Press Releases
Udall & McCollum to BLM: Press Pause on Relocation Plan
Citing a lack of meaningful analysis and consultation, Udall & McCollum call on BLM to suspend any efforts to move headquarters and abruptly relocate staffLawmakers express concerns that proposed reorganization is part of a "deliberate effort to dismantle and weaken the Bureau"WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), the ranking member and chair of the U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on the Interior, Environment,… Continue Reading
August 21, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Haaland Announce $295,375 for CNM Community College to Expand ABQid Seed Fund
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Deb Haaland announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $295,375 to Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) to enhance and develop the ABQid Seed Fund, which will support a diverse, inclusive population of entrepreneurs and business owners in Central New Mexico. The project will expand the ABQid Seed Fund by merging two non-profit organizations -- ABQid … Continue Reading
August 20, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Torres Small Announce $750,000 to NMSU to Develop Clean Energy Workforce
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $750,000 to New Mexico State University's (NMSU) College of Engineering to create the Innovation and Commercialization for Regional Energy Workforce (I-CREW). The I-CREW program will focus on accelerating clean energy technology and developing a statewide clean energy workforce. "This funding … Continue Reading
August 19, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce $384,777 to San Juan College to Launch Big Idea Innovation Accelerator
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $384,777 to San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico to launch the Big Idea Innovation Accelerator, which will offer resources, consulting, and mentorship to boost entrepreneurship. The accelerator will provide critical assistance to entrepreneurs, researchers, and inventors as they translate… Continue Reading
August 14, 2019
Udall Statement on National Navajo Code Talkers Day
WASHINGTON - Today, on National Navajo Code Talkers Day, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, issued the following statement in honor of the legendary bravery and service of Navajo Code Talkers during World War II: "In May of 1942, in the midst of World War II, 29 young Navajo recruits arrived at Camp Pendleton, where they embarked on a secret mission: To develop a code so strong it couldn't be cracked. Without using any modern technology, they devel… Continue Reading
August 14, 2019
Udall, Heinrich Call For Investigation Of Trump Administration’s Efforts To Use Eminent Domain To Seize Privately Held Land To Build Ineffective And Expensive Southern Border Wall
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) yesterday joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in a letter to U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro requesting that the U.S. Government Accountability Office investigate the Trump Administration's efforts to exercise the power of eminent domain to seize privately held land to build a border wall at the southern border of the United States. The letter follows the S… Continue Reading
August 14, 2019
Udall, Heinrich Slam Trump Administration Proposal To Weaken Protections Against Discrimination In Health Care
WASHINGTON - Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined 34 fellow Democratic senators to submit a comment letter for the record to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar criticizing the Trump Administration's proposed rule to weaken critical protections that help address discrimination in health care. The senators outlined several issues with the proposed rule, including how it could harm patients who already face barriers when seeking care by e… Continue Reading
August 14, 2019
The Super-Wealthy Have Outsize Influence in Politics. Here's How We Can Change That
by Tom Udall
August 13, 2019
Udall, Heinrich Call for Reversal of Trump Plan to Cut Nutrition Aid to 3 Million Americans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined a group of 19 Senators and 120 U.S. Representatives to demand that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) withdraw its disastrous plan to kick an estimated 3.1 million Americans off of food assistance, including tens of thousands of New Mexicans. In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, the lawmakers urged USDA to reverse course and rescind its proposal, which would raise serious barriers to food access for working f… Continue Reading
August 12, 2019
Udall Statement on 5th Circuit Upholding Indian Child Welfare Act
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, issued the following statement after the 5th Circuit court of appeals upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in its ruling in Brackeen v. Bernhardt and overturned a 2018 decision from the U.S. District Court for Northern District of Texas, which wrongly struck down key provisions of ICWA. In January, Udall filed a bipartisan, bicameral amicus brief in the 5th Circuit in support of … Continue Reading
August 12, 2019
Udall Statement on Trump Endangered Species Act Rollback
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing the Department of Interior's budget, released the following statement after the Trump administration released new regulations rolling back the Endangered Species Act (ESA): "Today, the Trump administration issued regulations that take a wrecking ball to one of our oldest and most effective environmental laws, the Endangered Species Act. As we have seen time and time again, … Continue Reading
August 09, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Torres Small Announce $1.5 Million for NMSU Sun and Space Weather Research
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small announced that New Mexico State University's (NMSU) Department of Astronomy was awarded a $1.5 million grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to hire a space scientist to work on physics of sun and space weather. This funding was awarded through a program called "Faculty Development in the Space Sciences" from the NSF Directorate for Geosciences, Division of Atmospheric and Geospa… Continue Reading
August 09, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Torres Small Announce $4.64 Million to Help Increase Access to Clean Water in Doña Ana County
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development has awarded a grant of $3,629,065 and approved a loan of $1,014,000, totaling $4,643,065, to help the Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Authority upgrade and modernize the water system in Berino, New Mexico. The award will be used to drill a new water well, and install an arsenic treatment facility as well as a new … Continue Reading
August 09, 2019
NM Delegation Announces $6 Million to Combat New Mexico’s Opioid Crisis
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján, Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded more than $6 million in funding to New Mexico to combat the opioid epidemic in communities across the state. The funding will go toward treatment, prevention, recovery, and research efforts throughout New Mexico. A break… Continue Reading
August 08, 2019
Udall, Warren, Harris, Blumenthal Release New Details of Expanded DHS Watchdog Probe of CBP Surveillance of Journalists, Activists, and Lawyers
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) released a letter from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General (OIG) detailing its investigation into the alleged compiling of lists and targeted government surveillance of journalists, activists, and lawyers at the U.S.-Mexico border by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The lawmakersdemanded answers from CBP leadership in May about t… Continue Reading
August 07, 2019
Senators to EPA: Reverse Course and Ban Toxic Pesticide Chlorpyrifos Now
Senators cite EPA's own studies that found chlorpyrifos harms children's brains and poses a serious threat to farmworkers even with protective equipment and engineering controls WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M), top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led a group of 15 Senate Democrats in calling on EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to ban chlorpyrifos, a toxic pesticide linked to brain damage in children and known t… Continue Reading
August 06, 2019
Udall, Paul, Khanna, Gaetz Lead Call for Inclusion of Bipartisan Iran Amendment in Final NDAA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and U.S. Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of 28 lawmakers in calling on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to include a bipartisan amendment to prohibit unconstitutional war with Iran in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Many of the signers of today's letter are members of key House and Senate defense and foreign affairs-related committe… Continue Reading
August 05, 2019
Udall Responds to President Trump’s Comments on El Paso, Dayton Shootings
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall responded to President Trump's comments in the wake of the El Paso and Dayton shootings. Earlier today, President Trump tweeted that congressional action on gun violence should be paired with action on the Trump administration's immigration agenda. Udall issued the following statement: "In the wake of an act of anti-immigrant, white supremacist terror, President Trump is now proposing that any action to prevent gun violence should be paired with rest… Continue Reading
August 04, 2019
Udall Statement on El Paso and Dayton Shootings
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio: "In the span of less than 24 hours, two communities have been ravaged by the scourge of gun violence. It has never been clearer that Congress needs to take urgent action to end this preventable epidemic. "In New Mexico, El Paso is like a sibling - a community where many New Mexicans have family, friends, loved ones. This tragedy hits particularly close t… Continue Reading
August 02, 2019
Udall, Khanna Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Improve Health Care Access for Native American Veterans
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) announced introduction of the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act, a bill to improve health care access for Native American Veterans by providing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) coverage for care that Native American veterans receive at urban Indian health centers. This legislation would help Native American veterans acquire … Continue Reading
