press releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement on the resignation of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt: "Scott Pruitt has been surrounded by ethical problems and failed to take the core mission of the Environmental Protection Agency seriously. He has been plagued by conflicts...

I’m standing in the heart of White Sands National Monument, in southern New Mexico, the largest gypsum dune field in the world. A sea of sand stretches as far as the eye can see—white waves and crests and curls, all uniformly rippled on the surface. The place is so vast that it’s visible from space. If new...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in the Senate to pass the 2018 Farm Bill – major legislation that supports New Mexico farmers and ranchers, and helps every county in the state by protecting the farm and social safety net, while making strategic...

The All Pueblo Council of Governors issued a statement Tuesday (June 26) in support of preserving the Río Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monuments, providing a united front against any attempts by the Trump Administration to reduce protections. In the statement, the 20 Pueblo governors noted the monuments "protect...

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced that they have secured a provision in the Senate’s 2018 Farm Bill to make acequias eligible for grants and technical assistance from conservation and environmental programs through the U.S. Department of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced $3.1 million in AmeriCorps funding for New Mexico from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency responsible for AmeriCorps and other national service programs. These grants will put nearly 300 AmeriCorps members on the ground...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, June 12 at 5 p.m. ET, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will help showcase an art exhibit featuring photographs by International League of Conservation Photographer Krista Schlyer on the Southwest borderlands that will be on display this week in the Russell Senate Office Building...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Congressman Ben Ray Luján announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant declaration for the Ute Park Fire burning in Colfax County. The Fire Management Assistance Grant Program...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined the National Wildlife Federation, Wilderness Land Trust, Partnership for Responsible Business, Santa Ana Pueblo, and a number of other local conservation leaders and organizations to announce major gains towards improving access to public lands in New Mexico,...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – On Tuesday, May 29, at 11 a.m., U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich will join the National Wildlife Federation, Wilderness Land Trust, Partnership for Responsible Business, Santa Ana Pueblo, and a number of other local conservation leaders and organizations to announce major gains towards improving access to...

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) introduced the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act, a bill to withdraw the lands around Chaco Canyon from further development by the federal government. The bill would ensure the protection of Chaco ruins and the greater...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Drilling across a swath of northwestern New Mexico's oil and gas country would be prohibited under legislation drafted by the state's two U.S. senators. The measure being unveiled Tuesday by Democrats Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich would prevent any future leasing or development of minerals owned by the federal...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A swath of northwestern New Mexico’s oil and gas country would be off limits to drilling under proposed federal legislation that seeks to make permanent a buffer zone that has kept development away from Chaco Culture National Historical Park and other sites held sacred by Native American tribes. The measure...

WASHINGTON D.C. – Tomorrow, May 22, at 10 a.m. MT / noon ET, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and President of Navajo Nation Russell Begaye and All Pueblo Council of Governors Chairman and Former Governor of Isleta Pueblo Edward Paul Torres will hold a press conference call to announce the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) called for the permanent protection of the area surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The area holds much meaning to the Navajo Nation, whose lands surround the park, and New Mexico Pueblos who...

When President Donald Trump imposed a 30 percent tariff on solar panel imports, energy leaders in New Mexico said the industry would see it through, but had to brace for some unpleasant times. On Tuesday, Mercom Capital Group, an Austin-based research and communication service, released a first-quarter report on corporate and venture...

WASHINGTON, D.C. Following a report that the Department of Defense (DoD) revised a January 2018 vulnerability assessment by removing references to climate change and key findings on the risks from sea level rise, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resources...

The Questa mine, a few miles east of the town that shares its name, has been on the list of the country’s most polluted Superfund sites for nearly two decades. For while mining operations have ceased, heavy metals and other pollutants continue to leach through the rock and contaminate the area’s water, including the nearby Red...

President Herbert Hoover established it as a national monument in 1933 and now U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich has introduced legislation to elevate White Sands to a national park. That would certainly be good for New Mexico, resulting in increased visitation and enhanced recognition for the breathtaking site. Elected officials and community leaders have...

They may not agree on all of the details, but Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), who both sit on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, concur on the necessity of updating national energy policies and addressing questions surrounding national electric transmission infrastructure. A nationwide conversation is playing...