Press Releases
Udall, Merkley Urge McConnell to Continue Rules Reform to Fix Broken Senate
WASHINGTON - In a letter delivered today to incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) announced that they will continue their effort to reform the Senate rules on the first day of the next legislative session, and they urged McConnell to allow debate and support efforts to restore a healthy legislative process. Since joining the Senate in 2009, Udall and Merkley have led the effort to increase transparency, restore accountability and f… Continue Reading
December 09, 2014
Udall Statement on Senate Intelligence Committee Report on CIA Interrogation Practices
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the Senate Intelligence Committee's review of the Central Intelligence Agency's detention and interrogation program. A copy of the report is available HERE. "The Senate investigators' report documents the use of brutal interrogation techniques that I believe constitute torture and violate U.S. and international law. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, we compromised the values that make our nation great. This report unders… Continue Reading
December 08, 2014
Udall Statement on State of New Mexico's Decision to Fine U.S. Department of Energy Following Accident at WIPP
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the state of New Mexico's decision to fine the U.S. Department of Energy over $54 million for numerous violations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and Los Alamos National Laboratory: "The investigation by the state of New Mexico found that the accident last February put at risk the health of workers and the nearby community. The action the state has taken is appropriate and shows why I have long fought for state envir… Continue Reading
December 05, 2014
Udall Statement on Nomination of Ashton Carter as Secretary of Defense
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the president's decision to nominate Ashton Carter to serve as Secretary of Defense: "The United States and the broader international community are confronting multiple quickly evolving threats in the Middle East, including the emergence of the brutal terrorist organization ISIS. Ashton Carter has the respect of senior military leaders having served under multiple secretaries of defense, managed large budgets and handl… Continue Reading
December 04, 2014
Wind Energy Could Slow Global Warming, but Tax Credits Needed, Udall and Advocates Say
WASHINGTON -- Expanding wind power across the country could cut as much global warming pollution as 254 coal plants produce in a year, according to a new report, but congressional action is needed to make that expansion a reality, U.S. Senator Tom Udall and other clean energy advocates said today. "Speeding the development of pollution-free wind energy will slow global warming," said Anna Aurilio, global warming solutions program director for Environment America. "But Congress needs to invest no… Continue Reading
December 04, 2014
Delegation Praises Retiring BLM Director for N.M., Urges ‘Careful Consideration’ of State’s Diverse Public Lands Issues in Selecting Successor
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján, Michelle Lujan Grisham and Steve Pearce announced that they have sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), thanking retiring BLM New Mexico State Director Jesse Juen for his thoughtful and balanced leadership, and urging the BLM to proceed carefully to hire Juen's successor. BLM State Director is a critical position in New Mexico, responsible for 850 employees and the management of mo… Continue Reading
December 03, 2014
Udall Secures Provisions in NDAA to Improve Tech Transfer at New Mexico's National Labs, Begin Federal IT Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall today announced that he has successfully pushed for key reforms to fund technology transfer at New Mexico's national laboratories and upgrade how the federal government buys and manages information technology (IT) as part of a critical national defense bill. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Udall has championed tech transfer and IT reform, and the inclusion of his provisions in the end-of-year National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will … Continue Reading
December 03, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Secure Landmark Conservation and Energy Bills In End of Year Package
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Several landmark conservation and energy bills championed by U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) are included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was finalized last night. The critical annual bill is expected to be voted on by the House and Senate before the end of the year. The New Mexico senators successfully fought to include provisions to designate the Columbine-Hondo as wilderness, transition the Valles Caldera National Prese… Continue Reading
December 02, 2014
Udall Recruiting Spring Interns for New Mexico Offices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall invites New Mexico college students interested in gaining legislative or press relations experience to apply for spring semester internships in his Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Las Cruces, Portales and Santa Fe offices. For more information and to apply for an internship, please visit http://www.tomudall.senate.gov/internships. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but students are encouraged to submit their applications early. "Congressional internships p… Continue Reading
December 01, 2014
Udall, Crapo Lead Bipartisan Coalition on PILT/SRS Funding for Critical Local Government Services
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) led a bipartisan coalition urging Senate leaders to fully fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) in any end-of-year legislation. PILT provides federal payments to local governments to help offset losses in property taxes because of nontaxable federal land within their boundaries, and these resources are critical to rural counties across the country, which use the funding to provide service… Continue Reading
