in the news

The New Mexico Congressional delegation, local officials and environmental groups vowed to fight a high-level nuclear waste storage facility slated to be built in southern New Mexico. On Tuesday, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a license allowing nuclear equipment company Holtec International to build and operate a storage...

WASHINGTON — Congress’ Joint Economic Committee released a report Thursday detailing the economic repercussions of defaulting on the nation’s debt, adding fuel to the fire as Democrats pressed Republicans to address the nation’s borrowing limit without tying action to spending cuts. The report, from Democratic staff on the...

In the wake of the collapse of two large banks, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and other Democrats are seeking to repeal a 2018 law that reduced oversight and capital requirements for certain financial institutions. The legislation would seek to repeal Title IV of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018. The bill...

“The team will respond to residents suffering from mental health emergencies, assist with de-escalating critical situations, and help individuals connect with the medical or psychological resources they may need,” according to a news release issued by the City of Las Cruces. Project LIGHT will operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a...

SANTA FE — With New Mexico lawmakers facing an unprecedented revenue bonanza, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich urged lawmakers Monday to approve bills expanding rural health care services and creating a new trust fund for conservation projects. The state’s senior senator also expressed support for proposals to modernize New Mexico’s...

Four Western senators are urging the Bureau of Land Management to ban routine venting and flaring of natural gas on public lands, a stiffer standard that would mirror some state regulations. The ask — from Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper of Colorado, as well as New Mexico’s Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján...

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich along with other local leaders arrived at the Las Cruces Convention Center on an all-electric bus to promote the future of cleaner energy sources at the PowerUp Las Cruces Expo. The expos showcased electric cars, solar panels, and energy-efficient building upgrades to the public. Senator Heinrich says it takes a...

In the 1970’s several shields of cultural significance disappeared without a trace from Acoma Pueblo. The caretaker of the shields called the tribal sheriff, but there was little that could be done. Decades later, one of the shields resurfaced in an auction catalog. An email sent to Acoma tribal lawyers in 2015 informed them that the shield...

New hires for an organization. Helping Native American artisans get their work on e-commerce sites. Those are just some of the areas in which small businesses organizations are planning to use federal money they received through the Omnibus Appropriations Agreement for fiscal year 2023. At a Wednesday press conference, Sen. Martin Heinrich...

After touring a future medical sobering center in Albuquerque, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., recalled a relative who was in need of such a place when he relapsed and died in jail 15 years ago. “They had been sober for many years, and unfortunately, (he) was picked up and put into a local county detention center and died of their...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Congressional leaders in New Mexico are celebrating the passage of the STOP Act, prohibiting the export of sacred Native American items. The theft of a centuries-old Native American shield, stolen decades ago from the Acoma tribe, inspired the new federal law. “The shield, one of several stolen, was used...

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s congressional delegation says the U.S. government should make changes to rules proposed for processing damage claims stemming from a historic wildfire sparked by forest managers. The delegation sent a letter to FEMA on Thursday as the federal agency prepares to wrap up public comment on the rules. The...

Congress has reauthorized a federally funded program to help conserve and sustain cultural, historical, archaeological and natural resources in an area of Northern New Mexico that has been inhabited by Puebloan peoples for centuries. The legislation reauthorizes the Northern Río Grande National Heritage Area for an additional 15 years,...

Washington, D.C. — The Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act was approved by Congress on Dec. 23, advancing much-needed solutions for curbing the spread of this always-fatal wildlife disease. The legislation now awaits the president’s signature, having been included in the Fiscal Year 2023 government funding deal. The bill...

WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives voted last week to rename the U.S. Post Office in Belen in honor of the late U.S. Sen. Dennis Chávez. The bill, which is part of the 2023 fiscal year omnibus bill, is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden, but as of Tuesday afternoon, has not received the...

The Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act became federal law following signature by President Biden Dec. 21. Last month, the United States Senate passed the bill through Unanimous Consent, the final congressional step to send the STOP Act to the President’s desk. For years, the Pueblo of Acoma has been urging Congress to pass...

Federal funds are headed to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant nuclear waste repository near Carlsbad along with New Mexico’s two national laboratories via a bill that passed the U.S. House and Senate and was headed to President Joe Biden’s desk for signing into law. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is passed each year to fund...

New Mexico's DC delegation earned their Christmas presents this last week of the congressional session--with the exception of GOP Rep. Yvette Herrell who gets a lump of coal in her stocking.  Senator Martin Heinrich flexed his muscle and quieted talk that the necessary congressional approval of the constitutional amendment for early childhood...

Legislation granting congressional approval for New Mexico's recent voter-backed proposal to withdraw more money from the state's Permanent fund and using it for early childhood education has been included in a massive congressional spending bill. New Mexico Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan, along with U.S. Reps. Melanie Stansbury and...

An appropriations bill expected to be voted on in Congress this week would funnel another $1.45 billion in relief to victims of the largest wildfire in New Mexico history. Democratic members of New Mexico’s Congressional delegation announced that the money was included in a disaster supplemental section of the $1.7 trillion spending...