Press Releases
Bingaman & Udall: Indian Communities Set to Receive Nearly $5 Million for Water Improvements
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that six Native American communities in New Mexico will share nearly $5 million for water improvements. Funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Environmental Protection Agency and the Indian Health Service. "This nearly $5 million investment of stimulus funding will be used to improve water infrastructure in six communities in New Mexico. It will create good jobs in the short term, and provid… Continue Reading
July 07, 2009
Bingaman & Udall Press for Drought Declaration for 7 New Mexico Counties
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today urged U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to quickly approve New Mexico's request for a natural disaster declaration for seven counties due to severe drought and high winds. In a letter to Vilsack the Senators said that since last October farmers and ranchers in Otero, Lincoln, De Baca, Roosevelt, Lea, Eddy and Chaves counties have continued to suffer losses due to dry weather. A disaster declaration would help provide access to fed… Continue Reading
July 01, 2009
Bingaman & Udall Announce $2.5 Million for Albuquerque-Area Water Project
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall announced today that the federal government is releasing $2.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for an Albuquerque-area water project. Funding will help the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority with the construction of one phase of the Southside Municipal Effluent Polishing and Water Reclamation Project, which will provide highly treated municipal and industrial effluent for irrigation and industrial de… Continue Reading
June 26, 2009
Udall to Hold Town Halls, Office Hours and Tobacco Free Kids Event Over July 4th Recess
Santa Fe, N.M. - U.S. Senator Tom Udall will hold a series of public events in New Mexico next week including town hall meetings in Albuquerque, Socorro, Truth or Consequences and Las Cruces where he will discuss and take questions about the challenges and achievements of the first six months of the 111th Congress and distribute his new GI Bill Resource and Application Guide to post-9/11 veterans or their family members in attendance. The Veterans' Administration will begin distributing these be… Continue Reading
June 25, 2009
Bingaman & Udall Seek National Park Service Study on Future of Valles Caldera
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today asked the National Park Service to assess the potential for including the Valles Caldera National Preserve in the National Park System.The senators point out that the trust that governs the Valles Caldera is set to expire in 2020. In anticipation of that date, various ideas about the future management of the preserve are being investigated. In a letter to National Park Service Acting Director Daniel Wenk, the senators said they believe… Continue Reading
June 24, 2009
Udall, Heinrich, Lujan Call on EPA to Support Biodiesel, Save Jobs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall and U.S. Representatives Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján are asking Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to act now "to protect the 29,000 jobs biodiesel provides and preserve the future benefits of this renewable fuel." In a letter to Jackson, the New Mexico lawmakers cite recent reports that show, "the U.S. biodiesel industry is in a state of crisis," but say this trend could be reversed today if the EPA implements an interim… Continue Reading
June 22, 2009
Udall Celebrates Obama Signing Tobacco Control Bill into Law
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today applauded President Barack Obama for signing the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law. As New Mexico Attorney General, Udall successfully sued the tobacco industry and in Congress has been a strong proponent of legislation to allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate tobacco products. Click here to see his speech from the Senate floor, urging passage of this bill. "After more than a decade of fighting to prot… Continue Reading
June 22, 2009
Udall Praises Hilary Tompkins' Confirmation as Solicitor General
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today released the following statement praising last night's confirmation of New Mexican Hilary Tompkins as Solicitor General for the U.S. Department of Interior: "Hilary has the expertise and the experience to excel as the Interior Department's Solicitor General. As a prosecutor, a practicing attorney and the first Native American Chief Counsel to New Mexico's governor, Hilary showed her ability to master the difficult areas of the law that an Inter… Continue Reading
June 22, 2009
Congressional Delegation Announces More than $213 Million Available to Support, Reform New Mexico Schools
WASHINGTON -New Mexico's Congressional delegation today announced that $213 million is now available for state schools and education through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will be dedicated to help save teaching jobs and support state and local efforts to reform and improve the public education system in the state. New Mexico has already received $97 million in education stimulus funds - representing a combination of funding for Title I, the Individuals with Disabilities… Continue Reading
June 17, 2009
Udall Marks Legacy of Three Navajo Code Talkers in Senate Floor Speech
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today honored the legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers and celebrated the service of three who have passed away in the last month. Willie Begay, Thomas Claw and John Brown, Jr. were celebrated on the Senate floor for their dedication and service to America during World War II. Below is the text of Udall's speech and to watch the video click HERE. "Mr. President, I rise today to mark a solemn moment for the Navajo Nation and for our country."In the past m… Continue Reading
June 17, 2009
