Udall, Heinrich Secure Vital Funding for NM Priorities in Budget Bill

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations committee, and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich joined the full Senate in voting 79-18 for an omnibus appropriations bill to fund the government through September 2017. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill yesterday, and the president is expected to sign it into law.

The bill includes funding for several critical New Mexico priorities that Udall and Heinrich fought for, including: New Mexico's national labs and military bases, emergency wildfire suppression, Gold King Mine cleanup efforts, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), Tribal programs, national parks and public lands, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), water projects, health and education programs, and other critical initiatives that support jobs and economic development across the state.

Udall, the lead Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee overseeing funding for the Interior Department, the EPA and arts and humanities programs, said: "This bill will drive economic growth in every corner of our state and support New Mexicans in all walks of life -- without diverting a single penny to fund President Trump's ineffective and unnecessary border wall. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I'm proud to have fought to secure strong funding for critical New Mexico priorities, particularly $407 million in new emergency funds to fight the increasingly severe wildfires that continue to threaten New Mexico and the Southwest. We also won a big victory for arts and humanities programs, which are critical engines of economic growth in New Mexico, by increasing funding for the NEA and NEH even as President Trump is vowing to close them down. At the same time, this bill includes essential resources for our national labs, military bases, and public lands, and it invests in the health and education of Native Americans and families across the state. This budget agreement funds critical initiatives that make New Mexico healthier, safer, and more economically competitive, and I'm proud to have helped it get over the finish line."

Udall announced earlier this week that funding for several New Mexico Department of the Interior-related priorities had been included in the bill. As the ranking Democrat on the Interior and environment appropriations subcommittee, Udall also led the effort to remove harmful anti-environment provisions known as "riders," which would have weakened bedrock environmental laws.

Heinrich said: "This bipartisan agreement makes robust investments in our economy and will create and preserve jobs in New Mexico at a time when we truly need them. New Mexico's national laboratories, military bases, and WIPP will all receive critical federal investments. I am proud that I was able to help secure funding for the rapid production and procurement of the Department of Defense's first-ever directed energy weapon system. With our state's unique expertise in directed energy work, this funding will jumpstart the deployment of this critical technology and bring more high-paying jobs to New Mexico. I am pleased that we were able to reinstate year-round Pell Grants giving students the opportunity to go to college without being crushed by debt. The bill includes federal dollars for LWCF, emergency firefighting, Gold King Mine cleanup, and our rural counties will receive full finding for PILT to pay for essential services like schools, roads, and public safety. Importantly, all of this was achieved without providing any funding for President Trump's proposed border wall. I will continue to fight alongside Senator Udall to make sure we're making smart investments in New Mexico."

Heinrich secured provisions in the bill from his proposal to reinstate year-round Pell Grants for college students in New Mexico and across the country.

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