Press Releases
Udall: Senate Indian Affairs Committee to Hold Hearing Next Week on Safety Issues at BIA Schools
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, today announced that the Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold a hearing next week on the massive health and safety deficiencies uncovered at Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools. The hearing, titled "Does Indian School Safety Get a Passing Grade?" is scheduled for Thursday at 9:30 a.m. EDT. Udall requested the hearing several months ago as part of his proposal to develop a "Marshall Plan" to eliminate the backlog in construction and maintenance o… Continue Reading
May 05, 2010
Udall Questions Officials About Increased Border Violence During Senate Drug Caucus Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, today questioned federal officials about ongoing efforts to combat increased border violence by Mexican drug trafficking organizations during a hearing of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. Udall, a member of the Caucus, told senior officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Department of State that he and his constituents are very concerned about vi… Continue Reading
May 04, 2010
Udall, Commerce Colleagues Unite to Improve Vehicle Safety Standards
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall and other members of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee today introduced legislation to improve vehicle safety standards to better protect drivers and bolster National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) resources, authority and expertise. "The Toyota hearings illustrated that vehicle safety standards need to be improved and updated to properly regulate the complex electronic systems in the vehicles we drive today," said Udall. "Th… Continue Reading
April 30, 2010
Udall Encourages NM Residents to Not Talk and Text While Driving
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall today encouraged New Mexicans to do their part to improve road safety by pledging to not talk or text on hand held cell phone devices while driving. Udall signed Oprah's online "No Phone Zone" pledge stating that he would not text while driving and will use a hands free device if he needs to make a call. Click here to join Udall in taking the pledge to stop distracted driving. "We can all take commonsense measures, like not talking and texting while driving, t… Continue Reading
April 30, 2010
Make Your Car a 'No Phone Zone'
I've signed Oprah's "No Phone Zone Day" pledge to not talk or text on my hand held cell phone while driving. Have you? We all need to do our part to keep our eyes on the road when we're driving. You can sign the "No Phone Zone" pledge too by clicking here. In 2008, nearly 6,000 people were killed due to distracted driving, accounting for about 16 percent of all traffic fatalities. Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces have already passed city ordinances against using a cell phone to talk or te… Continue Reading
April 29, 2010
Udall & Whitfield Seek Answers from Horseracing Industry
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., and U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield, R- Ky., have contacted prominent horse racing organizations to raise questions about performance enhancing drug use within the industry. The elected officials argue that in order to protect animal welfare and ensure integrity in the "Sport of Kings," the well-documented abuses must be eliminated. In separate letters to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, The Jockey Club and Racing Commissioners Internati… Continue Reading
April 29, 2010
Senate Approves Ken Gonzales as New Mexico's U.S. Attorney
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Senate unanimously confirmed Ken Gonzales to be New Mexico's U.S. Attorney. "Ken Gonzales has all the right qualifications for this very important position and I commend President Obama for nominating him. I'm very pleased that the Senate acted quickly - and unanimously -- to approve Ken and I wish him well in his new job," Bingaman said. "Throughout his career, Ken Gonzales has shown a commitment to the people… Continue Reading
April 28, 2010
Better Vehicle Safety Through Better Data
Car accidents can be traumatizing for the people involved. What can make them even worse is not knowing what went wrong. Event data recorders (EDRs) allow investigators to figure out what happened in the seconds before and after an accident. By recording important information like the position of the throttle and the speed of the vehicle, EDRs provide a picture of what happened at the time of an accident. While automakers have been installing EDRs in most of our cars for years, they're not uni… Continue Reading
April 28, 2010
Santa Fe Indian School to Benefit from Recovery Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Santa Fe Indian School will receive funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to complete construction of a new gymnasium. Initially, the school was not in line for ARRA funds. But favorable pricing on other projects and aggressive management of the budget made room for additional Bureau of Indian Affairs construction projects. "This investment in the Santa Fe Indian School not only means that s… Continue Reading
April 28, 2010
Udall Introduces VEHICLE Safety Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall today introduced legislation to improve vehicle safety by requiring Event Data Recorders (EDRs) to be installed in most vehicles. EDRs record vehicle statistics for the several seconds before and immediately after a crash that provide valuable information for diagnosing vehicle malfunctions. The Vehicle Event History Information Capturing Leads to Engineering (VEHICLE) Safety Improvements Act of 2010 requires that EDRs be installed in all light duty vehicles, … Continue Reading
