Press Releases
Udall Disappointed in Unprecedented Supreme Court Decision to Halt Clean Power Plan
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to block the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change: "I'm extremely disappointed in the Supreme Court's unprecedented decision to halt the administration's signature effort to fight global warming. The court may have put a stay on the Clean Power Plan, but no one is putting a stay on climate change, which will continue to threate… Continue Reading
February 10, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Announce Technology Transfer Funding to Help NMSU Student Entrepreneurs Move Innovations to Marketplace
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will invest $368,760 in New Mexico State University's Next Generation Entrepreneurship (Next Gen) project. The funding will allow NMSU to enhance entrepreneurship programming at its main campus and extend it to the four NMSU community college campuses in Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Grants and Las Cruces. The program provides students who have developed technologies ripe for comm… Continue Reading
February 09, 2016
Udall Statement on the President's Proposed Fiscal Year 2017 Budget
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and lead Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, issued the following statement on President Obama's Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal, which was released today. "The president's proposed budget is an important starting point, which Congress should consult as we begin the budget process and writing the appropriations bills that fund the government. As a memb… Continue Reading
February 09, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Dedicate the Week of Feb. 7 as National Tribal Colleges & Universities Week
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined a bipartisan group of senators in recognizing the vital contributions of the educators, students, and facilitators of higher education at tribal colleges and universities across the country by introducing a bipartisan resolution designating this week as National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week. The resolution unanimously passed the U.S. Senate on February 2, 2016. The senators dedicated this week to the tr… Continue Reading
February 05, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Urge President to Take Robust & Aggressive Actions to Address the Spread of the Zika Virus & Ensure Disease is Contained to Prevent Outbreaks in the U.S.
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) urged President Obama to develop a coordinated interagency response plan to address the spread of the Zika virus both at home and abroad. In a letter, signed by all 46 Senate Democrats, the lawmakers call for the President to take a number of new actions, including taking the Zika virus into consideration as the Administration coordinates, and allocates resources in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY16, and… Continue Reading
February 04, 2016
At Hearing, Udall Raises Concerns about Public Health Crisis in Gallup, as well as IHS Staffing and Funding Issues in NM
WASHINGTON - During a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee about substandard care at several Indian Health Services (IHS) facilities, U.S. Senator Tom Udall urged IHS officials to help address the public health crisis at the struggling Na'Nizhoozhi Center, Inc. (NCI) detox center in Gallup, N.M. NCI offers a desperately needed social detox program, which is at risk of closing due to underfunding. The Center is not an IHS facility, but is the only detox facility serving t… Continue Reading
February 04, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Welcome President's Proposal to Fully Fund Land and Water Conservation Fund
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich applauded President Obama's announcement that he will work to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), an innovative conservation program that has helped to preserve public lands, create and expand city parks, and provide access to outdoor recreation across the New Mexico and the nation. Funding through the LWCF has helped conserve special places from the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Bernalillo County to t… Continue Reading
February 04, 2016
Ahead of Super Bowl 50, Sens. Udall, Klobuchar, Blumenthal; Reps. Pascrell, Rooney Lead 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.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) and Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting young athletes from the dangers of sports-related traumatic brain injuries. The Youth Sports Concussion Act would help ensure that safety standards for sports equipment, including football helmets, are based on the latest science and curb false advertising claims ma… Continue Reading
February 03, 2016
Udall Pays Tribute to Special Forces Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall delivered a speech on the Senate floor as a tribute to Sergeant First Class Matthew McClintock of Albuquerque, who was killed in Afghanistan on Jan. 5. McClintock was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) of the Washington Army National Guard. Below are Udall's remarks as prepared for delivery: Mr. President, I rise today with sorrow and regret to pay tribute to Sergeant First Class Matthew McClintock. Sergeant McClintock … Continue Reading
February 03, 2016
Udall, Heinrich Urge Extended Hours of Operation at Santa Teresa Port of Entry
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich wrote to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) urging him to extend the hours of operation for northbound commercial traffic at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry (POE) and publicize recently extended southbound hours. In their letter to Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske, the senators requested that CBP extend the hours for weekday northbound commercial traffic from 8 a.m. to midnight and allow 24-hour pedestrian and … Continue Reading
