Press Releases
Time to Discuss the Patriot Act
Nearly a decade ago, I was one of only sixty-six members of the House of Representatives to vote against the so-called Patriot Act. This past week, Congress extended controversial provisions within this law for another three months and once again, I opposed it. As we approach the law's 10 year anniversary, the time has come for us to thoroughly review all of its provisions. In October, 2001, Congress introduced, passed, and the president signed the Patriot Act. It was a far-reaching piece of le… Continue Reading
February 18, 2011
Udall Leaves Mark on Aviation Jobs Bill
WASHINGTON - Legislation to modernize and improve the safety of the U.S. air transportation system passed the Senate last night and included three provisions by U.S. Senator Tom Udall to help airlines address inebriated and unruly passengers, increase personal privacy, and exchange land for the airport in Doña Ana County. "This legislation will mean safer skies, more efficient travel, and improved privacy protections for air passengers," said Udall, a member of the Senate Commerce, Scienc… Continue Reading
February 18, 2011
Udall Statement on Jeff Bingaman’s Decision to Retire in 2012
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) released the following statement today on Sen. Jeff Bingaman's decision to not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate: "Jeff Bingaman is my friend and mentor. He has served the citizens of New Mexico and the nation for over three decades, and we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his outstanding public service. "Jeff has never been one to promote himself, but his accomplishments are too great to list. He has been a national leader in pushing for… Continue Reading
February 17, 2011
Udall: Let’s Get PHYSICAL
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today introduced legislation to get American kids moving through the Promoting Health for Youth Skills in Classrooms and Life (PHYSICAL) Act. The measure, which has earned the backing of more than 40 health organizations and fitness advocate Richard Simmons, would improve the quality of school health and physical education programs and make them more accessible to kids across the country. "Over recent decades, time devoted to physical and health educat… Continue Reading
February 16, 2011
Udall Statement on PATRIOT Act Reauthorization
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), issued the following statement regarding his opposition to the reauthorization of controversial provisions of the Patriot Act: "Nearly a decade has passed since I was one of only sixty-six members to vote against the so-called Patriot Act in the House of Representatives. That October, Congress introduced, passed, and the president had signed the far-reaching piece of legislation with the power to undermine the Constitutional right to privacy of law-abi… Continue Reading
February 16, 2011
Udall Joins President for Launch of ‘America’s Great Outdoors’ Initiative
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today joined President Obama and others at the White House to launch the president's 21st century conservation and outdoor recreation agenda, an initiative based on extensive public input and designed to reflect and support Americans' love of special outdoor places and desire to protect our lands and waters for decades to come. The president's "America's Great Outdoors Initiative" (AGO) is the result of 51 public listening sessions - including a stop in… Continue Reading
February 16, 2011
Udall Meets with Indian Housing Leaders
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today discussed the importance of access to quality, affordable housing in Indian Country with members of the National American Indian Housing Council, who were in Washington for their annual legislative conference. Udall, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, highlighted his work in the Senate to maintain federal funding for tribal housing programs, and urged attendees to work together to find innovative ways to address the lack of affordabl… Continue Reading
February 14, 2011
Udall Statement on President’s Budget Blueprint
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), released the following statement today regarding President Obama's 2012 budget proposal: "The president's budget blueprint reflects the challenges we face in getting our fiscal house in order. He proposes an overall deficit reduction of about $1 trillion while rightly focusing on keeping America competitive by building a new energy economy and investing in education. "For New Mexico, this budget holds promising investments to further the national secu… Continue Reading
February 14, 2011
Protecting Privacy at the Airport
Around the holidays last year, we saw significant public concern about personal privacy at our nation's airports. At the time, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had expanded screening measures at security checkpoints in airports like the Albuquerque Sunport. The new standard became Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) or whole body scanners, which produce highly revealing body images of the individual being screened. If you refuse an AIT scan, the alternative is a full body pat-down … Continue Reading
February 14, 2011
Udall: NM Will Lead the Way in Race for Clean Energy Economy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today delivered his biennial address to the New Mexico Legislature, where he discussed the state's leadership role in building the economy of the future through the development of clean energy technologies. The full text of his remarks is below. Udall's Remarks as Delivered: "Thank you, Lieutenant Governor Sanchez. I also want to recognize President Pro-Tem Jennings. Great to see you, Tim. And Speaker Lujan, you would be very proud of the remarkable job… Continue Reading
February 09, 2011
