Press Releases
Udall, Heinrich Question ICE Acting Director Homan on Constituent Concerns Surrounding ICE Deportation, Enforcement Measures
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich spoke with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Thomas Homan to express the deep concerns of New Mexico communities. The senators demanded answers about ICE deportation measures in the wake of President Trump's immigration executive orders, and sought assurances that New Mexicans can continue to receive health care and other essential services without fear of deportation. The senators also called on Homan to ensure tha… Continue Reading
March 10, 2017
Udall, Booker, Markey, Blumenthal, Baldwin Urge Secretary Ross to Respond to Unanswered Questions on Russian Banking Ties
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) led a letter to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross urging him to respond to unanswered questions regarding his banking ties to Russia, and asking additional questions about possible Russian connections and Ross' severing ties with the Bank of Cyprus. Joining Udall and Booker on the letter were fellow Senate Commerce Committee members U.S. Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.… Continue Reading
March 09, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Announce Funds to Develop Infrastructure Improvements In Southwest New Mexico Near Columbus Port of Entry
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced a $500,000 economic development grant for infrastructure improvements on a key state highway connecting Southwest New Mexico to the Mexican border. The grant funds a study to determine ways to upgrade a 36-mile stretch along State Highway 11 that leads to the Columbus Port of Entry, a major entryway for goods, commerce, and commuters. The results of the study will be used to improve security, encourage trade and tourism, a… Continue Reading
March 09, 2017
Udall Votes Against David Friedman for Ambassador to Israel
WASHINGTON - Today, in the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senator Tom Udall voted against confirming David Friedman for ambassador to Israel. Udall cited Friedman's litany of well-documented, extreme, and inflammatory positions and statements maligning members of the Senate, the Obama administration, other public officials, and prominent Jewish organizations. The Committee advanced Mr. Friedman's nomination by a narrow 12 to 9 margin, and his nomination now goes to the Senate Exec… Continue Reading
March 08, 2017
VIDEO: Udall Questions Secretary Zinke on Interior Department Priorities for Indian Country
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/BUt-FYKMviI WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, questioned Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke at the committee's oversight hearing on the Trump administration's priorities for Indian Country. This was Zinke's first appearance before the committee as secretary. Joining Secretary Zinke on the witness panel were several Tribal leaders including the Honorable Paul Torres, chairman of the All Pueblo Council of Govern… Continue Reading
March 08, 2017
VIDEO: Udall to FCC Chairman Pai: 'Do You Agree with President Trump that the Media is an 'Enemy of the American People?' Pai Refuses to Answer
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7W6JifRtzQ&feature=youtu.be WASHINGTON - Today, during a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee, U.S. Senator Tom Udall questioned Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai about how he intends to lead the FCC given President Trump's attacks on the free press, including specific media organizations that are subject to FCC regulation. "President Trump is using bully tactics to try to intimidate the media. He has even declared certain … Continue Reading
March 08, 2017
Udall Celebrates Women's History Month
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement today in honor of Women's History Month: "This Women's History Month, we celebrate the resiliency and strength of generations of women in New Mexico and nationwide, who have marched, organized and rallied for equality in the face of great opposition. And we are reminded of the responsibility we have to the brave leaders of these feminist movements to build on their work to create equal opportunity for women - of all races, classe… Continue Reading
March 07, 2017
As Concerns with Secrecy Mount, Udall, Democratic Senators Call on Trump to Release White House Visitor Logs
WASHINGTON - The president and the Secret Service should continue the previous administration's policy of releasing White House complex visitor logs so that the American people can know who is influencing their government, write U.S. Senator Tom Udall and a group of senators in a pair of letters sent Monday to President Donald Trump and the head of the Secret Service. Under the policy established by President Barack Obama, the White House and the Secret Service released visitor logs 90 to 120 da… Continue Reading
March 06, 2017
Udall and Senate Indian Affairs Committee Democrats Call on President Trump to Protect the White House Tribal Nations Conference and Council on Native American Affairs
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian affairs, and Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) called on President Trump to demonstrate a commitment to working with Tribes by retaining the White House Tribal Nations Conference and the White House Council on Native American Affairs. These institutions are instrumental in prom… Continue Reading
March 06, 2017
Udall, Heinrich Cosponsor Resolution Calling on President Trump to Sever Relationship with Private Business