February 03, 2016
Progress for Children's Safety
Some days you might not think we could pass a strong environmental bill in this Congress. But after years of negotiations and collaboration, I'm thrilled we've proven that wrong. The Senate unanimously passed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, a bill I wrote to reform the law and finally help protect children and families in New Mexico and around the country from dangerous chemicals. Many Americans believe that if they can buy a product at the grocery store or hard… Continue Reading
February 03, 2016
Udall Recruiting Summer Interns for Washington, D.C., Office
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall invites New Mexico college students interested in gaining legislative or press relations experience to apply for summer internships in his Washington, D.C., office. For more information and to apply for an internship, please visit http://www.tomudall.senate.gov/internships. The upcoming summer internship session in Udall's office in Washington, D.C., will last from May 31 - July 15. Applications and supporting materials, including letters of recommendation, mu… Continue Reading
February 03, 2016
Udall, Gillibrand, Whitehouse, Merkley, Warner, Heinrich Unveil Bill to Take Partisanship Out of Congressional Redistricting, Restore Choice to Voters
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the Fairness and Independence in Redistricting (FAIR) Act to take partisanship out of the often divisive congressional redistricting process by requiring states to establish independent, bipartisan redistricting commissions. In most states, state legislatures -- working with their governor -- draw federa… Continue Reading
February 02, 2016
Udall: President's Proposal to Dedicate $1.1 Billion to Address Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic is Important Step
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall today welcomed President Obama's proposal to dedicate $1.1 billion to fight the heroin use and prescription opioid abuse epidemic in New Mexico and across the country. Udall has long fought to increase support to help communities treat and prevent both problems, particularly prescription opioid drug abuse, which is too often a gateway to heroin use. In 2014, New Mexico had the second-highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the nation, according to the Centers… Continue Reading
February 02, 2016
Udall Statement Celebrating Black History Month
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement today in honor of Black History Month, which is celebrated in February: "During Black History Month, we remember the African American champions of equality who sacrificed and fought for liberty and justice as well as the countless contributions by African American scientists, artists, business people, explorers, civic leaders and others who have made our communities, state and nation richer and stronger. "The great ideal of Ame… Continue Reading
February 01, 2016
Udall Introduces Amendment to Give All Americans an Opportunity to Invest in Our Clean Energy Future
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced an amendment that he has filed to energy legislation that would ultimately enable all Americans to buy Clean Energy Victory Bonds, allowing regular people across the country to do their part to invest in our nation's clean energy future. Modeled after war bonds, which raised billions of dollars during World War I and World War II, Clean Energy Victory Bonds would help local, state and federal governments raise billions of dollars in capital th… Continue Reading
January 29, 2016
Udall Bill to Childproof E-Cigarettes Signed into Law
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall welcomed news that a bill he championed to improve e-cigarette safety has been signed into law by the president. The Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015 requires manufacturers to put childproof caps on the small bottles of liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes. The number of e-cigarette users -- especially young users -- has soared in recent years, and this is the first piece of national legislation to help regulate the impact on public healt… Continue Reading
January 28, 2016
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Announce Selection of Valles Caldera, Bandelier for a National Park Service Centennial Challenge Project
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that the Valles Caldera National Preserve and Bandelier National Monument have been selected to participate in the National Park Service Centennial Challenge Project. The National Park Service (NPS) has selected 69 projects at 63 parks nationwide to highlight during its centennial celebration this year. As part of their selection, the Valles Caldera and Bandelier National Monume… Continue Reading
January 28, 2016
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Welcome Partnership to Allow Public Access to the Sabinoso Wilderness
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján welcomed a partnership between the Wyss Foundation and the Wilderness Land Trust to open up the Sabinoso Wilderness for public access. Created in 2009 through legislation championed by Udall, Heinirch, Luján and former Senator Jeff Bingaman, the Sabinoso Wilderness is currently surrounded by private land and therefore inaccessible without trespassing on private property. That will … Continue Reading
January 27, 2016
Udall Statement on Standoff at Occupied Oregon Refuge
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the standoff at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge: "I respect the right of all Americans to exercise their First Amendment rights to protest laws and policies. But the standoff in Oregon has gone far beyond protest or civil disobedience. The Refuge occupiers pose a significant danger to themselves, law enforcement and the nearby community, and now tragically, the situation has turned deadly. While I strongly oppose their demand… Continue Reading
