Press Releases
Luján, Udall Introduce Bicameral Native American Voting Rights Act
Today, U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M), the U.S. House Assistant Speaker, and U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, led a group of Senate and House Democrats in re-introducing the Native American Voting Rights Act, landmark legislation that would provide the necessary resources and oversight to ensure Native Americans and Alaska Natives have equal access to the electoral process. Udall led the introduction of the Native … Continue Reading
March 12, 2019
Luján, Udall, Haaland Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Put Wi-Fi on School Buses and Help Close the Digital Divide
Today, U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján, U.S. Senator Tom Udall and U.S. Representative Deb Haaland introduced a bill to make it easier to put wireless internet on school buses in order to help students without broadband access at home get online to study, learn, and complete homework. The legislation would require the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) E-Rate Program to reimburse school districts that place Wi-Fi technology on school buses carrying students to school or … Continue Reading
March 12, 2019
Luján, Welch, Haaland Introduce Legislation to Provide Internet Access on School Buses to Bridge Digital Divide
Today, Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), the U.S. House Assistant Speaker, along with Reps. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Deb Haaland (D-NM), introduced legislation to install wireless internet on school buses to help students without access to broadband complete their homework and connect to the web. Millions of students need access to the internet to complete their assignments, but studies estimate that one-in-five students lack that access in their homes. This gap especially impacts … Continue Reading
March 12, 2019
Luján Statement on Introduction of Dream and Promise Act of 2019
U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) issued the following statement on the House introduction of the Dream and Promise Act of 2019: "This is a momentous day for DREAMers, TPS recipients, and all Americans who value fairness and justice. This legislation will secure the futures of thousands of men and women who proudly see themselves as Americans. For the past two years, House Democrats made a commitment that we would shield these young people and longtime U.S. residents … Continue Reading
March 11, 2019
Luján Statement on President Trump’s FY2020 Budget Request
U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) issued the following statement after President Trump released his budget for Fiscal Year 2020: "This budget is one of the most morally bankrupt proposals that has come from the Trump White House. It takes a slash-and-burn approach to nearly every program that uplifts working families and will leave our country weak, sick, and hungry. Instead of investing in health care, infrastructure, or education, it props up a system of corporate … Continue Reading
March 08, 2019
Luján Voting Initiative Approved by House
This week, an initiative to increase voter participation and bolster election security, authored by Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), the U.S. House Assistant Speaker, was unanimously accepted by the House of Representatives. Based on language in Luján's Voting Innovation Prize Act, the provision expands election infrastructure grants to promote voter participation, secure our elections, and increase funding for efforts to engage all parts of our society in our democracy. "Our … Continue Reading
March 08, 2019
Assistant Speaker Luján Statement on H.R. 1
U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) issued the following statement on the passage of the For the People Act: "Today is a historic day in the people's House. The passage of H.R. 1 will drastically reform how Congress and our government operates - taking power away from special interests to empower the American people. "H.R. 1 will restore transparency in our government, reduce the role of dark money in politics, and make it easier for all eligible Americans to vote. These … Continue Reading
March 06, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Introduce Legislation to Provide Relief to New Mexico Communities Affected by PFAS
Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján introduced a bill to provide relief to communities and businesses impacted by PFAS contamination in groundwater around Air Force bases in New Mexico and across the country. Udall, Heinrich, and Luján are pressing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) to coordinate closely with the state of New Mexico to quickly move forward with remediation plans to … Continue Reading
March 05, 2019
Luján Statement on New Mexico Suit Over PFAS Contamination
Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the U.S. House Assistant Speaker, issued the following statement in response to the New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General filing suit against the U.S. Air Force over PFAS contamination at Cannon and Holloman Air Force bases. "Years of continued pollution near the Cannon and Holloman Air Force Bases have left the surrounding communities suffering from contaminated sources of water and severe economic … Continue Reading
March 01, 2019
Assistant Speaker Luján Statement on Women’s History Month
U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) issued the following statement in recognition of Women's History Month: "Each March, we honor and celebrate the innumerable contributions of women throughout history. From the suffrage movement to science and business, and the modern-day fights for equality and justice, we owe a debt of gratitude to women who have tirelessly pressed our country forward. Here in New Mexico women like Esther Martinez, who fought for the preservation of … Continue Reading
