in the news

CARLSBAD, N.M. (KRQE) – A housing shortage in Carlsbad is being blamed for the increasing teacher turnover rate. Now lawmakers and realtors are stepping in to help. Sen. Martin Heinrich’s staff will host a housing fair for Carlsbad teachers and school employees next Thursday. There is such a housing crunch there because of the booming...

Last year, I said I would work hard every day to restore the basic bargain on which this country was built, that if you work hard and play by the rules you can get ahead. That was my commitment then and remains my commitment to you today. This year presents new opportunities for Congress to work together in a bipartisan, bicameral way to...

The Obama administration is preparing to designate areas in New Mexico and California off-limits to development under its executive authority, according to individuals familiar with the matter, a move that signals a bolder public-lands policy in the president’s second term. The individuals, who asked not to be identified because a final...

On a tour Thursday, Jan. 23, of Sapphire Energy’s research and development facility in the West Mesa Industrial Park, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich addressed the unique nature of the advanced biodiesel industry and the challenge it poses for legislators. “Advanced bio-fuels are caught between the silos of agricultural regulations and oil...

FARMINGTON — New Mexico senators said Tuesday that funding for the Payment of Lieu of Tax program has been added to the Farm Bill conference report. If Congress approves the report and President Barack Obama signs it into law, county governments throughout the country will share more than $400 million to compensate them for federal lands...

Down in Las Cruces, excitement is growing. Years of work to preserve the Organ Mountains-Desert Peak region are almost completed, with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visiting Friday to listen to the community and hear their views on what should be done to protect the majestic country. Her visit is likely one of the last steps before action is...

The Southwest New Mexico Transition Center received a visit from U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) Thursday on a whirlwind tour of the southern half of the state. Heinrich traveled to Luna and Dona Ana counties to meet with local and area organizations in Deming, Hatch and Las Cruces. The tour began Wednesday. "We are honored Senator Heinrich...

When Martin Heinrich won election to the U.S. Senate in 2012, the former Democratic House member had his eye on two plum committee assignments: Armed Services, and Energy and Natural Resources. New Mexico’s vast military presence and abundant mineral resources made both panels a natural fit. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid offered Heinrich...

WASHINGTON — Last May, Senate Intelligence Committee rookie Martin Heinrich was just settling into his new Senate office, five floors above the committee’s fiercely guarded headquarters, and finally wrapping his head around some of the intelligence matters he’d recently been tasked to oversee when Edward Snowden...

They do a lot of things well in New Mexico. It is truly a Land of Enchantment. However, one area to address is the protection of significant historical sites and artifacts within the state's borders. This is a shame, considering the wealth of history that can be found in all corners of the state -- but especially within the borders of the proposed...

The Organ Mountains and surrounding area form a beautiful and iconic backdrop for Las Cruces and are beloved by New Mexicans who visit Doña Ana County to hunt, picnic, hike, and explore. This month, we were proud to introduce legislation to ensure that future generations of New Mexicans can continue those traditions, while boosting tourism...

U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan reaffirmed their support for marriage equality and joined the work of New Mexico Unites for Marriage, the campaign dedicated to securing and protecting that freedom for everyone in the state. Their endorsements come as the New Mexico Supreme Court is poised to rule on a case...

Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation continue to push for the designation of 45,000 acres in Taos County as the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness. The Columbine-Hondo located in the high country north of the existing Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area, is currently a wilderness study area. Local activists are hoping an official wilderness...

WASHINGTON — THE framers of the Constitution declared that government officials had no power to seize the records of individual Americans without evidence of wrongdoing, and they embedded this principle in the Fourth Amendment. The bulk collection of Americans’ telephone records — so-called metadata — by the National...

SANTA FE >> A bipartisan bill to expand White Sands Missile Range cleared a U.S. Senate committee Thursday. It goes next to the full Senate for consideration. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said the bill would transfer 5,100 acres from the Bureau of Land Management to the Army. This land would be a safety and security buffer to NASA's...

This year we took a historic step toward fixing our broken immigration system. The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill that includes a visa system that meets the needs of our economy, a tough but fair path to earned citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in our country, a plan that ensures security at our...

It’s no secret that New Mexico has some of the best public lands in America for hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking, camping and other outdoor recreational pursuits. But did you know that more than a half-million acres of these so-called “public lands” in the state are actually inaccessible to the public? That’s because...

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - New Mexico's military installations could soon see a big benefit from movie making. Sen. Martin Heinrich introduced a bill Thursday that would allow individual military installations to get paid for their use during movie production. Heinrich says New Mexico's bases, like White Sands, are some of the most sought after in film...

Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, cosponsored the Sportsmen's and Public Outdoor Recreation Traditions (SPORT) Act, a comprehensive sportsmen's legislative package that includes two of Senator Heinrich's sponsored bills: the Hunt...

Sen. Martin Heinrich, in a speech delivered on the Senate floor Tuesday, said the government shutdown is hitting New Mexico particularly hard because nearly one-third of its gross domestic product has come from federal dollars. The federal government has been partially shutdown because of an impasse in the House of Representatives over funding of...