in the news

Rep. Ben Ray Luján said he’s disappointed that funding for small communities struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic was not included in the last coronavirus aid package that provided additional relief for small businesses and the health care industry. Under the CARES Act, cities with populations under 500,000 could not apply directly...

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, along with other senators, called on Congressional leadership to allocate at least $50 billion in emergency funding to stabilize the childcare industry. The National Women’s Law Center estimates that at least $9.6 billion is needed each month to preserve the nation’s childcare system during the pandemic....

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich gave an update Thursday to the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Heinrich praised Vice President Mike Pence and Dr. Deborah Birx for their work with New Mexico. However, he was also critical of some of the response. "Where I will be critical of the federal response is that, across the...

U.S. Senators want the Trump administration to remove what they call needless, bureaucratic restrictions on how states can use funding from coronavirus relief efforts. The Senators, including New Mexico’s Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall, argued that state, local and tribal governments should be able to use funds from the CARES Act to repay lost...

The Mescalero Apache Tribal Council Monday joined the call for the resignation of Tara Sweeney, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs for U.S. Department of Interior. The tribe, whose reservation lies in Otero County, but adjoins Ruidoso, sent the letter to President Donald Trump stating that the Tribe had grave concerns about Sweeney’s...

Earlier this month, I joined the White House task force on the reopening of the American economy in the aftermath of this public health emergency. During our first call, I was the first to speak directly to the president. I told him that if he wants to safely reopen our economy, without unnecessarily risking American lives, he needs to give all of...

A key document in the yearslong process undertaken by the group planning a controversial diversion of water from the Gila River and its tributaries was officially released today, marking a milestone for the project. The Gila diversion, as it’s now envisioned, could annually divert anywhere from 349 to 1,845 acre-feet of surface and ground...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —KOAT spoke to Sen. Martin Heinrich, who is in New Mexico right now, about how the state is handling the pandemic and what help is coming to the people who need it most. Here’s what Heinrich said when asked about New Mexico’s governor keeping nonessential businesses closed through May 15, and what he thinks about...

SANTA FE – New Mexico’s two U.S. senators are wading more deeply into a stream access debate that’s been simmering for years. U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall, both Democrats, this week urged the state Game Commission to repeal a 2017 rule that allows private landowners to restrict public access to water flowing across...

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich weighed in on an ongoing and complicated dispute between the state Game Commission and environmental groups about accessing streams in New Mexico. Heinrich told NM Political Report that New Mexico’s leadership needs to step up efforts to protect stream access rights.  At issue is a rule adopted by the...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- Lawmakers in Washington passed another relief package Thursday, which includes more money for small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19. The bill includes $380 billion for small businesses, $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for COVID-19 testing. The bill pours more money into the Paycheck Protection Program,...

When the new coronavirus outbreak began, Sandia National Laboratories called on its scientists and engineers to pitch ideas on how they could help. “They asked the whole lab — just as an open call — ‘Who’s got ideas on how we can help?’ ” said Ryan Haggerty, who oversees engineering programs at...

Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation and state officials are calling for the Trump administration to halt construction on the wall at the border with Mexico because of concerns workers may spread the coronavirus. They also feel resources are needed elsewhere. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., is among lawmakers who wrote a letter...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Thousands of undocumented families in New Mexico don't qualify for the most recent federal stimulus checks that were given out to families this week during the coronavirus pandemic, despite many being essential workers. Because of this the New Mexico Dream team decided to take matters into their own hands by creating a...

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich will be part of a bipartisan task force to advise the White House on reopening the American economy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This public health crisis is like nothing any of us have ever experienced. As elected leaders and policymakers, we will rightly be measured by how we responded,” Heinrich said...

The 90-day comment period on the draft revised Gila National Forest management plan will end Thursday, despite requests from citizens and congressional leaders that Gila National Forest Supervisor Adam Mendonca extend the deadline in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the effect that closures of places like local libraries — where...

New Mexico’s small towns could be getting federal relief funding as communities wrangle with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, leading to closure of local businesses and increased need for medical supplies to treat the virus and track its spread. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) announced on Monday that he planned to introduce the...

CHAPARRAL, New Mexico -- Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation called Friday for the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to review the circumstances surrounding two coronavirus cases at the agency's facility in Chaparral. "We are deeply troubled that an employee and migrant have both contracted Covid-19 at the Otero...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- Sen. Martin Heinrich said Thursday that the next two weeks will be critical for New Mexico-- as the state battles a COVID-19 outbreak. “I’m going to put it real simply and very bluntly: The behavior of all of us today will determine how many people will die tomorrow. That is literally what we are facing," Heinrich...

COLUMBUS, N.M. - Some residents of the tiny border village of Columbus raised concerns this week about 10 trailers that recently arrived in the historic town center to house workers building 72 miles of the southern border wall.  The trailers are on Jesus Carreon Avenue, immediately behind the village library. Each trailer, one of...