblo of Tesuque thanks Representatives Torres and LaMalfa and Senators Heinrich and Crapo for introducing the Native American Seeds Act of 2025. This legislation would assist us in our efforts to protect and preserve our traditional seeds and our agricultural systems that have nourished us physically, culturally, and spiritually since time immemorial. The Tesuque people have always had an unbroken relationship with plants for food and medicine, allowing our community and our culture to survive; and, this bill will help us foster our deep connections to these plants,” said Governor Earl Samuel, Pueblo of Tesuque. The Native American Seeds Act of 2025 will provide flexibility so that the U.S. Department of the Interior can support the efforts of Tribes to develop seed banks and engage in traditional forms of farming. Factors such as wildfires, droughts, insect and disease outbreaks, inclement weather, and contamination have increased the challenges that Tribes face in preserving their seeds. This bill will help ensure that Tribal connections to plants holding traditional importance will continue for future generations while also strengthening food security, improving physical and mental health outcomes, and expanding economic opportunity on Tribal lands. Heinrich co-led the Native American Seeds Act alongside U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-Calif.) and Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.). Alongside Luján, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and James Risch (R-Idaho). The full text of the bill is here. A one-page summary of the bill is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-slam-trump-administration-for-latest-efforts-to-dismantle-the-department-of-education,"Heinrich, Luján Slam Trump Administration for Latest Efforts to Dismantle the Department of Education",2025-12-08,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Senators Call on McMahon to Reverse Illegal Actions that Weaken Support for New Mexico Students WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 34 Senate Democrats to send a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon slamming her recent announcement that the Department of Education has illegally outsourced core functions that New Mexico students and their families rely on — and calling on Secretary McMahon to reverse these latest steps to dismantle the Department of Education. “The actions you announced on November 18th to continue hollowing out the U.S. Department of Education are outrageous, illegal, and will jeopardize the funding and support that tens of millions of students, teachers, and families across the country rely on,” the senators wrote to Secretary McMahon. “Your brazen attempt to dismantle the Department by transferring to other federal agencies complex and foundational responsibilities that Congress specifically charged to the Department — including more than half of all federal funds for elementary and secondary education programs and billions in higher education funding — will undermine public education.” “Let’s be very clear: You are choosing to create even more bureaucracy that states, school districts, and educational institutions across America will have to expend time and resources navigating at the expense of students and families,” the senators continued. “We urge you to immediately reverse course and to focus your time and attention on actions that actually help states, school districts and educational institutions improve educational outcomes and support for students.” In the letter, the senators make clear that, as McMahon has previously acknowledged, dismantling the Department would require an act of Congress, which has not been pursued by the Trump Administration: “We expect you to work with Congress to pursue any ideas to streamline programs and improve public education, as the law and the Constitution require, and you have yourself stated you would do in your confirmation hearing... Congress has unambiguously authorized dozens of education programs to be administered by the Department through numerous laws and has clearly appropriated funding on a bipartisan basis for decades to the Department to carry out those programs. Appropriations law prohibits the transfer of funds to another federal agency unless expressly authorized in appropriations law, which it has not done in this case.” The senators also detail how the myriad departmental responsibilities McMahon is now seeking to spin off to other agencies that lack the expertise, capacity, and legal mandate to successfully administer key programs will risk support, funding, and oversight that our laws provide to students and families in New Mexico and nationwide:“Unfortunately, we have already seen negative consequences for states, schools, colleges, and students as these interagency agreements roll out: the first interagency agreements inked earlier this year between the Department and the U.S. Department of Labor on career and technical education and adult education has been plagued with serious challenges — and it is but a small fraction of what is now being transferred to the U.S. Department of Labor.” “We once again demand that you reverse these detrimental plans and refocus your efforts on supporting state and local efforts by properly implementing federal laws intended to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, especially those who count on the Department doing its job most,” the senators concluded. The letter is led by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Angus King (I-Maine), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). The full text of the letter is here and below: Dear Secretary McMahon: The actions you announced on November 18 to continue hollowing out the U.S. Department of Education (“the Department”) are outrageous, illegal, and will jeopardize the funding and support that tens of millions of students, teachers, and families across the country rely on. Your brazen attempt to dismantle the Department by transferring to other federal agencies complex and foundational responsibilities that Congress specifically charged to the Department—including more than half of all federal funds for elementary and secondary education programs and billions in higher education funding—will undermine public education. This is the latest example of this administration’s complete lack of regard for our laws and its failure to provide the certainty, clarity, and stability that students and schools deserve when it comes to the federal government’s approach and commitment to properly implementing federal education laws and appropriations. Let’s be very clear: You are choosing to create even more bureaucracy that states, school districts, and educational institutions across America will have to expend time and resources navigating at the expense of students and families. We urge you to immediately reverse course and to focus your time and attention on actions that actually help states, school districts and educational institutions improve educational outcomes and support for students. We expect you to work with Congress to pursue any ideas to streamline programs and improve public education, as the law and the Constitution require, and you have yourself stated you would do in your confirmation hearing. The Department of Education is the only federal agency whose sole mission is to help children learn and improve their educational outcomes. The Department delivers much-needed federal funding and enforces basic educational guardrails and civil rights protections so that every child can get the quality public education that they are entitled to under the law, no matter who they are or where they live. Congress has unambiguously authorized dozens of education programs to be administered by the Department through numerous laws and has clearly appropriated funding on a bipartisan basis for decades to the Department to carry out those programs. Appropriations law prohibits the transfer of funds to another federal agency unless expressly authorized in appropriations law, which it has not done in this case. When Congress wants another agency to administer a program or function, it has expressly said so—and in some cases, it has provided authority to transfer funds to allow this to happen. By contrast, Congress has not expressly authorized any other agency to administer the programs established under the previously mentioned laws, nor has it provided the authority for the Department to transfer these programs and associated funding to another agency. The November 18 announcement outlines six interagency agreements (IAAs) with the Departments of Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and State to transfer major responsibilities out of the Department of Education. The authorities cited in the IAAs do not enable the Department to do an end-run around the relevant authorizing and appropriating statutes. For example, the Department cites the Economy Act to justify its use of the IAA framework. While the Economy Act is routinely used by other federal agencies to enter into IAAs for the procurement of discrete goods and services that a particular agency might have expertise in and authority to provide, such as DOJ’s fingerprinting authority, this authority was never contemplated to allow the transfer of major program functions or entire offices to another agency with the express stated purpose of eventually dismantling the agency or putting the Secretary “out of a job.” Federal resources outlining the purpose of the Economy Act make this clear. This view is further affirmed by the Department’s inability to cite a single instance of using this statute or any others in a similar way prior to this year. You have expressed your interest in working with Congress on these issues, but these IAAs were developed in secret without outside input. The fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department makes no reference to administering these programs at other agencies and the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), for example, makes no reference to administering them either. The Secretaries of Labor, Interior, State, and HHS have similarly never testified to Congress on how they would carry out and administer these critical education programs. Since you were nominated to lead the Department, you have routinely misled the public about the level of involvement the Department has long had in the day-to-day management of schools—inaccurately suggesting that the Department was depriving states and families from making choices about their children’s education, shackling teachers with burdensome regulations and paperwork and causing K-12 and college students to experience “drudgery caused by administrative burdens.” On the basis of these false assertions, you have strangely claimed that we need to “Return Education to the States.” In fact, states and local communities have—since the founding of our republic—had the primary responsibility for educating our students and the establishment of the Department in 1979 did nothing to change that fact. In fact, there are numerous federal laws that prevent the Department from being involved in the day-to-day decision making in schools and colleges as it relates to curriculum, teaching, and programs. Until your arrival at the Department, its role has been to provide funding, support, and oversight as authorized by federal education laws to ensure students from all walks of life and in every part of the country can get a high-quality public education. The Department’s programs ensure that parents get timely, accessible information about how their kids’ schools are doing. They ensure students with disabilities’ rights are enforced, so that they can get the education they are entitled to. The Department administers programs to help under-resourced rural school districts and allocates Impact Aid for more than 1,000 school districts with a reduced revenue base or increased costs due to a federal presence, such as a military base. It also administers programs to help first-generation and low-income students pursue and succeed in college. These are just a select few examples of the indispensable supporting role that the federal government—and the Department, in particular—plays in advancing educational outcomes for students. To justify these new IAA’s, you say federal funding will keep flowing to states, school districts, and colleges. But we have already seen funding held up and seriously delayed because of this administration’s chaotic changes—and its extreme policies—and the moves you announced last week are certain to further jeopardize these funds. You claim these actions will improve student achievement, yet your actions will significantly weaken federal monitoring of states’ K-12 accountability and school improvement systems. Before Congress mandated that states develop these systems with key guardrails in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, several states had weak or no school improvement systems, which allowed vulnerable students to slip through the cracks. As part of ESEA and subsequent appropriations directives, Congress has charged OESE with improving state compliance in state and local school report cards requirements, school improvement, and more. But without the staff expertise from OESE, it is likely that DOL will be ineffective in holding states accountable for improving student outcomes. The Department also provides deep policy expertise to ensure programs support improved student outcomes, such as through expert guidance to colleges and universities to improve college access, retention, and completion through programs like TRIO, GEAR UP, the Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program, and others. Now, DOL, who lacks the necessary expertise, is tasked with managing these programs and students will suffer as a result. DOL has no prior experience in administering education programs at this scale and complexity and will need to develop the capacity and processes to allot billions of dollars in funding to state and local educational agencies. States will also have to make changes to receive any funds distributed through DOL’s grant system while continuing to draw down prior year grant funding in the Department’s system. Your IAA also seems to suggest the Department will still retain some authorities over Title I-A, which means that states will now have to work with two federal agencies when they need help navigating this complex and absolutely critical program. These changes solve exactly zero problems but manage to create an onslaught of new ones. We are very concerned that these changes will mean funds our constituents rely on will not continue to flow as intended under federal education laws. In addition to its scope and complexity, the Title I-A program primarily funds instruction and activities in elementary schools. We do not believe kindergartners or other elementary school students should be the focus of efforts to integrate workforce programming and education activities, activities that are better suited to older students. Instead of improving students’ readiness for the workforce, the move of Title I-A to DOL is much more likely to deprive states and school districts of the technical assistance and support they need to effectively implement federal education funding in their schools and provide high-quality educational opportunities to all students. DOL already has a comprehensive workload to support the nation’s workers and workforce programs. It is authorized and funded to administer workforce training and enforce worker protection programs for which Congress appropriates $13.5 billion in discretionary funding annually, including for roughly a dozen workforce training grant programs totaling approximately $4 billion in annual funding. In addition to lacking the subject area expertise needed to administer the Department’s programs, DOL does not have the grant administration capacity to take on the work outlined in the IAA; the approximately $30 billion in the Department’s funding across approximately 50 discrete formula and competitive education grant programs that you seek to transfer now to DOL dwarf its current grant administration and oversight work. Transferring basic and significant responsibilities for administering education programs to DOL creates very significant risks of delays in funding and other administrative challenges for states, school districts, institutions of higher education, and other organizations through Impact Aid, rural education programs, afterschool programs, TRIO, and foundational education formula grant programs that tens of thousands of schools count on to help provide a quality education to millions of students. Unfortunately, we have already seen negative consequences for states, schools, colleges, and students as these IAAs roll out: the first IAA inked earlier this year between the Department and DOL on career and technical education and adult education has been plagued with serious challenges—and it is but a small fraction of what is now being transferred to DOL. In fact, as your own staff reportedly concluded in its analysis after this transfer, “The size and scope of OCTAE’s programs are miniscule [sic] compared to other [Education Principal Operating Components] and programs…Larger formula grants and competitive grants are going to be much more difficult to migrate.” States and districts faced delays in accessing their Perkins CTE funding, and advocates report delays in guidance and training issued by DOL. Moreover, a CTE expert recently testified before the House of Representatives, “At a time of scarce resources, it’s hard to understand why the Department is paying Labor to do work that it can do for itself.” The fiscal year 2025 funding level for Perkins CTE and adult education was $2.18 billion, whereas the other programs DOL will now be responsible for are funded at roughly $30 billion. If the administrative costs balloon under these new IAAs as the administrative costs under the CTE IAA have, not only will these IAAs be terrible for students, their families, and educators, they will also be a catastrophic waste of time and money for the American taxpayer. The Department has provided no substantive detail or even basic information about how the significant changes envisioned by these IAAs would be implemented. The other federal agencies that will suddenly have significant responsibilities in administering billions in education funding—have provided no information about their roles or their capacity to carry out these programs and activities. The plan seems clear—to jam these changes through for a talking point, whatever the consequences may be for states, school districts, schools, students, and families. We once again demand that you reverse these detrimental plans and refocus your efforts on supporting state and local efforts by properly implementing federal laws intended to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, especially those who count on the Department doing its job most. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/four-lujan-led-bills-signed-into-law-as-part-of-major-bipartisan-bill-to-address-fentanyl-crisis/,Four Luján-Led Bills Signed Into Law as Part of Major Bipartisan Bill to Address Fentanyl Crisis,2025-12-08,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) applauded legislation to reauthorize the SUPPORT Act – a landmark federal investment to combat the fentanyl crisis through addiction prevention, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement efforts – being signed into law by the President. The bipartisan package of fentanyl prevention bills, led by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), contains four bills led by Senator Luján. Originally enacted in 2018, the SUPPORT Act represents the foundation of the federal response to the opioid epidemic and fentanyl crisis. Its reauthorization builds on years of progress reducing overdose deaths and strengthening community responses to addiction. “Families in New Mexico have felt the devastating toll of the fentanyl crisis. This bipartisan legislation will now deliver critical support for first responders, health care workers, and community organizations on the frontlines of this fight,” said Senator Luján. “The legislation will also expand access to treatment and recovery services, provide life-saving tools to first responders, and provide more resources to keep people in recovery connected to jobs and support. I’m proud to have led four critical bills that are now law.” As a then-member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Senator Luján raised this legislation as an early priority in the last Congress. Senator Luján secured the following provisions in the SUPPORT Act: The Pregnant and Postpartum Women (PPW) Treatment Reauthorization Act to reauthorize residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women who have a substance use disorder; The Strengthening Communities of Recovery Act to supports peer support services by reauthorizing grant programs that allow organizations to develop and enhance peer recovery and general recovery support while fostering collaboration with other harm reduction entities; The Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to expand the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), allowing fellowships to be awarded for training professionals in the addiction medicine field; The Peer Support Services Center of Excellence Act to support individuals in recovery through proven recovery support systems. The SUPPORT Act represents the foundation of the federal response to the fentanyl crisis, and its reauthorization includes: Increased training and resources for first responders and other essential community members on how to use life-saving overdose reversal drugs, like naloxone and how to connect people to treatment; Significant funding for training and recruitment for health care workers who want to work in mental health, addiction medicine, and related fields, including measures to expand student loan repayment for health care workers who focus on addiction medicine and recovery in underserved areas; Funding to provide residential treatment for pregnant and postpartum women who need addiction treatment; Expansion of access to fentanyl and xylazine test strips, a critical tool to help lower overdose deaths; Funding for community organizations that help people stay in recovery over the long term, as well as those that help connect people in recovery to jobs. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-slam-trump-administration-for-latest-efforts-to-dismantle-the-department-of-education/,"Heinrich, Luján Slam Trump Administration for Latest Efforts to Dismantle the Department of Education",2025-12-08,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Senators Call on McMahon to Reverse Illegal Actions that Weaken Support for New Mexico Students WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 34 Senate Democrats to send a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon slamming her recent announcement that the Department of Education has illegally outsourced core functions that New Mexico students and their families rely on — and calling on Secretary McMahon to reverse these latest steps to dismantle the Department of Education. “The actions you announced on November 18th to continue hollowing out the U.S. Department of Education are outrageous, illegal, and will jeopardize the funding and support that tens of millions of students, teachers, and families across the country rely on,” the senators wrote to Secretary McMahon. “Your brazen attempt to dismantle the Department by transferring to other federal agencies complex and foundational responsibilities that Congress specifically charged to the Department — including more than half of all federal funds for elementary and secondary education programs and billions in higher education funding — will undermine public education.” “Let’s be very clear: You are choosing to create even more bureaucracy that states, school districts, and educational institutions across America will have to expend time and resources navigating at the expense of students and families,” the senators continued. “We urge you to immediately reverse course and to focus your time and attention on actions that actually help states, school districts and educational institutions improve educational outcomes and support for students.” In the letter, the senators make clear that, as McMahon has previously acknowledged, dismantling the Department would require an act of Congress, which has not been pursued by the Trump Administration: “We expect you to work with Congress to pursue any ideas to streamline programs and improve public education, as the law and the Constitution require, and you have yourself stated you would do in your confirmation hearing… Congress has unambiguously authorized dozens of education programs to be administered by the Department through numerous laws and has clearly appropriated funding on a bipartisan basis for decades to the Department to carry out those programs. Appropriations law prohibits the transfer of funds to another federal agency unless expressly authorized in appropriations law, which it has not done in this case.” The senators also detail how the myriad departmental responsibilities McMahon is now seeking to spin off to other agencies that lack the expertise, capacity, and legal mandate to successfully administer key programs will risk support, funding, and oversight that our laws provide to students and families in New Mexico and nationwide: “Unfortunately, we have already seen negative consequences for states, schools, colleges, and students as these interagency agreements roll out: the first interagency agreements inked earlier this year between the Department and the U.S. Department of Labor on career and technical education and adult education has been plagued with serious challenges — and it is but a small fraction of what is now being transferred to the U.S. Department of Labor.” “We once again demand that you reverse these detrimental plans and refocus your efforts on supporting state and local efforts by properly implementing federal laws intended to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, especially those who count on the Department doing its job most,” the senators concluded. The letter is led by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Angus King (I-Maine), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). The full text of the letter is here and below: Dear Secretary McMahon: The actions you announced on November 18 to continue hollowing out the U.S. Department of Education (“the Department”) are outrageous, illegal, and will jeopardize the funding and support that tens of millions of students, teachers, and families across the country rely on. Your brazen attempt to dismantle the Department by transferring to other federal agencies complex and foundational responsibilities that Congress specifically charged to the Department—including more than half of all federal funds for elementary and secondary education programs and billions in higher education funding—will undermine public education. This is the latest example of this administration’s complete lack of regard for our laws and its failure to provide the certainty, clarity, and stability that students and schools deserve when it comes to the federal government’s approach and commitment to properly implementing federal education laws and appropriations. Let’s be very clear: You are choosing to create even more bureaucracy that states, school districts, and educational institutions across America will have to expend time and resources navigating at the expense of students and families. We urge you to immediately reverse course and to focus your time and attention on actions that actually help states, school districts and educational institutions improve educational outcomes and support for students. We expect you to work with Congress to pursue any ideas to streamline programs and improve public education, as the law and the Constitution require, and you have yourself stated you would do in your confirmation hearing. The Department of Education is the only federal agency whose sole mission is to help children learn and improve their educational outcomes. The Department delivers much-needed federal funding and enforces basic educational guardrails and civil rights protections so that every child can get the quality public education that they are entitled to under the law, no matter who they are or where they live. Congress has unambiguously authorized dozens of education programs to be administered by the Department through numerous laws and has clearly appropriated funding on a bipartisan basis for decades to the Department to carry out those programs. Appropriations law prohibits the transfer of funds to another federal agency unless expressly authorized in appropriations law, which it has not done in this case. When Congress wants another agency to administer a program or function, it has expressly said so—and in some cases, it has provided authority to transfer funds to allow this to happen. By contrast, Congress has not expressly authorized any other agency to administer the programs established under the previously mentioned laws, nor has it provided the authority for the Department to transfer these programs and associated funding to another agency. The November 18 announcement outlines six interagency agreements (IAAs) with the Departments of Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and State to transfer major responsibilities out of the Department of Education. The authorities cited in the IAAs do not enable the Department to do an end-run around the relevant authorizing and appropriating statutes. For example, the Department cites the Economy Act to justify its use of the IAA framework. While the Economy Act is routinely used by other federal agencies to enter into IAAs for the procurement of discrete goods and services that a particular agency might have expertise in and authority to provide, such as DOJ’s fingerprinting authority, this authority was never contemplated to allow the transfer of major program functions or entire offices to another agency with the express stated purpose of eventually dismantling the agency or putting the Secretary “out of a job.” Federal resources outlining the purpose of the Economy Act make this clear. This view is further affirmed by the Department’s inability to cite a single instance of using this statute or any others in a similar way prior to this year. You have expressed your interest in working with Congress on these issues, but these IAAs were developed in secret without outside input. The fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department makes no reference to administering these programs at other agencies and the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), for example, makes no reference to administering them either. The Secretaries of Labor, Interior, State, and HHS have similarly never testified to Congress on how they would carry out and administer these critical education programs. Since you were nominated to lead the Department, you have routinely misled the public about the level of involvement the Department has long had in the day-to-day management of schools—inaccurately suggesting that the Department was depriving states and families from making choices about their children’s education, shackling teachers with burdensome regulations and paperwork and causing K-12 and college students to experience “drudgery caused by administrative burdens.” On the basis of these false assertions, you have strangely claimed that we need to “Return Education to the States.” In fact, states and local communities have—since the founding of our republic—had the primary responsibility for educating our students and the establishment of the Department in 1979 did nothing to change that fact. In fact, there are numerous federal laws that prevent the Department from being involved in the day-to-day decision making in schools and colleges as it relates to curriculum, teaching, and programs. Until your arrival at the Department, its role has been to provide funding, support, and oversight as authorized by federal education laws to ensure students from all walks of life and in every part of the country can get a high-quality public education. The Department’s programs ensure that parents get timely, accessible information about how their kids’ schools are doing. They ensure students with disabilities’ rights are enforced, so that they can get the education they are entitled to. The Department administers programs to help under-resourced rural school districts and allocates Impact Aid for more than 1,000 school districts with a reduced revenue base or increased costs due to a federal presence, such as a military base. It also administers programs to help first-generation and low-income students pursue and succeed in college. These are just a select few examples of the indispensable supporting role that the federal government—and the Department, in particular—plays in advancing educational outcomes for students. To justify these new IAA’s, you say federal funding will keep flowing to states, school districts, and colleges. But we have already seen funding held up and seriously delayed because of this administration’s chaotic changes—and its extreme policies—and the moves you announced last week are certain to further jeopardize these funds. You claim these actions will improve student achievement, yet your actions will significantly weaken federal monitoring of states’ K-12 accountability and school improvement systems. Before Congress mandated that states develop these systems with key guardrails in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, several