in the news

The federal government will pump $50 million into Amtrak’s Southwest Chief passenger train route, which passes through New Mexico, members of the state’s congressional delegation announced Friday. The measure — pushed by U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján — will provide money for...

A sweeping public lands conservation package that passed the U.S. Senate on Tuesday with overwhelming support from both parties would establish 13 new wilderness areas in New Mexico, the largest land designation in a single year since 1980. The Natural Resources Management Act, including 170 bills with provisions reaching into every state, passed...

The Senate on Tuesday passed the most sweeping conservation legislation in a decade, protecting millions of acres of land and hundreds of miles of wild rivers across the country and establishing four new national monuments honoring heroes including Civil War soldiers and a civil rights icon. The 662-page measure, which passed 92 to 8,...

In an effort to prevent another lapse in federal funding, U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall on Thursday introduced three proposals aimed at addressing needs in remote areas of the southern border region and bolstering economic development in border communities. One bill would provide Border Patrol agents with increased medical training and...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich are pushing to have two northern New Mexico sites designated as public wilderness areas. "The Rio San Antonio sits 200 feet below a plateau and creates a unique riparian area and amazing recreational opportunities that boost the local economy," said Sen. Udall.  Senator Udall...

FARMINGTON — Tribal leaders from the Southwest will be among the guests selected by congressional members to attend the State of the Union address tonight. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez will attend as Sen. Tom Udall's guest, Vice President Myron Lizer is the guest for Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz., and Sen. Martin Heinrich...

Senate Democrats introduced legislation on Monday to prevent President Trump from using military and disaster relief funds to construct the U.S.-Mexico border wall should he declare a national emergency. The legislation would prevent Trump from using funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works funds and...

A bill filed in the U.S. Senate will benefit Native American entrepreneurs.  U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich are sponsoring the Native American Business Incubators Program Act. The act lays out a plan to expand entrepreneurship in Indian Country through a competitive grant program.  Sen. Udall says Native businesses...

Two United States senators from New Mexico joined 10 others to introduce Savanna’s Act, legislation to combat the epidemic of murdered and missing Indigenous women by improving the federal government's response to the crisis. The bipartisan bill would increase coordination among all levels of law enforcement, increases data...

WASHINGTON (KRQE) - U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich wants to turn Bandelier National Monument into a National Park.  Sen. Heinrich plans on introducing a new proposal that would make it happen.  The designation carries more prestige, which in turn brings more tourists, jobs and revenue.  He's also working on granting the National Parks...

A study commissioned by the Rail Passengers Association says that local economies along the route of the Amtrak’s Southwest Chief passenger train between Albuquerque and Dodge City, Kan., would be derailed by as much as $116.4 million annually if Amtrak were to substitute rail service between the two cities with charter buses. Direct spending...

On Monday, federal employees will return to work.  For now. After more than 30 days, the partial federal shutdown ended Friday. During that time, almost 11,000 New Mexicans—and 800,000 people nationwide—were either furloughed or working without pay. But many people remain wary, given that the deal worked out between Congress...

The government is open and many were out enjoying some of New Mexico's open spaces. The Petroglyph National Monument was just one of several parks partially closed during the shutdown, which caused some problems that had to be cleaned up. "Three weeks is better than nothing, so I hope that it works," said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. The shutdown...

Thursday, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) voted for a clean spending bill to reopen the government immediately.  The measure, which received bipartisan support, would reopen currently closed agencies and fund the federal government through Feb. 8. The proposal failed to reach the 60-vote threshold to advance in the Senate.   “New...

Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, along with U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Martin Heinrich...

Today, as federal workers miss their second paycheck, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released a Shutdown Resource Guide to help those who have been impacted by President Trump's shutdown. “I've heard from far too many New Mexicans who cannot afford to wait any longer for President Trump's reckless shutdown to end," said...

SANTA FE (AP) — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich wants the federal government to turn Bandelier National Monument into a full-fledged national park. New Mexico's junior senator told state lawmakers Friday that he plans to introduce legislation this year what would provide national park status to the wilderness area and archaeological preserve near...

SANTA FE – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich called on state lawmakers Friday to pass legislation dealing with renewable energy, climate change and early childhood education during their ongoing 60-day legislation. In a 20-minute speech, Heinrich, a Democrat, said the session represents a “once-in-a-generation opportunity,” due largely to...

Senate Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday to ensure information given to the government by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beneficiaries isn't used for immigration enforcement. New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich (D) led the bill, dubbed the Dreamer Confidentiality act. “Nearly a million Dreamers across the...

New Mexico families are paying the price for the longest government shutdown in American history because President Trump refuses to stop holding our federal workers, our economy and basic government services hostage to his political gamesmanship. Congress has taken the votes to pass a bipartisan solution to reopen the government immediately. In...