Martin's Blog

Dear Friend, This has been one of the most unsettling times any of us will ever experience. I wanted to check in and update you on my ongoing efforts to secure critical medical resources and immediate economic relief for New Mexicans whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. I am tremendously proud of Governor Lujan Grisham and her...

Dear Friend, I understand how worrisome this time is for New Mexico families. There's a lot of uncertainty, but I want you to know that my staff and I are working around the clock to ensure our state has the resources it needs to address the COVID-19 pandemic and help New Mexicans stay safe and healthy. I am immensely proud of our entire...

Dear Friend, With the first confirmed cases of coronavirus in New Mexico, I know a lot of families are feeling scared and overwhelmed. I want you to know that the health of all of our state's communities is my top priority. My office remains in close communication with federal, state, tribal and local agencies and we are working to ensure that our...

Dear Friend, I just voted to pass an emergency funding package that provides our federal public health agencies with the resources they need to lead an all-hands-on-deck, science-based response to the coronavirus outbreak. I am also continuing to work with the state and our tribes to ensure our public health infrastructure in New Mexico is ready...

Dear Friend, I am writing to invite you to a workshop I am hosting with the University of New Mexico - Taos on Thursday, March 19 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This workshop is aimed at providing small businesses, entrepreneurs, and start-ups with federal and local resources, technical assistance, and information on financial support. We still have so...

Dear Friend, Although we have seen signs of economic recovery over the last decade, far too many families in New Mexico and across the nation are still struggling to make ends meet and can't escape multigenerational poverty. That's why I just reintroduced the bipartisan Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act to increase opportunities for families...

PHOTO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich launches the next round of his Youth Climate Change Challenge by hosting a discussion with students at Centennial High School in Las Cruces, February 19, 2020. Dear Friend, Today, I sat down with students at Centennial High School in Las Cruces to discuss the climate crisis. Young leaders in New Mexico and...

Dear Friend, Retired Army 1st Sgt. Jim Rogers served 27 years in the military, including in the Vietnam War, where he was exposed to Agent Orange. Rogers suffers from hyperthyroidism and hypertension, health conditions linked to Agent Orange exposure, but not currently recognized as service-connected illnesses by the Department of Veterans Affairs...

Dear Friend, I just voted to support a war powers resolution to prevent further escalation of hostilities with Iran without congressional authorization. This resolution adheres with the Founders' intent that the sole constitutional power to declare war rests with peoples' representatives in Congress, not the president. The resolution passed the...

Dear Friend, Cerro de la Olla towers over the Taos Plateau and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Much like Ute Mountain--which Congress protected as wilderness last year--Cerro de la Olla is a shield volcano with upper elevations that offer solitude and unparalleled views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the East, the San Juan...

Dear Friend, Throughout the impeachment trial, I've thought a lot about what this country stands for. For me, as the son of an immigrant whose family came to the United States from Germany in the 1930s, America stands as a beacon of liberty, equal justice, and democracy. Under the Constitution, we are governed not by monarchs--who act with impunity...

Dear Friend, I wanted to be sure you saw the op-ed I wrote in the Silver City Daily Press about why it's time for New Mexico to move on from the broken process that led to costly dam and diversion proposals for the upper Gila River. After the U.S. Department of the Interior's decision in December to deny New Mexico Central Arizona Project Entity's...

Dear Friend, Like many of you, I have spent the last weeks listening closely as both sides presented their cases in the Senate impeachment trial. Now that we have wrapped up the questioning portion of the trial, I wanted to share my thoughts on where we should go from here. The House impeachment managers presented us with the facts they gathered...

Dear Friend, If you're watching the impeachment trial at home and you're a little bit confused, you're probably not alone. If you're wondering why this looks different from any trial you've ever seen, whether it's a made for TV trial or your own experience in a courtroom, it's because this doesn't look like any other trial. Before we go any...

Dear Friend, We owe our men and women in uniform, and their families who support them in their service, an incredible debt of gratitude. In return for their sacrifices in defense of our nation, they expect and deserve the benefits they have earned. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I play a leading role each year in authoring the...

Dear Friend, Despite what can seem like impossible gridlock in Washington these days, I am proud of several landmark accomplishments we achieved for New Mexico in 2019. Last month, I was thrilled to join local community leaders in Alamogordo to celebrate the establishment of White Sands National Park--our state's first new national park since 1930!...

Dear Friend, Before the end of the year, I wanted to wish you and your family a happy holiday season and share some of the progress we have made for New Mexico. I have traveled to all corners of the state, and it has truly been a pleasure to meet with so many New Mexicans in their communities and discuss the issues that matter most. Below is a...

Dear Friend, Last year, the U.S. Air Force confirmed that firefighting foam containing toxic PFAS chemicals used around Cannon and Holloman Air Force Bases in New Mexico had contaminated nearby groundwater supplies. Recent scientific studies link PFAS chemicals to a number of serious adverse health effects. The contamination at Cannon affected...

Dear Friend, We are closer than ever to designating White Sands as New Mexico's newest national park! This is something that most New Mexicans agree should have happened for one of our state's greatest natural treasures decades ago. The Senate is expected to vote on final passage of the national defense bill that includes the elevation of White...

Dear Friend, Yesterday, I was proud to pass the Buffalo Tract Protection Act out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. This legislation would withdraw four small parcels of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land just north of Albuquerque near Placitas, including the Buffalo Tract and the Crest of Montezuma, from mineral development....