Military & National Security

Our women and men in uniform make up the strongest, best-trained, most well-equipped military in the world. New Mexicans have long answered the call of duty to serve. This tradition runs deep in our state’s history, and at times New Mexico has had the highest rate of military volunteerism of any state in the country.

With military bases at Cannon, Holloman, Kirtland, and White Sands Missile Range, and two national laboratories, New Mexico plays a pivotal role in our national security and defense. Our state is also at the forefront of research and development that contribute to our country’s safety. I am proud to have championed initiatives to expand the roles of our labs and bases—from directed energy and small satellites to new flying missions.  Today, New Mexico is the nation’s Center of Excellence for researching, developing, and testing high energy laser and high powered microwave systems as well as researching and developing rapid space capabilities. I will continue fighting to ensure our state remains a leader in developing these next generation systems as well as transformative technologies like Artificial Intelligence. In the Senate, I founded a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Caucus so that lawmakers can strike a careful balance between mitigating the risks of new technologies like AI and fostering its tremendous economic and national security benefits.

As a son and brother of service members, and in my role as a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I am firmly committed to ensuring that our military and intelligence communities have the tools they need to keep our nation safe, fight terrorism, and support our allies.

On the Senate Intelligence committee, I have helped lead efforts to investigate the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections and to combat foreign disinformation campaigns.  I am also a strong supporter of human and constitutional rights, and believe in the notion that America can be both safe and free. I was proud to help pass the USA FREEDOM Act, which ended the National Security Agency's (NSA) bulk metadata collection program that allowed the government to collect billions of Americans' private phone call records while suspecting them of no wrongdoing. 

I was also an active proponent of doing away with the discriminatory military policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and I continue to stand up for reforms to reduce sexual assault in our military.

I am also strong supporter of human and constitutional rights, and believe in the notion that America can be both safe and free. I opposed the authorization of the PATRIOT Act and was an active proponent of doing away with the discriminatory military policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Latest

  • Heinrich Featured Speaker At The Atlantic Festival

    Sept. 24, 2019) - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), co-founder of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, was a featured speaker at The Atlantic Festival in Washington, D.C. Senator Heinrich was interviewed by The Atlantic contributor John Donvan as part of a series titled, "Military Readiness in the Age of AI." Read More

  • “I Think We Can Do Better Than That,” Heinrich Presses Army, Air Force Secretaries Nominees On Their Plans To Protect Military Construction Funding

    Sept. 12, 2019) - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today pressed Barbara M. Barrett, nominee for Secretary of the Air Force; and Ryan D. McCarthy, nominee for Secretary of the Army, on their situational awareness of Military Construction projects that have been recently stripped of funding by the Trump Administration to build a border wall on the U.S. Southwest Border. Senator Heinrich continued to ask about their plans to protect this funding, the health and safety of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Services, and the national security implications of the proposed cuts. Read More

  • NM lawmakers weren’t crying wolf about defense projects

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation weren’t crying wolf earlier this year when they voiced concerns the state could lose millions of dollars in defense project funding to pay for a wall on the border with Mexico. Read More

  • $125M for NM defense projects diverted to border wall

    Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation are criticizing a Department of Defense decision to divert $125 million from projects at two state military bases to help pay for the construction of a wall on the Mexican border. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Denounce Trump Plan to Raid $125 Million from NM Military Projects to Pay for Border Wall

    WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich condemned the Department of Defense's (DOD) announcement that President Trump is raiding $125 million from New Mexico military construction projects, including $85 million from a project at Holloman Air Force Base and $40 million from a project at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), to pay for President Trump’s border wall. In a phone call today, the Assistant Secretary for the Air Force John Henderson confirmed that the two New Mexico projects slated to begin construction in the coming year would lose funding and face an uncertain future. Read More

  • Heinrich Staff To Host Service Academy Information Night In Albuquerque

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Office of U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will host a Service Academy Information Night on Tuesday, August 27, in Albuquerque at Eldorado High School. Senator Heinrich's staff will be on hand to answer questions and give prospective applicants and their families the opportunity to speak with representatives from each military service academy and in-state ROTC programs and learn what is required to submit an application to Senator Heinrich's office. Read More

  • Heinrich urges votes on election security bills

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last week for blocking legislation he said would protect elections from foreign interference. He called on the Republican senator from Kentucky to allow votes on legislation following testimony by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the release of Mueller's report detailing intervention by Russia in the 2016 presidential election. Read More