Press Releases
Udall Issues Statement on Iranian Nuclear Plant
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, issued the following statement today in response to President Obama, President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Brown's statement on Iran's secret nuclear fuel plant: "This latest deception by Iran is further evidence that Tehran cannot be trusted to live up to its duties as a member of the international community. By attempting to conceal the existence of this nuclear manufacturing plant, Iran has risked further isolation and more stringent sanctions. I comm… Continue Reading
September 24, 2009
Senate Approves Bill that Funds N.M. Public Lands
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Senate has approved a spending bill that funds important public lands initiatives in New Mexico. The fiscal year 2010 Interior Appropriations Bill contains an amendment Bingaman wrote and Udall cosponsored aimed at ensuring there that is adequate federal funding available to help fight wildfires. The measure creates a separate account to pay for fighting large, complex wildland fires. This move would prevent the Fore… Continue Reading
September 24, 2009
Udall Helps Launch Hispanic Oral History Project
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, today helped launch a new initiative to preserve the stories and experiences of Hispanic Americans through the StoryCorps Historias oral history project - which will visit several New Mexico cities over the next year. Udall, a member of the Senate Democratic Hispanic Task Force, joined members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and others on Capitol Hill for StoryCorps Historias' official launch. StoryCorps His… Continue Reading
September 24, 2009
Albuquerque Police Department Receives More Than $800,000 to Fight Drug Crime
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Albuquerque Police Department will receive $826,422 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help fight drug-related crime. Through a Bingaman initiative - supported by Udall - the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained $30 million in grant funding nationwide aimed at fighting drug-related criminal activity. The funding awarded to Albuquerque came from that border grant program. It will be used to… Continue Reading
September 23, 2009
Udall Announces $8 Million from EPA to Ensure Safe Drinking Water in New Mexico
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, today announced that New Mexico will receive more than $8.1 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure safe drinking water for state residents. The EPA awarded the funds to the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA), which will use the money to provide loan assistance to eligible public water systems for infrastructure improvements, as well as provide local assistance, technical support, and state program management. "Safe, clean drin… Continue Reading
September 23, 2009
Feds Release $2.7 million to Construct Fire Stations in Sandoval County
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is releasing $2.7 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for the construction of a new fire station in Sandoval County. Funding will be used to construct a fire and emergency rescue station. The station will be staffed 24 hour, 365 days a year by professional firefighters and paramedics. Additionally, the station will house the Sandoval County's Fire Re… Continue Reading
September 23, 2009
Udall, Fellow Freshman Senators Highlight Cost of Inaction on Health Care Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, joined eight of his fellow freshman senators on the floor of the U.S. Senate today to highlight the high cost of inaction on health insurance reform. "Health insurance reform is one of the defining challenges of our time. Every person in our country has a stake in what we do at this moment, in this place," Udall said. "And while there are a lot of proposals out there, there is one thing we know for sure: Maintaining the status quo is not an option." … Continue Reading
September 22, 2009
New Report Finds NM Health Premiums Rise at Twice Rate of Wages
WASHINGTON - A new White House report detailing skyrocketing health insurance premiums in New Mexico and across the country is the latest evidence that America's current health care system is unsustainable for New Mexico families, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-NM, said today. The report, titled The Burden of Health Insurance Premium Increases on American Families, focused on skyrocketing health insurance premiums at the national and state levels. In New Mexico, the report found that insurance premiums … Continue Reading
September 18, 2009
NM Delegation Urges GE to Reconsider Plant Closure, Expand to Green Energy Manufacturing
WASHINGTON - In a letter sent this week to the chairman of the General Electric Company, the New Mexico Congressional Delegation urged the company to reverse its decision to close GE's Albuquerque aviation plant next year, and offered to partner with local, state, and company officials in developing creative ways to retain its 400-member workforce - including possible expansion into green energy manufacturing. The letter, mailed Thursday to GE Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt, was signed by all fi… Continue Reading
September 17, 2009
Bingaman & Udall: Senate Approves Spending Bill Containing Millions for New Mexico Projects
WASHINGTON - The Senate today approved a spending bill that contains millions of dollars U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall requested for New Mexico transportation, housing and community development projects. "Many of our state's communities depend on federal dollars for important transportation and housing projects. The funding included in this bill will help get important New Mexico projects off the ground," Bingaman said. "This legislation contains almost $8 million in funding for a wi… Continue Reading
September 17, 2009
