press releases

Being dishonorably discharged from the military sticks with you for the rest of your life. It makes it harder to get a job, you aren’t entitled to military benefits, and it can even make it harder to vote. But what about those who have been dishonorably discharged for their sexual orientation? Several New Mexico lawmakers are working to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján (N.M.-03) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (N.M.-01) cosponsored the Restore Honor to Service Members Act, S. 1766 in the Senate and H.R. 3068 in the House. The legislation will help service members...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced more than $365,000 for the New Mexico Department of Transportation to help prevent drunk driving and improve safety on New Mexico roads. The funds will support local safety efforts including sobriety checkpoints, seat belt safety education and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement after President Obama announced an agreement to re-open embassies in the United States and Cuba: "Re-opening our embassy in Havana and agreeing to open a Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C. is a positive step in changing the course of our relationship with...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges: "This is an historic moment for the country and it marks a significant step forward to creating a fairer, more just society. I am thrilled that the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 16, 2015) - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to pass an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), reaffirming the United States' ban on the use of torture on detainees. Senator Heinrich is a cosponsor of the amendment, which passed by a...

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is cosponsoring the Fair Elections Now Act, a bill to dramatically change the way Congressional elections are financed. Under the legislation, qualified Senate candidates would earn grants, matching funds, and television vouchers to run competitive campaigns based on small-dollar contributions, rather than rely...

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, voted for the USA Freedom Act of 2015, which passed the Senate by a vote of 67 to 32. The legislation will end the National Security Agency's (NSA) bulk collection program that has allowed the government to collect billions of Americans' private records...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) tonight brushed back claims by proponents of mass surveillance and called on the Senate to move quickly to a full debate of the USA FREEDOM Act, in a colloquy on the Senate floor. View the full colloquy here: 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement after voting for the bipartisan USA FREEDOM Act of 2015. The bill cleared an important procedural vote tonight by a vote of 77-17. "I’m pleased Republicans joined with Democrats to do what’s...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 29, 2015) -- U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, is calling for the passage of the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 to ensure the Intelligence Community has an updated legal framework to strengthen national security while also protecting the privacy rights of Americans. The...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement after voting for the bipartisan USA Freedom Act of 2015, which would end the bulk collection of Americans private records. The measure failed to overcome a filibuster despite receiving 57 votes, just...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, is calling for the passage of the USA Freedom Act of 2015 to ensure the Intelligence Community has an updated legal framework to strengthen national security while also protecting the privacy rights of Americans. The legislation will...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – CIA Director John Brennan must admit the CIA improperly searched Senate files, and commit to never again threatening the Constitutional separation between Congress and the executive branch, Senate Intelligence Committee members Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, wrote...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, called on the White House to finally end the mass surveillance of Americans, following a decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that the National Security Agency is violating the law by collecting...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement opposing S. 1035, a bill to reauthorize Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act--the provision used by the National Security Agency (NSA) to collect the phone records of law-abiding Americans. "I strongly...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - With a Republican budget agreement that could cut funding by $24 million for a critical grant program that helps police departments utilize body cameras and other innovative technology, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined 17 senators in calling for full funding of the U.S. Department of Justice Byrne Justice Assistance...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement today after voting to confirm Loretta Lynch to be the next United States Attorney General: "Loretta Lynch's impressive legal career and commitment to justice will make her an outstanding Attorney General.  She is intelligent, fair, and an admired public...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) marked National Equal Pay Day and called for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill aimed at combatting wage discrimination on the basis of gender. "It's unacceptable that women in New Mexico are earning 82 cents for every dollar a man makes, and the disparity is even worse for...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Democratic Hispanic Task Force, cosponsored a resolution to honor civil rights leader César E. Chávez. "César Chávez was a visionary and passionate leader who dedicated his life to helping some of our most underrepresented communities. He...