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Heinrich Announces Committee Passage of Over $79 Million for New Mexico

Investments Heinrich Championed Support Service Members, Defense Installations and National Labs, Clean Energy, Water Infrastructure, Economic Development, Education, Health Care, and Workforce Development

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced the bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Defense, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Bills.

With Committee approval of these bills, Heinrich secured support for over $79 million for New Mexico, including over $39 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for 55 local projects between these bills and their House-companions. This is on top of the $221.4 million already included in other Committee-passed FY25 Appropriations bills.

“As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have the opportunity to directly advocate for federal resources that invest in New Mexico families, strengthen our middle class, and grow our economy — and that’s exactly what these bills do,” said Heinrich. “We are delivering important investments to support our service members and their families, strengthen New Mexico’s national security contributions at our military installations and national labs, accelerate the build-out of our clean energy future, improve access to health care, expand workforce training and apprenticeship programs, and so much more. Now that we have passed these appropriations bills out of committee with strong, bipartisan support, I will work every step of the way to get these investments across the finish line and to New Mexico.”

Heinrich is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittees on Energy and Water Development and Financial Services and General Government.

Over the last month, the Senate Appropriations Committee has also passed the following:

In total, Heinrich has successfully included more than $300 million of investments for New Mexico and more than $124 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for 138 local projects in New Mexico in the bills that have advanced out of the Appropriations Committee. Next, all of the appropriations bills passed out of the Appropriations Committee will be considered by the full United States Senate. 

Defense Key Points and Highlights

Supporting Service Members and Families: Heinrich was a strong advocate of several provisions included in the bill to support service members and their families. 

These include full funding for a 4.5 percent pay raise for service members plus an additional one percent for junior enlisted ranks for a total of 5.5 percent, fully funding housing and subsistence, and $251 million for basic needs allowances for military households whose income are less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. In addition, this bill fully funds the operation, renovation, and repair of on-base child development centers, and supports full-day pre-kindergarten access to expand childcare for members of the armed forces.

Heinrich was also crucial in securing a provision that advocates for Military Family Life Counselors, specifically calling for the services to prioritize hiring and retaining experienced counselors across the country. The bill also provides funds for programs that operate in New Mexico, including $50 million for the National Guard Youth Challenge program and $20 million for the STARBASE educational STEM program that currently operates at both Kirtland and Holloman Air Force Bases in New Mexico. Last month, Heinrich announced that STARBASE will also soon come to Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, N.M.

Military Readiness and Resilience: Heinrich successfully included key report language and a $22.6 million increase above the President’s budget request, totaling $200 million, for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI). The report language and increase in funds are vital to building on previous program success addressing encroachment and improving military installation resilience at military installations such as Cannon Air Force Base and Melrose Air Force Range in Clovis, New Mexico. The success of the REPI program in Clovis led to Cannon, Melrose, and the surrounding 2.4 million acres of land being designated as the “Eastern New Mexico Sentinel Landscape.”  The Eastern New Mexico Sentinel Landscape is one of five new landscapes designated by the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership -- a coalition comprised of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and Department of the Interior with the aim of advancing sustainable land use practices and protecting vital water resources.

Environmental Mitigation: Heinrich successfully advocated for $2 billion for environmental mitigation activities for defense communities, which is $452 million above FY24 enacted levels. This includes an additional $129 million for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) cleanup and related activities, for a total of $983 million, and an increase of $50 million for the Military Munitions Response Program for a total of $323 million.

Space Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis Hub: Building on success from the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations Bill, Heinrich successfully included funds for the build-out of a Space Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis Hub to support simulations of real-world space threats, with funding for this project executed by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Hub will help the U.S. Space Force achieve its 2026 target for delivering maximal operational capability in the form of new, more resilient space systems. New Mexico has a world-class public and private space ecosystem, including an exceptional workforce training pipeline, making our state a national leader on space.

Space Technology Investments: Heinrich successfully included multiple funding increases, totaling $36.5 million, to research and develop critical technologies supporting satellite communications, space domain awareness, space threat detection and attribution, satellite health monitoring using artificial intelligence, and satellite propulsion technologies. New Mexico’s role in the space defense industrial base is crucial to our nation’s national security.