states had weak or no school improvement systems, which allowed vulnerable students to slip through the cracks. As part of ESEA and subsequent appropriations directives, Congress has charged OESE with improving state compliance in state and local school report cards requirements, school improvement, and more. But without the staff expertise from OESE, it is likely that DOL will be ineffective in holding states accountable for improving student outcomes. The Department also provides deep policy expertise to ensure programs support improved student outcomes, such as through expert guidance to colleges and universities to improve college access, retention, and completion through programs like TRIO, GEAR UP, the Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program, and others. Now, DOL, who lacks the necessary expertise, is tasked with managing these programs and students will suffer as a result. DOL has no prior experience in administering education programs at this scale and complexity and will need to develop the capacity and processes to allot billions of dollars in funding to state and local educational agencies. States will also have to make changes to receive any funds distributed through DOL’s grant system while continuing to draw down prior year grant funding in the Department’s system. Your IAA also seems to suggest the Department will still retain some authorities over Title I-A, which means that states will now have to work with two federal agencies when they need help navigating this complex and absolutely critical program. These changes solve exactly zero problems but manage to create an onslaught of new ones. We are very concerned that these changes will mean funds our constituents rely on will not continue to flow as intended under federal education laws. In addition to its scope and complexity, the Title I-A program primarily funds instruction and activities in elementary schools. We do not believe kindergartners or other elementary school students should be the focus of efforts to integrate workforce programming and education activities, activities that are better suited to older students. Instead of improving students’ readiness for the workforce, the move of Title I-A to DOL is much more likely to deprive states and school districts of the technical assistance and support they need to effectively implement federal education funding in their schools and provide high-quality educational opportunities to all students. DOL already has a comprehensive workload to support the nation’s workers and workforce programs. It is authorized and funded to administer workforce training and enforce worker protection programs for which Congress appropriates $13.5 billion in discretionary funding annually, including for roughly a dozen workforce training grant programs totaling approximately $4 billion in annual funding. In addition to lacking the subject area expertise needed to administer the Department’s programs, DOL does not have the grant administration capacity to take on the work outlined in the IAA; the approximately $30 billion in the Department’s funding across approximately 50 discrete formula and competitive education grant programs that you seek to transfer now to DOL dwarf its current grant administration and oversight work. Transferring basic and significant responsibilities for administering education programs to DOL creates very significant risks of delays in funding and other administrative challenges for states, school districts, institutions of higher education, and other organizations through Impact Aid, rural education programs, afterschool programs, TRIO, and foundational education formula grant programs that tens of thousands of schools count on to help provide a quality education to millions of students. Unfortunately, we have already seen negative consequences for states, schools, colleges, and students as these IAAs roll out: the first IAA inked earlier this year between the Department and DOL on career and technical education and adult education has been plagued with serious challenges—and it is but a small fraction of what is now being transferred to DOL. In fact, as your own staff reportedly concluded in its analysis after this transfer, “The size and scope of OCTAE’s programs are miniscule [sic] compared to other [Education Principal Operating Components] and programs…Larger formula grants and competitive grants are going to be much more difficult to migrate.” States and districts faced delays in accessing their Perkins CTE funding, and advocates report delays in guidance and training issued by DOL. Moreover, a CTE expert recently testified before the House of Representatives, “At a time of scarce resources, it’s hard to understand why the Department is paying Labor to do work that it can do for itself.” The fiscal year 2025 funding level for Perkins CTE and adult education was $2.18 billion, whereas the other programs DOL will now be responsible for are funded at roughly $30 billion. If the administrative costs balloon under these new IAAs as the administrative costs under the CTE IAA have, not only will these IAAs be terrible for students, their families, and educators, they will also be a catastrophic waste of time and money for the American taxpayer. The Department has provided no substantive detail or even basic information about how the significant changes envisioned by these IAAs would be implemented. The other federal agencies that will suddenly have significant responsibilities in administering billions in education funding—have provided no information about their roles or their capacity to carry out these programs and activities. The plan seems clear—to jam these changes through for a talking point, whatever the consequences may be for states, school districts, schools, students, and families. We once again demand that you reverse these detrimental plans and refocus your efforts on supporting state and local efforts by properly implementing federal laws intended to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, especially those who count on the Department doing its job most. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-alsobrooks-rosen-introduce-bill-to-break-barriers-in-stem-and-strengthen-americas-future-workforce/,"Luján, Alsobrooks, Rosen Introduce Bill to Break Barriers in STEM and Strengthen America’s Future Workforce",2025-12-08,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)introduced the 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act, designed to close persistent equity gaps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and expand high-quality STEM education access for girls and students from underrepresented communities. “New Mexico is at the forefront of science, technology, and innovation in the United States. That’s why I’m proud to introduce legislation that will help tap into more homegrown talent from underrepresented communities and build up the next generation of New Mexico’s workforce,” said Senator Luján. “By expanding opportunity, we are helping to ensure our state continues to lead in discovery and innovation.” “I am laser-focused on finding opportunities for young women to succeed and thrive. Our 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act would provide grants to local school districts to encourage girls and underrepresented students to pursue studies and careers in STEM fields. This legislation would create real pathways for success and wealth for our girls and students of color while also fueling our economy and keeping the United States a global leader in STEM,” said Senator Alsobrooks. “As a former computer programmer who worked in a male-dominated STEM industry, it’s always been important to me to provide more pathways for girls to join the STEM field,” said Senator Rosen. “By increasing access to STEM education and ensuring teachers have the resources they need, we can help many more young girls become interested in the exciting career opportunities in these fields. This bill will do just that, helping to educate the next generation of innovators and creators that is as diverse as the communities they serve.” “Our nation cannot afford to leave talent on the sidelines,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “Expanding STEM opportunities for girls and underrepresented minorities is essential for our economic future, our national competitiveness, and the next generation of innovators. This bill is an investment in the students who will build the world we live in tomorrow.” “Pittsburgh is a growing beacon for the tech industry but resources and opportunities often do not extend to students in public schools right next door, particularly for our girls and underrepresented communities,” said Congresswoman Lee. “The21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act brings us one step closer to closing the education equity gap and ensuring all of our youth can bring their talents to this thriving industry. I am proud to co-lead this bill to support the next innovative generation of students.” The 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act will: · Direct the Department of Education to make grants to qualifying local education agencies to fund STEM education activities for girls and underrepresented minorities. · Authorize $10 million to qualifying local educational agencies serving high-poverty students from fiscal years 2026 through 2029. These investments are designed to expand access to rigorous coursework, hands-on learning, and pathways that lead to STEM degrees and high-growth careers. As STEM careers continue to drive economic growth and shape the future workforce, women and people of color remain significantly underrepresented. Recent declines in national mathematics performance have sharpened the urgency. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 22% of twelfth-grade students performed at or above the proficient level in mathematics in 2024. Black and Hispanic twelfth graders scored three and five percentage points lower than their 2019 averages, and female twelfth graders experienced nearly double the decline in math scores compared to their male peers. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio-03) is introducing companion legislation in the United States House of Representatives. The co-leads of this bill in the House of Representatives include Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Rep. Steven Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.-12), Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.-11), Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), and Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.-07). Read full text of the bill here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/source-new-mexico-still-no-contract-for-nm-ice-lockup-as-detainees-report-interrupted-access-to-vital-tablets,"Source New Mexico: Still no contract for NM ICE lockup, as detainees report interrupted access to ‘vital’ tablets",2025-12-05,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"More than a month after a contract expired governing the operation of a New Mexico immigrant detention facility, local officials have yet to receive any updates from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency or the facility’s private operator CoreCivic, officials told Source New Mexico on Thursday. The inter-governmental services agreement between Torrance County, ICE and CoreCivic expired Oct. 31 during the federal government shutdown. But even after the government reopened Nov. 13, County Manager Jordan Barela said he has neither received an updated contract from ICE nor word of when it could be renewed. “We’ve been checking weekly, and the feedback we have received is that ICE is still evaluating the terms and conditions of a potential extension,” Barela told Source via email Thursday. An ICE spokesperson did not respond to Source New Mexico’s request for comment on the contract. Ryan Gustin, a CoreCivic spokesperson, did not respond to questions about the contract status, but instead responded that the company is “committed to providing safe,?humane?and respectful care for everyone entrusted to us, and we take seriously our obligation to adhere to all applicable federal detention standards.” Advocates for approximately 550 ICE detainees in the jail, as well as U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), say the lack of a contract means ICE should immediately stop detaining immigrants at the facility. They point to ICE standard operating procedures that require ICE to remove detainees and equipment from the facility absent a contract, as well as long-standing issues about detainee treatment at the facility. In a statement Thursday to Source New Mexico, Heinrich said he remains “deeply concerned about the situation” at the facility in Estancia, noting that an inspector general overseeing ICE called for the facility’s closure in 2022. “Conditions have not improved, and now they’re purportedly running the facility without a contract,” he said. “ICE’s inaction on this contract, and refusal to meet their own minimum detention standards, is another example of the agency shunning accountability.” Heinrich sent a letter to ICE on Nov. 7 demanding the agency identify what authority it has to continue detaining immigrants in Estancia and that it transfer ICE detainees out of the facility in the meantime. ICE had not responded to Heinrich as of Thursday, according to a spokesperson. Meanwhile, about 30 ICE detainees signed a handwritten letter to Source New Mexico recently saying they continue to face poor conditions inside the jail, including problems accessing tablets they rely on for various necessities. “Tablets are our only means for vital services such as communication, medical care at the center, and our only way to ‘complain’ about our various needs, not to mention our only access to legal resources for an adequate defense process for the detainees here,” the detainees wrote in Spanish. Gustin said CoreCivic was unaware of any “recent significant outages or issues with the tablets,” but noted that staff immediately create a service ticket when they learn of technological issues. Heinrich’s staff also previously noted non-working tablets during a visit in late May and included that in a letter to ICE that also reported complaints of verbal and physical abuse, lack of access to laundry and lack of medical care. Previously, detainees, including Rogelio Bolufé of Cuba, said they were repeatedly denied access to the legal library and to legal aid groups, allegations that CoreCivic also denied. The letter, which Source received Nov. 24, has signatures from inmates who say they lacked access to the tablets since Nov. 14 due to what jail operators described as a “technical failure.” It’s unclear from the letter whether the problem has been resolved, and Haymel de la Vega, Bolufé’s friend and contact, did not respond to Source’s requests Thursday for an update. The letter’s signatories said they are from Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, Mexico and Ecuador. One detainee who identified himself as Edin Santos of Honduras wrote that he missed his son’s birthday due to the issue. “It was my son’s birthday, and the reason the tables weren’t working was that there was no internet,” he wrote.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-colleagues-urge-fda-action-on-preterm-infant-formula-fortifiers,"Heinrich, Colleagues Urge FDA Action on Preterm Infant Formula Fortifiers",2025-12-05,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. demanding action from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on preterm infant formula. Heinrich’s demand comes in the wake of over 1,000 lawsuits against preterm infant formula manufacturers in the United States, stemming from failures to warn parents of the increased risk of a serious gastrointestinal illness, necrotizing enterocolitis, associated with the use of non-human milk-derived fortifiers. Heinrich sent the letter alongside U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R- Kan.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Riley Moore (R-W.Va.), and Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.). “Protecting our youngest, most vulnerable infants should be our highest priority. We request your attention to nutritional products that feed very low birthweight infants,” the lawmakers wrote to Secretary Kennedy. “Necrotizing enterocolitis is among the most fatal diseases in the neonatal intensive care unit, with one baby a day dying of this debilitating disease. Over 1,000 lawsuits threaten the stability of the infant formula industry and endanger our most vulnerable.” “Human milk-derived formulas and fortifiers are proven to have a 77 percent reduction in the development of necrotizing enterocolitis, among other devastating complications of prematurity. Human milk has proven beyond doubt to be the best source of infant nutrition, and we urge the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate other preterm infant fortifiers and their potential impact on the gut health of premature infants,” the lawmakers continued. The lawmakers conclude their letter by emphasizing the need for HHS to thoroughly explore how very low birthweight babies are impacted by the components of the fortifiers and recommending HHS take the following steps: The text of the letter is here and below: Dear Secretary Kennedy: Protecting our youngest, most vulnerable infants should be our highest priority. We request your attention to nutritional products that feed very low birthweight (VLBW) infants, particularly those born weighing 1,250 grams (2.75 lbs.) or less. There has been a recent deluge of lawsuits against preterm infant formula manufacturers in the United States because of a failure to warn of the increased risk of a serious gastrointestinal illness, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), with the use of non-human milk-derived fortifiers. NEC is among the most fatal diseases in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), with one baby a day dying of this debilitating disease. Over 1,000 lawsuits threaten the stability of the infant formula industry and endanger our most vulnerable. We propose multiple actions that this Administration could take right now to address health concerns while ensuring the fragile preterm formula market remains stable. One factor that has been proven to reduce the development of NEC in VLBW infants is the use of human milk. Human milk-derived formulas and fortifiers are proven to have a 77 percent reduction in the development of NEC, among other devastating complications of prematurity. Human milk has proven beyond doubt to be the best source of infant nutrition, and we urge the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to investigate other preterm infant fortifiers and their potential impact on the gut health of premature infants. The October 2024 Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus statement identified the absence of human milk as being associated with an increased risk of NEC. There are nearly two decades of studies consistently showing that an exclusively human milk diet (mom’s own milk or pasteurized human donor milk and human milk-derived fortifier) is the best source of nutrition for VLBW babies. Of the 22 studies comparing human milk-based fortifiers to non-human milk based fortifiers that have reported on NEC as an outcome, all 22 studies have shown lower rates of NEC in the babies fortified with human milk-based fortifiers. As you further investigate this concerning connection, one thing is clear, human milk reduces the incidence of NEC. Additionally, a study released in 2024 showed that VLBW babies fed human milk-derived human milk fortifiers also experienced shorter NICU stays, with savings ranging from $307,916 to $2,520,000 per institution annually. We emphasize the need for HHS to thoroughly explore how VLBW babies are impacted by the components of the fortifiers. We recommend taking the steps below: 1) Ensure that the FDA has received all adverse event reports from infant formula manufacturers related to the feeding of non-human milk derived fortifiers in this population. Without this information, HHS cannot evaluate all data needed to determine the best nutritional sources for preemies. 2) Instruct the FDA to explore ways to make pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) safer and more accessible. Given the overwhelming evidence supporting the use of PDHM for premature infants, the Department should solidify proper oversight of PDHM, ensuring milk banks adhere to consistent minimum safety standards. This oversight will ensure better coverage of, and access to, safe and affordable PDHM.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/nm-delegation-secures-critical-funding-to-lower-utility-and-heating-bills-for-new-mexicans-this-winter,N.M. Delegation Secures Critical Funding to Lower Utility & Heating Bills for New Mexicans This Winter,2025-12-05,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) announced that the Trump Administration released overdue funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), following the Delegation's successful push demanding the immediate release of the funds. This relief comes as New Mexico families prepare for colder temperatures this winter amidst sharply rising energy costs. On December 2, the New Mexico Human Services Department received its award letter and notified the N.M. Delegation that the LIHEAP funding is now on the way to help thousands of New Mexico households keep the heat on this winter. This award letter came after a month-long delay, which is what prompted the Delegation’s demand for the funding’s immediate release. “New Mexico families are being subjected to increasing utility costs due to Trump’s energy affordability crisis. Working families deserve affordable heat and reliable power – especially as temperatures drop far below freezing at night,” said Heinrich. “That’s why I fought alongside the New Mexico Delegation to release the funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program that help New Mexico families access affordable heat and power.” “As temperatures drop and energy costs continue to rise, New Mexicans need reliable support to keep their homes warm and their families safe. With prices up across the board, no one should have to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table,” said Luján. “I’m glad that after we demanded the Trump administration immediately release funding for this critical program that keeps New Mexican families safe, the funds are now on their way.” “Too many New Mexicans are already feeling the squeeze of rising utility costs, and they should never have to choose between staying warm and putting food on the table,” said Vasquez. “We demanded action, and I’m proud that this critical funding is now on the way to cover rising costs so that seniors, veterans, working parents, and families in rural and Tribal communities stay safe and warm this winter.” “New Mexico families deserve the support to weather the winter with dignity,” said Leger Fernández. “It shouldn’t have been this hard to unlock the funding that Congress had already appropriated to keep our kids, our elders, and families warm in our snowy winter months. While the Trump administration keeps pushing prices up, we will continue fighting to lower energy costs for everyone.” “As winter approaches and the temperature drops, so many struggling in our community face the impossible reality of having to choose between heating their homes versus putting food on the table and countless other needs,” said Stansbury. “This should never be a reality in one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, but unfortunately is all too common for so many families. I am grateful the Administration has finally released critical LIHEAP funds after the NM delegation demanded they do so. But, it never should have come to this—which is why we will continue fighting for our communities.” The released LIHEAP funding will be administered through the New Mexico Human Services Department and will help eligible households cover heating costs, prevent utility shutoffs, and avoid dangerous winter conditions. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/abc-7-senators-demand-dod-reverse-decision-to-delay-cleanup-of-forever-chemicals-at-cannon-afb,ABC 7: Senators demand DOD reverse decision to delay cleanup of 'forever chemicals' at Cannon AFB,2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"CLOVIS, NM (KVII) — Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, and 26 other Senate Democrats, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding he reverse the DOD's decision to delay the cleanup of so-called forever chemicals at military installations nationwide -- including Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis. PFAS — or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances —are synthetic chemicals that have been used in everything from fast-food packaging to nonstick cookware, clothing, household cleaning products and even firefighting foam. They resist breaking down and as a result have found their way into drinking water, soil, air and the bloodstreams of 99% of Americans. “For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DOD installations in our states have waited for the DOD to take action,” the senators wrote. ""Servicemembers, their families, and the communities surrounding contaminated military installations need to be able to make informed decisions about their health."" PFAS-laden firefighting foam was used for years at Cannon AFB. According to state officials, PFAS have been detected in groundwater beyond the base at concentrations of 26,200 parts per trillion, exceeding state and federal drinking water standards by over 650,000%. Cannon reported earlier this year that it has spent more than $73 million so far on investigating the problem and installing pilot projects to treat contaminated groundwater. Exposure to PFAS is linked to an array of health problems, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, and thyroid issues.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/source-new-mexico-nm-us-senators-heinrich-lujan-call-on-forest-service-to-account-for-wildfire-prevention-decline,"Source New Mexico: NM U.S. Senators Heinrich, Luján call on Forest Service to account for wildfire prevention decline",2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"United States senators from New Mexico joined Democratic colleagues this week in calling on the federal Forest Service to account for a reported steep decline in wildfire prevention measures, including forest thinning and prescribed burns, in New Mexico and other states during President Donald Trump’s second term. U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich sent a letter Dec. 2 to Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz along with 10 other senators, calling on Schultz to “provide clear answers” about the Forest Service’s staffing to reduce wildfire risk across the West. The letter cited an analysis of publicly available data from Grassroots Wildland Firefighters finding a 38% decrease in the removal of hazardous fuels as of September 2025 when compared with the same period over the last four years. Between 2021 and 2024, the Forest Service completed hazardous fuel projects covering 3.6 million acres a year, according to the analysis. In the first nine months of 2025, the group found that the Forest Service treated less than 1.7 million acres. “The steep decline in hazardous fuels reduction efforts on Forest Service lands poses a serious risk to public safety, public health, and the economy,” the senators wrote. “It is imperative that the Forest Service works closely with Congress to address shortfalls in wildfire mitigation and ensure staffing and budgetary resources are sufficient to fulfill the agency’s mission.” The letter says Schultz previously provided misleading answers in response to criticism about his agency’s wildfire prevention efforts, including counting work done during President Joe Biden’s term as evidence that the agency was adequately staffed. But that data included staffing figures from before Trump’s “mass staff firings, forced retirements, and unnecessary pauses on projects,” the letter states. In New Mexico, the analysis found wildfire prevention efforts are down by 53% since President Donald Trump took office in January. The letter ends with a list of questions to Schultz about where staffing currently stands and what his plans are to address the “current wildfire risk environment.” It also asks for updated numbers on treated acres, how many such projects were delayed this year, and for quarterly updates on progress going forward. It also asks for Schultz to respond to the letter by Dec. 12.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-colleagues-trump-staffing-cuts-at-forest-service-are-threatening-wildfire-prevention-efforts-in-new-mexico-the-us,"Heinrich, Colleagues: Trump Staffing Cuts at Forest Service Are Threatening Wildfire Prevention Efforts in New Mexico, the U.S.",2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"According to an independent analysis of publicly available data, the Forest Service is approximately 38 percent behind on hazardous fuels reduction work compared to recent years WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.),Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led nine senators to demand urgent answers from U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz regarding the agency’s wildfire risk reduction efforts across the West and the nation. Their inquiry follows an independent analysis of publicly available data indicating that the Forest Service is approximately 38 percent behind on hazardous fuels reduction work, as compared to the previous four calendar years. The senators wrote to Forest Service Chief Schultz, “You have continued to maintain that the Forest Service has adequate resources and staffing to manage wildfire preparedness and response on federal lands, and that, while the Forest Service is significantly behind on hazardous fuels reduction work overall, there have been more positive results in certain regions like the Pacific Northwest. You have also claimed that in certain Western states, the Forest Service has even exceeded annual hazardous fuels reduction goals. However, it appears that to make these claims, you are referencing all Fiscal Year 2025 data, which began under the Biden Administration and includes five months of work prior to the beginning of the Trump Administration and its mass staff firings, forced retirements, and unnecessary pauses on projects.” This latest letter follows a series of actions by Heinrich, Merkley, and Klobuchar sounding the alarm over funding freezes and staffing cuts at the Forest Service that have undermined critical wildfire mitigation work across the United States. “The steep decline in hazardous fuels reduction efforts on Forest Service lands poses a serious risk to public safety, public health, and the economy. It is imperative that the Forest Service works closely with Congress to address shortfalls in wildfire mitigation and ensurestaffing and budgetary resources are sufficient to fulfill the agency’s mission,” the senators directed. Heinrich, Merkley, and Klobuchar’s letter was signed by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). The full text of the letter is here and below: Dear Chief Schultz: We write with significant concerns regarding the persistent wildland firefighter staffing shortages at the U.S. Forest Service, leading to a significant decline in planned wildfire prevention work in high-risk, fire-prone areas. We are asking you to provide clear answers regarding the Forest Service’s efforts to ensure adequate staffing and reduce wildfire risk in the West during this challenging fire season. You have continued to maintain that the Forest Service has adequate resources and staffing to manage wildfire preparedness and response on federal lands, and that, while the Forest Service is significantly behind on hazardous fuels reduction work overall, there have been more positive results in certain regions like the Pacific Northwest. You have also claimed that in certain Western states, the Forest Service has even exceeded annual hazardous fuels reduction goals. However, it appears that to make these claims, you are referencing all Fiscal Year 2025 data, which began under the Biden Administration and includes five months of work prior to the beginning of the Trump Administration and its mass staff firings, forced retirements, and unnecessary pauses on projects. An analysis of publicly available data indicates that for calendar year 2025 the Forest Service is significantly behind in hazardous fuels reduction across National Forest System lands. When compared to the previous four calendar years, there has been a 38% reduction in wildfire risk reduction in 2025. Through September of calendar year 2025, only 1.7 million acres received hazardous fuels reduction treatment, a decline from the four-year average of 3.6 million acres. Additionally, as of this summer, as many as 27% of Forest Service wildland firefighting positions remained vacant. The steep decline in hazardous fuels reduction efforts on Forest Service lands poses a serious risk to public safety, public health, and the economy. It is imperative that the Forest Service works closely with Congress to address shortfalls in wildfire mitigation and ensure staffing and budgetary resources are sufficient to fulfill the agency’s mission. Please provide answers to the following questions as soon as possible, but not later than December 12, 2025: How many full-time wildland firefighter and other hazardous fuel reduction personnel, including those with “red cards,” were employed at the beginning of FY 2025? What are the current staffing levels for wildland firefighters and other hazardous fuels reduction personnel within the U.S. Forest Service? Are those staffing levels sufficient to conduct the necessary amount of hazardous fuels reduction on National Forest System lands by the end of calendar year 2025? What is the Forest Service plan to fill vacant wildland firefighting positions? You have publicly stated that the agency has “the staffing-levels and resources necessary to adequately prepare for and respond to wildfires.” What evidence do you have (and can you provide) that your staffing levels are sufficient given the current wildfire risk environment? What was the total number of acres treated by the Forest Service in FY 2025 for hazardous fuels reduction (mechanical thinning, prescribed burn, brush clearing) and how does that compare to the target set at the beginning of the year and to the average for FY 2021–2024? What is the total number of acres treated by the Forest Service in calendar year (CY) 2025 to date for hazardous fuels reduction (mechanical thinning, prescribed burn, brush clearing) and how does that compare to the target set at the beginning of the year and to the average for CY 2021-2024? What percentage of Forest Service hazardous fuels treatment projects in FY 2025 and in CY 2025 (to date) were delayed, cancelled, or reduced in scale relative to plan, and what were the primary reasons for such “operational challenges”? How are treatment priorities set (i.e., certain forests, risk levels, proximity to communities) and how has that priority-setting changed (if at all) in recent years given increasing wildfire risk? In the regions/states where treatment is < 30-40 % of the four-year average (e.g., Idaho, Montana, Oregon), what is being done differently (or will be done) to bring those areas back on track? How has reduced staffing affected interagency coordination with state, local, and tribal firefighting partners? Has reduced federal capacity affected collaborative fuel treatment projects (mechanical thinning and prescribed burning) with tribal, state, or local partners? Will you commit to providing Congress a quarterly update detailing: authorized vs. filled crew positions, number of vacancies, acres treated (by region/state), funding expended, number of delayed/cancelled projects with reasons, contractor usage and costs? Will you commit to providing Congress a quarterly update detailing hazardous fuels reduction efforts on National Forest System lands? ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-demand-trump-administration-stop-stalling-pfas-cleanups-protect-military-families-and-nearby-communities-in-new-mexico,"Heinrich, Luján Demand Trump Administration Stop Stalling PFAS Cleanups, Protect Military Families and Nearby Communities in New Mexico",2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 26 Senate Democrats to send a letter demanding that U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth reverse DoD’s decision to delay the cleanup of per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) at military installations in New Mexico and nationwide and to urge the DoD to take action to protect military families and nearby communities by addressing PFAS contamination at the affected sites. PFAS from industrial processes and products like firefighting foams can end up in waterways and soils. Exposure to PFAS from contaminated soils and water is linked to an array of health problems, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, thyroid issues, and more. In their letter, the senators called on the DoD to immediately restore the previous timetable for remediating PFAS contamination at U.S. military bases and to reverse plans that would further delay long-overdue cleanups. “For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DOD installations in our states have waited for the DOD to take action. We request that the Department reverse its decision, return to the previous timetable released in December 2024, and accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination,” the senators wrote. The use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam at DoD facilities, and the subsequent stormwater runoff, is a significant source of ground water pollution. This contamination poses serious health risks to service members and their families, as well as surrounding communities. At least 700 military sites in the United States are known or suspected to have PFAS contamination from DoD activities — including 6 in New Mexico. DoD’s delayed timetable would postpone cleanup efforts at approximately 140 of them, in some cases for nearly a decade. Specifically, DoD pushed back the time frame of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) phase for these bases, which involves collecting detailed information on the nature and extent of the PFAS contamination and conducting a study to evaluate potential options for cleanup. “We are also alarmed that DoD lacked transparency when changing the timeline for remediation. Servicemembers, their families, and the communities surrounding contaminated military installations need to be able to make informed decisions about their health,” the senators continued. “We again urge you to reverse your decision to delay cleanup timelines and prioritize remediation of PFAS contamination at bases to protect the public health of military families across the country,” the senators concluded. This letter is led by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The full text of the letter is here and below: Dear Secretary Hegseth, We write to express our concerns regarding the Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to delay the cleanup of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination at military installations across the country. This is unacceptable. For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DoD installations in our states have waited for the DoD to take action. We request that the Department reverse its decision, return to the previous timetable released in December 2024, and accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination. PFAS are a class of synthetic chemical substances that have been manufactured for decades for use in various consumer products and industrial processes. However, the strong chemical bonds in PFAS that make them useful in the manufacturing of certain goods also make them extraordinarily persistent in our bodies and the environment, earning PFAS the label of a “forever chemical.” Already, PFAS have been found in drinking water sources for at least 172 million people across the country. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to a litany of public health risks, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, and thyroid problems. There are over 700 military sites with known or suspected PFAS contamination from DoD activities. According to reporting, DoD’s new timetable delays cleanup of PFAS pollution at approximately 140 sites, and in some instances, the delay will be nearly a decade. Studies confirm that residents living near many of these sites have dangerously high levels of PFAS in their drinking water, putting them at risk for serious health issues linked to PFAS exposure. PFAS from these sites have also contaminated surrounding groundwater and soil, hurting the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. Further delaying cleanup will only increase the health and economic costs to servicemembers and communities across the country. We are also alarmed that DoD lacked transparency when changing the timeline for remediation. Servicemembers, their families, and the communities surrounding contaminated military installations need to be able to make informed decisions about their health. Given the current and continuous impact on these servicemembers and communities, please provide answers to the following inquiries by December 1, 2025: What is the reason for delaying cleanup at each of the DoD installations with confirmed PFAS contamination? How did DoD communicate with impacted bases and surrounding communities to notify them of the change in cleanup timetables? What resources will be provided to the communities currently exposed to PFAS and dangerous drinking water to mitigate ongoing exposure due to the delay in remediation? What water quality monitoring will DoD conduct in impacted communities? We again urge you to reverse your decision to delay cleanup timelines and prioritize remediation of PFAS contamination at bases to protect the public health of military families across the country. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-push-for-emergency-funding-for-wildfire-recovery-on-new-mexico-public-lands,"Heinrich, Luján Push for Emergency Funding for Wildfire Recovery on New Mexico Public Lands",2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Heinrich and Luján’s push comes amid the Trump Administration’s failure to properly engage in forest management and wildfire prevention to keep New Mexico communities safe WASHINGTON – Amid the Trump Administration’s failure to properly engage in forest management and wildfire prevention — including slowing down the U.S. Forest Service’s rate of prescribed burns, fuel treatments, and other fire-prevention work — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, sent a letter calling on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee leadership to include additional funding to support wildfire recovery on federal lands in New Mexico and nationwide. In a letter to U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the senators pressed for additional resources to help National Parks, National Forests, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands recover from this year’s devastating wildfires. Since damage to federal lands is not covered by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding, federal land agencies themselves are responsible for cleanup and restoration costs. “We write to request that any emergency disaster appropriations bills drafted this year include funding for wildfire recovery on federal lands,” the senators wrote to Chair Collins and Vice Chair Murray. “Repairing wildfire damages to National Parks, National Forests, and Bureau of Land Management Lands is vital for the safety and economies of the entire country. Just as our forests and parks require restoration, so too do the surrounding counties and communities that bear the economic and infrastructure impacts of these disasters; their recovery is inseparable from that of the federal lands themselves.” While noting that the Gila National Forest experienced the damaging and widespread effects of wildfire this year, the senators also underscore that mitigation activities such as removing hazard trees, road and bridge assessment, structural replacements, and trail repairs are needed. “In the past, Congress has appropriated the funds our public land agencies require for their critical response, remediation, and mitigation activities,” the senators continued. “Ensuring that federal lands are restored after wildfires is a responsibility to our shared, national heritage.” “We stand ready to provide any additional information or support that the Appropriations Committee may require to ensure that our federal lands, surrounding counties, and gateway communities receive the resources necessary to recover fully and build long-term resilience,” the senators concluded. The letter is led by U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.),Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Read the full text of the letter here and below. Dear Chair Collins and Vice Chair Murray: We write to request that any emergency disaster appropriations bills drafted this year include funding for wildfire recovery on federal lands. Repairing wildfire damages to National Parks, National Forests, and Bureau of Land Management lands is vital for the safety and economy of the entire country. Just as our forests and parks require restoration, so too do the surrounding counties and communities that bear the economic and infrastructure impacts of these disasters; their recovery is inseparable from that of the federal lands themselves. Unfortunately, federal lands in each of our states have recently experienced the damaging and widespread effects of wildfire. This year, the Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires devastated over 200,000 acres in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab National Forest, destroying structures including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.12 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, Joshua Tree National Park in California, the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Oregon have all had wildfires this year as well.345 Across the West, nearly a million acres of BLM land burned this year alone.6 While each of these fires has unique response needs, all will require mitigation activities such as removing hazard trees, road and bridge assessment, structural replacements, and trail repairs. As you know, unlike wildfire response activities on state, tribal, or private lands which are coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), wildfire response on federal land is managed by the land agencies themselves. In the past, Congress has appropriated the funds our public land agencies require for their critical response, remediation, and mitigation activities. Our nation’s public lands have tremendous intrinsic, economic, and ecological value. Gateway communities rely on the tourism generated by National Parks and other federal lands for economic development and employment opportunities. Many federal lands include sacred tribal sites that must be preserved to uphold federal trust responsibilities. Our watersheds originate in national forests and on public lands – promoting wildfire recovery on these lands helps mitigate water pollution for communities downstream. Ensuring that federal lands are restored after wildfires is a responsibility to our shared, national heritage. We will continue to work closely with federal land management agencies and local officials in our states to assess specific wildfire reconstruction needs and to identify the most urgent priorities for recovery. We stand ready to provide any additional information or support that the Appropriations Committee may require to ensure that our federal lands, surrounding counties, and gateway communities receive the resources necessary to recover fully and build long-term resilience. Thank you for your consideration of this important request. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-ranking-member-heinrich-delivers-remarks-on-senate-floor-stressing-need-to-protect-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-blasts-trump-administration-for-relentless-ongoing-attacks-on-public-lands,"ICYMI: Ranking Member Heinrich Delivers Remarks on Senate Floor Stressing Need to Protect Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Blasts Trump Administration For Relentless, Ongoing Attacks on Public Lands",2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor stressing the need to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and urged his colleagues to vote no on a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval that will upend the management plan for the Arctic Refuge, risking one of the world's last great wild landscapes. VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee delivers floor speech on Congressional Republicans’ Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval undoing a resource management plan aimed at protecting the Arctic Refuge, December 3, 2025. “Simply put, the Arctic Refuge is the crown jewel of the American national wildlife refuge system, and it has been ever since it was set aside in 1960 by President Eisenhower to protect its wildlife and habitat values,” started Heinrich. “But that’s only part of its story. The Arctic Refuge is also deeply connected to the traditions and daily life of the people who have lived there for thousands of years – longer than this building, this city, or this country have existed. Because the Refuge is not just land. For wildlife, it’s essential habitat.” “The Arctic Refuge is under threat from the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on public lands – attacks that put so-called ""energy dominance” above every other use. Every other value,” continued Heinrich. “Now we could be discussing ways, ways to lower electricity costs, which are spiraling out of control. Or doing something about the skyrocketing health care costs in this country right now, but instead, we're talking about industrial oil and gas development in the beating heart of our greatest wildlife refuge, literally developing the place where the Porcupine Caribou Herd drops their calves every year.” A video of Heinrich’s floor speech can be found here. A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below: Mr. President, nestled in the far northeast corner of Alaska is one of the wildest and most untouched places in America – the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I have been blessed to see this refuge with my own eyes, and I’ve seen its towering peaks. I've seen the critical habitat on the coastal plain where caribou drop their calves. I've even seen its polar bears. And over the course of a year in the Arctic Refuge, you might also see one of the last great spectacles of migrating caribou, dueling musk ox straight out of the Pleistocene or rare spectacle eiders nesting on the coastal plain. In fact, the Arctic Refuge is home to hundreds of iconic wildlife species, including 200 species of birds that have called this landscape home since long before humans stepped on this continent. Simply put, the Arctic Refuge is the crown jewel of the American national wildlife refuge system, and it has been ever since it was set aside in 1960 by President Eisenhower to protect its wildlife and habitat values. But that’s only part of its story. The Arctic Refuge is also deeply connected to the traditions and daily life of the people who have lived there for thousands of years – longer than this building, this city, or this country have existed. Because the Refuge is not just land. For wildlife, it’s essential habitat. For many people who live there and are sustained by its caribou. This place is literally their grocery store. It’s not just a reminder of the past – it’s hope for the future. But that future is at stake. The Arctic Refuge is under threat from the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on public lands – attacks that put so-called ""energy dominance” above every other use. Every other value. Today, the Senate will vote on a Congressional Resolution of Disapproval to overturn the management plan for the Arctic Refuge. And instead of a targeted approach that emphasizes subsistence hunting and wildlife conservation, and a focus on Tribal consultation, a vote for this resolution will—redundantly — open up the entire Coastal Plain of the Refuge to be leased for oil drilling without local input. I say redundantly, because the Trump Administration has already overturned this management plan. And Republicans in Congress have already passed legislation requiring this area – a national wildlife refuge -- requiring it to be drilled for oil, despite a complete lack of interest by legitimate industry players. Now we could be discussing ways, ways to lower electricity costs, which are spiraling out of control. Or doing something about the skyrocketing health care costs in this country right now, but instead, we're talking about industrial oil and gas development in the beating heart of our greatest wildlife refuge, literally developing the place where the Porcupine Caribou Herd drops their calves every year. Now, when Congress first debated whether to allow oil development in the Arctic, America's energy landscape looked very different. We were importing significant amounts of oil, much of it from our political adversaries. Oil prices were rising, and U.S. energy could not meet demand. Yet, even in that context, in those challenging years, for decades and across both political parties, Congress recognized the irreplaceable ecological and cultural importance of the Arctic Refuge. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle understood that some places are sacred. Some places are simply too unique to sacrifice. And together, they kept these lands closed to industrial development. In fact, it was not until 2017 that a Republican majority reversed that longstanding commitment and opened this refuge to exploitation. They turned their backs on the American people who own this refuge and embrace the development anywhere and at any cost approach. Doing so despite the fact that the United States was already experiencing record oil production on public lands and was on its way to being a net energy exporter. And now they have done it again in their Big Bad Bill. But this time they want more and more. To what end? We know this hasn't worked before. We know previous efforts to offer leases here have actually been a failure. Now, they told us that development of the Arctic Refuge would bring in a billion, billion with a B, a billion dollars to the Treasury, to pay off the tax cuts that were in the 2017 bill for billionaires. But as we all remember, that came up a little short. In fact, it came up $993 million short, to be exact. And it's because development in the refuge is so complicated and so expensive. It's costly in time. Seasons are short. Days can be even shorter. There's not a lot of time to break new ground. There are no roads, no infrastructure even remotely close to this part of the coastal plain. That is why it’s estimated that oil prices have to be at least 75 dollars per barrel just to break even on oil from the Refuge. Compare that to today’s average cost of an oil barrel, which is hovering around $60. Legitimate investors knew these pitfalls. In 2023, the six largest banks in the U.S., the five largest banks in Canada, and 29 other international banks all issued policies against financing drilling in the Arctic Refuge. The banks. Insurers, too, followed suit. Which is why the second justification they are using to do this just doesn’t make sense: That producing oil in the Refuge will make gas cheaper for everyday Americans. You can see from the math that this is not remotely true. If construction and drilling costs are so high that a barrel of oil has to be almost $20 more expensive just to break even, what do you think that does to prices at the gas station when you fill up your car? Doesn’t mean cheaper gas. The last thing they’ll tell you is that: We have to drill everywhere in America, because we’re in a, quote, “energy emergency”. The truth is the only energy crisis in America is the one that President Trump has created himself. It’s the skyrocketing utility bills that Americans are facing because of Republican's relentless attacks on affordable, American-made clean energy. Opening precious wilderness to industrial development is not going to fix that —especially when it’s to drill for oil that costs so much to produce. Drilling in the Arctic Refuge is not going to make energy more affordable. It seems to me, as I stand up here to speak about yet another attack on our public lands, that no place is sacred from this extractive-at-all-costs playbook. Not even Wildlife Refuges, Mr. President. What’s next? Are we going to develop geothermal energy in Yellowstone? Maybe more uranium mining in the Grand Canyon? I think Teddy Roosevelt must be tired from rolling over in his grave. The bottom line is that the Arctic Refuge is too unique, too globally important to develop. It's a wildlife refuge for a reason. Now, proponents love to hide the fact that this is, in fact, a national wildlife refuge. They call it all kinds of things so that they don't have to use the phrase Wildlife Refuge. They'll call it the 1002 area. They'll call it ANWR. It sounds like someplace in the Middle East you would expect oil and gas production. They don't want us to pay attention to how crazy a prospect developing one of our last remaining untouched landscapes is. The Arctic Refuge provides subsistence fish and game for people who live in the region. It serves as a seasonal home to species you might see in your own state, species like Arctic terns and all sorts of waterfowl. And it is a remarkable, vast and breathtaking wilderness that should inspire us to be better stewards of our wildlife heritage. The Arctic Refuge is the crown jewel of our National Wildlife Refuge System that belongs to every single American deserves our protection. So I would urge colleagues to vote no on the CRA today. Thank you, Mr. President.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-demand-trump-administration-stop-stalling-pfas-cleanups-protect-military-families-and-nearby-communities-in-new-mexico/,"Heinrich, Luján Demand Trump Administration Stop Stalling PFAS Cleanups, Protect Military Families and Nearby Communities in New Mexico",2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 26 Senate Democrats to send a letter demanding that U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth reverse DoD’s decision to delay the cleanup of per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) at military installations in New Mexico and nationwide and to urge the DoD to take action to protect military families and nearby communities by addressing PFAS contamination at the affected sites. PFAS from industrial processes and products like firefighting foams can end up in waterways and soils. Exposure to PFAS from contaminated soils and water is linked to an array of health problems, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, thyroid issues, and more. In their letter, the senators called on the DoD to immediately restore the previous timetable for remediating PFAS contamination at U.S. military bases and to reverse plans that would further delay long-overdue cleanups. “For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DOD installations in our states have waited for the DOD to take action. We request that the Department reverse its decision, return to the previous timetable released in December 2024, and accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination,” the senators wrote. The use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam at DoD facilities, and the subsequent stormwater runoff, is a significant source of ground water pollution. This contamination poses serious health risks to service members and their families, as well as surrounding communities. At least 700 military sites in the United States are known or suspected to have PFAS contamination from DoD activities — including 6 in New Mexico. DoD’s delayed timetable would postpone cleanup efforts at approximately 140 of them, in some cases for nearly a decade. Specifically, DoD pushed back the time frame of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) phase for these bases, which involves collecting detailed information on the nature and extent of the PFAS contamination and conducting a study to evaluate potential options for cleanup. “We are also alarmed that DoD lacked transparency when changing the timeline for remediation. Servicemembers, their families, and the communities surrounding contaminated military installations need to be able to make informed decisions about their health,” the senators continued. “We again urge you to reverse your decision to delay cleanup timelines and prioritize remediation of PFAS contamination at bases to protect the public health of military families across the country,” the senators concluded. This letter is led by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The full text of the letter is here and below: Dear Secretary Hegseth, We write to express our concerns regarding the Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to delay the cleanup of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination at military installations across the country. This is unacceptable. For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DoD installations in our states have waited for the DoD to take action. We request that the Department reverse its decision, return to the previous timetable released in December 2024, and accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination. PFAS are a class of synthetic chemical substances that have been manufactured for decades for use in various consumer products and industrial processes. However, the strong chemical bonds in PFAS that make them useful in the manufacturing of certain goods also make them extraordinarily persistent in our bodies and the environment, earning PFAS the label of a “forever chemical.” Already, PFAS have been found in drinking water sources for at least 172 million people across the country. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to a litany of public health risks, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, and thyroid problems. There are over 700 military sites with known or suspected PFAS contamination from DoD activities. According to reporting, DoD’s new timetable delays cleanup of PFAS pollution at approximately 140 sites, and in some instances, the delay will be nearly a decade. Studies confirm that residents living near many of these sites have dangerously high levels of PFAS in their drinking water, putting them at risk for serious health issues linked to PFAS exposure. PFAS from these sites have also contaminated surrounding groundwater and soil, hurting the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. Further delaying cleanup will only increase the health and economic costs to servicemembers and communities across the country. We are also alarmed that DoD lacked transparency when changing the timeline for remediation. Servicemembers, their families, and the communities surrounding contaminated military installations need to be able to make informed decisions about their health. Given the current and continuous impact on these servicemembers and communities, please provide answers to the following inquiries by December 1, 2025: What is the reason for delaying cleanup at each of the DoD installations with confirmed PFAS contamination? How did DoD communicate with impacted bases and surrounding communities to notify them of the change in cleanup timetables? What resources will be provided to the communities currently exposed to PFAS and dangerous drinking water to mitigate ongoing exposure due to the delay in remediation? What water quality monitoring will DoD conduct in impacted communities? We again urge you to reverse your decision to delay cleanup timelines and prioritize remediation of PFAS contamination at bases to protect the public health of military families across the country. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-push-for-emergency-funding-for-wildfire-recovery-on-new-mexico-public-lands/,"Heinrich, Luján Push for Emergency Funding for Wildfire Recovery on New Mexico Public Lands",2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Heinrich and Luján’s push comes amid the Trump Administration’s failure to properly engage in forest management and wildfire prevention to keep New Mexico communities safe WASHINGTON – Amid the Trump Administration’s failure to properly engage in forest management and wildfire prevention — including slowing down the U.S. Forest Service’s rate of prescribed burns, fuel treatments, and other fire-prevention work — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, sent a letter calling on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee leadership to include additional funding to support wildfire recovery on federal lands in New Mexico and nationwide. In a letter to U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the senators pressed for additional resources to help National Parks, National Forests, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands recover from this year’s devastating wildfires. Since damage to federal lands is not covered by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding, federal land agencies themselves are responsible for cleanup and restoration costs. “We write to request that any emergency disaster appropriations bills drafted this year include funding for wildfire recovery on federal lands,” the senators wrote to Chair Collins and Vice Chair Murray. “Repairing wildfire damages to National Parks, National Forests, and Bureau of Land Management Lands is vital for the safety and economies of the entire country. Just as our forests and parks require restoration, so too do the surrounding counties and communities that bear the economic and infrastructure impacts of these disasters; their recovery is inseparable from that of the federal lands themselves.” While noting that the Gila National Forest experienced the damaging and widespread effects of wildfire this year, the senators also underscore that mitigation activities such as removing hazard trees, road and bridge assessment, structural replacements, and trail repairs are needed. “In the past, Congress has appropriated the funds our public land agencies require for their critical response, remediation, and mitigation activities,” the senators continued.