Press Releases
Udall: Join Me in Wishing the National Park Service a Happy 100th Birthday
WASHINGTON - Today, on the centennial of the National Park Service, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, the lead Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, issued the following statement: "Our National Park system has been called our nation's 'crown jewel' and our 'national treasure.' The parks have awed and inspired, informed and hosted outdoor adventures for generations of Americans. Today, the National Park Service turns 100, and I hope New Mexicans - and a… Continue Reading
August 21, 2016
Udall: Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez was a Hero
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement in honor of slain Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez: "All of New Mexico will say good-bye to a hero today. Jill and I offer our sincere condolences to Officer Jose Chavez's family, the Hatch Police Department and the wider law enforcement community. "Law enforcement officers pledge to protect and serve, and they are willing to risk their lives to keep the public safe. In a moment of senseless violence, Officer Chavez gave h… Continue Reading
August 19, 2016
Udall Urges Federal Government to Provide Assistance to Cibola County as Milan Correctional Facility is Closed
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement in which he says he will push the administration to help displaced workers and others who will be impacted by the closure of the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan: "I am very concerned about the impact of the announcement that the Department of Justice plans to close the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan. Closing this facility so abruptly will put 300 people out of work and cause hardship for those families and… Continue Reading
August 18, 2016
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce $248,472 for NM Highlands University to Improve STEM Education, Increase Graduation Rates of Underrepresented Students
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that New Mexico Highlands University will receive $248,472 to improve science and engineering education programs, and increase the retention and graduation rates for underrepresented minority students, particularly women. The grant was awarded through the Department of Education's Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program, which assists predominantly minority institut… Continue Reading
August 16, 2016
Udall: Navajo Nation Deserves Justice for Damages from Gold King Mine Spill
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued a statement in support of the Navajo Nation's decision to pursue justice for ongoing damages due to last year's Gold King Mine accident, which sent 3 million gallons of toxic sludge coursing down the Animas and San Juan rivers and through the Navajo Nation. "The Navajo people have been on the receiving end of devastating environmental disasters brought on by the federal government and private industry for far too long. The spill was an a… Continue Reading
August 15, 2016
Udall Comments on NASA Hot Spot Study
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement about the NASA-led study of the methane "hot spot" over the Four Corners region: "This new study sheds valuable light on the amount and sources of methane pollution in the Four Corners region, and I thank NASA for its scientific efforts. I believe these results should inform all parties - regulators, industry, and the public - as we work to significantly improve air quality. Natural gas waste has already cost New Mexico ta… Continue Reading
August 15, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Push for Increased Public Access to Outdoor Recreation Opportunities
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced they are urging the leaders of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as negotiations take place between the Senate and the House to forge a compromise on the Energy Policy Modernization Act. The Senate version of the energy reform bill included language to permanently reauthorize the LWCF. In a letter, Udall, lead Democra… Continue Reading
August 14, 2016
Udall Honors Navajo Code Talkers
WASHINGTON - Today, National Navajo Code Talkers Day, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement in honor of the crucial contributions made by Navajo Code Talkers during World War II: "In spring 1942, the first 29 Navajo recruits arrived at Camp Pendleton in California to develop a code that could be deployed easily but not cracked. The team grew over the course of the war to over 400. They helped the Marines capture Iwo Jima, played a crucial role in the American victory in the Pacif… Continue Reading
August 12, 2016
Supporting the Arts and Strengthening NM's Creative Economy
In New Mexico, we're very fortunate to be surrounded by many diverse and unique forms of art. The arts are a part of who we are, and they're also critical to our future. They bring us together, enrich our lives and sustain thousands of jobs across our state. A study by the University of New Mexico found that nearly one in 10 jobs in New Mexico is in arts, culture and cultural tourism. In some counties, like McKinley, the percentage is much higher. The arts are a major driver of our economy, … Continue Reading
August 09, 2016
Luján, Udall, and FCC Commissioner Clyburn Discuss Importance of Expanding Access to Broadband in New Mexico
Santa Fe, NM - At a roundtable discussion in Albuquerque yesterday, U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Mignon Clyburn joined approximately 50 representatives from New Mexico telecommunications companies and rural telephone cooperatives to discuss efforts and challenges to expanding broadband access in rural communities and tribal lands across New Mexico. Commissioner Clyburn is visiting New Mexico as part of … Continue Reading