Cyber Warfare: Heinrich successfully included a $15 million increase for the continued research and development of an all-domain environment for information and cyber dominance. New Mexico plays a critical role in using cyber assets to protect Americans from threats at home and abroad. This includes work by New Mexico Tech, which is at the forefront of developing cutting-edge cyber capabilities for the Department of Defense.

Defense Research Partnership with Academia: Understanding the importance of the research synergy between the Department of Defense and academia, Heinrich successfully included $20 million for the Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. New Mexico is an eligible state for this program and New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico have both received competitive awards in the past.

Energy and Water Development Key Points and Highlights  

WIPP Road Repairs: Heinrich successfully included $40 million to improve roads leading to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico, through recommended payments from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to the State of New Mexico. Since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee, Heinrich has been a steadfast advocate for appropriating these funds. Once passed, it will mark the first time that funds have been appropriated for this purpose since 2014. These repairs would improve safety for WIPP workers, shipments, and the surrounding communities.

Southwest Border Regional Commission: Heinrich successfully included $14 million for the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC). This comes in addition to the $2 million that Heinrich successfully included in the Committee-passed FY25 Agriculture Appropriations Bill and the $5 million Heinrich successfully included in the Committee-passed FY25 Transportation Appropriations Bill.

The SBRC’s mission is to provide a comprehensive approach to addressing persistent economic distress in the southwest border region, including through public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, business development, entrepreneurship, job skills training, workforce development, and access to quality healthcare for communities with the greatest needs.

Since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee, Heinrich successfully secured the first-ever congressional investments to finally allow the SBRC to jump-start its operations. In December, Heinrich also introduced the Southwest Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act to fully fund the SBRC and deliver the fair share of federal investment that New Mexico’s communities deserve.

National Labs: Heinrich helped to include $8.6 billion for the DOE Office of Science, which supports both Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Over the course of his tenure in Congress, Heinrich has helped double the total budgets for Sandia and LANL, significantly increasing the total employees and local economic impact of both labs. In its recently published Economic Impact Report, LANL touted a record number of nearly 16,000 employees and $930 million spent with local businesses in New Mexico. Comparatively, following a series of layoffs and federal budget cuts, there were approximately 11,000 employees at LANL in 2008. According to its latest annual Economic Impact Report, Sandia added more than 1,200 employees last year and ended the year with more than 16,700 employees. That’s more than double the approximately 8,000 people employed by Sandia in New Mexico in 2008.

Energy Communities: Heinrich successfully included $2 million to evaluate a potential LANL satellite location within New Mexico to address current power supply and housing limitations, with consideration of land resources, environment, physical attributes, and input from Tribes and local governments. The report language specifically directs consideration of Española, Pojoaque, and White Rock, New Mexico.

Environmental Cleanup: Heinrich successfully included $273.6 million for environmental cleanup of LANL legacy waste. This funding will help achieve important milestones in mitigating the hexavalent chromium plume and the Royal Demolition Explosives (RDX) plume in Cañon de Valle.

Clean, Affordable Energy: Heinrich successfully included $130 million for DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office to develop geothermal technologies that can deliver 24/7 clean, reliable electricity. In May, Senator Heinrich joined a letter requesting robust funding for geothermal research and demonstrations through the DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. Heinrich also successfully included funding to ensure clean, reliable grid operations, including $20 million for studies to develop the use of AI to improve grid reliability and access to clean energy supplies, $300 million for necessary grid upgrades such as transformers and key grid components, and $60 million for DOE’s Grid Deployment Office. As the Chair of the Senate Fusion Energy Caucus, Heinrich secured $825 million for the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, a $35 million increase over last year’s funding. Heinrich also successfully included language in the bill report directing DOE to implement the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA) to allow consumers the option to claim rebates up to $840 each for electric cooking products and electric heat pump clothes dryers for a total of up to $1680 in savings.

Coordinated Rio Grande Basin Management: Heinrich successfully included language emphasizing the need for coordinated water management between the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Upper Rio Grande Basin and directing the Corps to identify future work that can be done to improve coordinated operations.

Tribal Partnerships: Heinrich successfully included increased funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tribal Partnership Program. This program is the only Corps authority that specifically works with Tribes as partners, assisting Tribes with water resources projects that address economic, environmental, and cultural resource needs. The program has supported numerous critically important flood control projects on Tribal lands in New Mexico.