“Ensuring that federal lands are restored after wildfires is a responsibility to our shared, national heritage.” “We stand ready to provide any additional information or support that the Appropriations Committee may require to ensure that our federal lands, surrounding counties, and gateway communities receive the resources necessary to recover fully and build long-term resilience,” the senators concluded. The letter is led by U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Read the full text of the letter here and below. Dear Chair Collins and Vice Chair Murray: We write to request that any emergency disaster appropriations bills drafted this year include funding for wildfire recovery on federal lands. Repairing wildfire damages to National Parks, National Forests, and Bureau of Land Management lands is vital for the safety and economy of the entire country. Just as our forests and parks require restoration, so too do the surrounding counties and communities that bear the economic and infrastructure impacts of these disasters; their recovery is inseparable from that of the federal lands themselves. Unfortunately, federal lands in each of our states have recently experienced the damaging and widespread effects of wildfire. This year, the Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires devastated over 200,000 acres in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab National Forest, destroying structures including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.12 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, Joshua Tree National Park in California, the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Oregon have all had wildfires this year as well.345 Across the West, nearly a million acres of BLM land burned this year alone.6 While each of these fires has unique response needs, all will require mitigation activities such as removing hazard trees, road and bridge assessment, structural replacements, and trail repairs. As you know, unlike wildfire response activities on state, tribal, or private lands which are coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), wildfire response on federal land is managed by the land agencies themselves. In the past, Congress has appropriated the funds our public land agencies require for their critical response, remediation, and mitigation activities. Our nation’s public lands have tremendous intrinsic, economic, and ecological value. Gateway communities rely on the tourism generated by National Parks and other federal lands for economic development and employment opportunities. Many federal lands include sacred tribal sites that must be preserved to uphold federal trust responsibilities. Our watersheds originate in national forests and on public lands – promoting wildfire recovery on these lands helps mitigate water pollution for communities downstream. Ensuring that federal lands are restored after wildfires is a responsibility to our shared, national heritage. We will continue to work closely with federal land management agencies and local officials in our states to assess specific wildfire reconstruction needs and to identify the most urgent priorities for recovery. We stand ready to provide any additional information or support that the Appropriations Committee may require to ensure that our federal lands, surrounding counties, and gateway communities receive the resources necessary to recover fully and build long-term resilience. Thank you for your consideration of this important request. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-lujan-bipartisan-members-demand-doj-briefing-on-release-of-the-epstein-files/,"ICYMI: Luján, Bipartisan Members Demand DOJ Briefing on Release of the Epstein Files",2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Senate and House sponsors of Epstein Files Transparency Act – recently signed into law – lead the charge to ensure law is fully implemented Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), who introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act that was signed into law, joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to brief Congress on the Department of Justice’s compliance with the Act and its plan to fully release the Epstein Files by the law’s December 19, 2025 deadline. Senators Luján, Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) issued the letter as the Justice Department approaches the law’s 30-day deadline to release all Epstein Files. Senators Luján and Merkley introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act earlier this year to ensure full transparency for the American people, accountability for those involved with Epstein, and justice for victims. NBC: Lawmakers ask AG Pam Bondi for a status update on releasing the Epstein files Five members of Congress from both parties and both chambers are asking Attorney General Pam Bondi for a briefing and status update by the end of the week on the legally mandated release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The signatories are Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., as well as the law’s lead authors, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif. They expressed in the letter a “shared interest in supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to carry out the provisions of this critical new law.” WaPo: Lawmakers ask Bondi for Epstein files update as deadline nears The lawmakers who signed Wednesday’s letter — Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) and Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Ro Khanna (D-California) — asked for a briefing “to discuss the full contents of this new information in your possession.” Daily Beast: Lawmakers Demand Urgent Briefing With Bondi Over Secret New Epstein Intel Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are demanding an urgent sit-down with Attorney General Pam Bondi over new information related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter sent Wednesday, they gave Bondi until Friday to provide them with the “new information” that was cited as the impetus for fresh Epstein-related investigations, which could hinder the full release of the files. Republicans Thomas Massie and Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats Ro Khanna, Ben Ray Lujan, and Jeff Merkley in calling on Bondi to back up her words from a Nov. 19 press conference, according to NBC News. As the lawmakers note in the letter, Bondi at that time said “new” and “additional” information had emerged to warrant fresh investigations into figures connected to Epstein. Axios: Pam Bondi asked to brief lawmakers on hurdles with releasing Epstein files The bipartisan group of five lawmakers asked for the briefing in a Wednesday letter to Bondi in “interest of transparency and clarity on the steps required to faithfully implement” the act. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) were joined in signing the letter by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). NY Magazine: When Will the Epstein Files Be Released? On December 3, a group of bipartisan lawmakers signed a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi seeking an update on the status of the release process. “In light of the short 30 day deadline to release the Epstein Files, we are particularly focused on understanding the contents of any new evidence, information or procedural hurdles that could interfere with the Department’s ability meet this statutory deadline,” they wrote, per NBC News, which obtained the letter. The lawmakers include Democratic representative Ro Khanna and Republican representative Thomas Massie, the lead co-signers of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, as well as Democratic senators Jeff Merkley and Ben Ray Lujan and Republican senator Lisa Murkowski. The group is seeking a briefing no later than Friday, December 5. Roll Call: Lawmakers seek update from DOJ on Epstein disclosure law A bipartisan group of five lawmakers has asked the Justice Department for a briefing by Friday on any new information that could interfere with the department’s ability to release files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by a mid-December deadline. The letter — signed by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., along with Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M. — points to reports about new information and a new investigation. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-protect-scientific-standards-and-safeguard-acip-vaccine-committee,"Heinrich, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Scientific Standards & Safeguard ACIP Vaccine Committee",2025-12-03,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Senators introduce bill ahead of ACIP’s meeting tomorrow to revisit hepatitis B, other childhood shots This year, HHS Secretary replaced all 17 non-partisan experts on CDC’s top vaccine committee, attacked settled science WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined 8 Senate Democrats to introduce the Family Vaccine Protection Act, legislation to protect Americans’ access to vaccines and to safeguard proven science from recent Trump Administration efforts to undermine vaccines. The bill comes as the CDC’s top vaccine panel meets tomorrow to discuss – and potentially vote on – updates to the childhood vaccine schedule, including the hepatitis B vaccine. The Family Vaccine Protection Act codifies the structure and practices of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a 60-year-old federal panel at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention that recommends who should get vaccines and when. It strengthens transparency into how vaccine guidance is developed and adopted, reinforces science-based decision-making, and ensures accountability in the nation’s vaccine process. ACIP’s recommendations inform which vaccines are covered by insurers and government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Vaccines for Children, which provides free vaccines to more than half of the children in the U.S. The senators’ legislation comes after Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. undermined the ACIP and replaced all 17 non-partisan scientific experts with ideologues who have a history of undermining vaccines. Two weeks after Secretary Kennedy replaced all of the committee’s members, the new ACIP announced plans to revisit the childhood vaccine schedule, putting access to vaccines that children have received for decades, such as hepatitis B and polio, in danger. The new ACIP also invited a known vaccine denier and conspiracy theorist to speak on vaccines, and then made recommendations based solely on her pseudoscience-filled presentation. This attack on settled vaccine science comes as the U.S. faces the highest total number of measles cases in 33 years, including the first measles deaths in the country in a decade. Specifically, the Family Vaccine Protection Act will: Establish guardrails to ensure vaccines remain accessible to all: Protect the role of ACIP recommendations in programs like the Vaccine for Children Program and ensure that health insurance plans provide cost-free coverage for vaccines recommended by ACIP. Codify current rigorous, science-based processes for recommending vaccines: Set a timeline for new vaccine consideration by ACIP Require that both the CDC Director and HHS Secretary adopt such recommendations if supported by a majority of the scientific evidence. Strengthen the independence of the Advisory Committee: Write the role of ACIP into statute and specify its structure, its membership selection processes, meeting frequency, and expertise requirements to protect it from dissolution or undue interference by the HHS secretary. Ensure the Secretary cannot unilaterally make or withdraw vaccine recommendations contrary to the advice of scientific experts: Require the HHS secretary to adopt the official vaccine decision as set by ACIP Require the secretary to publish the basis for the agency action, including an explanation as to how the action is supported by the best available, peer-reviewed scientific evidence, if the secretary chooses to depart from an ACIP recommendation. The Family Vaccine Protection Act is led by U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) introduced companion legislation in the House. The bill is endorsed by the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, The American Public Health Association and The Infectious Disease Society of America. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-legislation-to-ensure-new-mexico-schools-offer-more-dairy-and-non-dairy-options-passes-senate,Heinrich Legislation to Ensure New Mexico Schools Offer More Dairy & Non-Dairy Options Passes Senate,2025-12-03,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration, welcomed the Senate passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, legislation he cosponsored that will allow schools to provide more dairy options and non-dairy alternatives for school lunches. Currently, schools participating in the National School Lunch Program must provide milk that is consistent with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which means that schools can only provide fat-free or low-fat milk. Heinrich’s Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act will alter that restriction and allow schools to offer whole milk, reduced-fat milk, and non-dairy beverages, in addition to fat-free and low-fat milk. The bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives. “I’m proud that the Senate passed legislation I cosponsored to ensure schools can offer a wider range of dairy options, including non-dairy alternatives, so every student in New Mexico can access meals that work for their needs. This bipartisan bill is a meaningful step forward, making it easier for families to request alternatives for children who are lactose intolerant, while continuing to support our state’s dairy producers and agricultural workers,” said Heinrich. “I encourage the House to take up and pass this bill quickly so New Mexico students and schools can benefit from these improvements.” The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is led by U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators David McCormick (R-Pa.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Angus King (I-Maine), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.). The text of the bill is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-justice-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-crack-down-on-fentanyl-traffickers/,"Luján, Justice Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Fentanyl Traffickers",2025-12-03,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) introduced the Strengthening Sanctions on Fentanyl Traffickers Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that strengthens and expands the federal government’s ability to sanction individuals and entities involved in fentanyl trafficking. China remains the primary global source of the precursor chemicals used to manufacture illicit fentanyl. However, most of the fentanyl entering the United States is trafficked across the U.S.–Mexico border by transnational criminal cartels. The Strengthening Sanctions on Fentanyl Traffickers Act of 2025 would direct the President to prioritize sanctions against China-based persons and entities—including pharmaceutical companies—connected to fentanyl trafficking. The bill also mandates continued sanctions against transnational criminal cartels engaged in fentanyl trafficking. “Far too many families in New Mexico have felt the devastating impact of the fentanyl crisis. More must be done to stop the flow of fentanyl before it reaches our communities,” said Senator Luján. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Justice on this vital bipartisan legislation that empowers the government to go after those responsible for trafficking fentanyl. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation to combat the fentanyl crisis, keep deadly drugs off our streets, and help protect communities across New Mexico.” “Fentanyl and similar synthetic drugs continue to devastate communities across West Virginia and the country. Much has been done to stop the flow of fentanyl, but we must do more. This bill will build on that progress by strengthening our sanctions, holding foreign entities accountable, curbing the flow of this substance into our state, and ultimately saving lives across our nation,” said Senator Justice. Senator Luján has long fought to stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities. Senator Luján introduced legislation to crack down on the trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, using the U.S. transportation network. Additionally, Senator Luján introduced legislation to reduce the flow of fentanyl by providing much-needed resources to secure the Southwest border. Full bill text is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-merkley-murkowski-massie-khanna-demand-doj-briefing-on-release-of-the-epstein-files/,"Luján, Merkley, Murkowski, Massie, Khanna Demand DOJ Briefing on Release of the Epstein Files",2025-12-03,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Senate and House sponsors of Epstein Files Transparency Act lead the charge to ensure law is fully implemented. Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined forces with U.S. Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to call on Attorney General Pam Bondi to provide a briefing on the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Actand fully release the Epstein Files by December 19, 2025—as required by the law. Luján, Merkley, Murkowski, Massie, and Khanna’s letter comes as the Justice Department is legally required to release all the Epstein Files within the law’s 30-day requirement. “We write as the bipartisan lead sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act to express our shared interest in supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to carry out the provisions of this critical new law,” the bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote. “In light of the short 30 day deadline to release the Epstein Files, we are particularly focused on understanding the contents of any new evidence, information or procedural hurdles that could interfere with the Department’s ability meet this statutory deadline.” They demanded, “In the interest of transparency and clarity on the steps required to faithfully implement the Epstein Files Transparency Act, we request a briefing either in a classified or unclassified setting, to discuss the full contents of this new information in your possession at your convenience, but not later than Friday, December 5, 2025.” The Epstein Files Transparency Act overwhelmingly passed Congress and was signed into law by President Trump on November 19, 2025. The landmark transparency legislation includes strong protections to redact appropriate information to protect victims’ privacy and national security, while explicitly prohibiting redactions based on reputational harm or political sensitivity. “In addition, we underscore that protecting survivors’ privacy is central to the law’s intent. We share concerns about the Department’s ability to accurately identify and redact victims’ names. The victim’s lawyers have far greater knowledge of who these individuals are, and they are prepared to confidentially transmit names that must be redacted to prevent privacy violations. We urge the Department to coordinate directly with these attorneys to establish a secure process to fully protect all victim identities,” the lawmakers emphasized. Luján and Merkley introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act earlier this year to ensure full transparency for the American people, accountability for those involved with Epstein, and justice for victims. Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here and follows below: Dear Attorney General Bondi: We write as the bipartisan lead sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act to express our shared interest in supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to carry out the provisions of this critical new law. In light of the short 30 day deadline to release the Epstein Files, we are particularly focused on understanding the contents of any new evidence, information or procedural hurdles that could interfere with the Department’s ability meet this statutory deadline. On July 7, 2025, the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation published a memo outlining conclusions from an “exhaustive review of the investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein.” This memo confirmed that the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.” On November 14, 2025, the Department of Justice announced that Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, would initiate new investigations into connections between Jeffrey Epstein and former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and a prominent investor, Reid Hoffman. In a press conference on November 19, 2025, you justified the new investigations into these individuals by stating “information [that] has come forward, new information, additional information.” In the interest of transparency and clarity on the steps required to faithfully implement the Epstein Files Transparency Act, we request a briefing either in a classified or unclassified setting, to discuss the full contents of this new information in your possession at your convenience, but not later than Friday, December 5, 2025. In addition, we underscore that protecting survivors’ privacy is central to the law’s intent. We share concerns about the Department’s ability to accurately identify and redact victims’ names. The victim’s lawyers have far greater knowledge of who these individuals are, and they are prepared to confidentially transmit names that must be redacted to prevent privacy violations. We urge the Department to coordinate directly with these attorneys to establish a secure process to fully protect all victim identities. We look forward to hearing from you to ensure the law is fully implemented with critical safeguards to protect survivors. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/notus-the-us-forest-service-is-falling-further-behind-on-wildfire-prevention,NOTUS: The U.S. Forest Service Is Falling Further Behind on Wildfire Prevention,2025-12-02,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"President Donald Trump and his top Cabinet officials have repeatedly blamed the most catastrophic wildfires on poor forest management. His administration, however, appears to be lagging on that very work. In the first nine months of this year, the United States Forest Service slowed its rate of prescribed burns, tree thinning and other fire-prevention work across its hundreds of millions of acres of land, according to an outside analysis of U.S. Forest Service data being circulated by Democratic senators. Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and nine other Democratic senators wrote the Forest Service on Tuesday, demanding details about staffing levels and plans to meet wildfire mitigation needs.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/santa-fe-new-mexican-new-mexico-congressional-delegates-push-for-federal-refund-of-30m-in-state-food-aid,Santa Fe New Mexican: New Mexico congressional delegates push for federal refund of $30M in state food aid,2025-12-02,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"New Mexico’s members of Congress on Tuesday sent a letter to federal officials urging them to reimburse the state for $30 million in food aid the state provided during federal disruptions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Trump administration, meanwhile, threatened to pull future funding for the program from New Mexico and other states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday said it would stop directing federal funds to states that have refused to turn over sensitive personal data from SNAP recipients, including Social Security numbers, The New York Times reported. The federal shutdown, which lasted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, delayed the disbursal of food aid under SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. After the federal government refused to tap emergency funds to issue November benefits, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered $30 million in emergency state funds to be distributed to New Mexicans enrolled in the program, covering around 30% of their monthly benefits. “New Mexico’s governor did what the administration would not: she kept children, seniors, and people with disabilities fed,” wrote New Mexico’s Democratic U.S. Reps. Gabe Vasquez, Teresa Leger Fernández and Melanie Stansbury, and U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján. “No state should have to raid their own budgets to fix a problem the administration created,” the delegation added in the letter. That $30 million in state-funded benefits went out Nov. 1. After a federal court ruling in November required the Trump administration to pay SNAP benefits, New Mexico administered the full federal benefits around one week later. The state did not require SNAP recipients to pay back the extra 30% in state-funded benefits they had received earlier in the month. The congressional delegates have said they’re hopeful New Mexico will ultimately be reimbursed, although the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services has said states that provided benefits won’t be reimbursed. The agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. “Funding SNAP is a federal responsibility, and New Mexican taxpayers should not be penalized for your failure to fulfill your duty,” the state’s congressional delegates wrote. Another threat to the state’s SNAP funds emerged Tuesday. New Mexico was one of over 20 states, all led by Democratic governors, that refused the federal government’s request earlier this year to hand over recipients’ personal data. Instead, the states filed a lawsuit in California District Court in July. The states argued the data could be used for immigration enforcement and other activities unrelated to administering food aid, The New York Times reported, adding, “The Trump administration contends that the information will be used to root out waste, fraud and abuse.” A judge in October issued a preliminary injunction to prohibit the federal government from cutting off SNAP funding due to states’ refusal to share personal information. But Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday the funds will be halted, according to the Times. “As of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states until they comply and they tell us and allow us to partner with them to root out this fraud and to protect the American taxpayer,” Rollins said. The Department of Agriculture asked New Mexico on Nov. 24 to hand over five years of “detailed data about all SNAP recipients in the state” within seven days, said Michael Coleman, a spokesperson for the governor. “Despite that clear directive from the court,” Coleman said, “the USDA nevertheless demanded New Mexico produce the data under threat of cutting off benefits.” He added, “We expect imminent legal action will be taken stop the Trump administration once again from unlawfully cutting off vital benefits to the people that need them the most.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-secures-commitment-from-us-forest-service-to-visit-and-meet-with-new-mexicans-in-pecos-valley-slams-administration-for-repealing-roadless-rule,"Heinrich Secures Commitment from U.S. Forest Service to Visit and Meet with New Mexicans in Pecos Valley, Slams Administration for Repealing Roadless Rule",2025-12-02,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"VIDEO HERE WASHINGTON — During a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee hearing to examine pending legislation, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Committee, secured a commitment from U.S. Forest Service Acting Associate Chief Christopher French to host a public forum meeting in the Pecos Valley on mining developments. Heinrich additionally brought attention to the Administration’s refusal to take public opinion into account prior to repealing the Roadless Rule. VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), secures commitment from U.S. Forest Service Acting Associate Chief Christopher French to host a public forum in Pecos Valley, December 2nd, 2025. On Additional Mining in Pecos Valley Heinrich began his questioning by asking French to commit to hosting a public forum in the Pecos Valley, “Mr. French, the Administration recently reversed a very popular administrative withdrawal in the upper Pecos watershed, despite overwhelming public support in that community for the withdrawal. Your agency even canceled a public forum that would have allowed for discussion with the, of the withdrawal and given the community a chance to share their views with the Forest Service. Would you commit to coming out to the Pecos Valley and meeting with that community and having a public meeting?” French affirmed his commitment, “Yeah, thank you very much for the question, Senator. Of course, and we'll have a conversation around any of those issues. We know that the comments that we received on the withdrawal itself, overwhelmingly supported the withdrawal, but across the agency, the Administration's policy is to preserve the spaces we have right now for future development until such time that we understand what our current mineral development is across the Agency. So, it's, it is about more about a broader administrative, administration policy around the use of public lands and...” Heinrich pushed back, “Well, why not meet with the local community before making a decision? I mean, that's kind of the way we typically do planning in these public land agencies is first you listen to the community, just like Senator Barrasso, the Chairman, articulated his issues with BLM planning. We want these decisions to be rooted in local communities, and yet they seem to have been cut out of this process.” French responded, “Yeah. Senator, as you're aware, when this was first put, proposed, more than two years ago, there was broad comment period on that so that we could understand what the feelings the community were. I'm not aware of any comments that oppose that withdrawal, but that is in conflict with the broader Administration's policy right now on the use of public lands and supporting mineral and energy development.” Heinrich answered, “So, my dad worked for Anaconda Copper, my grandfather worked at Battle Mountain Gold Mine in Nevada. So, I fully recognize that there are many places in this country where mining can be done safely and with strong local support. I just don't think the upper Pecos is one of those places. And I wonder, can you tell us, does the Forest Service even consider values like recreation, agricultural productivity, or traditional uses when making decisions about where to permit new mining activity?” French said, “Of course we do. Yeah. So, there's a difference between an administrative withdrawal versus when we actually get an expression of interest and we go through the environmental process to look at what the consequences of permitting something like that would be. In those cases, we are looking at all the various impacts, whether they're economic, social, to the environment that surrounds where the mine would be, including the uses of that area, such as recreation or cattle grazing. All that takes into consideration and how we permit areas and allow for that activity.” On the Roadless Rule Heinrich shifted gears, “I very much appreciate your willingness to come out and meet directly with the local community, and I look forward to that happening. You called the Roadless Rule a barrier. Do you know what sportsmen in New Mexico call the roadless areas that are protected in our state?” French answered, “I do not.” Heinrich helped French, “They call it elk habitat.” “Yes they do,” French said. Heinrich continued, criticizing the lack of public meetings the Administration had when overturning the Roadless Rule, “And if you overlay the Roadless Rule with, I mean, I almost hesitate to suggest people do that, because they would see places that I like to go and have some solitude when I’m elk hunting. But how many public meetings did this Administration have before proposing overturning the roadless rule?” French answered, “The Administration has only proposed a new approach on the Roadless Rule and the general approach there is thinking about, what are the barriers to protecting the communities from wildland fire risk. There's more than 24 million acres of the wildland urban interface that are either within roadless or within a mile of roadless, of which we are restricted from how we treat those areas other than, let's say, using prescribed fire access.” Heinrich disagreed, “I looked at a number of state roadless treatment numbers, and there are substantial amounts of those roadless areas being treated for fire prevention.” French responded, “That is correct, but it limits the type of activities that you can do. And I'll go back to the discussion that was happening earlier with Senator Barrasso, and the question around, how do you expand these things? Oftentimes, when you're doing field production work, the actual value that is coming out of those materials is minimal compared to the actual cost of doing that. So, in order for us to do more acres and create broader areas of treatments, we need to do the most efficient treatments that we can, providing access and providing the ability to get in there and do that is the way to make that happen. Otherwise, those costs for doing that work are extremely, extremely expensive.” Heinrich concluded, reiterating the importance of including the public in policy decisions, “Once again, I would just encourage you to have a robust public process before making these decisions.