Press Releases
Udall, Heitkamp, Heinrich Offer Amendment to Protect Health Care for Indian Country
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced that they offered an amendment to protect against cuts to health care for Indian Country as a result of the Republican effort to repeal the current health reform law and slash funding for Medicaid. As the Senate continues to debate the Republican repeal effort, Heitkamp, Udall, and Heinrich have heard from Tribal l… Continue Reading
July 27, 2017
Udall Advances Measure to Prevent Unjust Firing of Special Counsel Mueller
WASHINGTON - Today, during a markup of the fiscal year 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill, U.S. Senator Tom Udall advanced an amendment to prevent the unlawful firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Udall's amendment directs the leadership of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to adhere to the rule of law and fully comply with the department's special counsel regulations which clearly state that the attorney general cannot fire Mueller without cause. … Continue Reading
July 27, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Blast GOP Schemes to Slash Health Care Coverage for New Mexicans
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich took to the Senate floor to give back-to-back speeches decrying the latest effort by Republicans and President Trump to try to cancel insurance on hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans and as many as 32 million Americans by repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. Watch both speeches here: https://www.facebook.com/MartinHeinrich/. Text of Udall's speech is available here: https://www.scribd.com/document/354887627/07-27-201… Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Udall to Vote to Protect Medicaid for New Mexico Families
WASHINGTON - Today, as the Senate continues to debate the Republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and drastically cut Medicaid, U.S. Senator Tom Udall will vote for a measure to protect Medicaid coverage in New Mexico and across the country. "Medicaid is quite simply a lifeline for New Mexico. Across our state, more than 900,000 New Mexicans are able to see a doctor when they get sick, without the fear of going broke, thanks to the coverage they receive under Medicaid. M… Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Udall Holds Listening Session on Human Trafficking in Indian Country
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, held a stakeholder meeting on ways to more effectively prevent, prosecute, and improve data collection on human trafficking in Indian Country. Federal data on human trafficking in Native communities is limited, but available information suggests human trafficking in the United States frequently targets vulnerable populations, which would include Native Americans who disproportionately face high r… Continue Reading
July 25, 2017
VIDEO: Udall and Blumenthal, Joined by Moms, Farmworkers, Child Development Experts and Advocates, Unveil Bill to Ban Dangerous Pesticide Chlorpyrifos
VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/senatortomudall/videos/10155369051702870/ WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) held a press conference to announce their bill to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos, a dangerous neurotoxin linked to brain damage in children. The Protect Children, Farmers & Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act, would be the first time a bill has been introduced to ban this dangerous pesticide. The senators say their move is ur… Continue Reading
July 25, 2017
Udall Statement on Republican Vote to Proceed to ACA Repeal
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted to move forward to repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA): "During my entire career in Congress, I've never seen anything like Senate Republicans' shameful vote today. Senate Republicans are barreling toward a massive, devastating and cruel upheaval of health care in New Mexico and across the country - without even showing us what they're going to vote on. Now, Senate Republicans will att… Continue Reading
July 21, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Cosponsor DISCLOSE Act To Protect American Elections From Foreign Interference
WASHINGTON - With more details of Russia's interference in the 2016 election emerging daily, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich cosponsored legislation led by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to address threats to America's campaign finance system. "The Supreme Court's disastrous decision in Citizens United has allowed secret, dark money to flood into our elections - drowning out the voices of regular citizens. And Russia's interference into our election - and the apparent coll… Continue Reading
July 20, 2017
Udall Advances Strong Funding for NM’s National Labs, Water Infrastructure
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the committee has advanced legislation providing strong fiscal year 2018 funding for New Mexico's national labs, cleanup projects and technology transfer, the Waste Isolation Pilot Program (WIPP), and water infrastructure projects throughout the state. Udall, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, which wrote the funding bill, secured a si… Continue Reading
July 20, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Announce Federal Funds for Las Vegas, Las Cruces, Santa Rosa Airports
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced more than $1 million in grants to support air transportation infrastructure at the airports in Las Vegas, Las Cruces, and Santa Rosa. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration awarded the grants to fund airport rehabilitation and provide critical new equipment. Udall and Heinrich announced that the Las Vegas Municipal Airport will receive $504,550 for new snow removal equipment to enhance the… Continue Reading
July 19, 2017