April 26, 2010
Udall Statement on Obstruction of Wall Street Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement today on the Republican's obstruction of Wall Street Reform: "Reckless gambling and greed on Wall Street left America's economy teetering on the edge of a cliff. Despite our near economic collapse and the billions of taxpayer dollars it took to bail out Wall Street, not a single Republican tonight voted to debate or amend a bill to hold them accountable. Wall Street's irresponsible behavior cost middle class jobs, savings and ret… Continue Reading
April 23, 2010
A Busy Week in Congress
It's been a busy week in Congress. Here's what you might have missed: Protecting Cold War Workers On Monday, I led a bipartisan group of senators in introducing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) Amendments of 2010, which would provide expanded restitution for Americans sickened from working in uranium mines or living near atomic weapons tests. Uranium and weapons development of the Cold War era left a gruesome legacy in communities of mine workers and downwinders. These amendments… Continue Reading
April 23, 2010
Udall: $2.9 Million More for Ruidoso Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall today announced that the Village of Ruidoso has been awarded $2.9 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce for the purchase of equipment for the new regional wastewater treatment system. The regional wastewater treatment system includes the Village of Ruidoso, the city of Ruidoso Downs and the Mescalero Apache Reservation. The present wastewater plant is in the Rio Ruidoso flood plan and, like other public and private property, was damaged in the flash flo… Continue Reading
April 22, 2010
Udall Discusses Dangers of Underage Drinking with Olympic Champion Apolo Ohno
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, today met with Olympic speed skating champion Apolo Ohno, who was on Capitol Hill to discuss his effort to educate students about the dangers of underage drinking and the importance of healthy lifestyles. Ohno, the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time with eight medals, has partnered with The Century Council to bring "Ask, Listen, Learn" interactive programs to middle schools across the country. During his visits, Ohno encourages s… Continue Reading
April 22, 2010
Udall Argues for Constitutional Option During Senate Hearing on Filibuster Reform
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, today participated in the first in a series of Senate hearings on reforming the filibuster, arguing that his proposed Constitutional Option would alleviate partisan deadlock by allowing the chamber to vote on its rules of procedure at the beginning of each Congress. Udall, a member of the Senate Rules Committee, requested hearings on the Senate rules after introducing his Constitutional Option proposal earlier this year. In his proposal, Udall argues th… Continue Reading
April 22, 2010
Admitting the Rules Predicament
The first step to reforming behavior is admitting there's a problem. This applies to Congress too. On Thursday, the Senate Rules Committee took a look at the history of one Senate rule, the filibuster rule. Seeing how this rule has been abused more and more in recent years, by both parties, I think reveals a pretty serious problem. In the Senate today, legislation is often stalled by the mere threat of a filibuster - meaning a minority of senators can prevent a majority from acting. But when … Continue Reading
April 21, 2010
Udall Marks 40th Celebration of Earth Day
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement marking the 40th celebration of Earth Day: "Earth Day serves as an annual reminder of the growing threats that face our planet's natural environment and consequently its people. It also serves as an important opportunity to educate our nation about the contributions we can make to protect the earth for future generations and prevent global warming. "This Earth Day, I encourage all New Mexicans to be more conscientious of e… Continue Reading
April 21, 2010
Udall Pays Tribute to Former Senator Dennis Chavez on Anniversary of His Birth
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall today honored the late Dennis Chavez with remarks on the Senate floor marking the 122nd anniversary of the legendary New Mexico senator's birthday. Chavez served in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1935, where he served until his death in 1962. He remains the longest-serving Hispanic senator in the history of the U.S. Senate. Below are Udall's remarks as prepared for delivery: "Mr. President. Today I r… Continue Reading
April 20, 2010
Mescalero Apache Schools Receives Funding to Help Prevent Teen Suicide
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, today announced that Mescalero Apache Schools in New Mexico will receive $48,040 from the Department of Education to fund services to help prevent suicide among teens and young adults. The funding comes after four young people from the Mescalero tribe took their own lives over the course of less than two months last year. It will fund emergency services to schools experiencing a "traumatic event that disrupts the learning environment," according to the … Continue Reading
April 19, 2010
Udall Joins Fight to Keep Teachers in the Classroom
WASHINGTON - As school districts in New Mexico and across the country face record budget deficits and possible teacher layoffs, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, has joined more than a dozen of his Senate colleagues in co-sponsoring the Keep Our Educators Working Act to help keep teachers in the classroom. The legislation would create a $23 billion "Education Jobs Fund" modeled after the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund that was established through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Rec… Continue Reading