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/nm-delegation-presses-usda-to-refund-new-mexico-30-million-for-shutdown-food-stamps-lapse,N.M. Delegation Presses USDA to Refund New Mexico $30 Million for Shutdown Food Stamps Lapse,2025-12-02,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to demand that the Trump Administration reimburse New Mexico $30 million for the emergency state funds used to protect hardworking New Mexicans’ from a lapse in their November food assistance during Trump's government shutdown. The N.M. Delegation is demanding accountability for New Mexico taxpayers from the Trump Administration after the USDA purposefully withheld New Mexicans' SNAP benefits, which the USDA had the legal obligation to fund during Trump's shutdown. “Funding SNAP is a federal responsibility, and New Mexican taxpayers should not be penalized for your failure to fulfill your duty,” the N.M. Delegation wrote. “No state should have to raid their own budgets to fix a problem the administration created. In New Mexico, this failure placed more than 450,000 SNAP recipients at immediate risk of going without the food assistance they rely on each month.” The full text of the letter is here and below here. Dear Director Vought and Secretary Rollins: We write to demand full and immediate reimbursement to the State of New Mexico for the $30 million it was forced to reallocate to provide food assistance to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients for the month of November during the federal government shutdown. Funding SNAP is a federal responsibility, and New Mexican taxpayers should not be penalized for your failure to fulfill your duty. During the shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) refused to issue SNAP benefits despite having sufficient funding and transfer authority available to issue full benefits. After multiple court orders, USDA eventually allowed states to issue benefits, but their repeated appeals and conflicting guidance caused further delays and confusion — leaving more working-class Americans needlessly hungry every step of the way. New Mexico’s governor did what the administration would not: she kept children, seniors, and people with disabilities fed. No state should have to raid their own budgets to fix a problem the administration created. In New Mexico, this failure placed more than 450,000 SNAP recipients at immediate risk of going without the food assistance they rely on each month. Fortunately, the State of New Mexico stepped in and provided $30 million in food assistance to prevent a hunger crisis, protect vulnerable households, ensure continuity across local food systems, and sustain local economies. This was not the only federal responsibility New Mexico has been forced to shoulder. In addition to the $30 million stopgap for SNAP, the state had already reallocated $162 million to protect residents who would have lost Medicaid coverage and Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits because of the Republican tax law. These programs — SNAP, Medicaid, and ACA subsidies — are core federal obligations, and no state should be forced to backfill federal programs. New Mexico acted responsibly under extraordinary circumstances, and it must not bear the long-term financial burden for failures at the federal level. Congress has already made its intent clear. The Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act includes explicit language under Section 118 authorizing reimbursement to states that used their own funds to cover programs “that would have been paid” by the federal government during the shutdown. The directive is unambiguous: USDA and OMB are required to repay states in full. We therefore expect USDA and OMB to move quickly to restore New Mexico’s funds and execute the reimbursement without delay. The federal government has a duty to make New Mexico whole, and we insist that responsibility be met immediately. We stand ready to assist in ensuring this directive is carried out and expect timely confirmation that New Mexico’s reimbursement is being processed. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/ranking-member-lujan-leads-telecommunications-and-media-subcommittee-hearing-on-defending-americas-communications-networks/,Ranking Member Luján Leads Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee Hearing on Defending America’s Communications Networks,2025-12-02,2025,2025-12,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, helped lead a subcommittee hearing titled “Signal Under Siege: Defending America’s Communications Networks.” With Americans spending more time online, cybercriminals – both domestic and global – are evolving and finding new ways to disrupt, infiltrate, and attack U.S. telecommunications systems. During the hearing, Senator Luján examined how evolving threats and security vulnerabilities are impacting our communications networks and reviewed efforts the federal government can take to safeguard the communications industry. Additionally, Senator Luján raised concerns about actions taken by the Trump administration to dismantle efforts to protect our communications networks from fraud, espionage, and sabotage. Last year, as Chair of the Subcommittee, Senator Luján convened a hearing on communications networks safety and security in the wake of the Salt Typhoon hacks. The hearing witnesses included: Mr. Robert Mayer, Senior Vice President of Cybersecurity and Innovation, USTelecom—The Broadband Association Mr. Daniel Gizinski, President of Satellite and Space Communications Segment, Comtech Mr. Jamil N. Jaffer, Founder and Executive Director, National Security Institute at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University Ms. Debra Jordan, Former Chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission Video of the hearing is available here. An excerpt of Senator Luján’s opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below: I think every member on this committee can agree that there is nothing more important than keeping our communities and our country safe. That’s why the security of our communications networks is vital. The networks are the foundation of our daily lives – they carry our phone calls, texts, internet traffic, health information, emergency services, and so much more. It’s also our responsibility to ensure that foreign actors like China cannot infiltrate our infrastructure or steal Americans’ data. There is clear evidence that foreign adversaries — including nation-state actors — are escalating their efforts to infiltrate and compromise our networks. The Salt Typhoon hacks from last year exposed fundamental weaknesses in our telecom infrastructure. That attack breached major carriers, such as Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, and compromised millions of individuals’ data. This attack also likely represents the largest telecommunications hack in our nation’s history. About a year ago, we examined this very topic – in this very same committee room. Yet a year later, our communications networks are no more secure. And we can see that it’s not just the major carriers – I’m also concerned that our schools, hospitals, and libraries; our police departments and emergency responders; are all exposed and do not have the resources to defend themselves against foreign adversaries. I am also extremely concerned that the Federal Communications Commission rushed to dismantle efforts taken under the last administration to verify the security of our networks. The FCC stripped these protections away — replacing them with voluntary pledges and handshakes from companies whose networks have already proven themselves to be vulnerable to data breaches. To put it plainly, these companies are basically leaving their front doors unlocked after a data break-in, and the FCC has decided to take their word when they promise they’ve installed deadbolts and security cameras. It is all deeply troubling. By removing enforceable standards, the FCC is weakening our national security at a time when our communications and digital landscapes are growing like never before. There is still a lot we don’t know about the damage done by the Salt Typhoon hacks. In fact, President Trump fired the board that was investigating the attack. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/albuquerque-journal-three-takeaways-from-sen-martin-heinrichs-roundtable-with-public-land-experts,Albuquerque Journal: Three takeaways from Sen. Martin Heinrich’s roundtable with public land experts,2025-11-26,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"The 2026 fire season, staffing levels at national parks and monuments, and the long-term public land employee pipeline were top of mind for public land advocates and experts at a roundtable with Sen. Martin Heinrich on Friday. Public lands have been a priority for the New Mexico Democrat, who has long touted his identity as a hunter and led some of the opposition to Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee’s proposal to make it easier to sell public land earlier this year. Here are three takeaways from his conversation with public land experts and advocates. 1. The 2026 fire season is keeping New Mexico’s state forester up at night State Forester Laura McCarthy is concerned about a plan to combine federal firefighting teams next year in what she believes may be a bad fire season. The predictions for winter snowpack are not promising, part of why McCarthy is losing sleep over next year’s fire season. President Donald Trump ordered the nation’s wildland firefighting forces underneath the Interior and Agriculture departments to combine. In September, the federal agencies announced a plan for implementing the order in January 2026. McCarthy would like them to postpone implementation to January 2027. “With the six-week shutdown, we’ve not heard what progress they’ve made on that,” McCarthy said. “And our fire season, given the snowpack and the forecast, we’re going to be cranking in February.” The Interior Department’s effort to modernize the wildland fire response is on track, according to Interior spokeswoman Elizabeth Peace. “The transition is being implemented in deliberate phases to ensure continuity of operations and readiness for the 2026 fire season,” Peace said in a statement. “Current firefighting capability remains fully in place, and there will be no gap in response capacity.” The plan includes creating a joint federal firefighting aircraft service, modernizing training, streamlining cooperative agreements and integrating pre- and post-fire activities. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are cutting through the bureaucracy and building a unified, modern wildfire response system that works as fast and as fearlessly as the men and women on the front lines,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a September statement. Heinrich said he would be willing to work with McCarthy on a letter asking Burgum to consider delaying combining federal firefighting forces. Based on conversations he’s had in Senate committees, the plan “is an idea with no detail in the actual implementation, and we cannot afford to have a single fire season where we don’t actually understand who’s in charge,” Heinrich said. “Right now, we have a system, and it’s not perfect, but it pulls resources from all over the country, and it follows the fire season. … We have to make sure that rhythm is fully functional through any organizational changes,” he said. According to Peace, the phased approach allows Interior to align personnel, systems and support functions while maintaining coordination with USDA, state and local partners, and the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group. Implementation will continue throughout 2026 with oversight and support from the Agriculture and Interior departments and in coordination with Congress, Peace said. 2. Staffing levels are down at Bosque del Apache and beyond Bosque del Apache, a national wildlife refuge in Socorro County known as a winter hotspot for sandhill cranes, has almost half the staff it did a decade ago, according to Deb Caldwell, Friends of the Bosque del Apache executive director. She’s expecting the wildlife refuge’s budget to be cut further. “So we lost staff, we’ve lost funding, and so the Friends have really had to step up,” Caldwell said, by helping with machine repairs, buying fuel and putting in wells and bridges. The refuge is an economic boon to the area, with an economic impact between $15 million and $17 million annually, Caldwell said. That impact may be blunted this year, as the annual Festival of the Cranes was canceled due to the government shutdown. More broadly, the 15 national parks and monuments in New Mexico bring in 2.4 million visitors a year, according to Dennis Vasquez, a retired National Park Service superintendent. Vasquez has heard from former colleagues at parks around New Mexico that “the staffing shortage is the No. 1 issue,” he said. “I think in this current climate, there’s just a lack of security, maybe, in taking on a job in federal lands or public lands anymore,” Vasquez said. 3. Advocates are concerned about future employee shortages The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided an influx of money into federal agencies, meaning there were many recently hired employees within federal land management agencies like the U.S. Forest Service when probationary employees were laid off earlier this year, according to McCarthy. “A lot of young people with master’s degrees and really specialized, important experience, scientifically — fire ecology for example, or conservation biology — that were going to really help the agency instead got let go,” McCarthy said. “The loss of science capacity within the land management agencies is really distressing.” Outdoor recreation is a huge part of the Taos economy, according to Nick Streit, Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument president and Taos Fly Shop owner. But he’s concerned that young people considering careers in public land management will be deterred from seeking those specialized degrees after seeing the federal layoffs and government shutdown this year. “It really scares me about what’s down the road,” Streit said.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/kfda-cannon-air-force-base-receives-80m-in-federal-funding-for-infrastructure,KFDA: Cannon Air Force Base receives $80M in federal funding for infrastructure,2025-11-26,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"CLOVIS, N.M. (KFDA) - Cannon Air Force Base will receive over $80 million in federal funding for key infrastructure projects, part of more than $200 million secured by New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich for the state with a focus on military construction. The projects include an $80 million, 192-bed dormitory at the base, as well as over $8 million to renovate and construct a training facility for security forces. Cannon Air Force Base was founded in the 1920s and is home to the 27th Special Operations Wing. “These are the very best, our nation’s war fighters and they’re just awesome sons and daughters of America,” said Mayor Mike Morris, City of Clovis. “And so, we’re proud to be home to them while they’re stationed at Cannon and really everything that we do here is with them in mind. I think of us as one community.” The City of Clovis works closely with Cannon and families and said it is grateful for the support. Infrastructure improvements target quality of life The commander of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base said strengthening security forces infrastructure ensures that airmen remain mission-ready. “This kind of investment is not just about construction—it’s about giving our people the foundation they need to perform at their best, day in and day out. Our Air Force is strong because of the airmen who serve and the families who support them—and providing them the resources to do so is fundamental to our readiness,"" said Col. Robert Johnston, commander of the 27th Special Operations Wing. Senator Heinrich said he will always fight for federal resources that grow the economy, lower costs, put New Mexico families first, and honor the service of those who keep the nation safe. “Really, really appreciate our congressional delegation prioritizing Cannon Air Force Base directing some of that spending toward Cannon,” said Morris. “We’re always thrilled to see the continued investment.” Cannon said the funding will improve the quality of life for air commandos and enable airmen to train with purpose, realism, and discipline. Cannon has not announced a date for these upgrades.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-leger-fernandez-introduce-legislation-to-fulfill-taos-pueblo-water-rights-settlement,"Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández Introduce Legislation to Fulfill Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement",2025-11-25,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S> Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, along with U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), introduced the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act, legislation that provides more funding, flexibility, and oversight to fulfill the Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement. Specifically, the legislation updates the original 2010 Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement and establishes two new trust funds to help Taos Pueblo build and maintain groundwater and surface water infrastructure. Additionally, the legislation sets clear timelines for state and local partners to finish shared “Mutual-Benefit Projects,” and authorizes $367 million in new federal funding and contemplates an additional $54 million in state funding. Further, the legislation ensures that if other entities fail to deliver on projects, the Pueblo or the Bureau of Reclamation can step in to ensure completion and the parties can use interim mitigation. “The United States has a moral obligation to uphold its trust responsibility to Tribes and Pueblos. I’m proud to help introduce the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act to ensure the Pueblo can continue vital work to ensure reliable, safe drinking water — the foundation of a healthier, stronger community,” said Heinrich. “Delivering long-term water security to Tribes, Pueblos and to every community in New Mexico is absolutely essential, and I’m committed to that work.” “Water is a vital part of the federal trust responsibility,” said Luján. “Amending current law is vital to ensure Taos Pueblo has access to clean, safe, and reliable water. I’m proud to partner with Senator Heinrich and Representative Leger Fernández to introduce legislation to fulfill the Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlementan and deliver much-needed water infrastructure. This legislation is vital to help us fulfill our trust responsibility and promote water security for Taos Pueblo.” “The waters flowing from Taos mountain sustain culture, community, and life itself. The Pueblo has worked hard to fulfill its commitments under the 2010 settlement but costs and conditions have changed dramatically. Congress must respond so the Pueblo can finish the water projects that will benefit everyone who relies on these waters,” said Leger Fernández. “These amendments honor our trust responsibility so Taos Pueblo has the resources to build and maintain the water infrastructure their families and future generations deserve and realize the dream of water security—not just for the Pueblo, but for the entire Taos Valley.” ""Resolution of Tribal Water Rights is a high priority of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration,"" said State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson. ""This Taos settlement provides far-reaching benefits to Taos Pueblo and the surrounding communities, and we look forward to working with the Pueblo, the non-Pueblo parties and the federal government to ensure we make continued progress."" ""We would like to thank Senator Luján, Senator Heinrich, and Congresswoman Leger Fernández for introducing the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025. Their unwavering support for tribal sovereignty and self-sustainability, as embodied in this legislation, ensures the successful implementation of our Indian water rights settlement, and provides a secure future for our tribe and our non-Indian neighbors in the Taos Valley,” said Taos Pueblo Governor Edwin Concha. Additional funding is needed for deep wells and pipelines, which provide a means for critically needed and sustainable groundwater development in the Taos Valley and are vital to implement the Settlement, due to multiple compounding factors beyond the control of settlement parties. These factors include delays in initiating environmental reviews, inflation, market volatility further increasing construction prices, updated hydrology information that has changed where wells can be located, and changing regulatory requirements for wells. Full text of the bill is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-heinrich-leger-fernandez-introduce-legislation-to-fulfill-taos-pueblo-water-rights-settlement/,"Luján, Heinrich, Leger Fernández Introduce Legislation to Fulfill Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement",2025-11-25,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), along with U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), introduced the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act, legislation that provides more funding, flexibility, and oversight to fulfill the Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement. Specifically, the legislation updates the original 2010 Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement and establishes two new trust funds to help Taos Pueblo build and maintain groundwater and surface water infrastructure. Additionally, the legislation sets clear timelines for state and local partners to finish shared “Mutual-Benefit Projects,” and authorizes $367 million in new federal funding and contemplates an additional $54 million in state funding. Further, the legislation ensures that if other entities fail to deliver on projects, the Pueblo or the Bureau of Reclamation can step in to ensure completion and the parties can use interim mitigation. “Water is a vital part of the federal trust responsibility,” said Luján. “Amending current law is vital to ensure Taos Pueblo has access to clean, safe, and reliable water. I’m proud to partner with Senator Heinrich and Representative Leger Fernández to introduce legislation to fulfill the Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlementan and deliver much-needed water infrastructure. This legislation is vital to help us fulfill our trust responsibility and promote water security for Taos Pueblo.” “The United States has a moral obligation to uphold its trust responsibility to Tribes and Pueblos. I’m proud to help introduce the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act to ensure the Pueblo can continue vital work to ensure reliable, safe drinking water — the foundation of a healthier, stronger community,” said Heinrich. “Delivering long-term water security to Tribes, Pueblos and to every community in New Mexico is absolutely essential, and I’m committed to that work.” “The waters flowing from Taos mountain sustain culture, community, and life itself. The Pueblo has worked hard to fulfill its commitments under the 2010 settlement but costs and conditions have changed dramatically. Congress must respond so the Pueblo can finish the water projects that will benefit everyone who relies on these waters,” said Leger Fernández. “These amendments honor our trust responsibility so Taos Pueblo has the resources to build and maintain the water infrastructure their families and future generations deserve and realize the dream of water security—not just for the Pueblo, but for the entire Taos Valley.” “Resolution of Tribal Water Rights is a high priority of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration,” said State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson. “This Taos settlement provides far-reaching benefits to Taos Pueblo and the surrounding communities, and we look forward to working with the Pueblo, the non-Pueblo parties and the federal government to ensure we make continued progress.” “We would like to thank Senator Luján, Senator Heinrich, and Congresswoman Leger Fernández for introducing the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025. Their unwavering support for tribal sovereignty and self-sustainability, as embodied in this legislation, ensures the successful implementation of our Indian water rights settlement, and provides a secure future for our tribe and our non-Indian neighbors in the Taos Valley,” said Taos Pueblo Governor Edwin Concha. Additional funding is needed for deep wells and pipelines – which provide a means for critically needed and sustainable groundwater development in the Taos Valley and are vital to implement the Settlement – due to multiple compounding factors beyond the control of settlement parties. These factors include delays in initiating environmental reviews, inflation, market volatility further increasing construction prices, updated hydrology information that has changed where wells can be located, and changing regulatory requirements for wells. Full text of the bill is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/albuquerque-journal-more-than-200-million-in-federal-dollars-will-come-to-new-mexico-projects,Albuquerque Journal: More than $200 million in federal dollars will come to New Mexico projects,2025-11-24,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"More than $206 million will come to New Mexico through congressionally directed spending in the 2026 fiscal year for high-dollar items like an Air Force dormitory and for smaller projects like buying a wildland fire engine in Questa. Along with a stopgap funding bill to keep the federal government open through January, three year long appropriations bills were included in the November deal to end the government shutdown. Those yearlong appropriations bills will pay for military construction and Veterans Affairs; provide annual appropriations for agriculture, rural development, nutrition assistance programs and the Food and Drug Administration; and fund Congress and agencies that support its function, like the Capitol Police and Library of Congress. Within those annual appropriations bills was congressionally directed spending, commonly called earmarks, money members of Congress secure to bring federal dollars to specific, local projects. By far, the largest allocations secured for New Mexico were for two of the state’s Air Force bases. New Mexico’s senators got more than $80 million to build new facilities and infrastructure at Cannon Air Force Base, including a new dormitory. More than $100 million will go to buildings and infrastructure at Kirtland Air Force Base, the most expensive item being $83 million for a Space Rapid Capabilities Office headquarters. Three of the allocations are for health care facilities: Sandoval County will get $1 million to build a health care facility, another $1 million is going to Valencia County to help it build a hospital and the Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City will get $193,000 to upgrade hospital utility systems. Two cities, Estancia and Mesilla, will get funds to renovate their town halls. There’s also just over $3 million for fire trucks and firefighting communication equipment in San Juan County, Rio Arriba County, Questa and Truchas. Although they secured the money for New Mexico projects, every member of the state’s all-Democrat congressional delegation, Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, and Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández, Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez, voted against the funding package. All five opposed passing the stopgap bill because it did not address expiring health insurance subsidies. Since it was reformed in 2021, congressionally directed spending can only go toward government organizations or nonprofits. It is not available to organizations where the requesting member of Congress or someone in their immediate family has a financial interest in the organization.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-bennet-hickenlooper-and-lujan-urge-trump-administration-to-protect-taxpayers-and-ensure-oil-and-gas-companies-pay-for-site-cleanup,"Heinrich, Bennet, Hickenlooper, Luján Urge Trump Administration to Protect Taxpayers and Ensure Oil and Gas Companies Pay for Site Cleanup",2025-11-24,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) urged U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Acting Director Bill Groffy to maintain the federal oil and gas bonding requirements in the 2024 Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Rule to hold developers accountable for the costs of site cleanup on federal lands. The Trump Administration has proposed rescinding the 2024 rule, and the senators strongly oppose the potential repeal of the federal bonding requirements included in that rule, which could cost taxpayers over $15 billion to clean up orphaned wells and put local communities at risk from harmful methane leaks, water contamination, and degraded habitat across the West. “For years, we have championed stronger bonding standards to make sure oil and gas companies — not taxpayers — pay the true costs of cleaning up oil and gas drilling on federal lands. In 2022, the Oil and Gas Bonding Reform and Orphaned Well Remediation Act was introduced in the Senate to increase woefully outdated bonding rates. The 2024 Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Rule built directly on these efforts by modernizing federal bonding requirements for the first time since the 1950s and 1960s to better reflect the actual cost of reclamation, which frequently exceeds $300,000 per well,” the senators wrote to Secretary Burgum and Acting Director Groffy. The senators emphasized that rescinding the 2024 bonding requirements would undo the first meaningful step in decades to ensure fiscal accountability for oil and gas operations on federal lands. They also highlight the overwhelming public support for the rule, with 90 percent of Westerners believing oil and gas companies should pay to clean up their own drilling sites. “The bonding requirements in the Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Rule represent a balanced, responsible approach to energy development, which is grounded in fiscal prudence, environmental stewardship, fairness to the American people, and a responsible approach to public lands management. We strongly urge you to maintain the rule’s bonding requirements and reject any effort to roll them back. Doing so will protect taxpayers, honor the values of the West, and safeguard our land and water for future generations,” the senators concluded. The text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Secretary Burgum and Principal Deputy Director Groffy, We write to express strong opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposal to rescind the oil and gas bonding requirements in the 2024 Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Rule. These requirements reflect input from Western communities and public lands advocates to promote responsible oil and gas production and good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Reversing oil and gas bonding requirements would undo the first meaningful progress in decades toward ensuring fiscal accountability for oil and gas operations on federal lands. For years, we have championed stronger bonding standards to make sure oil and gas companies—not taxpayers—pay the true costs of cleaning up oil and gas drilling on federal lands. In 2022, the Oil and Gas Bonding Reform and Orphaned Well Remediation Act was introduced in the Senate to increase woefully outdated bonding rates. The 2024 Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Rule built directly on these efforts by modernizing federal bonding requirements for the first time since the 1950s and 1960s to better reflect the actual cost of reclamation, which frequently exceeds $300,000 per well. The Government Accountability Office has repeatedly warned that outdated bonds leave taxpayers responsible for cleanup when operators walk away. Rescinding this rule would reverse this important step and shift the financial burden back onto taxpayers. Requiring sufficient bonding for oil and gas drilling reflects the fairness and accountability that define Western values. People across the West overwhelmingly support these reforms, with 90 percent of Westerners believing oil and gas companies should pay to clean up their own drilling sites, and nearly three-quarters considering the impacts of oil and gas development on land, air, and water to be a serious problem. When BLM finalized the 2024 rule to cover bonding on federal lands, it received more than 260,000 public comments, with more than 99 percent in support of the reforms. Weakening these standards would ignore the will of the American public and reward irresponsible use of public lands – which Westerners have consistently rejected. Rolling back the 2024 bonding requirements would also worsen the public safety risks and fiscal threats of orphaned wells. As of September 2024, more than 10,000 idle wells sit on our national public lands, and as an oil and gas executive acknowledged in a recent industry survey, that number is expected to grow over time. Before bonding requirements were strengthened, a report from Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship found that cleaning up existing wells could cost taxpayers as much as $15 billion. Repealing these reforms would push those costs back onto the public and increase the risks of harmful methane leaks, water contamination, and degraded habitat across the West. Many states, including both Colorado and North Dakota, recognize the risks posed by inadequate bonding and orphaned wells and have enacted strong state-level bonding rules for oil and gas production. In Colorado, the State designed standards to account for and not duplicate federal standards, and the rollback of the federal bonding requirements would undermine public confidence in the broader financial assurance regime. Keeping the bonding requirements as enacted in the 2024 rule provides regulatory stability and predictability for industry. The bonding requirements in the Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Rule represent a balanced, responsible approach to energy development, which is grounded in fiscal prudence, environmental stewardship, fairness to the American people, and a responsible approach to public lands management. We strongly urge you to maintain the rule’s bonding requirements and reject any effort to roll them back. Doing so will protect taxpayers, honor the values of the West, and safeguard our land and water for future generations. Thank you for your consideration. