BREAKING: Senate Passes Over $205 Million Heinrich Secured for New Mexico Projects

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced the Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Military Construction, Veterans Affairs (VA), Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies Appropriations Bills. With Senate passage of these bills, Heinrich secured Senate-passage of over $205 million for New Mexico, including over $32 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for 13 local projects.

“This package isn’t perfect, but after tough negotiations and bipartisan compromise, I am pleased to have secured Senate support of critical investments that will make a real difference in the lives of New Mexicans,” said Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “From housing and nutrition programs that support working families, to resources for our veterans and investments in military infrastructure that strengthen our national security—this funding reflects our values. I will always fight for federal resources that grow our economy, put New Mexico families first, and honor the service of those who keep us safe.”

As Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, Heinrich also negotiated the bipartisan FY26 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, which was also passed by the Senate today. Heinrich spoke about the bill on the Senate floor. Click here for a video of Heinrich’s remarks. This bill passed with strong bipartisan support by a vote of 81 to 15.

Additionally, Heinrich stood up for New Mexico families by fighting to amend these Appropriations bills to include:

• An amendment to prohibit any funding provided through any of the Appropriations bills for FY26 from being included in any future rescission package. This amendment would also prevent any deferral of appropriated funding under the Impoundment Control Act, including withholdings through pocket rescissions. This amendment was blocked by Senate Republicans.
• An amendment to ensure that no funds are used to reduce staffing levels, hours of operation, decrease training, or otherwise limit the availability and function of the Veterans Crisis Hotline. This amendment was included.
• An amendment to require the Secretary of VA to report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and Veterans Affairs of any plans to review or change staffing models at the VA and how this would impact health care and benefit delivery to veterans. This amendment was blocked by Senate Republicans.
• An amendment to require the VA Secretary to submit a report within 90 days on any plans to reduce the VA workforce in FY26, including an explanation of the analysis used to determine which roles would be cut. This amendment was included.
• An amendment to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to publish a quarterly report on the number of veterans who would have been reported to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), if such reporting were permitted, and if any of those veterans committed suicide by firearm. This amendment was blocked by Senate Republicans.
• An amendment to prohibit any funding from being used to implement a reorganization of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The amendment also requires the USDA to conduct a benefit-cost analysis on the USDA’s proposed reorganization plan. This amendment was blocked by Senate Republicans.
• An amendment Heinrich co-sponsored to require a report from the Secretary of Agriculture to Congress on the New World Screwworm domestic readiness and response initiative at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, including information on sterile fly production.

Next, the bills passed by the Senate will head to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

FY26 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Key Points and Highlights

Heinrich successfully included and secured Senate passage of investments in the following seven New Mexico projects:

• $90,000,000 for the construction of a 192-bed dormitory for airmen at Cannon Air Force Base.
• $83,000,000 for the construction of a new Space Rapid Capabilities Office Headquarters on Kirtland Air Force Base.
• $18,250,000 to construct a new Explosive Operations Building at Kirtland Air Force Base, which is essential for the safe and efficient handling, inspection, and storage of munitions in alignment with Air Force operational requirements.
• $3,200,000 to construct a Child Development Center (CDC) on Kirtland Air Force Base that supports the growing childcare needs of Kirtland Air Force Base personnel.

Heinrich also included and secured Senate passage of language addressing the ongoing energy infrastructure needs at White Sands Missile Range, ensuring troop readiness and training is prioritized.

Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) also successfully included and secured Senate passage for the following projects:

• $8,100,000 to renovate and construct a training facility for Security Forces at Cannon Air Force Base. This will help support the continued growth of this Security Force unit.
• $2,000,000 to restore and improve antiterrorism technology at the Wyoming Gate at Kirtland Air Force Base.
• $700,000 to finish the design of a new High Speed Test Track at Holloman Air Force Base.

Support for Veterans

Heinrich included and secured Senate passage for the following key veteran programs:

Suicide Prevention

Heinrich successfully secured $18,866,195,000 for mental health treatment, including $697,760,000 for suicide prevention outreach. Heinrich also secured language encouraging the VA to use predictive modeling and analytics for veteran suicide prevention in the Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health-Veterans Enhanced Treatment (REACH VET) program. This innovative solution would identify veterans with evidence-based risk factors for suicidal ideation in order to get help to veterans before a potential mental health crisis.

