Heinrich Welcomes $1.9 Million USDA Rural Development Award for Southwest Border Regional Commission

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, welcomed a newly announced $1.9 million funding award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development for the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) as part of a new round of investments totaling more than $194 million to support local economic development plans and projects in Rural Partners Network (RPN) communities across the country. 

“For years, I have worked to secure investments that support economic development and modernize infrastructure across New Mexico. As part of that work, I have pushed to make sure Congress fully funds the Southwest Border Regional Commission so it can boost economic progress in our southern border communities,” said Heinrich. “I’m proud to welcome this $1.9 million investment into the Commission to grow local businesses and support workforce development. By continuing to expand the Commission’s reach, we are strategically working to grow and diversify local economies.” 

This investment will be used to enhance the Southwest Border Regional Commission's work to catalyze regional, collaborative, and transformative community economic development approaches that alleviate economic distress. Funding will target rural businesses, supporting business growth and innovation, workforce development, and technical assistance. The project will be accomplished through collaboration between stakeholders working across the awardee's service area, including targeted regions of New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas. 

Background on the Southwest Border Regional Commission:

The Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) is one of six active federal regional commissions and authorities, which are congressionally chartered, federal-state partnerships created to promote economic development in their respective regions. Congress first authorized the establishment of the SBRC in 2008 to promote economic development in the southern border regions of New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas. 

For years, Heinrich has fought to successfully stand up the SBRC and give southern border communities equitable access to federal investments that help them thrive. Heinrich wrote an op-ed in the Las Cruces Bulletin in January about his long-running work to expand the SBRC’s operations and impact in New Mexico. 

In 2020, Heinrich, along with former U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), helped secure an initial $250,000 of appropriations for the SBRC to jumpstart its operations.  

In 2021, Heinrich, as a new member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure $1 million for the SBRC in the FY22 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The total funding that Heinrich secured in the overall FY22 Appropriations Bills for SBRC was $2.5 million. Heinrich also helped to pass the Infrastructure Law, which included $1.25 million for the SBRC. 

In 2022, Heinrich applauded President Biden’s nomination of Juan Eduardo Sanchez to be the first Federal Co-Chairman of the SBRC and voted to confirm Sanchez to the SBRC later that year. He also helped secure $5 million in funding for the SBRC in the FY23 Appropriations Bills. 

In 2023, Heinrich led efforts to secure $8 million in FY24 funding for the SBRC, including $3 million in the FY24 Agricultural Appropriations Bill that he authored as Chairman.   

Earlier this year, Heinrich successfully included $14 million for the SBRC in the Senate Appropriations Committee-passed FY25 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill. 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.  

Last year, Heinrich led the introduction of the Southwest Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act, legislation to reauthorize and fully fund the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC). The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.). 

In September, Heinrich announced that he successfully included provisions in the “manager’s package” to the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that are based on his Southwest Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act that would: 

• Expand SBRC’s jurisdiction to include the following counties in New Mexico: Bernalillo, Cibola, Curry, De Baca, Guadalupe, Roosevelt, Torrance, Lea, and Valencia. These are in addition to Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra, Socorro, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy, Doña Ana, and Chaves Counties in New Mexico, which are already included within the SBRC’s jurisdiction.  

• Greatly increase federal grants to New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas, authorizing $40 million in annual funding for FY25-FY29.  

According to a recent report published by Heinrich, as Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, the proven success of other regional commissions shows that a fully funded and active SBRC would support vital economic development goals, grow and diversify New Mexico’s economy, and create high-quality jobs. 

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