August 08, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Announce $4.4 Million for NMSU Research to Support Sustainability and Profitability of Pecan Industry
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that New Mexico State University (NMSU) will receive more than $4.4 million to support research on pecan genetics and breeding that will help New Mexico pecan farmers improve the sustainability and profitability of their crops. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, which Uda… Continue Reading
August 05, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Commemorate Anniversary of Gold King Mine Spill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich issued the following statement marking one year since since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) caused the Gold King Mine spill in Southern Colorado and severely contaminated the Animas and San Juan Rivers. On August 5, 2015, an EPA-supervised crew released three million gallons of toxic wastewater into Cement Creek-which flows into the Animas and San Juan Rivers-while working at the Gold King Mine in Colorado. The Animas and San J… Continue Reading
August 05, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Urge Republican Leaders to Call Congress Back into Session to Pass Comprehensive Response to Growing Zika Threat
WASHINGTON - As more Americans contract the Zika virus, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan urging the Republican leaders to immediately call Congress back into session to pass emergency funding legislation to address the growing Zika crisis. The New Mexico Department of Health has already reported four cases of Zika in New Mexico that were acquired while traveling abroad. Two Aedes mosq… Continue Reading
August 05, 2016
Udall, McCain, Heinrich Introduce Resolution Supporting Efforts to Stop Theft and Export of Tribal Cultural Items
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced a Senate resolution in support of efforts to stop the theft, illegal possession or sale, and export of Tribal cultural items. The bipartisan Protection of the Rights of Tribes to stop the Export of Cultural and Traditional (PROTECT) Patrimony Resolution expresses Congress' condemnation of the theft, illegal possession or sale, transfer, and export of Tribal cultural items. It calls for th… Continue Reading
August 05, 2016
Udall Statement on Passing of Turner Branch
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the passing of Turner Branch: "Jill and I join many New Mexicans in mourning the loss of Turner Branch. Turner was a proud New Mexican, a proud Lobo and a proud American who served his community and country as a Marine, a legislator and a lawyer. As long as I knew him, Turner was a fighter-a fighter for New Mexicans, for his clients, for his family and for his beloved University of New Mexico. Turner was also a friend and opt… Continue Reading
August 04, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Announce $400,000 Grant from CDC to Detect, Combat Zika Related Birth Defects
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that the New Mexico Department of Health will receive a $400,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help establish, enhance and maintain systems to rapidly detect microcephaly and other adverse birth outcomes related to the Zika virus. The grant will fund surveillance, intervention and referral to services for infants suffering from these birth defects. This past week, public health offici… Continue Reading
August 02, 2016
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce $225,000 Grant for Los Alamos Manufacturing Company to Develop Solar Energy Technology
SANTA FE, N.M. - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (N.M.-03) announced that UbiQD, LLC, a New Mexico-based quantum dot manufacturer, was awarded a $225,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The 12-month grant award will help fund research and development of luminescent solar concentrating glass windows with quantum dot coatings. In July, the company expanded it… Continue Reading
August 01, 2016
Delegation Fights to Establish Facebook Facility in NM, Underscores Los Lunas as Prime Location for New Data Center
WASHINGTON - In a letter to New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) Chairwoman Valerie Espinoza, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and U.S. Representatives Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham underscored Los Lunas, N.M., as a prime location for Facebook to build its new data center. The new facility is planned to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, either wind or solar, and would create hundreds of jobs in the state. "A Facebook data center in N… Continue Reading
July 22, 2016
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Secure Funding for Farmington Airport in FAA Reauthorization
WASHINGTON - Last Friday, a provision supported by U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján to secure funding for the Four Corners Regional Airport in Farmington was signed into law as a part of the bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Udall pushed for the provision in the Senate bill, which Heinrich supported, to ensure that Four Corners will be eligible for full Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding in fiscal year 201… Continue Reading
July 21, 2016
Udall's Measure to Strengthen UAS Testing Hub at NMSU Is Signed into Law
WASHINGTON - On Friday, U.S. Senator Tom Udall's measure to solidify Southern New Mexico's position as a leading testing center for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, commonly referred to as "drones") was signed into law as part of the bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration. New Mexico State University's UAS Flight Test Center was the FAA's original UAS test center; it served as a model for six sites across the country that were authorized by Congress in 2012. Udall's language adds … Continue Reading