November 26, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Urge Funding Solution For Land And Water Conservation Fund
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich this week joined 39 other U.S. senators in calling on Senate leadership to work with them to find a permanent funding solution for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). "The Land and Water Conservation Fund guarantees a prosperous and vital future for the next generation while preserving our uniquely American way of life across this nation," the senators wrote in the letter. "Accordingly, we urge you to enact a permanent and compreh… Continue Reading
November 25, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Back DOD Plan to Better Protect Military Families from Abusive Financial Practices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) are supporting the Department of Defense's (DOD) plan to update the Military Lending Act (MLA) and close existing loopholes in order to better protect soldiers and their families from abusive financial practices. In a letter sent today to U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the Senators expressed strong support for the proposed new rule to help prevent lenders from charging excessive fees and taking advantage of military famili… Continue Reading
November 24, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Announce More Than $400,000 for Navajo Distance Learning
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced $447,748 in funding for a distance learning initiative for the Navajo Technical University in Crownpoint, N.M. This funding, made possible through the Department of Agriculture's Distance Learning and Telemedicine program, is intended to counteract high unemployment and poverty in the Navajo community. Quality distance learning is an important tool, especially for the large Navajo Nation, where many students have to trave… Continue Reading
November 24, 2014
Udall Statement on Chuck Hagel
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement after President Obama announced that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will step down: "Over the last year, we have seen the emergence of a brutal terrorist organization as well as other security threats that have required a targeted, strategic response, with little room for mistakes. As the commander in chief, President Obama needs to have a strong defense secretary who will handle these challenges with authority and clear l… Continue Reading
November 20, 2014
Udall Responds to President’s Immigration Announcement
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the president's decision to take executive action on immigration: "Over 40,000 people in New Mexico and millions more around the country are living in immigration limbo while they work and raise families here in the United States. Deporting these children and families isn't a realistic option. We need to focus our limited resources on securing the border and going after drug dealers, gang members and potential terrori… Continue Reading
November 20, 2014
Udall, Tester Introduce Legislation to Provide Support for Homeless and At-Risk Native Veterans
WASHINGTON - Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and Tom Udall (D-NM) today introduced bipartisan legislation (S. 2960) to make sure all Native American veterans have a place to call home. Tester and Udall were joined by co-sponsors Tim Johnson (D-SD), Al Franken (D-MN), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Tester and Udall's bill allows funds meant to help homeless veterans and veterans at-risk of homelessness to be made available to Native veterans. Due to reg… Continue Reading
November 18, 2014
Udall Statement on Senate Vote on Keystone Pipeline
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement after voting against a bill to mandate approval of the Keystone pipeline. The bill failed to win the support needed to move forward: "Throughout my time in public service, I've advocated for a 'do it all, do it right' strategy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and move toward energy independence - something that will require us to truly invest in clean energy as well as traditional oil and gas resources. I support respons… Continue Reading
November 18, 2014
Udall, Heinrich Seek Additional Resources for WIPP
WASHINGTON - As Congress finalizes its fiscal year 2015 spending bills, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced today they are seeking continued support for funding for the recovery of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, N.M. In a letter to Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, the senators urged them to provide an additional $113 million above 2014 funding levels to ensure ongoing recovery efforts are… Continue Reading
November 14, 2014
Udall, Flake Pledge Work to Modernize Relations with Cuba
WASHINGTON - After returning from a three-day Senate Foreign Relations Committee trip to Cuba, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) pledged to continue working together in the Senate to open U.S. travel to and trade with Cuba, a potential new market for New Mexico, Arizona and other states. During the visit, the senators met with Cuban officials, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parilla, and religious and business leaders to discuss the impacts of the embargo … Continue Reading
November 13, 2014
Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act Clears Senate Committee
WASHINGTON - Today, the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), cleared the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The bill now awaits passage by the full Senate. The Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Act, which has broad support from the local community, would designate the 45,000-acre Columbine-Hondo area in Taos County as wilderness. The bill would also expand the Wheeler Peak Wilderness by approximately 650 … Continue Reading