In 2020, Heinrich voted in favor of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-171), which supported and authorized the REACH VET program.

Rural Health

Heinrich successfully secured $342,455,000 for the VA’s Office of Rural Health and its Rural Health Initiative to continue supporting veterans with services like transportation to appointments for highly rural veterans, utilization of innovative transportation service technologies, and outreach to highly rural veterans.

An estimated 2.7 million rural and highly rural veterans are enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Many rural veterans enrolled in the VA health care system are at an advanced age, with approximately 54 percent aged 65 or older. With the aging veteran population growing increasingly medically complex and more likely to be diagnosed with chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease, each requiring more frequent, ongoing, and costly care, these funds would help close the gap and get highly rural veterans the care they need.

Telehealth Services

Heinrich successfully secured $6,356,035,000 to sustain and increase telehealth capacity and expand the reach of VA medical providers to veterans in highly rural areas through the use of in-home telehealth and remote patient monitoring services. The bill also supports the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) rulemaking to eliminate copays for all virtual medical appointments of any type and especially for primary and preventative care appointments.

Preventing Veteran Homelessness

Heinrich successfully secured $3,459,121,000 to prevent veteran homelessness, including $702,821,000 to bolster the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program, which would meet the needs of veterans including help with the rising costs of household goods; $670,900,000 for case management and administration of Housing and Urban Development – Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers; $323,100,000 for the Grant and Per Diem Program, which would support transitional housing and assist veterans in achieving housing stability; and, $139,843,000 for Veterans Justice Outreach and Legal Services for Veterans grants to award community-based organizations with funds to assist veterans with legal issues like accessing benefits, navigating family law, and securing safe and stable housing.

Veterans Affairs Service Purchasing (VASP) Program

Heinrich successfully secured report language directing the VA to explain why it abruptly ended the Veterans Affairs Service Purchasing program, a critical program that would keep veterans who were unable to pay their mortgage in their homes. At least 130 New Mexico veterans could be impacted by this administration’s shortsighted decision to end the Veterans Affairs Service Purchasing program without loss mitigation policies.

Access to Medications for Substance Use Disorder

Heinrich successfully secured $709,573,000 for the Opioid Prevention and Treatment programs at the VA, including $454,086,000 for treatment programs and $254,487,000 to continue implementation of the Jason Simcakoski Memorial and Promise Act. Heinrich voted in favor of this bill’s authorizing legislation, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, in 2016 (P.L. 114-198).

Veteran Family Resource Program

Heinrich successfully secured language to require a status report on the Veteran Family Resource Program rollout, including authorities and funding needed to ensure a successful, continued rollout that reduces rates of child abuse and neglect among families with veterans. Services would include interventions like case management assistance to address evidence-based risk factors like housing and food insecurity in veteran families.

Childcare Assistance

Heinrich successfully secured an additional $3,000,000 in the VA’s overall budget to support the expansion of childcare centers at VA medical facilities through a pilot program. Heinrich originally voted in favor of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-163) while Congressman for New Mexico’s 1stCongressional district. This bill led to the VA’s initial childcare pilot program to assess feasibility and advisability of providing childcare services to veterans receiving mental health and intensive health care services.

As a result, in 2016, the VA launched a childcare pilot program to implement three (3) free, drop-in childcare service centers across three locations in the states of New York and Washington. Survey data indicate nearly a third of veterans are interested in childcare services and approximately 10 percent have had to cancel or reschedule medical appointments due to lack of childcare.

Grants for Construction of State Extended Care Facilities

Heinrich successfully secured $171,000,000 in construction funds for state extended care facilities. In New Mexico, there is only one VA long-term care facility, despite demand for additional capacity and facilities. These facilities are particularly important to ensure aging and disabled veterans receive the appropriate level of care.

Medical and Prosthetics Research

Heinrich successfully secured $943,000,000 to fund medical, rehabilitative, and health services research and support basic and clinical studies that advance knowledge leading to improvements in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disabilities. Medical and prosthetic research at the Department of Veterans Affairs includes the fields of prosthetics, orthotics, adaptive equipment for vehicles, sensory aids, and related areas.

VA Court of Appeals

Heinrich successful secured language requiring the VA to improve transparency surrounding the large back log of cases at the VA Court of Appeals. According to last year’s Annual Report, there is a backlog of 200,805 cases.

