press releases

Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ legislation to pay all federal workers during Trump’s shutdown WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) released the following statements after Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ legislation to ensure all federal employees — including essential and furloughed federal...

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Amy Klobuchar, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and...

New Mexico Democratic Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan on Thursday disputed claims made by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that they lack the funds to cover the cost of next month’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Heinrich and Lujan were among 45 Democratic Senators who signed onto a letter to...

New Mexico’s U.S. senators are urging the Department of Agriculture to fund federal food benefits for more than 450,000 New Mexicans as the federal shutdown threatens to halt November’s aid. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., helped lead dozens of Senate colleagues, including Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., in urging the federal agency to “immediately release...

Three members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation said Thursday that the United States Department of Agriculture has all the money it needs to keep food assistance flowing to 42 million Americans in November, despite officials’ claims otherwise. In a little more than a week, more than 450,000 New Mexicans will likely not receive SNAP payments,...

Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are still focused on health care as the federal government shutdown enters week four. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., sent a letter to every House Republican on Wednesday, pressing them to work with Democrats and extend federal health insurance subsidies. Meanwhile, Democratic Sens. Martin...

The federal government this week sent home more than 150 federal New Mexico employees charged with overseeing national laboratories’ nuclear weapons work, with only 14 employees across two sites remaining at work, the National Nuclear Security Agency confirmed to Source NM. The furloughs include 71 employees at NNSA’s Los Alamos field office and 81...

E&E DAILY | Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich and Sen. Tim Sheehy will launch the Senate Stewardship Caucus next week, focusing on bipartisan efforts to conserve public lands. Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, and Sheehy, a Montana Republican, will co-chair the new caucus, which is set to debut at an event next...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. laying out how the Department’s most recent reckless mass firings...

WATCH VIDEO HERE WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, appeared on CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer today where he reacted to Republicans’ failure to work with Democrats to lower health care costs for working people and end the government shutdown. “I think the House of...

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico Senators Martin Heinrich (D) and Ben Ray Lujan (D) are joining many Democratic senators to introduce the Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act. The legislation makes sure federal contract workers in New Mexico are fairly compensated for the wages and benefits lost due to the government shutdown. The act specifically...

The bill will ensure federal contract workers, including low-wage food service, security, and custodial staff, are fairly compensated for the wages and benefits lost during Trump’s shutdown WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M) joined U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and 31 Senate Democrats to introduce the...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement blasting the Trump Administration for firing all workers at the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The CDFI Fund is instrumental in helping New Mexicans access loans to become first-time...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The federal government shutdown is entering its third week as a battle over health care funding is at an impasse. Republicans are in a disagreement with Democrats over federal Affordable Care Act premium tax credits on track to expire at the end of 2025. Democrats won’t move forward with a new government spending bill without...

“At a time when federal employees, including TSA agents, are being asked to work without pay, this outwardly political act was not just a violation of law but an insult to the thousands of TSA employees serving in your department” WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jack Reed...

WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The Trump administration's plans to cancel nearly $8 billion in Energy Department grants are illegal because contracts had already been signed and will cause consumer energy prices to skyrocket, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate energy committee said.   Earlier this month, the Energy Department canceled $7.56...

The top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee declared Wednesday that Energy Secretary Chris Wright has “effectively stolen funding for fully legally compliant energy projects” — and he’s getting his state’s attorney general involved. Heinrich’s comments are part of a chorus of condemnation against the cuts from Democrats....

The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations was supposed to be a launchpad for ambitious projects to help America lead the way on cleaner power and manufacturing. Now it’s been reduced to a shell of itself. As the Trump administration slashes spending and fires workers across the federal government, the US Department of Energy has emerged as one of...

The federal shutdown is entering a third week and there is little prospect for a solution anytime soon. But New Mexico legislators in Washington are using their privileges to introduce legislation by pushing for a path to compromise and help for federal workers stuck without a paycheck until a compromise is reached. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) is...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and 17 Senate Democrats to introduce the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act, legislation to protect New Mexico federal workers, federal contractor employees, and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during President Trump and...