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined 30 of their colleagues in introducing a resolution calling upon President Trump to truly separate himself from his businesses by converting his assets to simple, conflict-free holdings, adopt blind trusts managed by an independent trustee with no relationship to the President or his businesses, or take other equivalent measures in order to avoid conflicts of interest and a potential violation of the Constitution of the United States… Continue Reading
March 06, 2017
Udall Statement on Revised Trump Immigration Order
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement after President Trump signed a revised executive order banning immigrants from several majority Muslim nations: "Even with the limited revisions, this remains a poorly conceived and offensive executive order that will diminish our standing abroad and do nothing to keep the American people safe. This order plainly represents the culmination of President Trump's anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant policies, which he staked out during the c… Continue Reading
March 03, 2017
Udall Responds to EPA Halting Data Collection on Methane Emissions
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) announcement this week that it has reversed an Obama administration effort to gather information from operators of existing oil and gas wells about their equipment and the extent of natural gas wasted through leaking, venting and flaring. Hundreds of millions of dollars in natural gas is wasted through leaks, venting and flaring each year. The practice also results in signific… Continue Reading
March 02, 2017
Udall Statement Opposing Effort to Roll Back Fair Pay and Workplace Protections
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement against repealing the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order through a little-used procedure made possible by the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The Senate began debating the measure after a procedural motion was agreed to by a slim majority, 51-46. A final vote on the Republican-backed effort to overturn the worker protections implemented by the Obama administration is expected early next week. This is one of ove… Continue Reading
March 02, 2017
Udall Statement on his Vote to Confirm Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement on his vote to confirm former Texas Gov. Rick Perry as U.S. Secretary of Energy. Udall is a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, which writes the budget for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). "New Mexico's economy and the jobs of thousands of New Mexicans are deeply connected to the U.S. Department of Energy. Our state and the DOE employ… Continue Reading
March 02, 2017
Udall Calls on Attorney General Sessions to Resign
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to step down after new revelations that he misled Congress about his contacts with the Russian government during the 2016 campaign. Udall issued the following statement: "Americans must have confidence that our nation's top law enforcement official is a fair-minded, independent, and honest steward of the law. Attorney General Sessions' statements to Congress, under oath, were at best misleading, and that is conc… Continue Reading
March 01, 2017
Udall, Portman Introduce Bill to Fund Conservation Programs
WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rob Portman (D-Ohio) introduced the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act, legislation to extend a special postage stamp that funds conservation programs. This legislation is being introduced in advance of World Wildlife Day on Friday, which celebrates and raises awareness about wildlife. "By allowing individuals to easily and voluntarily contribute with the simple act of mailing a letter, this stam… Continue Reading
March 01, 2017
Udall Statement on Confirmation of Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies and vice chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, released the following statement on the confirmation of Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) to serve as Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Udall joined the Senate in voting 68-31 to confirm Zinke. "The Department of the Interior is an agency of enormous significance to the lives of New Mexica… Continue Reading
February 28, 2017
NM Delegation Introduces Bill to Expand Research on Rare Genetic Disease Prevalent Among New Mexico Hispanics
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján, Steve Pearce and Michelle Lujan Grisham announced they have introduced a bill to increase research, education and treatment for Cavernous Cerebral Malformations (CCM), an uncommon genetic blood vessel disease that impacts the brain and spinal cord and is more common among New Mexico Hispanics than any other group. Due to limited research, there is no cure for CCM. The Cerebral Cavernou… Continue Reading
February 27, 2017
AUDIO: Udall Statement on President Trump’s Budget Blueprint
AUDIO: http://www.tomudall.senate.gov/files/mp3/budgetstatement022717.mp3 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement on President Trump's 2018 budget proposal. Udall is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, ranking member of the Appropriations subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. "President Trump's budget framework is t… Continue Reading
February 23, 2017
Udall, Democratic Senators Call On Trump To Halt Unconstitutional Conduct As Foreign Favors Pile Up
WASHINGTON - Following news that the Chinese government awarded the Trump Organization a trademark that may be worth billions of dollars - one of many foreign favors President Trump may have accepted since taking office - U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and twelve senators in calling on President Trump to take immediate action to resolve conflicts of interest that are putting him in violation of the U.S. Constitution. "A President must not have two masters. You ha… Continue Reading
