Press Releases
Udall Welcomes Roberta Jacobson's Confirmation as Ambassador to Mexico
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a longtime advocate for Senate reform, released the following statement on the Senate's confirmation of Roberta Jacobson as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Udall has pressed repeatedly for a vote on Jacobson's long-stalled nomination to fill the position, which has been vacant for nearly a year largely due to a few senators' objections to her role in the Obama administration's Cuba policy.… Continue Reading
April 27, 2016
Udall, Klobuchar, Blumenthal Welcome Committee Passage of Bill to Protect Young Athletes from Concussions, Tackle False Safety Claims for Sports Gear
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) welcomed passage of their bill in the Senate Commerce Committee aimed at protecting young athletes from the dangers of sports-related traumatic brain injuries. The senators, all members of the committee, introduced the Youth Sports Concussion Act earlier this year to help ensure that safety standards for sports equipment, including football helmets, are based on the latest science and c… Continue Reading
April 25, 2016
Supporting GMO Labeling
When New Mexico parents put dinner on the table, they deserve to know if the food they're serving was produced with genetically modified ingredients. That's why I support GMO labeling and worked in the Senate to defeat an anti-labeling bill, known as the DARK Act. The DARK Act would have banned states from requiring real GMO labeling, enshrining in law that states and companies can leave consumers guessing. I think that when it comes to feeding your family, New Mexicans should be able to get all… Continue Reading
April 22, 2016
Udall Welcomes Signing of Historic International Agreement to Fight Climate Change
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations committees, released the following statement on the signing of a historic agreement reached by the United States and almost 200 other countries to fight climbing temperatures and rising sea levels by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Udall was among a group of 10 senators who attended the United Nations climate talks in Paris last December, where international negotiators reached the dea… Continue Reading
April 21, 2016
Udall Advances Critical Transportation, Housing, Science and Law Enforcement Funding
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined the Senate Appropriations Committee in advancing two bipartisan bills to spur economic development and fund transportation projects, affordable housing, and other priorities important to New Mexico. New Mexico programs receiving support and funding through the two bills include the airports in Carlsbad, Clovis and Grant County; Spaceport America; Native American housing construction; Tribal justice programs; the National Science Foundation (NSF)'… Continue Reading
April 21, 2016
Senate Approves Udall Amendment to Strengthen UAS Testing Hub at NMSU
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced that the Senate this week passed a provision he authored to help solidify Southern New Mexico as a leading testing center for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, or drones). Udall's amendment to a bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would put New Mexico State University's UAS Flight Test Center on a level playing field with six federally authorized UAS test sites across the country, helping to attract business to the regio… Continue Reading
April 21, 2016
You're Invited: Las Cruces Women's Career Success Conference
New Mexico's economic growth depends on the success of women. And that's why on Wednesday, May 4, I'm hosting the 2016 Women's Career Success Conference in Las Cruces to help women learn skills to enhance their careers, build their businesses and strengthen their competitiveness in the job market. With the number of women breadwinners at an all-time high, supporting women-owned businesses and women in industries across our workforce builds on New Mexico's strengths and helps families throughout … Continue Reading
April 20, 2016
Senate Passes Udall Water Innovation and Conservation Measures, LWCF Permanent Extension in Bipartisan Energy Bill
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined the Senate in voting 85-12 to approve the bipartisan Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 - the first comprehensive energy bill passed in the Senate since 2007. The bill includes several provisions Udall has championed, including permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), his Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act, and an amendment to strengthen the WaterSense program. "As we move away from our dependence on fore… Continue Reading
April 20, 2016
Closer Than Ever To Establishing New Wilderness Areas Within The Río Grande del Norte National Monument
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, secured final Senate passage of their bill to establish two new wilderness areas, the Cerro del Yuta Wilderness and Rio San Antonio Wilderness, within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument northwest of Taos, New Mexico. The legislation was included as an amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act, which passed the senate by a vote of 85 to 12. "The … Continue Reading
April 20, 2016
During Hearing, Udall Presses EPA Administrator for Answers about Reimbursements, Compensation for Gold King Mine Spill
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall urged Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to move more quickly to respond to requests for reimbursements and process tort compensation claims by Navajo Nation residents and other New Mexicans harmed by the devastating release of toxic water from the Gold King Mine in Colorado. Speaking at the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, Udall, the lead Democrat on the subcommittee, told … Continue Reading