FY26 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights

Congressionally Directed Spending

Heinrich successfully included and secured Senate passage of $3.63 million in investments for the following 6 local projects in the bill:

• $1,575,000 for HELP New Mexico, Inc. to renovate classroom spaces to expand early childhood services in Luna County.
• $750,000 for the Truchas Volunteer Fire Department to purchase and equip a new fire pump apparatus.
• $467,000 for the New Mexico State University to conduct research using low power electricity to manage weeds in perennial crops.
• $375,000 for the Village of Questa to purchase and fully equip a wildland fire engine.
• $275,000 for Conservation Legacy to renovate and repair a Zuni Pueblo building for the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps’ permanent location and as a community resource.
• $193,000 for the Gila Regional Medical Center to upgrade and replace aging and failing hospital utility systems.

Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully included and secured Senate passage of $2.1 million for the following 2 projects:

• $1,100,000 for Rio Arriba County to purchase radios and repeater towers for Rio Arriba County Volunteer Fire Departments to facilitate communications when firefighters are on duty.
• $1,000,000 for the Pueblo of Isleta Department of Education to construct the Isleta Learning Center.

Nutrition Assistance

• WIC: The bill fully funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which serves nearly 7 million women and children nationwide, including nearly 45,000 in New Mexico — by providing $8.2 billion for the program, a $603 million increase over Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). This increase will ensure that all eligible participants can continue to rely on the essential nutrition assistance and support provided by WIC. The bill also continues full funding for additional fruit and vegetable benefits.
• SNAP: The bill fully funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to serve an estimated 42 million people per month, including nearly 500,000 New Mexicans — and does not include restrictive new policy riders. While fully funding SNAP is critically important, this does not reverse the cuts to SNAP included in Trump and Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill that will result in thousands of New Mexicans losing critical food assistance and put hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new unfunded mandates on the state of New Mexico.
• Child Nutrition: The bill fully funds Child Nutrition Programs — like the School Lunch program, school breakfast program, and Summer EBT program — to ensure schools can continue to serve healthy meals to all eligible children. In 2026, this funding will help serve an estimated 5 billion lunches and 2.7 billion breakfasts to kids across the country.
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program: The bill rejects the Trump Administration's budget proposal to eliminate this program’s funding and provides $425 million so that the program can continue to provide supplemental food to low-income Senior citizens.

Rental Assistance: The bill provides $1.715 billion for rental assistance — an increase of $73 million over FY25 — to help ensure Americans living in rural areas have access to safe and affordable housing. The bill also includes $1 billion in Single Family Direct Loans to help more low-income families and first-time home buyers get mortgages.

Economic Development: The bill includes a $2.5 million investment in the Southwest Border Commission (SBRC), a $500,000 increase over FY25, which supports economic and community development in southern New Mexico. Heinrich successfully secured the first-ever congressional investments to finally allow the SBRC to jump-start and expand its operations. The SBRC is one of eight authorized federal regional commissions and authorities.

Tribal Communities: The bill provides $235 million for the Food Distribution on Indian Reservation Program (FDPIR) and $3 million for a FDPIR pilot program that allows Tribes participating in FDPIR to purchase traditional food from small Tribal producers.

The bill also provides $700,000 for processing and federal inspection of Tribal bison, which will help support Tribal food sovereignty by enabling Tribes to include bison raised on their own lands to be included in federal nutrition programs like school meals.

Additionally, bill provides $5.1 million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Tribal Relations, which is responsible for government-to-government relations between USDA and Tribal governments.

Conservation and Wildlife: Heinrich successfully fought for the inclusion of a modified version of his USDA Staff and Field Offices Preservation amendment. This amendment would require the USDA to notify and seek approval from the Senate and House Appropriations Committee to close Natural Resources Conservation Service or Rural Development field offices or to permanently relocate any field-based employees of those agencies that would result in an office with 2 or fewer employees.

The bill rejects the Administration’s senseless proposal to eliminate all discretionary funding for Conservation Technical Assistance, which is the bedrock of Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) mission and a vital tool for farmers and ranchers. Instead, the bill provides $949 million, a $37.7 million increase over FY25, for conservation programs, including $52 million for NRCS Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations and$10 million for the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative.

The bill further provides $5 million to support non-lethal strategies to reduce wildlife-livestock conflict and includes direction to expand the Migratory Big Game and Working Lands for Wildlife Initiatives, a long-time Heinrich priority. Finally, the bill includes $22.5 million in funding for research and management of Chronic Wasting Disease, which funds the program created by Heinrich’s Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act,passed into law in 2023.