N.M. Congressional Delegation & Federal Agencies to Host Forum about Post-Storm Aid
WASHINGTON - The New Mexico congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency will host a forum this week in Española that will bring together federal agencies and nonprofits to discuss assistance available to eligible New Mexicans whose homes and businesses were affected by last week's storm. The forum will take place from 10 a.m.-noon on Thursday, February 10, at Mission Museum, 1 Calle de los Españoles, Española. A variety of feder… Continue Reading
February 08, 2011
Udall Seeks to Protect Personal Privacy in Airport Screenings
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) has introduced an amendment to the pending FAAReauthorization to increase privacy protections for airline passengers who are screened by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with whole body scanners, or Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT). "The body images produced at airport checkpoints are highly revealing and many passengers are justifiably uncomfortable being screened by the technology," said Udall. "The alternative for those who refuse an… Continue Reading
February 08, 2011
Grant Will Help New Mexico Hospitals and Medical Professionals Adopt Health Information Technology
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that a New Mexico organization will receive a $102,000 federal grant to continue its work to support the adoption of health information technology (HIT) by hospitals and medical professionals across the state. The grant comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It will be used by the Lovelace Clinic Foundation to help New Mexico hospitals and medical professionals select and purchase computers and other HI… Continue Reading
February 03, 2011
Senators Lautenberg, Tom Udall Introduce Legislation to Stop Drunk Driving Repeat Offenders
WASHINGTON, D.C. - With Super Bowl Sunday marking one of the worst days for drunk driving fatalities, U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Tom Udall (D-NM) today introduced legislation to keep drunk drivers off the road by requiring the use of ignition interlock technology for all convicted drunk driving offenders. The ignition interlock is an electronic breath testing system connected to a vehicle that prevents the ignition from starting if the driver's blood alcohol content exceeds a … Continue Reading
February 03, 2011
Steps Toward a Better Senate
When my predecessor, Clinton Anderson of New Mexico served in the U.S. Senate, it was at a time of great national challenges. As the civil rights movement began to take shape, obstruction in the Senate repeatedly stood in the way of progress. Anti-lynching bills were filibustered in 1922 and '35 and '38, and anti-race discrimination bills were blocked almost a dozen times starting in 1946. Anderson recognized the problem early in his Senate career, and understood that the Constitution provided a… Continue Reading
February 02, 2011
Udall Announces $3.5 Million for Health Care Services in Albuquerque
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today announced that two New Mexico health care organizations will receive a total of almost $3.5 million over five years to fund medical outreach for the homeless as well as infectious disease research. The grants are both provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless will receive $431,075 per year for five years to continue to provide free outreach and site-based primary medical, dental and spec… Continue Reading
January 31, 2011
Udall: New Mexico DOT Receives More Than $700,000 for New Equipment
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today announced that the New Mexico Department of Transportation will receive $723,873 to purchase new buses and improve existing bus facilities. The funding was made possible through the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration. "Expanding access to public transportation is critical during tough economic times," said Udall. Many residents rely on public transportation to get groceries for their family and travel to and from wor… Continue Reading
January 27, 2011
Udall Named to Foreign Relations Committee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall has been nominated to serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The appointment compliments his work on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the U.S. Helsinki Commission) and the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. "I look forward to contributing to the vital policy discussions in the Foreign Relations Committee to advance America's interests at home and abroad," said Udall. "I have the utmost respect for the Chairman Kerr… Continue Reading
January 26, 2011
Democratic Trio Remain Committed to Senate Rules Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (NM), Tom Harkin (IA) and Jeff Merkley (OR) today reaffirmed their commitment to making the Senate a more transparent and efficient body that is better able to respond to the needs of the American people. Last night, Senate Republicans objected to allowing the Senate to debate and vote on meaningful rules reform. After years of unprecedented obstruction and a historic rise in the use of the filibuster, the trio introduced a resolution on Jan. 5 - the first da… Continue Reading
January 25, 2011
Udall Reacts to President’s State of Union Address
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, released the following statement in reaction to tonight's State of the Union address by President Obama: "Tonight President Obama outlined a vision for rebuilding our economy that puts hardworking Americans back to work, inspires innovation at home and ensures our country's global competitiveness for decades to come. We must turn a corner in rebuilding America. And New Mexico stands ready to lead the way - with a strong tradition of innovation in many … Continue Reading
