press releases

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on the second anniversary of the insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021:  “Today marks two years since the January 6th insurrection. That day I witnessed firsthand things I never thought I’d see at the United States Capitol. Our...

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. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives-Elect Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) filed a public comment letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell and...

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...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, released a video statement on investing in early childhood education in New Mexico after final passage of the bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Agreement for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). The omnibus agreement, which passed the Senate and House and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, released a video statement on investing in early childhood education in New Mexico after final passage of the bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Agreement for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). The omnibus agreement, which passed the Senate and House and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) announced $6,464,685 in funding from the Infrastructure Law to help communities in New Mexico prepare for and respond to the challenges of drought and help bring clean, reliable drinking water to households. The City of Gallup will receive $5,000,000 for...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) are delivering over $273 million in investments for 146 local projects across New Mexico through the Omnibus Appropriations Agreement for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). The bill passed the Senate today and is expected to be voted on by the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), founder and co-chair of the Electrification Caucus, is urging the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to address the high level of dangerous indoor air pollutants emitted by gas stoves.   Reports have found that gas stoves, which are used by more than 40 million homes across...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) welcomed President Joe Biden signing their bipartisan legislation, the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, into law today. “Now that the President has signed the STOP Act into law, I look forward to...

WASHINGTON – The Omnibus Appropriations Agreement for Fiscal Year 2023 includes legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) to rename the U.S. Post Office located at 400 North Main Street in Belen, New Mexico, in honor of former U.S. Senator Dennis Chávez....

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...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, has secured funding in the Omnibus Appropriations Agreement for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) to support critical U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs playing a key role in recovery and rebuilding efforts for communities and land...

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...

Those who suffered losses from the largest wildfire in the state’s recorded history could see nearly $1.5 billion in additional federal aid if the funding request New Mexico’s congressional delegates added to the federal omnibus spending package passes this week. The added money would bump recovery funds for the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon...

Congress overnight announced $1.45 billion more for a compensation program for victims of New Mexico’s biggest-ever wildfire, bringing the total that could be approved for the blaze to $3.95 billion.  The omnibus spending package still has to be approved in both chambers, and lawmakers are up against a clock, trying to get it done by the...