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-klobuchar-colleagues-press-usda-on-unnecessary-snap-reapplications,"Heinrich, Luján, Klobuchar, Colleagues Press USDA on Unnecessary SNAP Reapplications",2025-11-24,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"In a letter to the USDA, the senators assert that the Trump Administration's plan is duplicative of existing programs rules, increases red tape, and will unnecessarily inhibit access to SNAP benefits Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry led 30 of their colleagues, to press U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins on the USDA’s plan to have all beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) “reapply” for their benefits. “We write to express serious concerns and request further details about the plan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to have all beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 'reapply' for their benefits,” the senators wrote to Secretary Rollins. “These changes appear to be duplicative of existing SNAP rules and designed to create more red tape for families seeking to put food on the table.” “This reapplication requirement comes after repeated efforts to deny Americans in need of essential nutrition assistance,” the senators continued. “In addition to unprecedented cuts to SNAP enacted earlier this summer, decisions to disrupt food assistance during the shutdown have created additional uncertainty. We are therefore troubled that the Administration could choose, at this moment, to add additional red tape that creates duplicative and unnecessary barriers to accessing nutrition assistance for families.” The letter is led by Luján and Klobuchar. Alongside Heinrich, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Shumer (D-N.Y.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). Last week, Heinrich joined Luján, Klobuchar, and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus to introduce legislation that will repeal Republicans' cuts to SNAP made in Trump's Big, Bad Bill. During Trump's government shutdown, Heinrich joined Luján to introduce legislation that prevents the Trump Administration from illegally withholding available funds for SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The full text of the letter is below and can be found here. Dear Secretary Rollins, We write to express serious concerns and request further details about the plan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to have all beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) “reapply” for their benefits. These changes appear to be duplicative of existing SNAP rules and designed to create more red tape for families seeking to put food on the table. SNAP benefits are provided pursuant to existing statute passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. Under these SNAP rules, states are generally required to certify SNAP households for a period of not more than 1 year. All Americans who receive SNAP must be recertified by states to verify that they continue to qualify for SNAP on a regular basis. Additionally, SNAP rules prohibit states from ending a household’s certification period early unless the household has become ineligible. Introducing further roadblocks for SNAP beneficiaries, most of whom are children, the elderly, or disabled, is unnecessary and unwarranted. This reapplication requirement comes after repeated efforts to deny Americans in need of essential nutrition assistance. In addition to unprecedented cuts to SNAP enacted earlier this summer, decisions to disrupt food assistance during the shutdown have created additional uncertainty. We are therefore troubled that the Administration could choose, at this moment, to add additional red tape that creates duplicative and unnecessary barriers to accessing nutrition assistance for families. With millions of Americans, including children, at risk of losing access to nutritious foods, we strongly support efforts to ensure the SNAP program is working efficiently and reaching beneficiaries consistent with the law. We therefore request responses to the following questions by December 1, 2025: How is the “reapplication” plan different from the current recertification process? How is the “reapplication” plan consistent with existing program rules and regulations? When will the USDA issue rulemaking or guidance for states and families on the “reapplication” plan? Thank you for your attention to this matter. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/photos-heinrich-lujan-host-press-conference-with-pueblo-leaders-on-next-steps-to-permanently-protect-chaco-canyon/,"PHOTOS: Heinrich, Luján Host Press Conference with Pueblo Leaders on Next Steps to Permanently Protect Chaco Canyon",2025-11-24,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and co-founder of the U.S. Senate Stewardship Caucus, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), hosted a press conference with Pueblo leaders on the next steps to permanently protect Chaco Canyon after the Trump Administration initiated the process last month to fully revoke the protections around Chaco Canyon by reversing Public Land Order No. 7923. Located in northwestern New Mexico, the Greater Chaco landscape is a region of great cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to many Pueblos and Tribes that contains living sacred sites. Chaco was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is one of only 24 such sites in the United States. U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) host a press conference with Pueblo leaders on the next steps to permanently protect Chaco Canyon, November 21, 2025. “Chaco Canyon is one of the most important living cultural landscapes on the planet with deep meaning for Pueblos and Tribal members across New Mexico. But right now, this sacred landscape is under threat by the Trump Administration,” said Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and co-founder of the U.S. Senate Stewardship Caucus. “To deface and destroy this irreplaceable and sacred landscape is not only morally wrong — it’s utterly disrespectful to the Pueblos, Tribal Nations, and New Mexicans who have long called for permanent protection of the Chaco landscape. This is not about the past; it is about the generations to come. I will continue fighting to permanently protect Chaco Canyon because it is a place worth protecting.” “Chaco Canyon is one of the world’s greatest treasures, and it must be protected for future generations,” said Luján, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “What the Trump administration has done and is planning to do with regards to Chaco Canyon is deeply troubling and unacceptable. As a member of the House, I passed legislation to protect Chaco. Now in the Senate, I’ve introduced legislation to permanently safeguard Chaco Canyon and the Greater Chaco Region, and I will continue pushing back against this administration’s attempts to undermine Tribal sovereignty.” “Chaco Canyon is not for sale,” said Stansbury. “It is a sacred and holy place, and we are going to use every tool that we have to protect this land—not just today, not just tomorrow, but for generations to come—so that children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who follow can return to these holy places themselves.” In 2023, the Biden Administration announced it would commence a 20-year Administrative Withdrawal of non-Indian federal lands in the 10-mile buffer zone. That welcome step has been successful and was in place until U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum’s revocation in late October this year. In June, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter inviting Secretary Burgum to visit Chaco Canyon before deciding its fate and engage directly with Tribal leaders and local communities to hear directly about the profound cultural and spiritual significance of this sacred landscape. Secretary Burgum issued the directive to begin revoking the protections and decided the fate of Chaco Canyon without experiencing it firsthand. Following Secretary Burgum’s directive, the N.M. Delegation sent a letterurging the Trump Administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to fully revoke Chaco Canyon’s protections. In April, the N.M. Delegation reintroduced legislation to protect Chaco Canyon and the greater sacred landscape surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park.The legislation is led by Luján in the U.S. Senate and Leger Fernández in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill will prevent future leasing and development of oil, gas, and minerals on non-Indian federal lands within a 10-mile buffer zone around the park. This proposed Chaco Protection Zone will preserve the sacred sites and cultural patrimony within Chaco Canyon and the surrounding landscape for generations to come. In September, the N.M. Delegation hosted a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol with 20 Governors and leaders from the Santa Ana, Picuris, Cochiti, Zia, Tesuque, Acoma, Santo Domingo, and Laguna Pueblos to demand the Trump Administration permanently protect Chaco Canyon and invite U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit the Greater Chaco landscape before deciding its fate. Watch the video of the full press conference here. Last month, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter urging Secretary Burgum to reverse course on DOI’s decision to initiate the process to fully revoke Public Land Order (PLO) No. 7923, which currently protects the area around Chaco Canyon from oil and gas drilling. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/new-mexicans-share-fears-of-surging-health-insurance-bills,New Mexicans share fears of surging health insurance bills,2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Higher health insurance bills are expected to hit New Mexicans hard as leaders in Washington battle over extending the tax credit through the Affordable Care Act. Friday, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich sat down with some people who say sky-rocketing premiums will hurt their wallets. As new Mexicans and people across the country are enrolling to renew their medical insurance, some said they are seeing their premiums double in price. “I expected maybe 200, 300, maybe $500 but it was almost $1,500 increase for our family,” said Las Cruces resident Amber Romero. She shared how much more her health insurance company will charge going into the new year. Romero said she is considering going to Mexico for her health care to save money. “My husband and I have talked about possibly only insuring our minor children and the two of us we live in Las Cruces so maybe going to Palomas,” said Romero. She is one of three people who sat with U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich expressing their fear over increasing health premiums. Maresa Thompson said her monthly bill went up from $541 to $975. “I had to spend an entire two days out of my life researching, comparing, and then calling all of my doctors to say do you take this new insurance cause I’m switching this one provider to another,” said Thompson. As Washington argues over extending federal Affordable Care Act tax credits, the New Mexico legislature has stepped in with $17 million in state subsidies to make up the difference. State officials said this support will help most of the people enrolled through be well keep their coverage affordable, but for some who make a higher income, they’ll still face higher premiums. Senator Heinrich said he is planning on sharing those stories when he returns to Capitol Hill. “I think there is a general misunderstanding of what the scale of this problem is, and I think my colleagues are gonna get earful for the next several months,” said Senator Heinrich. State tax credits to offset the lost federal subsidies are based on an income scale, but lawmakers said that only covers the gap until July; they’re hoping Congress will act and start covering the subsidies again.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/santa-fe-new-mexican-nm-senators-stansbury-push-for-chaco-canyon-protections-highlight-job-cuts,"Santa Fe New Mexican: N.M. senators, Stansbury push for Chaco Canyon protections, highlight job cuts",2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"ALBUQUERQUE — Federal lawmakers held a series of events Friday to highlight how federal layoffs have impacted public lands and urge the Trump administration to reverse course on plans to allow drilling near Chaco Canyon. “Mr. President, you once said that leadership is measured by what we choose to protect,” Picuris Pueblo Lt. Gov. Craig Quanchello said at a news conference. “Today, we are asking you to protect a place older than the idea of America itself.” U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich hosted the Friday morning public lands roundtable, and he was joined at an afternoon news conference on Chaco Canyon by Sen. Ben Ray Luján and Rep. Melanie Stansbury. The three Democrats were joined by pueblo leaders who oppose oil and gas drilling at what they regard as a sacred site where their ancestors lived. “The pueblos have invited [Interior] Secretary [Doug] Burgum to visit Chaco with us, to see what his predecessors saw, and to understand why these protections matter,” Santa Ana Pueblo Gov. Myron Armijo said at the news conference, which was held at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. “We have yet to receive a response.” The Trump administration earlier this month announced it would initiate formal meetings with Native American tribes in the Southwestern U.S. about the proposal to undo a ban on oil and gas development across a 10-mile zone around Chaco Canyon National Historical Park enacted by Biden administration Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is currently running for governor of New Mexico. During a meeting with pueblo leaders earlier in the day, Heinrich said, he learned there has not been meaningful consultation between them and federal officials. The Bureau of Land Management sent letters to tribal leaders in October stating the bureau would conduct an environmental assessment of the proposal. “Can you imagine the cruelty?” Stansbury said. “The insensitivity? The stupidity of an administration contacting tribal leaders, as they are trying to figure out how they are going to feed their people and balance their budgets and keep their public safety in order, to tell them that they are going to take away their most sacred lands and open it up for private oil and gas drilling?” Earlier in the day, Heinrich led a discussion at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park on the impacts of staffing cuts at the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. As fire season looms in the distance and drought stretches on, the Forest Service is treating roughly half the acreage it has treated in years past, Heinrich said. And though New Mexico is taking as much state funding as it can get to fill the gap, the state’s four national forests — besides Carson National Forest, which is the “most active and most proactive” — are “lagging way behind,” said State Forester Laura McCarthy. “There’s just not enough people to plan those, to hire contractors, to do all the things that we need to do,” Heinrich said. “We’ve all been through Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon and all these other fires, and we know what we need to do now, but we’ve been hamstrung.” Reuters reported in July the Forest Service had lost 15% of its workforce. This has led people who work in other areas — like recreation — to start working on active management, McCarthy said. At least 10 prescribed pile burns are planned for the Santa Fe National Forest through the winter, according to the Forest Service, with burns also planned on the Carson. And the Santa Fe Mountains project — a collaborative effort between the Forest Service and the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition — is aiming to treat 38,680 acres in the forest over 10 to 15 years. New Mexico has been utilizing the Good Neighbor Authority — which allows the Forest Service to enter into agreements with state forestry agencies to do forest management work — as much as possible to “basically staff up the state to do the jobs of the federal government,” McCarthy said. However, over the summer the Trump administration rescinded what’s known as the “roadless rule,” which prohibits road construction and logging on national forest lands without roads, opening up more land to logging. “The direction from Washington has been ‘cut big trees’ rather than ‘eliminate fuel,’ ” Heinrich said. Fire mitigation efforts impact the small business community, said Nick Streit, owner of the Taos Fly Shop and executive director of Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Streit said businesses like his will feel the impact of staff cuts that impede fire management next year, noting he worries about a climate change-spurred event posing a threat to his business. At the National Parks Service — which had lost almost a quarter of its permanent staff as of July, the New York Times reported — superintendents in New Mexico now have to oversee multiple parks each, said retired National Parks Service superintendent Dennis Vasquez. The staffing shortage is the top issue Vasquez has heard about from his colleagues, he said, and it has led to frustration, burnout and people quitting. And recruitment for open jobs has gotten more difficult, he said, in part due to how lack of funding and staffing has impacted the agency’s Youth Conservation Corps Program, which often serves as a pipeline to permanent employment. “We’ve seen those programs change lives and make a big impact on lives, so for me, sadly, that’s one of the big kind of invisible impacts,” he said. Wildlife refuges, meanwhile, are still feeling the impact of the government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12 after 43 days. Deb Caldwell, executive director of Friends of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, said Bosque del Apache currently has only enough funding to pay salaries and keep the lights on. Even before the shutdown, the refuge’s budget had dropped from $2 million to between $1.4 million and $1.5 million, Caldwell said. During the shutdown, the Socorro refuge canceled its annual Festival of the Cranes, citing delayed preparations due to staff furloughs. “Places like our refuges are super important to the areas in which we live, especially if it’s rural,” Caldwell said. “And it’s not just us that it affects; it affects small businesses and people who have hotels and gift shops and things like that.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-heinrich-hosts-roundtable-to-underscore-how-trumps-cuts-to-the-public-lands-workforce-and-refusal-to-lower-the-cost-of-health-care-is-harming-new-mexico-families,Heinrich Hosts Roundtable to Underscore How Trump’s Cuts to the Public Lands Workforce & Refusal to Lower the Cost of Health Care is Harming New Mexico Families,2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Photos here ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, hosted two roundtables in Albuquerque to underscore how President Trump’s cuts to the public lands workforce and Congressional Republicans’ refusal to lower the cost of health care and extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits is harming New Mexico families. “The chaos of this Administration and the indifference Trump has shown toward working families is infuriating. Trump and Congressional Republicans have thrown millions of Americans off their health care and laid off thousands of public land workers that keep our public lands safe, clean, and open for all to enjoy. Trump is doing all of this while costs are skyrocketing and working families are struggling to put food on the table. New Mexicans deserve financial certainty and lower costs,” said Heinrich. “Today, I heard directly from New Mexicans impacted by Trump’s callousness and the message is clear: Working families need and deserve access to affordable health care, lower costs, high-quality careers they can build their families around, and public lands in public hands. I will continue the fight to protect our state’s federal workers and to permanently extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits to make health care affordable for New Mexico families.” At the roundtable today discussing Trump’s cuts to the public lands workforce and attacks on Americans’ public lands, Heinrich met with the New Mexico State Forester, public lands advocates, and small business owners. Throughout his career, Heinrich has advocated for protecting public lands and keeping these lands in public hands. As Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Heinrich successfully fought Senate Republican provisions to sell off public lands in the Big Bad Bill, lead an amendment to prevent the privatization of our public lands, hosted a roundtable and sounded the alarm about New Mexico public lands that were at risk of being sold off by Republicans, continuously uplifted New Mexicans’ voices who called his office to raise their concern with Republicans’ plan to sell off these lands, and released a statement immediately criticizing Senate Republicans’ plan to sell off public lands following the release of the reconciliation text. This year, Heinrich introduced legislation to prevent politically-motivated workforce reductions at the Department of the Interior (DOI), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Department of Energy (DOE). Heinrich’s bill will require an immediate moratorium on Reductions in Force (RIFs) at DOI, USFS, and DOE, so employees are protected while Congress conducts oversight and evaluates long-term workforce needs. For more background on Heinrich’s work to protect New Mexico federal public lands workers, click here. Heinrich also hosted a roundtable today to hear directly from New Mexicans whose premiums will rise significantly as a result of Congressional Republicans’ refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits and lower the cost of health care for New Mexico families. In the most recent government shutdown, Trump and Republicans chose not to work with Heinrich and Democrats to extend the ACA tax credits, chose to shut down the government for 44 days, which made it the longest government shutdown in American history, and chose to pass a government funding bill that fails to extend the ACA tax credits. Heinrich repeatedly voted for a government funding bill that included an extension of the ACA health tax credits and urged Congressional Republicans to come to the negotiating table to engage in good faith bipartisan negotiations with Democrats to extend these tax credits and reopen the government. Meanwhile, Republicans refused and voted to let insurance premiums skyrocket, let children go hungry, and let working people fend for themselves. Heinrich voted to pass the American Rescue Plan in 2021, which authorized initial enhancements to the premium tax credit to make health insurance more affordable for more people and increase subsidies for working, middle-income families in New Mexico. In 2022, Heinrich voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which extended the enhanced premium tax credit through 2025. Heinrich cosponsors the Health Care Affordability Act of 2025 (S.46) to make the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credit permanent and build upon record health care marketplace enrollment. For more background on Heinrich’s work to lower the cost of health care for New Mexicans and permanently extend the ACA tax credits, click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lee-back-doe-proposal-requiring-ferc-action-on-large-load-grid-connections,"Heinrich, Lee Back DOE Proposal Requiring FERC Action on Large-Load Grid Connections",2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chairman of the Committee, issued a bipartisan letter supporting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) taking up the issue of how to better manage the interconnection of new energy resources and large load centers. Secretary Chris Wright recently proposed a rule under Section 403 of the Department of Energy Organization Act, directing the FERC to initiate rule-making on the interconnection of large loads, which aims to improve grid reliability and lower costs. FERC must now determine how it will address the proposal and, ultimately, improve the reliability of the electrical grid while meeting new challenges. “We’re facing an energy affordability crisis right now – we need more energy on our grid to meet our increasing demand and lower costs for working families,” said Heinrich. “FERC considering a rule that aims to improve large-load and new generation interconnections is a step in the right direction. We need to improve transmission planning and ensure that costs are allocated fairly so that households aren’t left covering the increased demand from large new energy users. I look forward to working with Chair Lee on all these issues to ensure that we shore up American made energy and costs come down for consumers.” “We are excited to work with FERC on the large load interconnection proposal submitted by Secretary Wright,” said Lee. “Addressing this issue will be key to ensuring American energy dominance as well as enabling advancements in AI and the onshoring of key manufacturing industries. As FERC undertakes this proceeding, I encourage them to keep customer affordability at the forefront of the issue. FERC must also ensure that state authorities in electricity transmission and demand side interconnection are respected.” The letter comes as the electricity demand has reached levels not seen in a decade. Electricity prices are rising faster than inflation. The senators’ letter emphasizes that affordability must remain a top priority and that new industrial load growth must be managed in a manner that does not impose undue costs on American families. The Chairman and Ranking Member stand ready to support the Commission in its efforts to improve our nation’s grid infrastructure, ensuring it has the necessary resources to meet today's challenges and those of the future.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-host-press-conference-with-pueblo-leaders-on-next-steps-to-permanently-protect-chaco-canyon,"Heinrich, Luján Host Press Conference with Pueblo Leaders on Next Steps to Permanently Protect Chaco Canyon",2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Photos here WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and co-founder of the U.S. Senate Stewardship Caucus, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), hosted a press conference with Pueblo leaders on the next steps to permanently protect Chaco Canyon after the Trump Administration initiated the process last month to fully revoke the protections around Chaco Canyon by reversing Public Land Order No. 7923. Located in northwestern New Mexico, the Greater Chaco landscape is a region of great cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to many Pueblos and Tribes that contains living sacred sites. Chaco was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is one of only 24 such sites in the United States. “Chaco Canyon is one of the most important living cultural landscapes on the planet with deep meaning for Pueblos and Tribal members across New Mexico. But right now, this sacred landscape is under threat by the Trump Administration,” said Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and co-founder of the U.S. Senate Stewardship Caucus. “To deface and destroy this irreplaceable and sacred landscape is not only morally wrong — it’s utterly disrespectful to the Pueblos, Tribal Nations, and New Mexicans who have long called for permanent protection of the Chaco landscape. This is not about the past; it is about the generations to come. I will continue fighting to permanently protect Chaco Canyon because it is a place worth protecting.” “Chaco Canyon is one of the world’s greatest treasures, and it must be protected for future generations,” said Luján, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “What the Trump administration has done and is planning to do with regards to Chaco Canyon is deeply troubling and unacceptable. As a member of the House, I passed legislation to protect Chaco. Now in the Senate, I've introduced legislation to permanently safeguard Chaco Canyon and the Greater Chaco Region, and I will continue pushing back against this administration’s attempts to undermine Tribal sovereignty.” “Chaco Canyon is not for sale,” said Stansbury. “It is a sacred and holy place, and we are going to use every tool that we have to protect this land—not just today, not just tomorrow, but for generations to come—so that children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who follow can return to these holy places themselves.” In 2023, the Biden Administration announced it would commence a 20-year Administrative Withdrawal of non-Indian federal lands in the 10-mile buffer zone. That welcome step has been successful and was in place until U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum’s revocation in late October this year. In June, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter inviting Secretary Burgum to visit Chaco Canyon before deciding its fate and engage directly with Tribal leaders and local communities to hear directly about the profound cultural and spiritual significance of this sacred landscape. Secretary Burgum issued the directive to begin revoking the protections and decided the fate of Chaco Canyon without experiencing it firsthand. Following Secretary Burgum’s directive, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to fully revoke Chaco Canyon’s protections. In April, the N.M. Delegation reintroduced legislation to protect Chaco Canyon and the greater sacred landscape surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The legislation is led by Luján in the U.S. Senate and Leger Fernández in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill will prevent future leasing and development of oil, gas, and minerals on non-Indian federal lands within a 10-mile buffer zone around the park. This proposed Chaco Protection Zone will preserve the sacred sites and cultural patrimony within Chaco Canyon and the surrounding landscape for generations to come. In September, the N.M. Delegation hosted a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol with 20 Governors and leaders from the Santa Ana, Picuris, Cochiti, Zia, Tesuque, Acoma, Santo Domingo, and Laguna Pueblos to demand the Trump Administration permanently protect Chaco Canyon and invite U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit the Greater Chaco landscape before deciding its fate. Watch the video of the full press conference here. Last month, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter urging Secretary Burgum to reverse course on DOI’s decision to initiate the process to fully revoke Public Land Order (PLO) No. 7923, which currently protects the area around Chaco Canyon from oil and gas drilling. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-heinrich-blasts-congressional-republicans-for-doubling-down-on-legislation-that-threatens-public-lands,ICYMI: Heinrich Blasts Congressional Republicans for Doubling Down on Legislation that Threatens Public Lands,2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor, blasting Republicans for their latest effort to use a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to upend Resource Management Plans (RMPs). If signed into law, this Congressional Review Act (CRA) will rescind a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Management Plan in northeastern Wyoming. Along with the resolutions disapproving of other RMPs previously passed by Congress, this resolution would erase years of public input, jeopardize legal standing of permits and leases issued since 1996, and sow chaos and uncertainty on how public lands are used. VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, delivers floor speech on Congressional Republicans’ Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval undoing Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Management Plans (RMPs) in Wyoming, November 19, 2025. “Just last month, I stood here on this floor to speak about the dangers of using a Congressional Resolution of Disapproval to change Resource Management Plans for public lands around the country. I described how using Congressional Resolutions to circumvent public input would upend decades of public land planning practice,” started Heinrich. “Since then, Congress has passed three separate Congressional Resolutions of Disapproval to amend Resource Management Plans. One in central and northern Alaska, one in eastern Montana, and one in North Dakota. And now, this week, the Senate will vote on a new Resolution of Disapproval under the Congressional Review Act. This time for northeastern Wyoming.” “To put it bluntly, Senate Republicans found a way to rewrite the rules of the game because they didn’t like its outcome,” Heinrich continued. “When we vote for CRAs as a way to manage our public lands, we vote against including communities in the process. We shut them out from the decision-making process, when we should be inviting them in. And third, today’s vote doesn’t account for the hundreds of millions of dollars per day that are generated for local economies by public land recreation and recreators.” A video of Heinrich’s floor speech can be found here. A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below: Thank you, Mr. President. Just last month, I stood here on this floor to speak about the dangers of using a Congressional Resolution of Disapproval to change Resource Management Plans for public lands around the country. I described how using Congressional Resolutions to circumvent public input would upend decades of public land planning practice. How it would put our entire public lands management processes at risk. Since then, Congress has passed three separate Congressional Resolutions of Disapproval to amend Resource Management Plans. One in central and northern Alaska, one in eastern Montana, and one in North Dakota. And now, this week, the Senate will vote on a new Resolution of Disapproval under the Congressional Review Act. This time for northeastern Wyoming. While none of those first three have been signed by the President yet, I stand here today – as we prepare to vote on this new Congressional Resolution of Disapproval – to reiterate the message I shared weeks ago. We cannot, and we should not, manage our public lands through Congressional Review Act Resolutions. First, there are real consequences of reversing decades old Resource Management Plans. And those consequences could be devastating: to communities, to businesses, to jobs, and to our public lands. Until this year, Congress had never used a Congressional Resolution of Disapproval to change or overturn a land use plan. That’s because no administration ever considered land use plans to be, quote-un-quote, “rules”. Let me say that again: No administration, Republican or Democratic, since the Congressional Review Act was passed in 1996, has ever treated land use plans as “rules”. Here's what that means: No land use plan has been submitted to Congress, as is required for rules. So what does that mean? Because the Congressional Review Act prohibits rules from going into effect until 60 days after they’re submitted to Congress... ...and no administration has ever submitted a land use plan to Congress, ever... ...then, if these plans are rules, every land use plan after 1996 never went into effect. If they never went into effect, then all of the leases and permits and rights-of-way that were issued under them may not be legally valid, throwing us effectively into chaos on our public lands. We’re talking about every grazing permit, every energy right-of-way, recreational permit, timber sale, or – yes – oil and gas lease – issued under a plan finalized after 1996. All of them are now open to litigation. Every. Single. One. And the actual impacts on real Americans could be devastating. For the country, it means potential chaos and uncertainty about what areas are protected on our public lands. The damage will be irreparable – to the landscape, to our American birthright in these public lands, and to the communities that depend on these places to make a living. Secondly, we know that CRAs cut the public out of land use planning. This vote and all the votes like it sweep away years and years of public input and conversations, both about the public lands on a particular landscape and public lands nationally. To put it bluntly, Senate Republicans found a way to rewrite the rules of the game because they didn’t like its outcome. And every vote they take to do it is insulting to the public. Resource Management Plans are meant to include communities in the process of deciding how to use our public lands – not exclude them. Does that mean everyone agrees with what is in these plans? No. Of course not. I know I don’t necessarily agree with every piece of every Resource Management Plan I’ve read. But there’s a process to address that. It takes work. It takes conversations. It takes advocacy. But that process cannot and should not be replaced by one that involves Senators in Washington, D.C. deciding that they know better. From coming together to decide where to prioritize recreation and where to protect wild game habitat, to identifying what lands should be used for grazing or which cultural sites should be protected, Resource Management Plans take time because they incorporate input from the folks who own our public lands – Americans across this country. And when these plans are amended, that takes time, too. Resource Management Plans aren’t meant to be “one and done”. They are meant to evolve. And here’s how that works when it’s done the right way: First, the public gets a say about what in the plan needs updating. Based on those comments, the Bureau of Land Management drafts a plan that includes alternatives. Those alternatives capture the range of public comments – making space for all of the voices that have weighed in to the process so far. Voices calling for more energy development. Voices calling for more conservation. Voices identifying important areas for recreation, for the benefit of locals and businesses alike. Once that draft is completed, the public gets another chance to engage. In person and with written comments, the public gets to say what they think the agency got right, and what should be considered moving forward. And based on that, BLM prepares a final product. And when BLM releases that final product, the public has ANOTHER chance to engage. This time through a formal protest period, where individuals can register their objections. Throughout the entire process, the BLM meets with public land users, with tribes, with community members, with the leaders and elected officials in these communities. The common theme here is clear: When it’s done right, the public shapes how public lands are managed. That is not the process being proposed here on the Senate floor. It isn’t one that invites the American public in. It’s one that shuts them out. And by undoing Resource Management Plans through Congressional Resolutions of Disapproval, Congress is telling Tribal communities that their opinions don’t matter about their ancestral lands. They’re telling hunters that their opinions don’t matter about the lands they just happen to use to fill their families' freezers. They’re telling hikers that their opinions don’t matter about the routes they know like the back of their hand. Telling local communities that the way their land is used is no longer of importance. Telling all of us that our voices do not matter when it comes to the very lands that make up our American birthright. When we vote for CRAs as a way to manage our public lands, we vote against including communities in the process. We shut them out from the decision-making process, when we should be inviting them in. And third, today’s vote doesn’t account for the hundreds of millions of dollars per day that are generated for local economies by public land recreation and recreators. Recreation on public lands is an economic powerhouse. The recreation industry generates $128 billion in economic activity from public land every single year. It drives $6 billion in federal tax revenue. It creates jobs. From the Bureau of Land Management land alone, recreation supports 76,000 jobs and contributes more than $12 billion, billion with a b, in economic output. These numbers are big, and they matter. They matter to the outfitters. They matter to the small businesses. They matter to local communities. They tell the story of just how valuable these lands are to Americans. Valuable both as a birthright and in dollars-and-cents. And that rings true in Wyoming, where the plan we’re voting on today is located. For example, in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation contributed $2.2 billion to Wyoming’s economy. That’s over four percent of Wyoming’s GDP – the fifth highest rate in the nation. And the industry supported almost 16,000 jobs that same year. That’s over five percent of the state’s total employment. Now, imagine that all of that is put at risk through Congressional actions that leave no room for public comment to voice your concerns. There's no planning process. Just unilateral decisions made in Washington, D.C. So instead of amending the plan and allowing for more public voices to be heard, more communities to weigh-in, as we’ve done for decades before—they just decide to override the whole process. Box the public out. Well, you don’t have to imagine it. Because that’s what we’re doing right now. And you deserve to know. No land management plan is perfect All of them need to be reviewed, updated, and improved. But we have a process for that and it includes listening to our constituents -- letting them drive the decisions. CRAs don’t do that. They are a blunt instrument. They do the opposite – shutting out the public and rigging a process to guarantee an outcome of Senate Republicans’ choosing. So I stand here today and urge all of you to vote against this CRA. Public lands belong in public lands, they belong to all of us. And that means that every single person deserves a chance to provide input on how they’re managed. So I urge my colleagues to vote no on this resolution of disapproval.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-lujan-unveils-legislation-to-reverse-devastating-snap-cuts-restore-food-security-for-millions-of-americans/,"ICYMI: Luján Unveils Legislation to Reverse Devastating SNAP Cuts, Restore Food Security for Millions of Americans",2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Bicameral legislation earned the backing of all Senate Democrats, nearly 1,500 national, state, and community-based organizations Washington, D.C. – ICYMI: This week, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 to repeal the devastating Republican cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) made in the Republican Budget Betrayal. During the Republican shutdown, Senator Luján’s efforts to ensure millions of Americans would receive their food benefits made national news after Senate Republican Leadership blocked that effort. Despite that obstruction, his bill earned bipartisan support. Bloomberg: New Mexico leads the nation in SNAP use per capita, prompting Luján to play a key role developing anti-hunger policy this year. During the longest government shutdown on record, he introduced legislation to keep the program funded along with nutrition aid for women and infants, a measure Republicans ultimately blocked. “For half a century, our nation has stood behind a bipartisan promise: that no child, no senior, no veteran, and no working family should go hungry,” Luján said. “Republicans broke that promise and ripped meals away from millions of Americans in their Budget Betrayal.” Politico: Democrats led by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced a bill Thursday that would completely undo all changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that Republicans passed in their “big, beautiful bill” package this summer. It’s the party’s latest effort to undo or curb the impact of around $186 billion in cuts to SNAP and agriculture-related spending as policies like new work requirements take effect. Agri-Pulse: Lujan said rural groceries will be hit hard. “No one’s been talking about rural grocery stores,” he said. “Over 10%, 20% of the revenue that goes to these local grocery stores comes from SNAP beneficiaries. Think about the smallest towns all across America who worked hard just to get that grocery store.” Source NM: U.S. Sen Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico led fellow senators Thursday in a denunciation of recent federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program before introducing a bill that would repeal all SNAP-related changes in the recently enacted “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Luján, a Democrat who leads a Senate subcommittee on nutrition and represents the state with the highest nationwide percentage of SNAP recipients, called the cuts cruel and unprecedented. Santa Fe New Mexican: “My Republican colleagues have chosen to let their constituents go hungry. My legislation will stop that,” Luján, D-N.M., said Thursday during a news conference announcing the legislation. “We must ensure that no child, no senior, no veteran and no hardworking family is denied the basic dignity of a meal.” This isn’t Luján’s first attempt to undo some of the cuts brought on by the budget reconciliation. He was among a group of Democratic senators to introduce legislation in July to reverse the law’s health care cuts, though that bill hasn’t moved beyond introduction in the intervening months. Nearly 1,500 community organizations across the U.S. — including several food banks and farmers organizations in New Mexico — signed a letter in support of Luján’s legislation to undo the SNAP cuts. KRQE: New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Lujan is leading an effort on Capitol Hill to reverse cuts to the SNAP program. Senate Democrats have introduced a bill to repeal cuts to the food assistance program implemented in President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” There are people across the country who you probably stand in line with when you’re checking out at a grocery store,” said New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D). “Everyday folks. Right now they face the real possibility of going hungry because of the choices made by President Trump and congressional Republicans.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/klobuchar-lujan-colleagues-press-usda-on-unnecessary-snap-reapplications/,"Luján, Klobuchar Colleagues Press USDA on Unnecessary SNAP Reapplications",2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Letter asserts that plan is duplicative of existing programs rules, increases red tape and will unnecessarily inhibit access to benefits WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, led 30 of their colleagues in pressing U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on the USDA’s plan to have all beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) “reapply” for their benefits. “We write to express serious concerns and request further details about the plan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to have all beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) ‘reapply’ for their benefits,” wrote the Senators. “These changes appear to be duplicative of existing SNAP rules and designed to create more red tape for families seeking to put food on the table.” “This reapplication requirement comes after repeated efforts to deny Americans in need of essential nutrition assistance,” the Senators continued. “In addition to unprecedented cuts to SNAP enacted earlier this summer, decisions to disrupt food assistance during the shutdown have created additional uncertainty. We are therefore troubled that the Administration could choose, at this moment, to add additional red tape that creates duplicative and unnecessary barriers to accessing nutrition assistance for families.” Along with Luján and Klobuchar the letter was signed by Leader Chuck Shumer (D-NY), and Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Ed Markey (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Gary Peters (D-MI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ). The full text of the letter is below and can be found here. Dear Secretary Rollins, We write to express serious concerns and request further details about the plan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to have all beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) “reapply” for their benefits. These changes appear to be duplicative of existing SNAP rules and designed to create more red tape for families seeking to put food on the table. SNAP benefits are provided pursuant to existing statute passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. Under these SNAP rules, states are generally required to certify SNAP households for a period of not more than 1 year. All Americans who receive SNAP must be recertified by states to verify that they continue to qualify for SNAP on a regular basis. Additionally, SNAP rules prohibit states from ending a household’s certification period early unless the household has become ineligible. Introducing further roadblocks for SNAP beneficiaries, most of whom are children, the elderly, or disabled, is unnecessary and unwarranted. This reapplication requirement comes after repeated efforts to deny Americans in need of essential nutrition assistance. In addition to unprecedented cuts to SNAP enacted earlier this summer, decisions to disrupt food assistance during the shutdown have created additional uncertainty. We are therefore troubled that the Administration could choose, at this moment, to add additional red tape that creates duplicative and unnecessary barriers to accessing nutrition assistance for families. With millions of Americans, including children, at risk of losing access to nutritious foods, we strongly support efforts to ensure the SNAP program is working efficiently and reaching beneficiaries consistent with the law. We therefore request responses to the following questions by December 1, 2025: How is the “reapplication” plan different from the current recertification process? How is the “reapplication” plan consistent with existing program rules and regulations? When will the USDA issue rulemaking or guidance for states and families on the “reapplication” plan? Thank you for your attention to this matter. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-blackburn-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-fast-track-telecommunications-and-broadband-expansion-across-america/,"Luján, Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Fast-Track Telecommunications and Broadband Expansion Across America",2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced the bipartisan Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act that would streamline the process to deploy telecommunications and broadband equipment in public and railroad rights-of-way. Rights-of-way are the corridors alongside public roads and railroad tracks where utilities can install infrastructure. “I’m proud to introduce legislation that will make it easier to expand broadband in rural and Tribal communities across New Mexico. Expanding broadband access strengthens local economies and opens the door to better education, job opportunities, and health care,” said Senator Luján, Ranking Member of Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media. “With nearly 2,000 miles of freight rail across our state, this bill streamlines broadband construction along rail corridors to help connect regions that have long been underserved.” “Access to reliable, high-speed telecommunications and broadband is a necessity for working families, schools, and businesses,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act would cut red tape to streamline the installation of telecommunications and broadband equipment in public and railroad rights-of-way, expanding essential connectivity for rural communities in Tennessee and across America.” Background 22.3 percent of Americans living in rural areas lack broadband coverage, compared to only 1.5 percent of Americans who live in urban areas. Getting permission to install broadband near railroads can be slow, inconsistent, and expensive. This causes delays in expanding telecommunications and broadband access, especially in rural communities that need it most. Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act The Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act would streamline the deployment of telecommunications and broadband equipment in public and railroad rights-of-way by establishing two separate processes: Notification: In public rights-of-way, broadband providers will work with the state or locality to determine the scope of work they are authorized to perform. The broadband provider will then notify the rail carrier and schedule the work to be performed. This bill sets strict timelines for the work to be performed. Application: Broadband providers have to request permission before putting their equipment in railroad carrier owned rights-of-way. Under this bill, the rail carrier may only deny the request if the application fails to meet specific requirements related to safety, damage, or prohibiting the operations of the rail carrier. Similarly, the bill establishes timelines by which the railroad must respond and schedule the work. Click here for bill text. Endorsements The Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act is endorsed by INCOMPAS, NCTA, CTIA, USTelecom, the Competitive Carriers Association, the Wireless Infrastructure Association, and theFiber Broadband Association. “Today’s introduction of the Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act marks a critical step toward solving a problem INCOMPAS members face daily: unreasonable railroad crossing delays and costs. We’ve seen permits languish for nearly 20 months without response, only for providers to be hit with fees exceeding $40,000 for a single crossing. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation finally establishes clear timelines, fair compensation rules, and meaningful dispute-resolution processes that will end these costly delays and put a stop to modern-day railroad robbery while maintaining strong rail safety standards,” said Chip Pickering, CEO of INCOMPAS. “We applaud Senators Blackburn and Luján for introducing the RAIL Act to address the barriers that have long slowed broadband deployment across railroad infrastructure. As government and industry share a commitment to bring high-speed, reliable internet connectivity to every American, this legislation will help streamline and accelerate that work, especially in rural communities. We look forward to continued collaboration with the bill’s sponsors as this important effort moves forward,” said NCTA, The Internet & Television Association. “We appreciate the leadership of Senators Blackburn and Luján in promoting efficient wireless deployment within public and railroad rights-of-way. We look forward to continuing to work with policymakers as this bill progresses through the legislative process,” said Kelly Cole, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs at CTIA. “If our permitting is stuck in the past, our networks will be too. The Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act, introduced by Senators Blackburn and Luján with Representatives Joyce and Landsman, is a big step in the right direction. It addresses many of the challenges broadband providers face when attempting to access railroad rights of ways and establishes a process that will ensure Americans are connected to fast, reliable broadband, said Brandon Heiner, Vice President of Government Affairs at USTelecom. “CCA commends the introduction of the Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act to help remove barriers to broadband deployment. Excessive delays, arbitrary fees, and increased costs surrounding broadband deployments around and across rail lines have long presented significant obstacles for CCA members working to close the digital divide in rural and underserved areas. The RAIL Act brings greater certainty to an otherwise inconsistent process, providing needed reforms to cut through challenges that frustrate the building, expansion, and maintenance of America’s mobile and fixed broadband networks. CCA urges Congress to move this important legislation forward,” said Tim Donovan, President and CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association. “The Wireless Infrastructure Association commends Senators Lujan and Blackburn for introducing the RAIL Act. Achieving universal connectivity requires that every element of the broadband infrastructure permitting process be predictable, proportionate, and transparent; historically, siting along rail corridors has lacked these qualities. This bipartisan, common-sense legislation provides a clear and consistent framework for all stakeholders, addressing a longstanding challenge in infrastructure deployment. We fully support the RAIL Act,” said Mike Saperstein, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Chief Strategy Officer at the Wireless Infrastructure Association.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-escobar-introduce-bicameral-legislation-to-address-deadly-hate-crimes-by-closing-dangerous-loophole/,"Luján, Escobar Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Address Deadly Hate Crimes by Closing Dangerous Loophole",2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Disarm Hate Act, legislation aimed at addressing hate-motivated gun violence in communities across the United States. The bill would protect vulnerable communities by closing a dangerous gap in federal law, prohibiting individuals convicted of misdemeanor-level hate crimes – or those who received an enhanced sentence for a misdemeanor offense following a judicial finding of hate- or bias-based motivation from purchasing or possessing firearms. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) leads companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Each year, more than 25,000 hate crimes – 69 a day – in the United States involve a firearm. Under current law, individuals convicted of misdemeanor hate crimes are still able to legally buy or possess a firearm. While the Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibited individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms, convictions for most misdemeanors – including violent or threatening hate crimes – do not warrant prohibition. Additionally, this loophole also allows individuals with felony hate crime convictions to purchase firearms across state lines. “Across the country, we have seen hate-fueled attacks claim the lives of far too many in recent years,” said Senator Luján. “Despite the concerning number of hate crimes that have plagued our country, it is horrifying that this loophole allows dangerous individuals to buy or possess a firearm. That is why I’m proud to partner with Congresswoman Escobar to introduce the Disarm Hate Act and help prevent deadly, hate-fueled attacks before they terrorize our communities. We must continue to work to ensure dangerous weapons stay out of the wrong hands, and this legislation is a vital step.” “Six years ago, a white supremacist drove 10 hours to El Paso intent on slaughtering Mexicans and immigrants in what remains the deadliest attack against Latinos in modern American history,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “The hate directed at Hispanic and immigrant communities continues to this day. When bigotry is combined with easy access to assault weapons, the result is a devastating and lethal threat, and too many communities across the nation, including my own, have lived with these consequences firsthand. As lawmakers, we carry a solemn duty to act and stop as many future tragedies that are a result of gun violence as possible. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in introducing vital legislation to ensure firearms stay out of the hands of those who should never have them.” “Hate becomes even more dangerous when it’s paired with easy access to a gun. We see the impact of that every day in our communities,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action. “The Disarm Hate Act is a clear step toward keeping families safe. It closes a gap that lets people with violent hate crime convictions get their hands on a gun, and that puts all of us at risk. We’re proud to stand with Rep. Veronica Escobar and Senator Ben Ray Luján as they work to keep guns out of dangerous hands and protect the communities targeted by hate.” The Disarm Hate Act is supported by GIFFORDS, Brady, Community Justice, American Federation of Teachers (ATF), Everytown, Newton Action Alliance, WOLA, the Violence Policy Center, Jewish Women International, and Sandy Hook Promise. A summary of the bill can be found HERE. Full text of the bill is available HERE. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-senate-republicans-block-heinrichs-attempt-to-repeal-pay-out-provisions-for-senators,VIDEO: Senate Republicans Block Heinrich’s Attempt to Repeal Pay-Out Provisions for Senators,2025-11-20,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Heinrich took to the floor to pass legislation, unanimously passed in the House, to repeal a last-minute provision allowing Republican senators to collect $500,000 per lawfully subpoenaed phone record Video here WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, delivered remarks on the Senate floor and urged passage of legislation the House passed unanimously — H.R. 6019 — to repeal U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.D.) ‘Arctic Frost’ provision, which allows Republican senators to collect $500,000 for every phone record that was previously, lawfully obtained. The legislation mirrors Heinrich’s legislation from earlier this week, known as the Anti-Cash Grab Act. Senate Republicans, through an objection from U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), blocked Heinrich’s repeal of the ‘Arctic Frost’ provision. U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) urging the Senate to repeal the ‘Arctic Frost’ provision, November 20, 2025. “Instead of tackling the affordability crisis in this country, instead of blocking President Trump's tariffs and undoing his war on American jobs, instead of fighting to protect the 41 million people whose SNAP benefits were in jeopardy during Trump's shutdown, Republicans made time to insert this payoff. It's unprecedented in American history,” Heinrich said. Heinrich continued, “It is why this week I introduced a bill with U.S. Senator Mark Kelly to shut down this taxpayer funded payoff. We must reverse this last-minute giveaway that lets a few senators pocket millions of dollars of taxpayer money while millions of Americans are revisiting their budgets to figure out how to make it to the end of the month.” “It is, to put it clearly, a test of our accountability, our transparency, and most of all, our integrity. I know which side I'm on,” Heinrich underscored. This week, Heinrich, alongside U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), led the introduction of the Anti-Cash Grab Act, legislation similar to H.R. 6019, to repeal the ‘Arctic Frost’ provision. Heinrich’s remarks, as delivered, are below: Last week, Republicans in Congress passed a government funding bill that denies affordable health care to millions of Americans. But what most people don't know, is that they also voted to provide millions of dollars to a few Republican senators in a blatant tax funded cash grab. Here's what happened. In the process of passing government funding legislation, Senate Republicans air dropped a provision into the bill at the last minute. This provision allows eight Republican senators to collect millions of dollars from the U.S. government. When what the Department of Justice did was to lawfully subpoena those phone records during a grand jury investigation. But now these eight senators can sue the government for at least half a million dollars for each individual instance of a lawful access to those phone records. That means that each senator could actually pocket millions of dollars and that money would be paid from your hard-earned tax dollars. And that's even though the law was followed by the government at the time, and frankly, this is just outrageous to me. This is at the exact same time as 22 million Americans could see their health insurance premiums skyrocket because Republicans refused to extend the ACA tax credits. This is at the exact same time as millions of seniors and veterans and families are learning that they will lose their SNAP food assistance altogether because of President Trump's “Big, Bad Bill.” It's at the exact same time as families across my home state of New Mexico, and across America, are wondering how they will put Thanksgiving food on the table or how they will put presents under the tree in a month. How they will fuel their car to get to the job that's in jeopardy now because of President Trump's cancelation of Federal grants, exorbitant tariff taxes, and overall recklessness. But instead of fixing all of that, instead of tackling the affordability crisis in this country, instead of blocking President Trump's tariffs and undoing his war on American jobs, instead of fighting to protect the 41 million people whose SNAP benefits were in jeopardy during Trump's shutdown, Republicans made time to insert this payoff. It's unprecedented in American history. Let's put it another way: Everyday people are struggling. Well, one TikTok account called “Dollar Tree Dinners,” an account that teaches low-income folks how to make filling meals from Dollar Tree ingredients, has over 3 million followers. U.S. Senators could receive over $3 million from your wallet. There are no existing records of Congress creating a taxpayer funded cash pipeline for senators to sue the government for doing its job. That is probably because it is so patently wrong. Even House Speaker Mike Johnson agrees with me. And when Speaker Johnson and I agree something is bad, you know it's really, really bad. As Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, where this provision was inserted, I can tell you that the process to include it was not normal. It was not in our markup. Normally, we have the opportunity to review new language, provide edits, negotiate. None of that happened. This was slipped in at the 11th hour and now the American people are expected to pony up. I am furious that the Senate Majority Leader chose to air drop this provision into that bill, in particular, with zero negotiation with the subcommittee that actually oversees this work. And it is why this week I introduced a bill with U.S. Senator Mark Kelly to shut down this taxpayer funded payoff. We must reverse this last-minute giveaway that lets a few senators pocket millions of dollars of taxpayer money while millions of Americans are revisiting their budgets to figure out how to make it to the end of the month. Like my Anti-Cash Grab Act, H.R. 6019 will eliminate the retroactive $500,000 per instance cash claims for Senators. It will block millions in taxpayer funded kickbacks to politicians and it still keeps the door open for legitimate reforms to notification requirements without any of the self-enriching loopholes. Now, I disagree with the title of H.R. 6019, but I agree on the substance and that's what matters here. The truth is that a country where a sitting elected official can get half a million dollars or more, in one go, while people around the country see their monthly costs rise by hundreds or thousands of dollars, that is a country that is not serving the people. This is not the America I know and it's not the America we should be. This is a test. This is a test of whether Congress works for hard working families across America or for D.C. insiders. It is, to put it clearly, a test of our accountability, our transparency, and most of all, our integrity. I know which side I'm on. Mr. President, I would ask Unanimous Consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6019, which was received from the House and is at the desk. