Investing in Southern New Mexico
Dear Friend,
I remain squarely focused on delivering the resources that New Mexicans need for short-term recovery and steering game changing investments to our state that will set a strong foundation for our long-term economic competitiveness.
I hope you can take a moment to read and share a column I recently wrote in the Las Cruces Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s El Prospero newsletter about all of the investments that I worked hard to deliver to southern New Mexico in particular.
If we can all work together to maximize the resources from the American Rescue Plan, the National Defense Authorization Act, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—all major pieces of legislation that I helped to pass last year—ALL of New Mexico will emerge from this moment in a stronger competitive position than we have ever been in.
Sincerely,
MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator
Investing in southern New Mexico
By U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich
As we begin a new year, we still have plenty of work ahead of us to help New Mexico communities recover and to rebuild our economy. But I’m confident that the historic, new investments that we passed last year and the transformative policies we’re still advancing will help us meet the moment with real solutions to the challenges we face. I have done everything in my power to steer resources and funding to our state so we can rebuild our economy and come back stronger than ever before.
The American Rescue Plan that we passed in March delivered over $1 billion to help New Mexico’s schools reopen for in-person instruction. It included $1,400 in direct payments to eligible New Mexicans, millions of dollars in critical economic relief for local restaurant and small business owners all across our state, and a historic working class tax cut. Nearly every child in New Mexico has benefitted from the expanded Child Tax Credit and its new monthly payments that are helping families keep food on the table and cover the costs of raising children.
New Mexico has long been held back by a systemic lack of investment in our infrastructure. That’s why I worked to pass the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will deliver more than $3.7 billion in funding to New Mexico over the next five years to build new roads and bridges, improve our clean water infrastructure, install a new electric vehicle charging network, and connect many more New Mexicans to affordable, high-speed internet. These infrastructure investments are on a scale not seen in our state since the construction of I-10, I-25, and I-40, and they will set a strong foundation for long-term economic competiveness and success.
Before the onset of the pandemic, outdoor recreation activities—from hunting and fishing to wildlife photography and bird watching—were fueling some of New Mexico’s fastest economic growth. I am focused on advancing key protections, opening up more public access, and steering new investments to our public lands so we can build our outdoor recreation industry back better than ever before.
Last year, I welcomed a new expanded hiking access route into Achenbach Canyon in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. I reintroduced the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to provide southwestern New Mexico’s greater Gila River watershed with our nation’s highest form of protection and stewardship. And I also partnered with Republican colleagues in the Senate to introduce bipartisan bills to invest in wildlife conservation and species recovery and to make it much easier to navigate the permitting process to access our public lands.
Finally, I was proud to support New Mexico’s military installations and national security missions by securing critical investments in the annual National Defense Authorization Act.
That includes $2 million in funding to speed the construction of a new radar detection technology testing facility at Holloman Air Force Base, $5 million to conduct additional hypersonic test and evaluation at White Sands Missile Range, and $29 million to accelerate construction of the Missile Assembly Support Facility at WSMR. These provisions, among many others, will benefit New Mexico’s economy and advance our state’s position as a leader in national security for years to come.
My office also continues to help constituents on a one-on-one basis with federal agencies, including keeping our promise to our veterans and service members so they can access their VA benefits, helping small business owners navigate economic relief programs, and assisting seniors with their Social Security benefits. This past year, my staff processed over 3,000 individual cases that resulted in over $870,000 recovered for New Mexicans. If you or your family needs help, I encourage you to contact my Las Cruces office at 575-535-6561 or by visiting my website at Heinrich.Senate.Gov.