Agriculture Research: This bill fully funds agriculture research and provides a $81 million increase over FY25 for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Additionally, the bill continues to support Climate Hubs and the Long-term Agroecosystems Research (LTAR) Network, including the Climate Hub and LTAR collaboration between the New Mexico State University (NMSU) and the ARS Experimental Station in Las Cruces. This bill also includes funding for important research in Agrivoltaics being conducted by ARS in collaboration with NMSU.

Small Farms and Local Food Systems: The bill includes $6 million for the Office of Urban Agriculture, which is focused on providing technical assistance and risk management tools to urban and innovative forms of food production in New Mexico. Albuquerque is home to one of the USDA’s Urban Service Centers. The bill also includes $20 million for the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), which supports the development, coordination, and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing; local and regional food markets and enterprises; and value-added agricultural products.

Food Safety: The bill provides $1.226 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an increase of $12 million over FY25. This funding will help ensure FSIS can continue its vital work protecting America’s food supply without being forced to reduce its staffing levels, which would jeopardize food safety and exacerbate supply chain delays. The bill includes $399 million for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, including $65 million for addressing the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak.

Promoting Competition: The bill provides nearly $33 million for enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act to promote competition and prevent unfair or deceptive practices and monopolies. The bill further provides an additional $2 million in funding for a pilot Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program within the Agriculture Marketing Service to expand markets for private and Tribal bison producers, following Heinrich’s creation of this program in the FY24 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.

International Food Aid: The bill provides $1.5 billion for the Food for Peace Program and $240 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. This funding is necessary to save lives around the world and reduce conflict.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): The bill provides $7.015 billion in total funding for the FDA, which includes $3.535 billion in discretionary funding — a $10 million increase over FY25 — rejecting the president’s budget request, which sought to slash the FDA’s discretionary funding by over $400 million in FY26. The bill provides $2.4 billion for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, $625 million for the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and $77 million for the National Center for Toxicological Research. The bill also provides $689 million for the Center for Tobacco Products for activities — including inspections, investigations, and federal task force coordination — related to the presence of unauthorized, illicit e-cigarettes.

Additionally, during the Senate Appropriations Committee markup, Heinrichfiled the following amendments to amend the Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill:

1. USDA Staff and Field Offices Preservation: This amendment would prohibit the closing of the Natural Resource Conservation, Farm Service Agency, and Rural Development field offices and relocation of staff. This amendment was adopted as part of the Manager’s Package.
2. Local Food and School Food Purchasing Assistance: This amendment would reestablish the Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement (LFSCC) and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement program (LFPA), which were created in 2022 to supply local and regionally produced foods to schools, childcare facilities, and food banks with a priority for working with underserved producers and small farms. Unfortunately, this amendment was not adopted by the committee.
3. Funding All Obligated and Awarded Projects: This amendment would prevent the USDA Secretary from spending any appropriated funding until the Secretary unfreezes funding for all previous awards and contracts for farmers and organizations assisting farmers. Unfortunately, this amendment was not adopted by the committee.
4. Re-affirming science-based medical product approvals: This amendment re-affirms the FDA's authority to approve drugs based solely on its safety and efficacy through scientific evaluation of the medical product and not on political bases. Unfortunately, this amendment was not adopted by the committee.

FY26 Legislative Branch Key Points and Highlights

As Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, Heinrich successfullynegotiated and secured Senate passage of the bipartisan FY26 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill, which provides $7,125,000,000 to support essential legislative operations and oversight activities, including the U.S. Senate, Capitol Police, Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Congressional Budget Office, Architect of the Capitol, and other key legislative agencies. The bill also preserves robust funding for the Government Accountability Office, which is crucial for protecting taxpayer dollars, promoting government efficiency, and providing rigorous, nonpartisan oversight that builds public trust.

Additionally, the bill strengthens Congress’s capacity to serve constituents, supports the recruitment and retention of Capitol Police officers, and invests in the nonpartisan institutions that deliver critical analysis, transparency, and accountability. Finally, in this polarized environment, the bill provides funding to bolster the safety of Senators, Representatives, staff, and visitors to the Capitol Complex.

Heinrich spoke about the bill on the Senate floor today. For a video of Heinrich’s remarks, click here.