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-schumer-klobuchar-merkley-hayes-craig-lead-congressional-democrats-in-introducing-legislation-to-reverse-snap-cuts-and-restore-food-security-for-millions-of-americans/,"Luján, Schumer, Klobuchar, Merkley, Hayes, Craig Lead Congressional Democrats in Introducing Legislation to Reverse SNAP Cuts and Restore Food Security for Millions of Americans",2025-11-20,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Bicameral Introduction Follows Trump Administration’s Shutdown Chaos and Effort to Strip Food Assistance WATCH: Senator Luján Hosts Press Conference Announcing his SNAP Legislation Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025. The legislation would repeal all the devastating Republican cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) made in the Republican Budget Betrayal. U.S. Representatives Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress has upheld a 50-year bipartisan commitment that Americans should not go hungry, but the Republican Budget Betrayal breaks that promise with the largest SNAP cuts in history. To fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, Congressional Republicans approved cuts that the Congressional Budget Office estimates will eliminate $187 billion in food assistance over the next decade, even as grocery prices rise and President Trump’s tariff costs increase. These Republican cuts will take meals from millions of Americans, including children, seniors, veterans, workers, and people with disabilities, while harming farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and grocers who rely on SNAP dollars. Additionally, the Republican Budget Betrayal creates a massive unfunded mandate on state governments that could force deep cuts or even eliminate SNAP entirely. “For half a century, our nation has stood behind a bipartisan promise: that no child, no senior, no veteran, and no working family should go hungry. Republicans broke that promise and ripped meals away from millions of Americans in their Budget Betrayal,” said Senator Luján. “SNAP puts food on the table for 42 million people – including one in every five New Mexicans – yet the Trump administration spent the shutdown trying to block families from receiving food assistance and make it as difficult as possible to access their benefits. We have a responsibility to protect these families. That’s why I am leading Congressional Democrats in introducing legislation to fully repeal the Republican cuts to SNAP and ensure no American family goes hungry.” “SNAP isn’t an abstract policy or a number in a spreadsheet, it’s food, dignity and survival for 42 million Americans,” said Leader Schumer. “This summer, the Republican “Big, Ugly Bill” made the single largest cut to federal food assistance in our nation’s history. And during the Republican shutdown, the Trump administration weaponized hunger, blocking families from receiving SNAP benefits that Congress had already funding. Democrats are fighting back. Today, we introduced legislation to reverse these disastrous and deadly cuts and restore food security for millions of Americans. We will keep fighting until every family has the basic security and dignity of food on the table.” “From gutting SNAP in their Big Beautiful Betrayal of a bill to refusing to provide food assistance to families in need during the shutdown, this Administration has taken every opportunity to make it harder for Americans to put food on the table,” said Senator Klobuchar, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. “With this legislation, we will keep fighting every step of the way to restore food assistance to families in need and ensure the 42 million Americans — including veterans, seniors and children — who count on SNAP don’t go to bed hungry.” “Children, seniors, and low-income families will go hungry because of the Republican cuts to SNAP. This is yet another heartbreaking consequence of the Republican agenda to fund tax breaks for the ultrarich while working families struggle,” said Senator Merkley. “Under Trump, it is always the red carpet for billionaires and red tape for families. I’ll keep fighting to reverse these devastating cuts.” “At every opportunity, Republicans have chosen to target and decimate the programs that feed people. The Big Beautiful Bill implemented the largest cut to SNAP in history – putting the most vulnerable at higher risk of hunger,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “Republicans have proven that cruelty is the point. During the government shutdown, all of America watched as they once again chose to use hunger as a weapon and blocked emergency funding for SNAP – marking the first ever lapse in funding. With the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act we can reverse the damage caused by this legislation and restore the nearly $200 billion eliminated from SNAP.” “President Trump has spent his first year in office repeatedly attacking our nation’s most effective anti-hunger program at a time when his tariffs are contributing to record food prices. His Big Ugly Bill cut SNAP – a basic needs food assistance program – by $187 billion, taking food away from millions of hungry American seniors, children, people with disabilities and veterans. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up for our vulnerable neighbors and help to pass the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act,” said Representative Angie Craig, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture. Supporting quotes can be found here. Additionally, earlier this week, nearly 1,500 national, state, and community-based organizations joined a letter voicing support for this effort. SNAP is a lifeline for over 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans. In New Mexico, more than 450,000 people rely on SNAP benefits to feed their families. This includes more than 65,000 seniors and nearly 200,000 children across the state. During the government shutdown, Senator Luján led the Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing legislation that prevents the Trump administration from illegally withholding available funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). During debate on the Republican Budget Betrayal, Senator Luján spearheaded efforts to reverse the bill’s drastic cuts to food assistance. Together with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Senator Luján convened a Spotlight Forum titled “Hunger by Design: The GOP’s Assault on SNAP” to underscore the devastating impact of Congressional Republicans’ plan to gut SNAP. In addition to Senator Luján, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and Ranking Member Merkley, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The full bill text of the legislation can be found here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-statement-on-trumps-latest-call-for-violence/,Luján Statement on Trump’s Latest Call for Violence,2025-11-20,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Ben Ray Luján,L000570,www.lujan.senate.gov,lujan,https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on President Trump’s latest calls for violence against Members of Congress, including urging that Democratic lawmakers be arrested and tried, and amplifying posts calling for them to be hanged: “President Trump, whose long record of encouraging violence against Congress and its Members led to his second impeachment, is once again inciting violence – this time directed at Democratic lawmakers and veterans. We have all seen the devastating consequences of political violence in this country. A president should be bringing people together, not dividing Americans and stoking dangerous tensions. Calling for Members of Congress to be arrested and amplifying messages that call for their death is violent, irresponsible, and reprehensible.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/eande-news-lee-heinrich-press-ferc-on-data-center-grid-connections,"E&E News: Lee, Heinrich press FERC on data center grid connections",2025-11-19,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Energy and Natural Resource Chair Sen. Mike Lee and ranking member Martin Heinrichsent a letter Tuesday to members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissionexpressing support for the Trump administration’s push to quickly connect datacenters to interstate transmission grids. Their joint outreach to FERC, shared first with POLITICO, shows two senators who had been at odds with each other taking a bipartisan interest in addressing energy constraints facing the rollout of AI, which the Trump administration has called an existential priority for the U.S. It concerns Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s request under Section 403 of the Department of Energy Organization Act for the commission to initiate a rule speeding connection of data centers to the grid. ""We support the Commission’s considerationof efforts to improve large-load and new generation interconnections so that the gridcan reliably and affordably meet growing demand and capture the historic opportunities it presents for our nation,” Lee and Heinrich wrote to Chair Laura Swett and Commissioners David Rosner, Lindsay See, Judy Chang and David LaCerte. “Faster generator and load interconnectionprocesses, smart planning, and fair allocationof the costs of grid investments are essential.” The leaders of the Energy Committee, which has oversight over FERC, also urged the commission to ensure that existing utility customers served by regional grids be protected from higher costs. They said that any FERC rule should not infringe on local infrastructure permitting oversight or state regulators’ authority under the Federal Power Act to regulate retail electricity sales. State regulators last week pushed back on DOE's proposal, urging FERCto respect state authority over the grid. But Lee and Heinrich also recognized FERC’s jurisdiction over wholesale rates and the interstate transmission of electricity and pressed for the commission to undertake a “balancing [of] these boundaries."" “The Commission must ensure that residential customers are not forced to bear the costs of these large-load interconnections,” Lee and Heinrich said. “The Federal Power Act distinguishes between federal and state jurisdiction over electricity, and we strongly encourage the Commission to continue to honor this distinction when taking any future actions addressing large load interconnections.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/koat-202m-in-federal-funds-secured-for-2026-nm-projects,KOAT: $202M in federal funds secured for 2026 NM projects,2025-11-19,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Both houses of Congress and the executive branch of government may be in the hands of the Grand Old Party, but despite that, more than $200 million in federal funds are coming to New Mexico for 2026 projects, thanks to Democratic Sens. Ben Ray Lujan and Martin Heinrich. Somehow, Lujan and Heinrich were able to secure $202,188,000 in congressionally directed spending from two Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills that were signed into law. Most of it — $195,250,000 — came from the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for improvements at New Mexico's three Air Force bases. Notably was $3,200,000 for a child development center at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque. The balance — $6,938,000 — came from the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, with $2,250,000 going for fire and emergency response agencies in northern New Mexico in Rio Arriba County, Truchas, and San Juan County. Community infrastructure needs in central and southern New Mexico were addressed with $1,513,000 for Estancia to renovate its town hall and community center, and $1,000,000 for Mesilla to renovate its town hall complex. Early childhood education in Luna County will benefit with $1,575,000 going to HELP New Mexico, Inc. to expand its campus. Lujan said it was far from easy for him and Heinrich to get this money to New Mexico in the current political climate. ""While I'm grateful to have secured these funds, the process by which these bills passed was deeply frustrating,"" Lujan said. ""With costs so high, we must do more to ensure that life remains affordable for New Mexico families.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/nextgov-new-mexico-unveils-quantum-telecom-network,Nextgov: New Mexico unveils quantum telecom network,2025-11-19,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"New Mexico announced its first quantum physics-powered telecommunications network, a joint effort from both public and private investment into outfitting the state with a quantum-ready infrastructure. On Wednesday, quantum telecommunications hardware company Qunnect and the state of New Mexico unveiled ABQ-Net — headquartered in Albuquerque — as a foundational element of the state’s burgeoning quantum ecosystem. “New Mexico is leading the nation in the development and deployment of cutting-edge quantum technologies, and this investment by Roadrunner Venture Studios and Qunnect is the latest proof of that,” Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., told Nextgov/FCW in a statement. “I’m pleased to welcome the launch of ABQ-Net, New Mexico’s first quantum network, which will help connect the quantum entrepreneurs in Albuquerque who are accelerating our state’s thriving quantum economy and creating high-quality jobs that New Mexicans can build their families around.” Adam Hammer, who co-founded the venture capital firm Roadrunner Venture Studios that helped fund ABQ-Net, said the network serves as a foundation for the development and testing of other quantum computing and communications applications. “ABQ-Net will be the proving ground for America’s next generation of quantum entrepreneurs to test, validate, and scale their technologies,” Hammer said. “We are proud to partner with Qunnect to create the Southwest’s first entanglement-based quantum network here in Albuquerque.” Qunnect’s technologies leverage quantum entanglement, taking advantage of a key feature of quantum mechanics by linking particles together in dependent states. This creates a secure connection between nodes within a given network, and it supports other quantum mechanics-based systems like quantum sensing and quantum computing. New Mexico is one of the states that has invested heavily in spurring a strong quantum science and tech research and development ecosystem, partnering with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and investing in over $300 million new quantum R&D efforts, as well as commercial ventures, as of September 2025. Leading technology companies, such as IBM and Google, are vying to lead in the race to bring quantum computing to commercial viability. Quantum networking is an often overlooked infrastructure-based element integral to scaling a quantum computer, with leading scientists noting that its difficulty stretches across multiple disciplines, including materials science and telecommunications. “The scalability is a huge challenge now, so with the demonstrations, we really need to get out of the physics experiment to a real network,” Rajkumar Kettimuthu, a senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, told Nextgov/FCW in September 2024. At the federal level, the burgeoning quantum tech industry has enjoyed fairly consistent government attention and support regardless of administration. During his first term, President Donald Trump signed the National Quantum Initiative Act into law — with a reauthorization currently pending in Congress — and former President Joe Biden also called for increased budgetary support for the National Science Foundation’s research in emerging technologies, including quantum information sciences. “ABQ-Net is the first open access user facility in the U.S. providing full-stack quantum networking infrastructure,"" said Noel Goddard, CEO of Qunnect, in a statement. ""Qunnect has made a name for itself bringing entanglement-based, quantum networking out of the lab and into the real world.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-emphasizes-the-importance-of-creating-land-management-plans-that-balance-preservation-of-public-lands-and-permitting-processes,Heinrich Emphasizes the Importance of Creating Land Management Plans that Balance Preservation of Public Lands and Permitting Processes,2025-11-19,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — In his opening statement at a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to examine how the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land use planning process impacts permitting under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the Committee’s Ranking Member, emphasized the importance of making resource management plans more efficient and more responsive to changes in how we use our public lands, while making sure that our public lands continue to serve the public for generations to come. VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers opening remarks at a hearing to examine how the BLM land use planning process under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) affects permitting before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, November 19, 2025. “The Federal Land Policy and Management Act, or FLPMA, says something pretty simple: it says that the Bureau of Land Management should look at the lands it manages and decide how to manage those lands for multiple uses,” said Heinrich. “The BLM has a complicated job—it has to figure out how to fit energy development, and wilderness and grazing and wildlife habitat and mining and fishing and timber and camping and cultural resource preservation on the lands it manages.” “Finding ways to accommodate the broad range of everything from wilderness to mining is not easy, but the planning process makes sure that all uses are considered, and everyone’s voices are heard,” continued Heinrich. “The BLM has not been able to keep up with revisions to keep these plans aligned with today's priorities and technologies,” Heinrich followed, emphasizing the importance of updating resource management plans. “On BLM land alone, recreation supports 76,000 jobs and contributes to more than $12 billion in economic output... I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today about how we can make the planning process more efficient.” A video of Heinrich’s opening remarks can be found here. A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to add my welcome to our witnesses here today to talk about how we decide what to do with our public lands. Talking about resource management plans might not be everyone’s idea of a great way to spend their Wednesday morning, but personally, I’m glad that this Committee is looking at this important element of public land management. The Federal Land Policy and Management Act, or FLPMA, says something pretty simple: it says that the Bureau of Land Management should look at the lands it manages and decide how to manage those lands for multiple uses. The BLM has a complicated job—it has to figure out how to fit energy development, and wilderness and grazing and wildlife habitat and mining and fishing and timber and camping and cultural resource preservation on the lands it manages. One approach could be a free-for-all—whoever puts the land to use first gets to decide what happens there going forward. Our nation did that for a long time, giving away public land via homesteading and mining claims and granting lands to railroads to facilitate western expansion. But conservationists, like Teddy Roosevelt, began to recognize that if we kept going down that path, we’d have no public lands left, which would mean most Americans would be locked out of the nation’s open spaces. A few decades later, Congress passed FLPMA and directed the BLM to keep public lands public and to manage public lands under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield. To do that, it requires the BLM to periodically produce land use plans to guide its management decisions. Now recognizing that multiple use can’t mean every use on every acre, these land use plans ensure that all uses have some of those acres. Land use planning is a robustly public process, integrating information and priorities from local residents, from businesses, from tribes and local governments, and public land users from across the nation. Finding ways to accommodate the broad range of everything from wilderness to mining is not easy, but the planning process makes sure that all uses are considered and everyone’s voices are heard. Now, unfortunately, these plans are updated far too [in]frequently, that is something that I think we agree on, and are intended to be in place for about 20 years. The BLM has not been able to keep up with revisions to keep these plans aligned with today's priorities and technologies. Some plans in place now were written well before utility-scale solar was common, and few are ready to facilitate the increase in geothermal energy production that’s on the horizon. Many current plans don't accommodate the explosion in outdoor recreation that our public lands now host. Recreation on public lands is now an economic powerhouse, generating $128 billion in economic activity every year and driving $6 billion in federal tax revenue. On BLM land alone, recreation supports 76,000 jobs and contributes to more than $12 billion in economic output. Those numbers are very different than they were 30 or 40 years ago, when many BLM land use plans were actually written, and in fact, we weren't even keeping track of recreation statistics when many of these plans were written. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today about how we can make the planning process more efficient and more responsive to changes in how we use our public lands, while making sure that our public lands continue to serve the public for generations to come. Thank you, Chairman. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-questions-experts-on-resource-management-plans-and-dangerous-impact-of-recently-passed-legislation-that-limits-public-input,"Heinrich Questions Experts on Resource Management Plans, and Dangerous Impact of Recently Passed Legislation that Limits Public Input",2025-11-19,2025,2025-11,Democrat,Senate,NM,Martin Heinrich,H001046,www.heinrich.senate.gov,heinrich,https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON — During a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to examine how the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land use planning process under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) affects permitting for energy, mining, grazing, and infrastructure projects on public lands, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Committee, questioned Jim Kenna, retired California State Director for the BLM, Greg Sheehan, President and CEO of Mule Deer Foundation, and Adam Cramer, Chief Executive Officer of Outdoor Alliance, about considering public input and the economic activity outdoor recreation industry generates when creating resource management plans (RMPs). Heinrich also highlighted the disastrous impact recently passed Congressional resolutions of disapproval have on this process. VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) questions witnesses about BLM RMPs under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), November 19th, 2025. On Considering Public Input for Resource Management Plans Senator Heinrich began his questioning by asking about the importance of public input in creating resource management plans, “Mr. Kenna, how critical is it for the public to guide the direction of a land use plan for that plan to be effective and successful?” Mr. Kenna answered, “I think it's very important. And I would highlight the fact that planning processes, particularly if they're of any size or duration, create a record, and it's a public record, and that public record underpins all of the decision-making that happens in the plan. So it essentially is the balancing dialog around the FLPMA questions and so you can't sidestep that, and you need to make sure that the local knowledge is integrated, and not just the social preferences, those are very important, but also the -- where is the mule deer winter range? Where are the cultural resources and cultural properties? Where are the things that we care about? Where are the trails that get a lot of recreation, where all of those things are very local, right, and they're very specific.” Heinrich followed, “And how does the Congressional Review Act incorporate the public input and the creation of that record?” Mr. Kenna answered, “Well, my concern is that it's the exact opposite. If you think about the perspective of the person who participated in a plan they just invested years to get to that kind of endpoint where everybody kind of got together and whatever the deal was, the deal was the deal. And now the Congressional Review Act has sort of taken a political process and put it over the top of that and vacated that.” Heinrich continued, “And with no public – there's no mechanism for public input in the Congressional Review Act. And I want to, I want to get at some of the unintended consequences that that might create. Mr. Sheehan, you know, with Congress recently overturning a number of RMPs through the Congressional Review Act. One of the limitations under the CRA is that it means that the BLM under the statute can never issue a quote substantially similar plan to those areas. Is that correct?” Mr. Sheehan answered, “Yes, I believe that’s accurate.” On CRAs Overturning RMP Plans Heinrich continued, “I'm wondering if a plan, if a RMP plan allowed for development of oil and gas, development of mining and grazing, hunting in the planning area, and the plan is overturned by the CRA, could BLM ever issue a new plan that allowed those same uses in the same areas?” Mr. Sheehan answered, “Senator Heinrich, I believe that, and I’m not a lawyer here, and there’s lots of lawyers in the room, there’s one right to your left.” Heinrich answered, “I’m not either.” Mr. Sheehan continued, “But if we, if we work under that premise, that a CRA pulls this plan back and that a new plan could not be substantially similar, and it would certainly lean into the state, you know, a set of facts around you can't go back and do the same thing again until Congress says you can go do it again now. But what it does do is you pull it back, is it reverts back to prior plan that's sitting there, which, and if that allowed for some of those uses, of course.” Heinrich followed, “It could be 40 years old and that plan may not, may not actually address the uses that are most pressing today, correct?” Mr. Sheehan answered, “Yeah, absolutely. I, when we talk about planning, and I wrote down a comment that Senator or Chairman Lee mentioned in his opening comments, has adapted changing circumstances. And I thought for a moment, what happens over these 40 years, 45 years, and some of these plans that have sat there, and, you know, within with it, with the new technologies that have come about, I look at what do we know different about wildlife management and movements and how we can restore habitats? We've got wild horses and burros, and in some of these areas that we have plans for, we don't necessarily want to manage for wild horses and burros in those areas anymore.” Heinrich responded, “We also know where corridors are, where the mule deer corridors were, where the pronghorn corridors were, and so that doesn’t get managed for if we’re dealing with a 40-year-old plant.” Mr. Sheehan followed, “Exactly. I guess my hope is a former land manager is, if the CRAs are going to be a thing that gets used, let's try to avoid that to any extent.” Senator Heinrich pointed out, “Why not just redo the plan? And avoid all those unintended consequences?” Mr. Sheehan answered, “Absolutely. And I think if the plans can be done initially, and make sure we do that coordination, cooperation, do all of the efforts we need to so that we get a better, higher level of buy-in, I would hope Congress does not need to step in on these because, to your earlier point, I don't know what kind of certainty there is for future planning in these areas, and I hope that that's not confounded.” Heinrich followed, “I think one of the things that I'm concerned about is the opening for litigation, because the statute is so vague about what a substantially similar plan would look like, is that you could literally see every permit, whether that permit is for outdoor recreation that Mr. Kramer represents, whether that permit is for oil and gas, whether that permit is for grazing, called into question because of some of these CRA activities. And I think that's something that everybody ought to be considering before using such a blunt tool.” On Outdoor Recreation Being Considered in Resource Management Plans Heinrich asked, “Mr. Kramer, there was recently a new report that came out that looked at outdoor recreation on public lands and the scale of the economic impact of that was estimated at over $350 million per day. That's at a scale bigger than logging and mining taken together, and certainly has been, had a huge impact in my state on a lot of gateway communities to these public lands, but many of the plans that are on the books right now were written at a time when that scale was much smaller and when it was sometimes not even considered. Do you think, in your experience, do land managers actually know all of the places and mechanisms that people use to recreate on the public lands that they manage and for your typical BLM district manager, do they know all the places that people hike and climb and hunt or bike, or do they need a public process to understand where those things occur and where conflicts might occur?” Mr. Kramer answered, “Great question, Senator Heinrich, I think they know a lot because they're there, and in some cases, they might know almost all of them. But like, why not check? Why not double-check? I mean, as you point out, there's so much desire to be outside, and the economic activity that tears off of that desire is substantial. And if we don't inventory where these places are or where they could be, we're just leaving a ton on the table in terms of economic activity. In some cases , it's not, they might, you might want to develop recreational infrastructure where there isn't recreation infrastructure to make sure there's more equitable access, more people, they’re closer to places where people live. So data about this stuff, is very liberating, and it's available and accessible, you know, through my organization, Outdoor Alliance. And there are a lot of, you know, companies that have got a tremendous amount of data, and they're very generous about it. So we get to a better place with this information, for sure.” Senator Heinrich followed, “As most folks in this room are aware, New Mexico produces a lot of oil and gas, but we have a lot of public lands. We value those public lands, and we also rely on outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing, other things to generate economic activity in our state. And so the balance of those things is really important to us. You know, the budget bill this summer elevated oil and gas leasing above other uses on public lands by literally requiring the BLM to offer any parcel for leasing if it's open for oil and gas development in an RMB resource management plan. Now, before that change, the BLM would first look and consider oil and gas development and whether it was the best use for a parcel before offering the lease. And now oil and gas gets preferential treatment over those other uses. So Mr. Kramer, for people who like to recreate on public lands, what are the consequences of saying things are multiple use, but then elevating certain uses above others?” Mr. Kramer answered, “Just setting things up for more conflict and slowing things down? You know, it's really, as a lot of the witnesses have shared, it's a composition of all these elements, and you need to allow that composition to be composed in a way that's in everybody's best interest.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z