in the news

Democrats are going to make increasing energy prices an issue for Republicans in the next election cycles, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member Martin Heinrich said Tuesday. President Donald Trump promised to bring down energy prices during his campaign, but congressional Republicans are threatening to cut incentives for...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins on the harmful impacts of the “Department of Government Efficiency’s” (DOGE) actions on the United States Forest Service (USFS). The letter...

New Mexico’s senior senator is calling for a New Mexico-based Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility to be closed, after his congressional staff observed troubling conditions during a visit in late May. “For years, detainees have been denied adequate access to legal services and medical care while being subjected to inhumane living...

Sporting a Western shirt and jeans, New Mexico’s senior congressional member didn’t mince words as he addressed 150-200 people gathered at the Slide Trailhead on the edge of the Rio Pueblo de Taos Gorge Saturday (June 7). “We could lose this one,” U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich told the crowd, referring to President Donald Trump's so-called "One Big...

Led by a New Mexico senator and congressman, bipartisan legislation that would allow the Department of Defense to sell excess aircraft and aircraft parts to be used for wildfire suppression is headed to the president’s desk after sailing through the House on Tuesday. With the president’s signature, the legislation could help aerial firefighting...

Two federal offices housing wildfire dispatch centers that coordinate the detection of and response to wildfires for much of New Mexico no longer face risk of lease cancellations, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) said Tuesday. In early March, Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency listed two national forest supervisor’s offices...

New Mexico’s senators are urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency to improve its response to catastrophes in Western states. Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FEMA Acting Administrator David Richardson to improve FEMA’s response to wildfires and the...

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) renewed his call for the Upper Pecos watershed to be protected from mining claims in a letter sent recently to the top federal forestry official. In the May 23 letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, Heintch notes that watershed is crucial for fishing, agriculture and traditional uses, but “has a history...

Sen. Martin Heinrich was more effective than the average senator and Rep. Gabe Vasquez exceeded expectations as a freshman lawmaker during the 118th Congress, according to a report from the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking released Tuesday. The CEL ranks every member of Congress based on 15 metrics, including how far their bills make it...

Sen. Martin Heinrich is continuing his focus on apprenticeships and workforce development in the 119th session of Congress, putting forth a bill aimed at creating grants for new high school apprenticeship programs. Heinrich, D-N.M., introduced the bipartisan Apprenticeship Pathways Act in January with Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. The pair introduced...

Legislation that would make it easier to clean up abandoned mines is one step closer to the president’s desk. The Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act, a bipartisan bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat from New Mexico, and Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee...

“Once again, Senate Republicans have blocked legislation that would protect families’ freedom to start and grow a family with IVF," Heinrich said. "Republicans are using their position of power to tell people when, how, and with whom to start their families. Shame on them."

“Once again, Senate Republicans have blocked legislation that would protect families’ freedom to start and grow a family with IVF. Republicans are using their position of power to tell people when, how, and with whom to start their families. Shame on them,” Heinrich said in a press release following the vote. “Let me be clear: I will never stop...

New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich has long been a leader in AI legislation on the hill: He co-founded the AI Caucus in 2019 after observing the rapid development of machine learning. A couple of years later, when ChatGPT, Dall-E and similar AI tools exploded into the national consciousness, Heinrich says his fellow legislators started requesting...

CARLSBAD, N.M. — In an ongoing effort to provide top-notch constituent service, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich's (D-N.M.) staff will hold in-person Mobile Office Hours at Carlsbad City Hall from 10 a.m. MT to 12 p.m. MT on Wednesday, September 4.  Staff will be on hand to assist residents who have questions regarding Social Security benefits,...

Heinrich and Vasquez started the day touring the inside of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry to view the scanning technology. Heinrich and Vasquez joined with news media outside the port of entry and called the scanning technology “state of the art.” Heinrich said he and Vasquez hope to see it utilized at ports of entry all along the border.  Heinrich...

New Mexico U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez and Sen. Martin Heinrich visited the state’s border with Mexico Monday to highlight policies to stem the flow of fentanyl into the country. The lawmakers toured the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, which uses scanning technology funded by $400 million secured earlier this year to “improve the detection and seizure of...

Heinrich and Vasquez on Monday visited the Santa Teresa Port of Entry to highlight this. They say upgrades include better scanning technology for both inbound and outbound operations at the port. “We really want to be able to focus simultaneously on policy as well as well as resources. The more resources CBP has, the more effectively they can scan...

Dozens of Senate and House Democrats are urging the Biden administration to finalize a critical pipeline methane rule as soon as possible — perhaps before former President Donald Trump potentially returns to the White House. Led by Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Rep. Scott Peters of California, the letter signed by 40 Democrats asks the...