Bingaman & Udall Introduce Measure to Protect Organ Mountains
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today introduced legislation that will protect the scenic landscapes of the Organ Mountains in Doña Ana County. The bill, called the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Wilderness Act, creates wilderness and conservation areas that would provide for continued public use while protecting the granite peaks of the Organ Mountains and the volcanic cinder cones of the Potrillo Mountains, among other public lands in the County. "The Organ Mountain… Continue Reading
September 17, 2009
Udall, Bingaman Lead Fight to Reform Patriot Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman today joined in introducing legislation to reform the Patriot Act and other surveillance laws to better protect Americans' constitutional right to privacy while providing the government with the tools necessary to effectively fight terrorism. The legislation, titled the Judiciously Using Surveillance Tools in Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act, would: Add reasonable safeguards for the FBI's use of National Security Letters, which requi… Continue Reading
September 16, 2009
Udall Marks Sandia's 60th Anniversary Milestone
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today celebrated the 60th anniversary of Sandia National Laboratory during a reception at the U.S. Capitol hosted by the laboratory and attended by government and scientific leaders from New Mexico and Washington, DC. The reception commemorated the accomplishments of Sandia since its 1949 establishment as an independent laboratory charged with ensuring the safety, security and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. In addition to its w… Continue Reading
September 15, 2009
As National Hispanic Heritage Month Commences, Senators Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Honoring Hispanic Serving Institutions
WASHINGTON - Today, as our nation celebrates the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a bipartisan resolution to recognize the work, goals, and achievements of 268 non-profit Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) for their crucial role in educating and empowering Hispanic youth students, improving their local communities, and contributing to the economic vitality of the United States. This resolution specifically calls for the designation of the wee… Continue Reading
September 15, 2009
Udall Fights to Aid Struggling Dairy Farmers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) today joined a half-dozen of his Senate colleagues at a press conference on Capitol Hill to express his support of the nation's struggling dairy farmers. Click here for photos of the event. Dairy farmers in New Mexico and across the country are experiencing a financial crisis due to massive drops in the prices of dairy products. Over the last year, dairy prices have dropped as much as 40 percent from record highs - and 17 percent to 19 percent bel… Continue Reading
September 15, 2009
Albuquerque Receives Nearly $900,000 to Combat Flow of Illegal Drugs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Albuquerque District Attorney's Office will receive a $893,750 economic recovery grant to fight violent drug crimes in New Mexico. Through a Bingaman initiative - supported by Udall - the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained $30 million in grant funding nationwide aimed at fighting drug-related criminal activity. The funding awarded to Albuquerque came from that border grant program. It will be used to hi… Continue Reading
September 14, 2009
Udall Serving YoU Helped 67 Communities in August
WASHINGTON - Over the August work period staff from U.S. Senator Tom Udall's Washington D.C. and various state offices were available in 67 towns across New Mexico. Staff members hosted Udall Serving YoU office hours in communities from Sunland Park and Carlsbad to Farmington and Mosquero to help constituents with federal government issues such as passports, Social Security, immigration, housing and veteran's benefits. "During the month of August, my staff was available to many constituents. N… Continue Reading
September 11, 2009
Udall Appointed to International Narcotics Control Caucus
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, has been appointed to the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, a formal organization of the Senate charged with monitoring and encouraging international cooperation against drug abuse and narcotics trafficking. The Caucus, informally known as the Senate Drug Caucus, also promotes international compliance with narcotics control treaties. It regularly holds hearings and issues reports on U.S. narcotics control policy, with topics that have in… Continue Reading
September 10, 2009
Bills to Settle Long-running Water Disputes Clear Key Committee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today reported that a key Senate committee approved three pieces of legislation to increase federal support of New Mexico's Indian tribes and tribal lands - including two bills to settle decades' old water disputes and another to boost federal response to crime in tribal communities. The three bills, including the Aamodt and Taos water rights settlements, were unanimously approved by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, of which Udall is … Continue Reading
September 10, 2009
Spending Bill Contains Critical Funding for White Sands Missile Range and National Defense
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today reported that a key spending bill working its way through Congress contains more than $40 million dollars to support national defense efforts, including work at White Sands Missile Range and various New Mexico universities. The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved the fiscal year 2010 Defense Spending Bill, clearing the way for full Senate debate. "This bill invests more than $40 million in key national defense initiatives in… Continue Reading
