Press Releases
Udall, Heinrich Introduce Spotlight Act to Hold Washington Accountable and Increase Transparency in Elections
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with 25 of their colleagues, are holding Washington accountable with a push to tear down a new Trump administration rule allowing special interests to hide those who are funding political campaigns. The senators joined U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in officially introducing the Spotlight Act to reverse the Treasury Department's decision that allows non-profit organizations that engage in political activity to avoid disclosing … Continue Reading
July 26, 2018
On Deadline Day to Reunite Separated Families, Udall & Senators Call for DOJ Investigation of ‘Zero Tolerance’ Immigration Policy
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) joined Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), along with 29 other senators, in sending a letter to Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz calling for an investigation into DOJ's role in the creation and implementation of the Trump Administration's "zero-tolerance" immigration policy. The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector G… Continue Reading
July 26, 2018
Udall Fights to Improve VA Services for Native American Veterans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) joined Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) this week to introduce bipartisan legislation to improve VA outreach, health care and benefits for Native American veterans through establishment of a VA Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs. The Advisory Committee will facilitate communication and understanding between the VA and Tribal governments to better address the unique barriers Native American veterans face when acces… Continue Reading
July 26, 2018
Udall Bill to Clarify Tribal Lands Leasing Authority for Two New Mexico Pueblos Passes Congress
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, announced that Congress has passed his bill to clarify that the Pueblos of Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh may engage in long-term leasing for economic development purposes on their tribal lands. The bill provides the Pueblos certainty in leasing and investing in their lands to businesses, boosting job creation and economic development. The text of Udall's bill, S. 249, was included as an amendment to the… Continue Reading
July 24, 2018
Udall: Defense Policy Bill Now Free of Anti-Environment Provisions
WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement applauding the removal of several policy provisions from the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have weakened environmental, land and wildlife protections. Udall fought to keep the NDAA free of these unrelated and damaging policy riders. "The national defense policy bill, which authorizes pay and provisions for our troops, is no place to jam in unrelated measures that weaken protections for the … Continue Reading
July 23, 2018
VIDEO: Bipartisan Interior, Environment Appropriations Bill Reaches Senate Floor
Udall's work ensured bill rejects new 'poison pill' anti-environment riders, dangerous cuts to EPA and Indian programs WASHINGTON - Tonight, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, took to the Senate floor to speak in support of his subcommittee's bipartisan funding bill, the Fiscal Year 2019 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The bill, authored in the subcommittee led… Continue Reading
July 23, 2018
Schumer and Udall: Senate Democrats Are Committed to Expanding Tribal Self-Determination
Last week, the Democratic Steering and Oversight Committee convened a meeting between tribal leaders and Senate Democrats WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Democratic Leader, and U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, penned a joint op-ed on Indianz.com about Senate Democrats' commitment to expanding tribal self-determination and fulfilling the federal government's trust and treaty obligations to Indian Country. "… Continue Reading
July 20, 2018
Udall Statement on Trump Move to Undermine Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, released the following statement on the Trump administration's proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act: "The Trump administration's determination to dismantle bedrock environmental protections, turn a blind eye to science, and roll over for special interests apparently knows no bounds. Without the Endangered Species Act, the bald eagle, th… Continue Reading
July 19, 2018
Udall Leads Indian Affairs Legislative Hearing on Water Rights Bills
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, joined Committee Chairman John Hoeven (R-N.D.) in leading a legislative hearing to receive testimony on two bills related to tribal water rights settlements, including Udall's S. 3168, the Indian Water Rights Settlement Extension Act. The committee also received testimony on a bill that would repeal an 1834 law that prohibits operation of distilleries on Indian lands. S.3168, introduced by Senator Udal… Continue Reading
July 19, 2018
Udall, Heinrich Oppose Letting Putin Question U.S. Officials
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich today voted for a resolution affirming Congress' opposition to making U.S. diplomats, officials, and members of the Armed Forces available for questioning by the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The resolution comes after President Trump expressed an openness to a request by Putin to question former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul and other Americans, calling the request part of "an incredible offer." Then, just yes… Continue Reading