VIDEO: Udall Demands Assurances from Pai on Fair Treatment, Regulation of Media
VIDEO: https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4677142/udall-demands-assurances-pai-fair-treatment-regulation-media WASHINGTON - Today, during a Commerce Committee confirmation hearing for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai and two other FCC Commission nominees, U.S. Senator Tom Udall pressed Pai about his previous lack of full-throated commitment to regulating the media in a fair and impartial matter, in light of the Trump administration's repeated attacks on media organizations … Continue Reading
July 19, 2017
VIDEO: Udall Releases Video Sharing Stories of New Mexico Families Who Have Benefitted from the Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall released a powerful short video telling the personal stories of families in New Mexico whose lives have been saved by the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Medicaid expansion and its historic protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions. The release comes as Republicans in Congress and President Trump continue their pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) next week or let it fail in order to force through their plan to slash coverage for 30… Continue Reading
July 18, 2017
VIDEO: Udall Leads Day of Action to Stand Up for Health Care in Indian Country
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, led a day of action to highlight the devastating consequences for Indian Country if Senate Republicans follow through on their threats to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and decimate Medicaid. Udall has heard from Tribal leaders and Native Americans in New Mexico and across Indian Country that repealing the ACA and the Medicaid expansion would devastate Native Americans' health, and would un… Continue Reading
July 17, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Introduce Refund Equality Act To Provide Equal Tax Treatment For Married Same-Sex Couples
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich introduced the Refund Equality Act of 2017 that would update the federal tax code to ensure that legally-married same-sex couples - who until the U.S. Supreme Court's 2013 Windsor decision were barred from filing federal taxes jointly - are permitted to file amended tax returns back to the date of their marriage. "There is no reason that legally married couples shouldn't be able to file taxes jointly and receive the full tax refund they h… Continue Reading
July 17, 2017
Udall Statement on Latest Failure of TrumpCare
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement after two more Republican senators announced their opposition to the most recent version of TrumpCare, the GOP's latest effort to repeal health care for millions of Americans: "Americans overwhelmingly rejected the GOP TrumpCare bill, which was written in secret with no hearings or opportunity for debate, because it would have been a disaster for millions of American families -- including the almost 300,000 New Mexicans w… Continue Reading
July 14, 2017
Udall, Heinrich, Lujan Grisham Introduce Bill To Repeal Trump Voter Suppression Executive Order
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham introduced the Anti-Voter Suppression Act, a bicameral bill that would repeal President Trump's Executive Order establishing an "election integrity" commission to investigate widespread voter fraud. The bill is supported by more than 90 members of Congress, including every Democratic Senator of color. New Mexico's Secretary of State has refused to comply with the Presidential Advisory Commissi… Continue Reading
July 14, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Announce Federal Funds for Portales Airport in Eastern New Mexico
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced a $431,890 grant for the Portales Municipal Airport, enabling the airport to sell fuel as an additional source of revenue and improve its ability to become self-sustainable. The funding will pay for the construction of two 12,000 gallon tanks. "This funding will enable the Portales airport to purchase its own fuel tanks, an important step that will increase revenue and help the airport become self-sustainable, and - in th… Continue Reading
July 13, 2017
Udall Advances Key Funding for NM Military Bases, NM Veterans
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the committee has advanced legislation providing strong funding for military construction projects in New Mexico and for veterans' care across the state. In total, Udall secured more than $63 million in funding for projects at New Mexico's military bases and facilities. In addition, the legislation includes a Udall-authored measure to bolster veterans' access to care in rural areas, a… Continue Reading
July 13, 2017
Udall: Latest GOP Health Care Bill is Same Terrible Deal for New Mexicans
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall blasted the newly revised Republican health care bill, which would still kick nearly 300,000 New Mexicans off their health care and cost the state almost 50,000 jobs by 2022. Udall has heard from over 10,000 New Mexicans, almost all of whom have urged him to fight the dangerous plan to repeal and replace the health care protections made possible through the Affordable Care Act. View some of their stories here: https://twitter.com/i/moments/8779384331335… Continue Reading
July 13, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Work To Improve Access To Comprehensive Care For Patients With Diabetes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich introduced bipartisan legislation to improve patient access to podiatrists in Medicaid and improve care for patients with diabetes who need therapeutic shoes via Medicare. The Helping Ensure Life- and Limb-Saving Access to Podiatric Physicians (HELLPP) Act would recognize podiatrists as physicians under Medicaid as they are defined under Medicare. The bill would bring Medicaid in line with Medicare and a majority of U.S. health-care delive… Continue Reading