Udall Commends Bingaman on Committee Passage of Renewable Electricity Standard
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today applauded the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, under the extraordinary and diligent leadership of Chairman Jeff Bingaman, for concluding weeks of legislative mark-up and producing comprehensive energy legislation that includes a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). In the Senate, Udall has introduced similar legislation to set an RES of 25 percent by 2025, the same goal called for by President Barack Obama. As a member of t… Continue Reading
June 17, 2009
Udall Honors Army Spc. Christopher Kurth With Senate Chamber Speech
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D- N.M., today honored the life and memory of Alamogordo Army Spc. Christopher Kurth who lost his life to a grenade attack in Iraq on June 4. Below is the text of Udall's Senate Chamber tribute. Click HERE to see a video of the Udall's speech. "I rise today to honor a proud son of Alamogordo, New Mexico. Army Specialist Chris Kurth died last Thursday, June 4, after his vehicle was struck by an anti-tank grenade. He was 23 years old. "In Iraq, Chris was resp… Continue Reading
June 16, 2009
Udall: Roswell to Receive More Than $1.6 Million to Repair Airport
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today announced that Roswell International Air Center will be receiving $1,632,326.00 to repair two taxiways. More than $1 million was provided according to a federal funding formula, and an additional $540,000 was awarded at the discretion of the U.S. Department of Transportation. "With this support, Roswell can put its citizens to work on a project that will help local businesses and contribute to America's national defense," said Udall. "This is… Continue Reading
June 16, 2009
Feds Will Back Bonds to Allow N.M. Communities to Finance Economic Development Projects
WASHINGTON - The New Mexico congressional delegation today confirmed that the U.S. Treasury Department will underwrite millions of dollars worth of bonds, allowing communities throughout New Mexico to borrow capital at low interest rates to fund economic development projects. The announced bonding authority flows from the Recovery Zone Economic Development Bond program, which Congress created in February in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These bonds allow state and local governme… Continue Reading
June 12, 2009
Bingaman & Udall Announce Job Training Funding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that Tohatchi Area of Opportunity & Services, Inc. will receive $699,600 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to provide employment skills to local youth.Funding was provided through the U.S. Department of Labor's YouthBuild grant program, which provides job training and educational opportunities for young adults ages 16-24."YouthBuild provides young people with the education and training they need to en… Continue Reading
June 11, 2009
Postponed: Udall Meeting With Judge Sonia Sotomayor
WASHINGTON - The office of U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., said today that the Senator's meeting with Supreme Court Nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor has been postponed until Tuesday, June 16, to allow her time to begin preparing for upcoming Judiciary hearings. "The Senate Judiciary Committee has set the schedule for Judge Sotomayor's confirmation hearings to begin on July 13, and her schedule has been adjusted to allow her time to prepare," said Udall spokeswoman, Marissa Padilla. "Senator Udall… Continue Reading
June 11, 2009
Bingaman & Udall: New Mexico to Receive $3.16 Million in Trade Adjustment Assistance
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today applauded news that New Mexico will receive millions of dollars in federal assistance to provide career training, and employment and case management services to workers who have lost their jobs due to outsourcing or international trade. New Mexico is slated to receive a total of $3.16 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) funding from the U.S. Department of Labor. TAA provides aid - such as unemployment insurance, funds for retr… Continue Reading
June 11, 2009
Senate Clears Udall-Backed Bill to Rein in Tobacco Industry
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today hailed Senate passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, legislation which allows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate tobacco products. Udall, a long-time advocate of such legislation who last week urged his Senate colleagues to support the measure, called the passage a critical step in protecting the health of America's children and families. "I do not understand why the FDA can regulate Tylenol, but it can… Continue Reading
June 11, 2009
Bingaman, Udall & Teague Announce $2.5 Million for Woody Biomass Project in Lincoln National Forest
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall joined U.S. Representative Harry Teague today to announce that the Mescalero Apache Tribe will receive $2.5 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for a Woody Biomass Energy Development project. The project will develop a wood pellet production plant and a 6 mega-watt power plant in conjunction with the Mescalero Apache Tribe's sawmill. The funding will help protect the Lincoln National Forest, which is one of the most th… Continue Reading
June 10, 2009
Udall To Host Portales Town Hall And Celebrate Old Fort Days In Fort Sumner This Weekend
Portales, N.M. - U.S. Senator Tom Udall will make stops in Portales and Fort Sumner this weekend. Friday, Udall will host a town hall meeting at Eastern New Mexico University from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. He will discuss and take questions about the challenges and achievements of the first six months of the 111th Congress. In addition, Udall will distribute his new GI Bill Resource and Application Guide to Post-9/11 veterans or their family members who are in attendance. The Veterans' Administratio… Continue Reading