July 18, 2018
Udall Statement on Treasury Department Ending Disclosure Requirements for Dark Money Donors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) released the following statement after the Treasury Department ended a requirement that "dark money" groups must disclose their donors to the IRS: "Secret, undisclosed money has flooded our electoral system and completely drowned out the voices of everyday citizens. Now, the Trump administration is making an already rigged system even worse -- ending some of the limited disclosure we have about who is spending these unlimited sums of money to try to … Continue Reading
July 17, 2018
Indian Affairs, Rules Committees Hold Bipartisan Roundtable on Protecting Voting Rights in Indian Country
VIDEO: https://www.indian.senate.gov/hearing/voting-rights-access-and-barriers-indian-country-webcast WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate Committees on Indian Affairs and Rules and Administration held a bipartisan roundtable on "Voting Rights, Access, and Barriers in Indian Country." U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)… Continue Reading
July 17, 2018
Udall Calls on Wheeler to Rebuild Credibility at EPA, Stop Roll-Backs of Public Health & Environmental Protections
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing EPA's budget, wrote to EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler calling on him to take immediate action to rebuild the credibility of the EPA and end the Trump administration's rollback of critical public health and environmental protections, following the resignation of former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt. "Administrator Pruitt's policy proposals and rollbacks of environmen… Continue Reading
July 17, 2018
New Mexico Delegation Urges ITC to Reverse Newsprint Tariffs Hurting NM Newspapers
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján, Steve Pearce and Michelle Lujan Grisham urged the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) to reverse the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Canadian newsprint, which threaten to devastate local newspapers across New Mexico. In a letter sent to USITC Chairman David S. Johanson as the ITC hears testimony on these tariffs, the New Mexico delegation wrote that the newsprint … Continue Reading
July 16, 2018
Udall Statement on Trump-Putin Press Conference
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on President Trump's press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin: "While the whole world was watching, President Trump refused to acknowledge that Russia interfered in a U.S. election and would not tell Russia to abandon its attacks on our electoral system -- contrary to the unanimous conclusions of the U.S. Intelligence Community and mere days after the Depa… Continue Reading
July 13, 2018
Udall, Whitehouse, Senate Democrats Introduce Resolution Supporting National Science Foundation, Climate Science
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and 17 other senators in introducing a resolution establishing a sense of the Senate that the National Science Foundation (NSF) should be able to share critical climate science from federal agencies with the public. The resolution follows an unprecedented attack by four Senate Republicans on an NSF grant program that helps to educate TV meteorologists around the country about the science of climate change. J… Continue Reading
July 12, 2018
Udall Leads Roundtable on School Infrastructure Needs in Indian Country
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, led a roundtable discussion with tribal leaders, tribal organizations, and administration officials to document the infrastructure needs of schools that serve Native communities. "I don't think there's any doubt that more must be done to deal with school infrastructure needs," Udall said. "There exists a huge gap between the resources and the needs in schools throughout Indian country." Udall pressed … Continue Reading
July 12, 2018
VIDEO: Udall Speaks Out Against Trump Trade War: ‘You’re Going to Put Companies Out of Business in New Mexico’
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYcZNw6-mTs&feature=youtu.be WASHINGTON - Today, in a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) told a Trump administration official that President Trump's incitement and escalation of an unnecessary trade war with our allies threatens to put companies out of business in New Mexico. Udall said that the president's decision to place national security tariffs on steel and aluminum imports - including from allies l… Continue Reading
July 12, 2018
Udall, Heinrich Demand Judiciary Committee Hearing On Family Separation
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to convene an oversight hearing on family separation and the Trump administration's haphazard plan to reunite immigrant children with their parents. The Senators' letter to Chairman Grassley follows a troubling call last week with Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar in which only three Senators were able to ask questions on HHS' role in family dete… Continue Reading
July 11, 2018
Udall, Portman, Burr, Coons, and Whitehouse Introduce DELTA Act to Protect the Okavango River Delta
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today introduced the Defending Economic Livelihoods and Threatened Animals (DELTA) Act, legislation that encourages the U.S. to develop a strategy to protect the Okavango River Delta in South Africa. Senators Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) are also original cosponsors of this legislation. A similar bill in the House - introduced by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), House Foreign Affai… Continue Reading
