Press Releases
Udall Presses Administration on Effectiveness of Iran Sanctions
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall chaired a hearing of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee on the importance of sanctions in U.S. foreign policy and to ensure the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) has the resources it needs to fulfill its critical mission. Udall also asked about the foreign policy consequences of a budget shortfall. The TFI is a small, specialized unit of the U.S. Treasury Department,… Continue Reading
April 02, 2014
Udall Statement on Supreme Court's McCutcheon Decision
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall responded to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision striking down aggregate limits on campaign donations. The McCutcheon v. FEC decision will allow a federal politician to solicit - or a wealthy donor to give - a $3.6 million check to benefit a political party and federal candidates over a two-year election cycle. Udall issued the following statement: "Americans already believe the election system has been fundamentally corrupted by big money from co… Continue Reading
April 01, 2014
Udall, Heinrich, Luján: Milestone Reached in Construction of Navajo-Gallup Water Project
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján welcomed news that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $19.6 million construction contract to build the Tohlakai Pumping Plant, a significant milestone and the first pumping plant for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. "Access to drinkable water is a basic necessity for public health and economic development, and it's intolerable that many Navajos in New Mexico still must travel miles a… Continue Reading
April 01, 2014
Protecting Your Family & Property from Wildfires
This week is Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week, and I want to add my voice to federal and state government partners encouraging everyone to learn more about protecting their families and property from wildfires. With historic drought and dry conditions, the wildfire season is already starting, and I'll be working to ensure land agencies in New Mexico have the resources they need to prevent and fight wildfires. On the Senate Appropriations Committee, I'll be pushing to ensure we have enough resou… Continue Reading
March 31, 2014
Udall Commemorates the Legacy and Accomplishments of César Chávez
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined a coalition of his colleagues in signing a resolution commemorating the accomplishments and legacy of civil rights leader César Estrada Chávez. Udall issued the following statement honoring Chávez on his birthday: "Today we honor the legacy and achievements of American civil rights hero, who dedicated his life to improving the lives of others. Through nonviolent means, César Chávez fought for human rights and justice,… Continue Reading
March 27, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Ask for Explanation of Missed Mine Safety Inspections at WIPP
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich today announced that they have sent a letter to Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, asking for a written report on why the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) had not done legally required regular inspections at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, N.M. The information about missed safety inspections was revealed in the Department of Energy's accident report on the Feb. 5 fire at WIPP. A specialized salt mine over 2,000 f… Continue Reading
March 27, 2014
Udall Statement on Listing of Lesser Prairie-Chicken as Threatened Species
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decision to list the lesser prairie-chicken as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. "Private citizens, industry and public land management agencies have put an impressive amount of effort toward a collaborative solution to protecting the lesser prairie-chicken habitat. We all had hoped those strong steps would avoid a listing. But years of severe drought have been hard on ev… Continue Reading
March 27, 2014
Udall, Heinrich, Lujan Grisham Congratulate Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and U.S. Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham congratulated the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque on its recent progress and achievements, and extended their gratitude to SIPI president, Dr. Sherry Allison, the board of regents, and the faculty and staff for their dedication to student success. SIPI is federally operated by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Education. This month, SIPI… Continue Reading
March 25, 2014
Udall, Heinrich: EPA to Deploy Mobile Air Monitors to WIPP
WASHINGTON - U.S Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich today announced that within the next two weeks, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will deploy mobile environmental monitoring units to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, N.M. In a Feb. 27 letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the senators had asked the EPA to send the additional air monitors to conduct independent tests and help respond to questions that have arisen from the community about safety following … Continue Reading
March 20, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Announce Funds for Economic Development in Eastern New Mexico
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that the Eastern Plains Council of Governments, which serves Curry, De Baca, Guadalupe, Harding, Quay, Roosevelt and Union counties, has been awarded $120,000 in planning investment funding from the Economic Development Administration, to support the development and implementation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region. A CEDS will help the public and private sectors of the region unite to … Continue Reading
March 20, 2014
