Press Releases
Udall, Heinrich Hail Senate Passage of Resolution Recognizing 40th Anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Martin Heinrich praised the Senate passage of a bicameral resolution commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and recognizing its importance to promoting the stability and security of Tribal communities and families. ICWA sets best-practice standards for child welfare and adoption proceedings involving children who are members of a federally-recognized Tr… Continue Reading
December 13, 2018
Udall Votes for Senate Resolution to End U.S. Support for Saudi-led War in Yemen
Senate also unanimously votes for resolution condemning Saudi crown prince for murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after joining the full Senate in voting 56 to 41 to pass a resolution to end the United States' support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Udall has long called for Congress to assert its constitutional powers over the use of military force, is the… Continue Reading
December 12, 2018
VIDEO: Udall Leads Oversight Hearing on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
VIDEO: https://www.indian.senate.gov/hearing/oversight-hearing-missing-and-murdered-confronting-silent-crisis-indian-country WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, led an oversight hearing entitled, "Missing and Murdered: Confronting the Silent Crisis in Indian Country." The committee has convened two hearings and a listening session, and worked to pass numerous bills related to criminal justice and public safety this Congress, but t… Continue Reading
December 12, 2018
AUDIO: Udall Speaks Out Against President Trump’s Wasteful and Ineffective Border Wall, Stands with New Mexico Border Communities
Discusses wall's devastating consequences for communities, businesses, and ecosystems across southern New Mexico WASHINGTON - During a press conference call, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) spoke out against President Trump's unnecessary and ineffective border wall. As the president threatens to shut down the government over wall funding -- saying yesterday that he would be "proud" to shut down the government -- Udall underscored the disruptive and damaging consequences that a border wall … Continue Reading
December 12, 2018
Udall, Heinrich Secure Provisions Making Acequias and Land Grants Eligible for Grants and Technical Assistance
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that they secured a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13, to make acequias and land grant-mercedes eligible for grants and technical assistance from conservation and environmental programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to increase agricultural water efficiency and further conservation of soil, water, and other natural resources.Aceq… Continue Reading
December 12, 2018
Udall to Continue as Lead Democrat on Senate Indian Affairs Committee
WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic leadership announced that U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) will continue serving as the vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in the 116th Congress, a position Udall has held since 2017. The leadership post gives Udall a powerful platform to continue to advocate for Native communities in New Mexico and across the country. With Udall's leadership, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee has advanced numerous Tribal priorities in the 115th Congress.… Continue Reading
December 12, 2018
Udall, Heinrich Announce Over $35 Million to Improve Rural Water Infrastructure in New Mexico
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced $35.4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to build and improve rural water and wastewater systems in New Mexico. The awards were funded through the USDA's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program, and will help ensure clean water for Tribal lands, colonias, and rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents in New Mexico. The funding, which includes over $… Continue Reading
December 11, 2018
Udall Secures Key Tribal Provisions in Farm Bill
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement on tribal provisions included in the 2018 Farm Bill reauthorization, which will set federal nutrition, agriculture, forestry, and nutrition policy for the next five years and includes many tribal-specific provisions championed by Udall in the CROPS for Indian Country Act and the Tribal Food and Housing Security Act. "I worked closely with stakeholders … Continue Reading
December 11, 2018
Udall, Heinrich Secure Major Wins for NM Farmers, Ranchers, Dairies, and Tribes in Farm Bill
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined their colleagues in the Senate to pass the final 2018 Farm Bill - major legislation that will send needed assistance to New Mexico farmers and ranchers, and support every county in the state by protecting the farm safety net and basic social services, while also making strategic investments in broadband access, clean drinking water, rural development, telemedicine, and more. The Farm Bill, which serves as th… Continue Reading
December 07, 2018
Following Washington Post Report, Senators Reiterate Calls for Full Disclosure of Trump-Saudi Business Ties
According to Washington Post report, lobbyists for Saudi government paid for 500 rooms at Trump's D.C. hotel after the 2016 election WASHINGTON - Today, a group of 11 Democratic senators are reiterating their call for President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization to disclose any financial ties between the Trump Organization and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following a Washington Post report that lobbyists representing the Saudi government paid for 500 rooms at the Trump D.C. hotel shortly a… Continue Reading
