Press Releases
Udall Unveils Bill to Help Turn Innovative Ideas into Successful Businesses
SANTA FE, N.M. - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) announced legislation to help create high-tech jobs and industries in New Mexico by streamlining the process for getting cutting-edge research and development from our state's universities and national labs to the marketplace. Udall unveiled the bill during a half-day conference and workshop he organized at Santa Fe Community College called, "Technology Transfer: Key to New Mexico's Future." The event brought together some of New Mexico's s… Continue Reading
August 08, 2013
Udall, Heinrich Call For Emergency Help To Support Food Banks
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich called on Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to make emergency purchases for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to ensure food banks in New Mexico and across the country are able to help families in need. TEFAP buys food and makes it available to agencies, such as New Mexico's Human Services Department, which work with the state's major food banks to distribute to food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters. In a letter… Continue Reading
August 01, 2013
Udall Unveils Major Legislation to Reform FISA Courts
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) - joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) - unveiled two bills that would ensure FISA courts properly balance the need to protect national security with constitutional and statutory requirements to safeguard individual rights to privacy and liberty. The first bill - the FISA Court Reform Act of 2013 - would create a Special Advocate with the power to argue in the FISA courts on behalf of the right to privacy and other ind… Continue Reading
August 01, 2013
Udall Stands up for American Concerns on Syria Involvement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall today successfully included an amendment to the Senate FY 2014 Department of Defense Appropriations bill that would prevent the use of defense funds for any military action in Syria in violation of the War Powers Act. The amendment was approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee by a bipartisan vote of 20-10. Majorities of both Democratic and Republican members of the Appropriations Committee supported the amendment. The DOD appropriations bill, as am… Continue Reading
August 01, 2013
Small Business Growth for N.M. Jobs & Families
One of my top priorities in the U.S. Senate is to do everything I can to help create jobs and opportunities for all New Mexicans. I wanted to update you on some of the work I've been doing to put us back on a path to creating more well-paying jobs. Recently, I met with chamber of commerce leaders in New Mexico and in Washington to discuss how the federal government can partner with the private sector to grow our economy. Our chamber leaders provide valuable resources to job seekers, workers and … Continue Reading
July 31, 2013
Udall: Now is the Time to Reform 'Broken' Chemical Safety Law
WASHINGTON - Today, during a hearing of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) urged his colleagues to work together to pass major bipartisan legislation to protect Americans from toxic chemicals. Udall, who chairs the EPW Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health, has been leading a bipartisan effort with Senator David Vitter (R-La.) to update and replace the federal government's much-criticized signature law on toxic pollution, the To… Continue Reading
July 31, 2013
Udall: $303K to Support Rural NM Economic Development
WASHINGTON - Today U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development, announced that seven projects will receive a total of $303,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support New Mexico's small and emerging rural businesses through technical assistance, training programs, and studies for future economic growth possibilities. "New Mexico's small businesses are the backbone of our state, and their survival means… Continue Reading
July 31, 2013
Udall Welcomes Nomination of Michael Connor as Deputy Secretary of Interior Department
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) issued the following statement praising President Obama's nomination of Michael Connor to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Interior Department. Connor, of New Mexico, currently serves as commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation: "I'm proud to support the nomination of Mike Connor. A Las Cruces native and NMSU graduate, Mike has proven himself to be a smart, thoughtful public servant and a leader on matters important to New Mexico. He brings a wealth… Continue Reading
July 26, 2013
Udall Introduces Bill to Reduce Tax Bias Against Small Business Investment
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) announced today that he has introduced legislation with Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to preserve a tax deduction that helps businesses buy the equipment they need to grow, at the levels that will encourage job creation and economic growth. "Next year, New Mexico's small businesses face the significant loss of the section 179 deduction that encourages them to make investments in the equipment, office space and technology they need to keep their doors … Continue Reading
July 26, 2013
Udall Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Reauthorize Key Tribal Housing Bill
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) announced that he has joined Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Vice Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) in introducing a bill to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), which is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2013. The bill was also cosponsored by Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Begich (D-AK), Al Franken (D-MN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mazie Hiro… Continue Reading
