press releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tom Udall, Martin Heinrich and Representative Ben Ray Luján, have reintroduced legislation in the Senate and House to protect the Río Grande del Norte in Northern New Mexico, an area comprised of more than 240,000 acres of BLM-managed lands in Taos and Rio Arriba Counties. Since 2009, the three...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), released the following statement supporting Senator Chuck Hagel’s nomination to become the next Secretary of Defense: “Senator Hagel and I met in my office last night to discuss issues impacting New Mexico, especially as they relate to the future of our defense installations,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, issued the following statement regarding the Administration’s nomination of Sally Jewell to serve as the next Secretary of the Interior, replacing current Interior Secretary Ken Salazar when he steps down in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, with Reps. Steve Pearce and Ben Ray Luján, introduced legislation in the Senate and House to help state and tribal governments complete high-priority uranium mine cleanup projects. The Abandoned Mine Land (AML) fund was created as part of the Surface Mining Control and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall sent a letter to President Obama today requesting that the administration include federal funding in the Department of Energy’s Defense Environmental Cleanup 2014 budget for at least $255 million for cleanup at Los Alamos National Laboratory and $222 million to operate and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – New Mexico's Congressional Delegation today sent a letter encouraging the U.S. Department of Education to give serious consideration to the New Mexico Public Education Department's (NMPED) waiver request to avoid a reduction in the state's special education funding.   "Educating students with special needs is a serious...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative to work with consumers, ranchers and meatpackers to make sure that American families know where their meat comes from.   The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently required the USDA to adjust...

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 released the following statement after voting to confirm Senator John Kerry as the next United States Secretary of State:    “Senator John Kerry has built an extraordinary and distinguished career of service to our country.  As a Vietnam War veteran and the chairman of the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement today after a bipartisan group of senators released an outline for comprehensive immigration reform legislation:  “I am encouraged by today’s bipartisan support to fix our broken immigration system.    “New Mexico’s...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) is encouraging New Mexico families to protect themselves against the flu. In a new Public Service Announcement released today, Sen. Heinrich says, “The flu season is here and it’s important that our families stay healthy… I got my flu shot, have you?” English PSA...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement after voting for S. Res. 15 and S. Res 16, the agreement reached today to modify Senate filibuster rules: “Opposition and obstructionism rather than accountability and deliberation have become far too common in Washington. Today, I voted to fix...

  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...

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) has co-sponsored a resolution to enact meaningful Senate rules reforms that would end filibuster abuse and restore debate to the chamber.  Introduced earlier this month by U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the measure aims to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich released the following statement after Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced he will step down from his post in March: “Secretary Ken Salazar has had a distinguished career in public service and I applaud him for his unwavering commitment to preserving and protecting our...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich’s office released the following videos and photos of today’s swearing in ceremony, including a brief Q&A with the senator.   VIDEO  “Q&A with Senator Heinrich” http://youtu.be/Qn2Zm1I3Epg   VIDEO “Swearing In”(Senate Floor & the Old...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Martin Heinrich was sworn in as the new United States Senator of New Mexico, replacing retired Senator Jeff Bingaman. “I am honored and humbled to serve the good people of New Mexico in this capacity,” said Heinrich. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in making job creation our number one...