February 28, 2019
Assistant Speaker Luján Statement on TPS Extension
U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) issued the following statement after the Department of Homeland Security announced they are extending Temporary Protected Status for residents of Sudan, El Salvador, Haiti, and Nicaragua: "This is a welcome relief for the thousands of families who were forced into a state of anxiety and upheaval when President Trump needlessly stripped away protections from Temporary Protected Status recipients. But until Congress passes new protections … Continue Reading
February 27, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Secure $3 Million Grant Match for Southwest Chief
Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján, along with U.S. Representative Deb Haaland, announced that Amtrak at long last will provide $3 million in matching funds to complete the federal TIGER IX grant awarded in January of 2018 for safety upgrades and maintenance along the historic Southwest Chief long-distance passenger rail route. "Thanks to the tireless efforts of local communities and bipartisan work in Congress, Amtrak will … Continue Reading
February 27, 2019
Assistant Speaker Luján Statement on Gun Safety Vote
U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) issued the following statement on the House vote today to enact gun safety legislation: "Today, the House took an imperative step forward in our quest to end senseless gun violence. This vote spoke loudly: Congress will no longer sit idly by as children are murdered in their schools and neighborhoods and Americans are slaughtered within their communities. The American people sent us to Washington to end gun violence and I'm incredibly … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Luján Applauds Passage of Public Lands Package
Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the U.S. House Assistant Speaker, issued the following statement on the passage of the Natural Resources Management Act, a historic and bipartisan piece of legislation that expands public lands in New Mexico and extends conservation efforts through the United States. "Today, we took a momentous step forward in the ongoing effort to safeguard our nation's public lands and natural resources. Authorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund will help … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Luján Statement on House Resolution Overturning National Emergency
U.S. House Assistant Speaker issued the following statement on the House vote to overturn President Trump's National Emergency Delegation. "President Trump's unconstitutional national emergency met the full force of the U.S. House of Representatives and its Democratic majority today. We will continue to do everything within our power to end this craven power grab by the president, and I sincerely hope that the Republican-held Senate will rise to their constitutional duty and do the … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Luján Receives CPB Thought Leader Award
Today, U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the House Assistant Speaker, received the "Strengthening Civil Society" Thought Leader Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting at the America's Public Television Stations Public Media Summit. CPB's Thought Leader Award recognizes and honors American leaders who affirm the essential services that public media provides to citizens in areas of education, journalism and the arts. "I am honored to receive this award from the … Continue Reading
February 15, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Applaud Inclusion of Funding in Spending Package for Monitoring Programs in Response to Gold King Mine Spill
Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall, Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that the Fiscal Year 2019 spending package passed by Congress on February 14 includes funding for long-term water quality monitoring of the Animas River in response to the Gold King Mine Spill. "When an EPA cleanup job spilled three million gallons of toxic wastewater from an abandoned mine into the Animas and San Juan rivers, it upended the lives and livelihoods of farmers, ranchers, and … Continue Reading
February 15, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Luján Secure Additional $50 Million to Keep Southwest Chief on Track
U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that their bipartisan measure to provide an additional $50 million in federal funding to help maintain Amtrak train services along the established, long-distance passenger rail route of the Southwest Chief was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD) appropriations bill. The Udall-Heinrich-Luján measure … Continue Reading
February 14, 2019
Luján Statement on Government Funding Agreement
Today, Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (NM-03) joined the House in voting for an agreement to fund the government through September 2019. Luján also responded to reports that President Trump will declare a national emergency to build his wall at the southern border: "While the spending deal we voted on today was not what Democrats would have written on our own, it contains several Democratic border security priorities and prevents a second destructive Trump shutdown. The package … Continue Reading
February 14, 2019
Luján, Schatz Reintroduce Legislation To Create Public Health Care Option
U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) reintroduced the State Public Option Act, bicameral legislation to create a Medicaid-based public health care option to strengthen the Affordable Care Act by providing Americans with a new high-quality, low-cost choice when purchasing health insurance. "Democrats are hard at work developing solutions to strengthen the ACA, expand health coverage, and drive down health care costs for the American … Continue Reading