July 25, 2013
Udall-Authored Financial Services and General Government Bill Approved by Committee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today led the Senate Appropriations Committee in approving the fiscal year 2014 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill. Udall succeeded the late Senator Frank Lautenberg as chairman of the subcommittee earlier this year. The bill funds a wide range of federal agencies and priorities important to New Mexicans and all Americans. It funds the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law that protects families and invest… Continue Reading
July 24, 2013
Udall Statement on Senate Vote on Student Loan Rates
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after voting against a measure that would allow interest rates on federal undergraduate subsidized Stafford Loans to rise to as high as 8.25 percent: "After listening to this debate and weighing both sides, I couldn't endorse this bill. I can't support any measure that balances the budget on the backs of college students. The ability to get a college degree is too important for our students' future - and for our country… Continue Reading
July 24, 2013
Udall Highlights N.M. Success Using Brownfields Program to Revitalize Communities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health, today led a hearing examining how a toxic site cleanup program overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has helped revitalize communities in New Mexico and across the country. Since 2002, the EPA's brownfields program has enabled communities in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and elsewhere to clean up and repurpose formerly polluted land, a… Continue Reading
July 24, 2013
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce Housing Privatization Project at Cannon AFB
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced today that the Air Force will award a project to Balfour Beatty Communities (BBC) to privatize the military family housing at Cannon Air Force Base (AFB) as part of the six-base Northern Group housing privatization project. The Air Force intends to close the deal on August 1, 2013. At Cannon AFB, the Air Force will convey 763 homes to BBC and lease the underlying land of 368 acres for… Continue Reading
July 24, 2013
Udall: We Need a Functioning FEC to Reform our Campaign Finance System
WASHINGTON - Today U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) called for a functioning Federal Election Commission (FEC) to enforce federal campaign finance laws. His remarks came during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Rules & Administration to consider President Obama's nominees to serve on the FEC. "As you know, I am a strong supporter of reforming our campaign finance system. I believe one important step is to have a functioning FEC, where all six seats are filled with commissioners in terms th… Continue Reading
July 23, 2013
Veterans: Help Create the Burn Pits Registry
Earlier this year President Obama signed into law a bill I wrote to create a registry of military service members and veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes from open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have been working closely with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make sure it has the registry up and running quickly, and to ensure it meets the needs of our veterans. The VA is currently seeking input from veterans about a Web-based questionnaire that will be … Continue Reading
July 22, 2013
Udall, Corker: End Unnecessary & Dangerous Use of Burn Pits in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) announced they have sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel asking for immediate action to halt the use of open-air burn pits at two camp sites supporting Operating Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Their letter follows reports by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) that found the burn pits were utilized without need and at great danger to the health of U.S. military an… Continue Reading
July 18, 2013
Udall Advances 2 Bills to Support N.M. Small Businesses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today announced two bills to help New Mexico small businesses grow in the tough economy and continue to create jobs. The bills, the Helping Our Middle Class Entrepreneurs (HOME) Act and the Expanding Opportunities for Main Street Act, are the result of Udall's conversations with small business owners across New Mexico about ways the federal government can streamline contracting and reduce unnecessary red tape. Udall's announcement comes a day after h… Continue Reading
July 17, 2013
New Mexico Chamber Leaders Join Udall for Economic Development Meeting on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON - Today U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) hosted two New Mexico chamber of commerce leaders on Capitol Hill for a discussion on job creation and economic recovery. Alex O. Romero, President and CEO, Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, and Laura E. Sanchez, CEO, New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce, joined Udall for a meeting in the U.S. Capitol before the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. The goal of the discussion was to highlight how the federal government and local c… Continue Reading
July 17, 2013
Udall and Heinrich Call for Investigation of Allegations that "Debt Relief" Firms are Exploiting Students
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich have called on federal officials to investigate allegations that so-called "debt relief" companies have been using deceptive practices to profit from students seeking assistance in repaying their college loans. The federal government provides tools to help students manage their college loans free of charge, but a new National Consumer Law Center report revealed that private companies are taking advantage of students by charging them up to … Continue Reading
