in the news

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) - Many federal employees affected by the shutdown are likely concerned that they will not be able to pay their largest bills, mortgages, car loans and even student loans. Now, one of New Mexico's US Senators says he's working on legislation to protect them, while they wait for the government to reopen. Roughly 6,000 federal...

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., hosted a press call Dec. 13 to discuss the importance of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA was enacted in 1994 under then-President Bill Clinton to fund prosecution of violent crimes against women, impose automatic, mandatory restitution on those convicted and allow civil redress in un-prosecuted...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Lawmakers in Washington have until Friday to figure out how to fund the Federal Government. A government shutdown could end up hurting New Mexico in more ways than one. Around 20,000 New Mexicans who work for the Federal Government are watching D.C. very closely. A shutdown would have detrimental effects on...

The opioid epidemic is one of the greatest and gravest public health crises our nation has ever faced. It has taken a heartbreaking toll on families all across New Mexico. For years, without adequate treatment resources, communities in our state have suffered through some of the highest rates of opioid and heroin dependence and overdose deaths in...

I grew up helping my parents run a small cattle operation, which is where I learned to truly value the hard work farmers and ranchers do each and every day to produce the food we eat. Our farmers help drive New Mexico’s economy, especially in rural communities. According to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, our food producers grow...

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) on Sunday called for the U.S. to ban oil imports from Saudi Arabia over the death of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Heinrich, who is running for reelection, released a statement days after the Saudi government acknowledged that Khashoggi died inside its consulate in Istanbul. "The United States cannot...

Beyond not paying for themselves, President Donald Trump's tax cuts now threaten to undermine one of his key campaign promises. A new report by the Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee in Congress reveals that by reducing the tax liability incurred by corporations, even when they move operations and jobs overseas, Trump's...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Water projects in New Mexico would get a boost as part of a massive bill passed by Congress that seeks to improve the nation’s dams and protect against floods and drought. The bill, if signed by President Donald Trump, would authorize more than $6 billion in spending over 10 years for projects nationwide. It also...

FARMINGTON — Federal legislation aimed at protecting and assisting Native Americans in voting has been introduced by several Democrats in the U.S. Senate. More than a dozen senators, including Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both of New Mexico, introduced the Native American Voting Rights Act of 2018 to provide resources and...

Several Democratic Senators and Representatives have introduced legislation to extend the US federal tax credit for zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) by 10 years. The extension is wrapped in the Electric Cars Act of 2018. Senators co-sponsoring the bill include Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kamala Harris...

The University of New Mexico has been awarded $20 million from the National Science Foundation to build a research and education program to help develop a more modern electric grid. The project aims to connect scientists from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories with students and researchers from New Mexico's higher...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - Lawmakers have devised a new plan to keep the Southwest Chief running through New Mexico. U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall are fighting to stop Amtrak from replacing some services with buses. The train currently runs through Raton, Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Gallup and costs $4 million to maintain the...

Small businesses are the engine of our nation’s economy. But too often they get left behind by federal policies that reflect the priorities of large multinational companies and urban hubs. Last month, my staff hosted a series of roundtables with small business owners. What we heard in communities across the state — from Albuquerque to...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - Albuquerque Public Schools is getting thousands of dollars for a new language program. U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced APS will receive $249,000 to teach Native American languages at schools. The funding will support three years of instruction of both the Navajo and Zuni languages at the elementary...

WASHINGTON -- New Mexico State University has been awarded $2,633,530 in funding by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish the NSF National Resource Hub for STEM Education at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Resource Hub). U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both D-NM, announced the award Friday. The HSI Resource Hub will...

Republican Claudia Tenney has a good news message about a robust U.S. economy for voters in her central New York congressional district. It’s a hard sell, though, in a region where jobs are disappearing and salary increases are small. That’s created an opening for Democrats to target the first-term congresswoman -- an ardent supporter...

LOS LUNAS — Expansion of the village of Los Lunas just received a boost from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The U.S. Department of Commerce is investing $1.3 million in Los Lunas for water infrastructure improvements to support business growth in the village. The project is expected to create 3,000 jobs. U.S. Secretary of Commerce...

Senator Heinrich, Democrat from New Mexico and a member of the Intelligence Committee, gives insight into Russian hacking and admits he and his family have been targeted: “In today’s world that kind of activity, especially spear-fishing, happens all the time," adding, “You certainly can’t be shocked" if the hackers were...

On this date 53-years ago, July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law Social Security Amendments that established Medicare and Medicaid, promising that they would "improve a wide range of health and medical services for Americans of all ages." KSFR’s Tom Trowbridge recently spoke with Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich, on...

Today is the 53rd anniversary of President Johnson signing the Medicare Act into law. When Donald Trump ran for president, he promised voters that he was not going to make any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security that the 1965 law created and strengthened. Based on the last two decades of Republican leadership...