press releases

CLOVIS, NM (KVII) — Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, and 26 other Senate Democrats, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding he reverse the DOD's decision to delay the cleanup of so-called forever chemicals at military installations nationwide -- including Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis. PFAS — or perfluoroalkyl and...

United States senators from New Mexico joined Democratic colleagues this week in calling on the federal Forest Service to account for a reported steep decline in wildfire prevention measures, including forest thinning and prescribed burns, in New Mexico and other states during President Donald Trump’s second term. U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 26 Senate Democrats to send a letter demanding that U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth reverse DoD’s decision to delay the cleanup of per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) at military installations in New Mexico and nationwide and to urge the DoD to...

Heinrich and Luján’s push comes amid the Trump Administration’s failure to properly engage in forest management and wildfire prevention to keep New Mexico communities safe WASHINGTON – Amid the Trump Administration’s failure to properly engage in forest management and wildfire prevention — including slowing down the U.S. Forest Service’s rate of...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration, welcomed the Senate passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, legislation he cosponsored that will allow schools to provide more dairy options and non-dairy...

Senators introduce bill ahead of ACIP’s meeting tomorrow to revisit hepatitis B, other childhood shots This year, HHS Secretary replaced all 17 non-partisan experts on CDC’s top vaccine committee, attacked settled science WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined 8 Senate Democrats to introduce the Family Vaccine Protection...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to demand...

VIDEO HERE WASHINGTON — During a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee hearing to examine pending legislation, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Committee, secured a commitment from U.S. Forest Service Acting Associate Chief Christopher French to host a public forum...

President Donald Trump and his top Cabinet officials have repeatedly blamed the most catastrophic wildfires on poor forest management. His administration, however, appears to be lagging on that very work. In the first nine months of this year, the United States Forest Service slowed its rate of prescribed burns, tree thinning and other...

New Mexico’s members of Congress on Tuesday sent a letter to federal officials urging them to reimburse the state for $30 million in food aid the state provided during federal disruptions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Trump administration, meanwhile, threatened to pull future funding for the program from New Mexico and other...

CLOVIS, N.M. (KFDA) - Cannon Air Force Base will receive over $80 million in federal funding for key infrastructure projects, part of more than $200 million secured by New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich for the state with a focus on military construction. The projects include an $80 million, 192-bed dormitory at the base, as well as over $8 million...

The 2026 fire season, staffing levels at national parks and monuments, and the long-term public land employee pipeline were top of mind for public land advocates and experts at a roundtable with Sen. Martin Heinrich on Friday. Public lands have been a priority for the New Mexico Democrat, who has long touted his identity as a hunter and led some of...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S> Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, along with U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), introduced the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act, legislation that provides more funding, flexibility, and oversight...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) urged U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Acting Director Bill Groffy to maintain...

In a letter to the USDA, the senators assert that the Trump Administration's plan is duplicative of existing programs rules, increases red tape, and will unnecessarily inhibit access to SNAP benefits Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Food and...

More than $206 million will come to New Mexico through congressionally directed spending in the 2026 fiscal year for high-dollar items like an Air Force dormitory and for smaller projects like buying a wildland fire engine in Questa. Along with a stopgap funding bill to keep the federal government open through January, three year long...

Photos here ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, hosted two roundtables in Albuquerque to underscore how President Trump’s cuts to the public lands workforce and Congressional Republicans’ refusal...

Photos here WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and co-founder of the U.S. Senate Stewardship Caucus, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), hosted...

Higher health insurance bills are expected to hit New Mexicans hard as leaders in Washington battle over extending the tax credit through the Affordable Care Act. Friday, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich sat down with some people who say sky-rocketing premiums will hurt their wallets. As new Mexicans and people across the country are enrolling to renew...

ALBUQUERQUE — Federal lawmakers held a series of events Friday to highlight how federal layoffs have impacted public lands and urge the Trump administration to reverse course on plans to allow drilling near Chaco Canyon. “Mr. President, you once said that leadership is measured by what we choose to protect,” Picuris Pueblo Lt. Gov. Craig Quanchello...