Press Releases
VIDEO: Udall Speaks in Opposition to Re-Nomination of Ajit Pai to FCC
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/B4GYXLlNsGQ WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall spoke on the Senate floor against the nomination of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to serve another term on the FCC. Pai "has not been a vigorous watchdog for free speech. He has not put the people's right to information first, ahead of corporate interests. And he has opposed policies outright that ensure underserved communities have access to essential technology," Udall said. In response… Continue Reading
October 02, 2017
Udall Statement on Las Vegas Shooting
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement on the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nev., which left at least 58 people dead and more than 500 injured. "Jill and I join the entire nation in mourning the victims of this horrific attack, and we grieve for their families, friends, and loved ones. Across the country, the American people woke up to news of yet another unspeakable act of gun violence - this time, the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. This … Continue Reading
September 28, 2017
Udall Demands Answers from EPA’s Pruitt on $25K ‘Privacy Booth,’ Chartered Flights
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, ranking member on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) budget, demanded answers from EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt about his potentially excessive spending of taxpayer money. Media reports indicate that the EPA is devoting $25,000 in taxpayer money to build a "privacy booth for the administrator," despite EPA already having a fully functioning Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCI… Continue Reading
September 28, 2017
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce $1.5 Million for NCI in Gallup for Substance Use Treatment and Shelter
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that $1.5 million in funding from the Indian Health Service (IHS) will be awarded to the city of Gallup to fund the Na'Nizhoozhi Center Inc. (NCI) to help expand treatment services for substance use and provide shelter in the area. NCI offers a desperately needed social detox program, but it has struggled to find stable funding and has run the risk of closing. The Center is no… Continue Reading
September 27, 2017
Udall Emphasizes Need for More Resources, Coordination to Combat Human Trafficking in Indian Country
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, highlighted the urgent need for additional resources and support, including law enforcement and training - but also mental health care and substance abuse treatment - to help address human trafficking in Indian Country. Udall made his comments during an oversight hearing titled, "The GAO Reports on Human Trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Natives in the United States," which was held to d… Continue Reading
September 27, 2017
IN THE NEWS: Udall, Heinrich seek extension on DACA deadline
September 27, 2017
Sen. Udall and Rep. Price Introduce Bicameral We the People Democracy Reform Act of 2017
Includes new provisions to address unprecedented conflicts of interest arising from Trump administration WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative David Price (D-N.C.) introduced the We the People Democracy Reform Act of 2017. This bicameral legislation addresses a series of comprehensive democratic and electoral reforms to restore integrity, accountability, and transparency to our broken political system. This legislation is more expansive than past versions … Continue Reading
September 27, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Call For Extension Of DACA Renewal Deadline In Wake Of Storms
WASHINGTON - In the wake of three massive storms that have disrupted the day-to-day lives of millions of people, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined a group of 36 senators calling on the Trump administration to extend the crucial Oct. 5 deadline for Dreamers to renew their DACA status. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), tens of thousands of DACA recipients live in areas impacted by the storms. "In the last month, several major hurricanes made land… Continue Reading
September 26, 2017
IN THE NEWS: NM congressional Dems call for no monument changes
by Michael Coleman
September 26, 2017
VIDEO: Udall on Senate Floor: ACA Repeal Would Devastate Health Care for Indian Country
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/0EZvk1qfzbo WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, denounced the devastating impact Senate Republicans' efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would have on Indian Country. In remarks on the Senate floor, Udall said repeal of the ACA and Medicaid expansion would be disastrous for Indian Country and violate the government's trust and treaty obligation to ensure Native Americans receive quality healt… Continue Reading
September 26, 2017
Udall Calls for Bipartisan Work to Improve Health Care
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall responded to news that Republican leaders have decided not to hold a vote on the last-ditch Graham-Cassidy TrumpCare bill. Udall called for bipartisan work to improve health care for every New Mexican and every American: "Today's announcement is the result of the unwavering dedication of people across New Mexico and the country who have spoken out in record numbers to prevent health care from being ripped away from tens of millions of Americans. I urge… Continue Reading
September 26, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Announce $1.1 Million LWCF Grant for New Mexico Parks and Outdoor Recreation
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall, top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, and Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that the Department of the Interior (DOI) is providing more than $1.1 million in grants to the state of New Mexico for outdoor recreation and conservation projects through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The funds are awarded through a federal ma… Continue Reading
September 25, 2017
Udall Statement on Senate Republicans’ Plan to Vote on TrumpCare without Full CBO Score
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement on Senate Republicans' plan to vote on their last-ditch Graham-Cassidy TrumpCare bill without a full "score" from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO released today an extremely limited score of an outdated version of Graham-Cassidy, and the CBO has said it will not be able to provide coverage loss estimates before Republicans plan to vote on the bill. "It is beyond irresponsible that Senate Repub… Continue Reading
September 25, 2017
OP-ED: Science education is essential to NM’s future
by Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich
September 25, 2017
Udall, Heinrich, Pearce, Luján Announce Federal Funds for Economic Development Projects in New Mexico
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Steve Pearce and Ben Ray Luján announced federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce for economic development projects at the Village of Questa and New Mexico State University. The Village of Questa will receive $1.2 million in matching funds to expand the Business Park and improve the roadways, drainage system, water and sanitary sewer, signage, parking, roadway lighting, and utilities conn… Continue Reading
September 22, 2017
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce $6.7 million for Gallup Veterans’ Cemetery
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded a grant, totaling $6.69 million, to fund the construction of a veterans' cemetery in Gallup, New Mexico.… Continue Reading
September 22, 2017
IN THE NEWS: Udall talks issues with students
by Megan Bennett
September 22, 2017
Udall: Graham-Cassidy TrumpCare Bill Disastrous for Indian Health Care
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement on the Graham-Cassidy TrumpCare bill's effects on health care in Indian Country: "Senate Republicans are trying to force through the Graham-Cassidy repeal bill -- another version of TrumpCare that would be truly disastrous for American Indians and Alaska Natives. The bill's massive cuts to the Medicaid program would devastate access to life-saving health care across… Continue Reading
September 21, 2017
New Mexico Delegation Encourages Boeing to Conduct Phantom Express Development Contract at SPA, WSMR
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján, and Michelle Lujan Grisham encouraged Boeing to conduct the Phantom Express development contract at Spaceport America (SPA) with support of White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). "New Mexico's restricted airspace, technical workforce, decades of experience working with NASA, and the inland location of the Spaceport make it the ideal location for Boeing to conduct the Phantom Express… Continue Reading
September 20, 2017
Udall Statement on Senate Republicans’ Plan to Vote on Radical Graham-Cassidy TrumpCare Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement after Senate Republicans announced that they intend to vote on the dangerous, last-ditch Graham-Cassidy TrumpCare bill next week: "Senate Republicans are barreling forward with the cruelest and most devastating version of TrumpCare yet. This disastrous bill would strip health care from hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans and tens of millions of Americans by eviscerating Medicaid and causing premiums to soar. Graham-Cassidy, … Continue Reading