April 20, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Secure Support for Farmington Airport in Must-Pass FAA Bill
WASHINGTON - This week, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined the Senate in a 95-3 vote to pass a critical Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bill, which includes a provision ensuring that the Four Corners Regional Airport in Farmington will remain eligible through fiscal year 2017 for full Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding - an important source of federal support for construction and maintenance. The bill, which reauthorizes the FAA, now goes to the U.S. House of Represe… Continue Reading
April 19, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Urge Action on Zika Virus, Call on Congress to Approve Emergency Funding
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich this week joined Senate Democrats in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran calling for immediate passage of President Obama's emergency supplemental funding request of $1.9 billion for prevention and treatment of the Zika virus outbreak. Specifically, the new letter calls for the Senate Appropriations committee to mark-up the president's emergency funding request as soo… Continue Reading
April 15, 2016
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce LWCF Purchase of Galisteo Basin Historic Sites at Burnt Corn Pueblo
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will be used to promote preservation and open up access to more than 2,000 acres of land in Santa Fe County's Galisteo Basin. $1.5 million in LWCF funding will purchase the Burnt Corn Pueblo site, a 365-acre parcel near Santa Fe County Road. Burnt Corn Pueblo is one of 24 nationally significant archaeological sites in the basin, h… Continue Reading
April 14, 2016
Udall Advances Funding for Construction at NM Military Bases, NM Veterans
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined the Senate Appropriations Committee to approve legislation to fund important military construction projects and veterans' care in New Mexico and across the country. Udall worked to secure $38.9 million in funding for projects at Cannon, Kirtland and Holloman Air Force bases. The bill also includes a significant $3.4 billion increase to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which will help improve care for veterans throughout New Mexico and nationwi… Continue Reading
April 14, 2016
Udall Secures Funding for National Labs, WIPP, Water Projects in Energy and Water Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined the Senate Appropriations Committee to advance the Energy and Water appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2017. The legislation, which is critical for New Mexico, funds the national labs, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), several New Mexico water projects and other U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) programs. As a member of the subcommittee that wrote the legislation, Udall secured an increase in funding for the National Nuclear Security Admini… Continue Reading
April 14, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Call for Swift Action on Border Security Concerns in NM's Bootheel
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to promptly address border security and safety issues in the Bootheel region of Southern New Mexico. In a letter to CBP Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, Udall and Heinrich called for the agency to provide resources and equipment to help local Border Patrol agents more effectively patrol the region's vast rugged terrain. The senators are responding to residents who have raised concerns … Continue Reading
April 13, 2016
Udall Introduces Bill to Simplify Tax Filing
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to introduce the Tax Filing Simplification Act of 2016 to simplify and decrease the costs of the tax filing process for millions of taxpayers in New Mexico and across the country. This year, taxpayers will spend an average of 13 hours preparing and filing their returns, and will pay $200 for tax preparation services - a cost equal to almost 10 percent of the average federal tax refund. The legislation i… Continue Reading
April 13, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reauthorize Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today joined David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) in introducing bipartisan legislation to reauthorize Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) to ensure that our federal law enforcement officials and first responders are adequately trained for national security events, domestic threats and combating terrorism. "The FLETC facility in Artesia, New Mexico, plays a critical role in training Border Patrol a… Continue Reading
April 11, 2016
NM Delegation Welcomes Inclusion of 4 NM Schools on Bureau of Indian Education School Replacement Program Priority List
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham welcomed news that four New Mexico schools have been selected by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) for campus-wide replacement. Crystal Boarding School, Dzilth-Na-O- Dith-Hle Community School, Chi Chil'Tah-Jones Ranch Community School and Laguna Elementary will be among 10 BIE schools included in the Replacement School Construction Program. Th… Continue Reading
April 11, 2016
Udall, Heinrich, Pearce Announce $1.5 Million for Hurricane Dolly Recovery in Ruidoso
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Steve Pearce announced that the Village of Ruidoso is receiving $1,573,571 to replace a bridge severely damaged by flooding from Hurricane Dolly in July and August 2008. The new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding will cover 75 percent of the cost to replace the Close Road bridge, and brings the total amount of federal funding for Hurricane Dolly recovery to $13,533,274. The project replaces a … Continue Reading