December 06, 2018
Udall Hails Senate Passage of Savanna’s Act
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, applauded the passage of Savanna's Act in the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan bill, which was introduced by U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and co-sponsored by Udall, would establish best practices guidelines for law enforcement agencies to respond to and solve more cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women. It is named in honor of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a member of the Spirit L… Continue Reading
December 06, 2018
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce $1.29 Million to North Central Regional Transit District from DOT
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a $1.29 million grant to New Mexico to fund improvements to the North Central Regional Transit District (RTD) in Española. The award, which comes through the Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grants program, will enable North Central RTD to build a maintenance facility, standalone vehicle wash… Continue Reading
December 06, 2018
Udall, Beyer Introduce Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act to Safeguard America’s Biodiversity
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Representative Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2018 to protect and restore fish, wildlife, and plant species, especially those that are at risk to habitat loss and fragmentation--a major factor in species decline and extinction. The legislation establishes a National Wildlife Corridors Program to ensure that species are able to move between habitats by improving data use and collection and enhancing i… Continue Reading
December 06, 2018
IN THE NEWS: It’s clear Trump illegally shrunk Bears Ears; the Department of Justice doesn’t want to hear our legal opinion
by TOM UDALL and RAÚL M. GRIJALVA
December 05, 2018
Udall, Heinrich, Harris Call On ICE And CBP To Release Documentation On Death Of Transgender Woman In ICE Custody
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Ronald D. Vitiello and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan urging the immediate public release of a death review and supporting documentation on Roxana Hernández, a 33-year old transgender woman who died at a New Mexico hospital while in ICE custody. The senators have also req… Continue Reading
December 05, 2018
Following Recent Federal Climate Report, Udall Urges Immediate Action to Combat Climate Change
WASHINGTON - Following the recent release of a federal climate report, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) joined a group of his Senate colleagues in calling for bold action to combat climate change. Along with U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Udall and 23 other senators introduced a resolution affirming findings from the recent National Climate Assessment, along with the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC) report, and urging decisive action to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emiss… Continue Reading
December 04, 2018
Udall, Hatch Introduce Smoke Free Schools Act to Combat E-Cigs in Schools
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced The Smoke Free Schools Act of 2018 to help school districts and local education agencies combat the surge of e-cigarette use in schools. The legislation would ban e-cigarette use in educational and childcare facilities, and clarify that state and local education agencies can use grant funding for e-cigarette prevention programs. It would also instruct the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to partner with th… Continue Reading
December 04, 2018
Udall, Heinrich, Luján, Lujan Grisham Announce an Additional $10.48 Million for NM Water Infrastructure Projects from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham, announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated over $10,478,478 in additional money for water resources projects across New Mexico, including funding to rehabilitate the Turley Acequia in San Juan County, reimburse counties and cities for major water and wastewater infrastructure projects in the Albuquerque region, complete a feasibility study … Continue Reading
November 30, 2018
Udall Statement on New FTC Documents on Whitaker’s Involvement in World Patent Marketing
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) released the following statement on new documents released from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker's role as an advisory board member for World Patent Marketing, a company accused of perpetrating a serious consumer scam and which shut down shortly after the FTC took enforcement action against it. "These new revelations of Mr. Whitaker's extensive involvement in World Patent Marketing - as it was c… Continue Reading
November 30, 2018
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Introduce Resolution Recognizing 40th Anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Martin Heinrich, along with Representative Ben Ray Luján, introduced a bicameral resolution commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and recognizing its importance to promoting the stability and security of Tribal communities and families. ICWA sets best-practice standards for child welfare and adoption proceedings involving children who are members of a f… Continue Reading