Congressionally Directed Spending

Heinrich successfully included $3,527,000 in investments for the following five local projects in the bill: 

  • $1,848,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue supporting the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program, a partnership between federal, state, tribal, and local organizations that provides key environmental protection and recovery efforts from the headwaters of the Rio Chama watershed to the spillway crest of Elephant Butte Reservoir.
  • $500,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remove jetty jacks in the Albuquerque area of the Middle Rio Grande.
  • $500,000 for New Mexico State University to support the Navajo Nation’s agricultural advanced energy transition design study.
  • $400,000 for New Mexico Tech to investigate novel methods to use photo-electrolysis to produce zero-emissions hydrogen and critical minerals from brackish waters.
  • $279,000 for Sovereign Energy to provide clean energy microgrid education and technical assistance to Tribal Nations in New Mexico.

Between the Senate and House Energy and Water Development Appropriations bills, Heinrich and his N.M. Delegation colleagues also secured Committee support of the following:

  • Heinrich, U.S Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) successfully included in the Senate bill $2,500,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out water-related environmental infrastructure and resource protection projects in communities around New Mexico, which may include projects related to wastewater treatment, water supply, environmental restoration, and surface water resource protection and development.
  • Heinrich, Luján, and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) successfully included in the House bill $3,500,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to design and construct irrigation infrastructure that is part of acequia systems in New Mexico. Acequias are vital to the agricultural heritage and economy of New Mexico and help keep critically valuable groundwater and surface water resources in balance.

Financial Services and General Government Key Points and Highlights

International Trade: Heinrich successfully included language highlighting the General Service Administration’s (GSA) intent to begin an Environmental Assessment on the Santa Teresa Land Port of Entry’s modernization and expansion, the next step in the Port Modernization planning process. Additionally, Heinrich successfully included language encouraging GSA to work with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to prioritize Santa Teresa on CBP’s 5-year construction list.

This follows more than a decade of Heinrich’s work to expand and invest in the Santa Teresa Port of Entry. Most recently, after Heinrich successfully utilized his Congressionally Directed Spending for a feasibility study on the modernization and expansion of the Santa Teresa Land Port of Entry, Heinrich led a letter with Luján and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) to GSA and CBP commending the completion of the study and urging both agencies to make this project a top priority. This letter came after a push from Heinrich in March for the agencies to promptly complete the feasibility study to expand and modernize the Santa Teresa Port of Entry. You can find more detailed information about all of Heinrich’s actions to secure forward-looking investments to modernize and expand the Santa Teresa Land Port of Entry HERE. 

IRS Customer Service and Delays: Heinrich successfully included language requiring the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to produce two reports. First, the IRS must produce a publicly available report on their customer service responsiveness and steps for improvement, including the average wait time for callers and the number of calls that go unanswered. Additionally, the IRS must produce a report on the backlog in Employee Retention Tax Credit processing and steps that have been taken to reduce the backlog.

Tribal Internet Access: Heinrich successfully included language directing the Federal Communications Commission to provide a report on their work to include Tribal Essential Community Serving Institutions in the E-Rate program to improve access to internet in Tribal communities. This builds on Heinrich’s legislation, the Tribal Connect Act, which authorizes Tribal Essential Community Serving Institutions for the E-Rate program, making it easier for Tribes to secure high-speed internet access at Tribal Essential Community-Serving Institutions. Leger Fernández introduced the companion legislation in the House. It also follows a letter Heinrich and Luján joined their colleagues in sending to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel supporting the Commission’s proposal to expand the E-Rate program to allow schools and libraries to loan out Wi-Fi hotspots to students and educators. In their letter, the lawmakers specifically called for the expansion and modernization of the E-Rate hotspot program to help reduce educational disparities for low-income students.

United States Postal Service: Heinrich successfully included language that continues to urge the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to pause any plans to consolidate or downgrade postal facilities until January 1, 2025. In New Mexico, USPS does much more than deliver mail.  It better connects us with our rural and Tribal communities across the state and serves as an important mainstay in our communities. Heinrich continues to provide oversight of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s Delivering for America Plan. Heinrich has also cosponsored the Postal Processing Protection Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). This bipartisan bill would make it harder for the USPS to close, consolidate, or downgrade facilities, especially when doing so would decrease the efficiency of mail delivery.

