press releases

Dear Fellow New Mexican: Ninety-three years ago today, women achieved the right to vote in the United States. Since then, we have made several advances in improving the lives of women and families, and I am honored to have been a part of making some of the most recent strides. When I served in the U.S. House of Representatives, my first vote was...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) applauded the U.S. Supreme Court ruling today that a core section of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" is unconstitutional and that the federal government cannot discriminate against married gay and lesbian couples for the purposes of determining federal benefits and protections. The...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, who serves on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on the news that the federal government has collected the phone records of millions of Americans:  "The large scale collection of information regarding innocent Americans' telephone calls is deeply...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement regarding the U.S. Department of Justice collecting Associated Press phone records: "As a member of the Intelligence Committee, I understand the importance of protecting classified information. However, I'm deeply troubled by the actions taken with regard to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is an original cosponsor of a joint resolution, introduced by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-M.D.) and Mark Kirk (R-I.L.), to remove the deadline for states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). When Congress passed the ERA in 1972, it provided that the amendment had to be ratified by...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich released the following statements after introducing a resolution honoring the accomplishments and legacy of civil rights leader César Estrada Chávez, and recognizing March 31 as "César Chávez Day." "In the long march of human rights, César...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today joined forty members of the U.S. Senate and 172 members of the U.S. House of Representatives in filing an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in the case of U.S. v. Edith Schlain Windsor, a landmark challenge to Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, known as...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement after the Senate-passed reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act cleared the House of Representatives. The bill, which includes additional protections for women and families, was held up by House Republicans who attempted to strip the additional...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) today. The bill, S. 47, passed the Senate with bipartisan support by a vote of 78 to 22. Originally passed in 1994 and reauthorized in 2000 and 2005, VAWA is a monumental piece of legislation, which has helped significantly...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) hosted a teleconference with women’s organizations across New Mexico to answer questions and discuss the pressing need to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  During the call, Senator Heinrich stressed the importance of provisions in the Senate bill that...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is pressing for swift passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a bill he has cosponsored that would prevent violence against women by bolstering law enforcement efforts and providing necessary resources for victims of domestic violence.   Domestic violence, sexual assault,...

  WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced today that the first bill he will cosponsor since being elected to the Senate is the Paycheck Fairness Act. The bill is aimed at combatting wage discrimination on the basis of gender.   Women earn only 77 cents for every dollar men earn, with women of color at an...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich released the following statement in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which falls on Monday, January 21, 2013: “Martin Luther King Day brings Americans together to reflect and celebrate the legacy of a man who dedicated his life to pursuing equality and civil rights. Dr. King...