press releases

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...

WASHINGTON – As hundreds of thousands of federal workers miss their first paychecks today due to the Trump shutdown, the U.S. Senate passed a bill cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich that ensures that impacted federal and other government workers will receive their back pay. The Government...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 9, 2019) – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act that would protect federal workers and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown. The partial government shutdown, now in its third week, hurts more than 800,000...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 9, 2019) – U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the Background Check Expansion Act to expand federal background checks to all gun sales. Under current federal law, unlicensed or private sellers are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm. Research...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 8, 2019) — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) spoke on the Senate Floor to highlight the damaging impact the Trump Shutdown is having on communities across New Mexico and to call on the president and Senate Republicans to reopen the government immediately. Already into its 18th day, almost 6,000 federal...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at approximately 5:00 p.m. MT/ 7:00p.m. ET, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will speak on the Senate floor to highlight the damaging impact the Trump Shutdown is having on communities across New Mexico and call on the president and Senate Republicans to reopen...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 3, 2019) - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) was sworn in for his second term as a U.S. Senator representing New Mexico. In a video to constituents, Senator Heinrich shared his commitment to continue fighting for New Mexico’s values and priorities. "Today, I start my new term in the U.S. Senate and I want you...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) wrote to leadership of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) demanding an immediate investigation into...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 21, 2018) - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis:  “Secretary Mattis has been a voice of stability in an otherwise chaotic administration. Throughout his decades of service,...

WASHINGTON – Tonight, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich are speaking out against President Trump shutting down the government in order to try and force American taxpayers to pay for his border wall. Udall and Heinrich both voted for a bipartisan compromise measure to keep the government open earlier this week, but Trump refused...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 20, 2018) - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced his nominees to the United States Service Academies. A nomination is required to attend the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy–the Coast Guard Academy does not...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 20, 2018) - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined the Senate in voting 87-12 to pass the bipartisan First Step Act, an important step in reforming America’s federal prison and sentencing system to reduce recidivism, save taxpayer dollars, and promote safe communities. The legislation uses...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 19, 2018) – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham urged the incoming Senate and House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees to convene oversight hearings on the death of Jakelin Caal Maquin, a 7-year-old girl from Guatemala who...

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...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) wrote to leadership of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S....

Las Cruces, N.M. - In an ongoing effort to provide top-notch constituent service, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich's (D-N.M.) staff will hold Mobile Office Hours on Friday, December 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Ena Mitchell Senior Center in Lordsburg, and from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Silver City Senior Center in Silver City....

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Martin Heinrich praised the Senate passage of a bicameral resolution commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and recognizing its importance to promoting the stability and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 13, 2018) - Today, in a press teleconference with the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native American Women, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) called for the reauthorization and expansion of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Nationwide, the number of domestic violence incidents has been cut in...

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) sent a letter to the New Mexico State Farm Service Agency’s office about the proposed 2018 County Expected Yield/T-Yield for Rio Arriba County. The lawmakers...