Congressionally Directed Spending

Heinrich successfully included $2,773,000 in investments for the following 12 local projects in the bill:  

  • $550,000 for Ngage New Mexico to create a childcare business accelerator in southern New Mexico.
  • $375,000 for the San Juan County Partnership to implement a Strategic Prevention Framework to focus on substance use prevention among youth ages 9-20.
  • $340,000 for the New Mexico State University Library to provide digital preservation services for New Mexico’s cultural heritage institutions.
  • $330,000 for WESST to develop and offer a Childcare Business Accelerator program for rural New Mexico communities.
  • $250,000 for Downtown Taos, Inc. to improve facilities and increase staffing at the Business Resource and Innovation Center.
  • $200,000 for Capacity Builders to provide programming in San Juan and McKinley Counties to encourage substance use prevention among Native youth.
  • $160,000 for WESST to provide marketing and entrepreneurship training to artists and creatives.
  • $156,000 for WESST to create a Trades Business Accelerator for entrepreneurs in the skilled trades to help address the nationwide shortage of contractors.
  • $150,000 for the Middle Rio Grande Economic Development Association to provide training and networking opportunities for small businesses in Valencia, Socorro, Sierra, and Catron Counties.
  • $100,000 for the Unified Prevention Coalition to provide substance use prevention services in Doña Ana County.
  • $100,000 for DreamSpring to provide technical assistance to small businesses to support climate resiliency, weatherization, and sustainability in their business practices.
  • $62,000 for the New Mexico Chile Association to help agricultural small businesses expand through training and mentorship.

Heinrich and Luján successfully included $2,501,000 for the following six projects: 

  • $1,000,000 for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to expand their Entrepreneur Complex for Native small business owners.
  • $500,000 for the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area to expand entrepreneurial training tailored to creative and agriculture businesses.
  • $300,000 for the New Mexico Minority Business Development Agency to create a Food and Beverage “New to Export” Cohort that will provide comprehensive support to business enterprises looking to export their products.
  • $300,000 for Three Sisters Kitchen to continue their Manufactured Food Business Training Program.
  • $201,000 for Vida Mejor Capital’s Navigation Services Center to build the capacity of small businesses in the food and agriculture industry in rural and underserved communities.
  • $200,000 for the New Mexico Minority Business Development Agency to provide one-on-one business counseling for entrepreneurs in southern New Mexico.

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights

Health Workforce: Heinrich successfully included increased funding for the National Health Service Corps and directed the Corps to increase the number of medical school scholarships they provide to students from rural communities. This will increase equitable access to medical school and help address the rural provider workforce shortage.

Navajo Birth Cohort Study: Heinrich successfully included $180 million for the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO), which funds the Navajo Birth Cohort Study. Additionally, the bill encourages the expansion of the study to include a larger representation of Navajo children to better understand the impacts of environmental exposure in the Navajo Nation.

Reducing Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis: Heinrich successfully included report language to address the concerning rise of syphilis and congenital syphilis in newborns. This will ensure federal agencies prioritize efforts to combat infections and protect the health of mothers and infants.

Bolstering Mental Health Initiatives: Heinrich successfully included funding and report language to help meet the critical mental health needs of New Mexicans. This includes $25 million for the Graduate Psychology Education Program, which supports pipeline programs for psychologists and expands access to mental and behavioral health services for vulnerable and underserved populations in rural and urban communities. Heinrich also successfully included an increase of $20 million for the National 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to ensure timely responses as use of the service continues to grow.

Additionally, Heinrich successfully included report language to help address the growing youth mental health crisis, including for youth experiencing substance use disorder and those with multiple adverse childhood experiences. The language will ensure grant funding targets early identification and intervention of mental health issues to prevent the escalation of substance use disorder and mitigate the long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences.