Udall Statement on Move to Temporarily Stage Los Alamos TRU Waste at WCS in Texas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Tom Udall responded to the decision by the Department of Energy (DOE) and its contractor, NWP, to temporarily stage TRU waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) at WCS in Andrews, Texas, while recovery efforts continue at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, N.M. Udall has worked throughout his career for safe cleanup at LANL, and since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee has led the delegation in securing increased funds to ensure nuclear wa… Continue Reading
March 19, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Announce over $300,000 in Funding to Improve Tribal Transit
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that the Pueblos of Isleta, Jemez and Santa Ana have been awarded a total of $307,770 in grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration to improve transit services and connections for tribal members and residents of the surrounding communities. Through a competitive selection process, projects at each Pueblo were chosen to receive funding through the FY 2013 Tribal Transit Program. The Tribal Transit Program author… Continue Reading
March 18, 2014
Udall, Corker Press Department of Veterans Affairs on Delay of Open Air Burn Pit Registry
WASHINGTON - In a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric K. Shinseki today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), a member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations subcommittee, and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pressed the VA for answers regarding its failure to diligently and expeditiously implement the Open Air Burn Pit Registry as mandated under Section 201 of PL 112-260, which Udall and Corker coau… Continue Reading
March 14, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Statement on Department of Energy WIPP Fire Investigation Report
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich issued the following statement on the release of the U.S. Department of Energy's accident investigation report for the underground mine fire involving a salt haul truck at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico. "The findings of the accident investigation board on the February 5th fire at WIPP are deeply concerning. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The community of Carlsbad and the nation expect WIPP to operate with… Continue Reading
March 13, 2014
Udall Tech Transfer Bill Would Help Move Innovation from Labs to the Marketplace, Create Jobs
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall introduced legislation to improve the Department of Energy's (DOE) technology transfer process and help innovators turn research into marketable products and businesses. Udall's Accelerating Technology Transfer to Advance Innovation for the Nation (ATTAIN) Act would help New Mexico entrepreneurs create jobs and revolutionary products. The changes it proposes are critical to helping leverage research at the state's two DOE labs and develop high-tech p… Continue Reading
March 13, 2014
Udall Votes to Improve Early Child Care for New Mexico Families
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined the Senate in voting 97-1 to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program. The program, which had not been updated in nearly 20 years, helps New Mexico families obtain safe, reliable and affordable child care while they work, or pursue an education or career training. The bipartisan reauthorization modifies the program based on current research on child development to better align child care health and safety standards w… Continue Reading
March 13, 2014
N.M. Delegation Pushing for Advanced Photonics Manufacturing Consortium to be Designated as a 'Manufacturing Community'
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham are advocating for New Mexico Advanced Photonics Manufacturing Consortium in Albuquerque to be recognized by the federal government as a "Manufacturing Community," a designation that could make it eligible for up to $1.3 billion in future federal investment to further economic development strategies. The delegation together wrote a letter in support of an application… Continue Reading
March 12, 2014
Udall Statement on Confirmation of France Cordova of N.M. to Lead NSF
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the confirmation of France Cordova of New Mexico to lead the National Science Foundation: "France Cordova is an internationally recognized astrophysicist with a distinguished career in academia and government service. I look forward to working with her in this position, which plays an important role in New Mexico. As a major source of funding for scientific research, the NSF's mission is to keep the nation at the leading edge… Continue Reading
March 12, 2014
Getting the Most Out of Every Drop
You've probably heard the saying - everyone complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. We know we can't make it rain in New Mexico, but we can improve our response to drought conditions that are stressing our farmers and our community water systems. By taking smart steps, we can save water - and millions of dollars. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I've been working with communities across New Mexico to find ways to improve our infrastructure and increase … Continue Reading
March 11, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Announce Funding For Major Water Projects In New Mexico
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to fund eight New Mexico water projects they advocated for, bringing over $28 million in funding to New Mexico and ensuring important infrastructure work for the state is added to the Army Corps' 2014 work plan. "As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I've been working to ensure the Army Corps of Engineers understands the importance of these projects, which are critical to pre… Continue Reading