College Retention and Completion: Heinrich successfully included an increase in funding for the Postsecondary Student Success Grant, which invests in evidence-based strategies that support student engagement and degree completion. During his time on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Heinrich successfully helped to establish and fund the Postsecondary Student Success Grants Program at the U.S. Department of Education. In total, Heinrich has secured $95 million in funding for the Postsecondary Student Success Grant. In March, Heinrich introduced the Postsecondary Student Success Act to support evidence-based practices that support student retention, completion, and success in postsecondary education. The Postsecondary Student Success Grant is based on legislation that Heinrich introduced in 2021 called the College Completion Fund Act, which would provide states with formula funding to higher education institutions to increase graduation and completion rates for all students enrolled at all public colleges and universities.

Educator Pipelines: Heinrich successfully included report language that supports initiatives to build multilingual teacher pipelines through multilingual Grow-Your-Own programs. Taking an asset-based approach to language instruction, for example by encouraging students and families to maintain their heritage languages while also learning English or incorporating culturally relevant texts, has been shown to increase students’ academic achievement.

Literacy: Heinrich successfully included report language to support biliteracy and multilingual approaches to instruction and support teacher training in bilingual and multilingual education. By prioritizing grants that serve rural, Tribal, and Limited English Proficiency communities, the Department of Education can effectively enhance educational opportunities, improve literacy outcomes, and ensure that all students, regardless of their geographic or demographic circumstances, have access to high-quality multilingual programs.

Congressionally Directed Spending

Heinrich successfully included $16,683,000 in investments for the following 20 local projects in the bill: 

  • $4,000,000 for Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari to improve energy workforce training and purchase equipment.
  • $2,304,000 for the Pueblo of Pojoaque to expand its behavioral health facility. 
  • $2,063,000 for Dar a Luz Birth & Health Center in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque to expand its birthing center to serve more patients.  
  • $1,517,000 for the New Mexico Reentry Center to provide job training.
  • $1,200,000 for the SMART Local Union No. 49 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee to enhance and expand specialized HVAC apprenticeship training. 
  • $870,000 for the U.A. Local 412 Outreach and Education Foundation to provide training in the skilled trades.
  • $750,000 for New Mexico State University to partner with the New Mexico Primary Care Training Consortium to increase rural residency training. 
  • $636,000 for the New Mexico Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs for mental health programming for youth.  
  • $500,000 for Future Focused Education to support the Youth Mental Health and Peer Support internships program. 
  • $480,000 for New Mexico State University to provide professional development to K-12 teachers. 
  • $331,000 for Taos Pueblo Health and Community Services to expand the Recovery Works! Program, its peer-led recovery program for Taos Pueblo Tribal members.
  • $321,000 for Dual Language Education of New Mexico to develop culturally and linguistically responsive professional development programs. 
  • $300,000 for National Alliance Mental Illness Albuquerque for mental health and substance use treatment services. 
  • $250,000 for the Gadsden Independent School District for workforce and career readiness, including paid youth internships. 
  • $250,000 for the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe to develop and launch a baccalaureate degree program in computer science.
  • $250,000 for New Mexico State University for a statewide bilingual education initiative.
  • $250,000 for the Three Rivers Education Foundation to provide early childhood literacy training and resources. 
  • $201,000 for the Early Childhood Center of Excellence at Santa Fe Community College to expand the APRENDE Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program.   
  • $125,000 for Deming Public Schools to plan a new career and technical education program. 
  • $85,000 for San Juan College in Farmington to purchase equipment for workforce training.  

Heinrich and Luján successfully included $6,154,000 for the following 10 projects: 

  • $1,484,000 for the New Mexico Poison Control Center, in partnership with the University of New Mexico, to expand its overdose and substance use disorder services and increase outreach to rural communities. 
  • $1,135,000 for Central New Mexico Community College to expand training in clean energy and transmission-related technology.  
  • $750,000 for Gallup Community Health to expand behavioral and specialty health services.
  • $750,000 for the New Mexico Department of Health to hire disease intervention specialists to decrease the rate of syphilis in New Mexico.
  • $512,000 for the University of New Mexico to support and expand teacher residency training. 
  • $500,000 for the Hispano Roundtable of New Mexico, in partnership with Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum, to offer Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) programs.
  • $450,000 for the University of New Mexico to implement a support model to improve reading outcomes. 
  • $333,000 for Las Cumbres Community Services to expand its Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program. 
  • $200,000 for the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions to increase pre-apprenticeship programs statewide in the construction and trade industries.   
  • $40,000 for Northern New Mexico College in Española to expand health care career pathways.

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