Heinrich; Bingaman Introduce Legislation to Name Dept. of Interior Building After Late Stewart Udall

On Earth Day, Heinrich Introduces Bill To Name Dept. of Interior Building After Former Secretary Stewart Udall

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today on Earth Day, U.S. Representative Martin Heinrich (NM-1), member of the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced a bill to name the U.S. Department of the Interior building after the late Stewart L. Udall. Rep. Heinrich released the following statement honoring the former Interior Secretary’s legacy:

“It was with great sadness that just over a month ago, I learned of former U.S. Interior Secretary Stewart Udall’s passing. And today, on the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day, it is fitting that we honor his legacy by beginning the process to name the U.S. Department of the Interior building after him.

“There is no question that Secretary Udall’s immeasurable impact on our nation will continue to be felt by Americans through the magnificent National Parks and public lands that he dedicated his life to preserving.

“His legacy includes the Wilderness Act, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the creation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the expansion of our National Park system. Thanks to his work, those treasured public lands now belong to every American and will contribute to the spirit of our nation for generations to come.

“Stewart Udall’s dedication to public service and his leadership were a true inspiration to me personally and I was honored to know him.

“Our nation is deeply indebted to him and today, on Earth Day, it is appropriate that we name this federal building the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building.”

Martin Heinrich and the late Stewart L. Udall

Seven colleagues from the New Mexico and Arizona House delegations cosponsored the bill including: Rep. Ben Ray Luján (NM-3), Rep. Harry Teague (NM-2), Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8), Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-7), Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-1), Rep. Harry Mitchell (AZ-5), and Rep. Ed Pastor (AZ-4). Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate today by U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).

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Senator Udall Pays Tribute to Late Senator Chavez on Anniversary of His Birth

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Udall today honored the late Dennis Chavez with remarks on the Senate floor marking the 122^nd anniversary of the legendary New Mexico senator’s birthday.

Chavez served in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1935, where he served until his death in 1962. He remains the longest-serving Hispanic senator in the history of the U.S. Senate.

Below are Udall’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

(Watch the Video Here.)

“Mr. President. Today I rise to pay tribute to a man who served New Mexico – and the entire country – with distinction for more than three decades in Washington. A man who dedicated his life to being, a ‘champion for the least among us.’

“That man is Senator Dennis Chavez, the nation’s longest-serving Hispanic U.S. Senator. This month we mark the 122nd anniversary of his birth.

“In everything he did, Senator Chavez showed his concern for the underdog. He fought for public education, because he knew what it could do to help the children of struggling families become successful adults. He supported farmers, because he knew how difficult life can be in the small communities where the trains don’t stop and the roads don’t go. And he fought for civil rights, because Chavez believed that equality of opportunity is the core of the American creed.

“Dennis Chavez fought for the underdog because he was an underdog. Born into poverty in Valencia County, New Mexico, when the state was still part of Mexico, Chavez walked a long and difficult road to the pinnacle of political power. A child of an isolated small town, he would see the world and help to shape it. A high school dropout, he earned a law degree and became a lawmaker. A victim of ethnic discrimination, he wrote legislation that would eventually make employment discrimination illegal and then unthinkable.

“Dennis Chavez was a man of conviction. He was also a man of courage. At the height of anti-Communist sentiment in the 1950s, Senator Chavez was one of the first to denounce the activities of Joseph McCarthy.

“Here’s what he said on the Senate floor during the McCarthy hearings in 1950: ‘I should like to be remembered as a man who raised a voice, and I devoutly hope not a voice in the wilderness, at a time in the history of this body when we seem bent upon placing limitations on the freedom of the individual. I would consider all of the legislation which I have supported meaningless if I were to sit idly by, silent, during a period which may go down in history as an era when we permitted the curtailment of our liberties, a period when we quietly shackled the growth of men’s minds.’

“My father, who died last month, served in the U.S. Congress with Dennis Chavez in the late 50s and early 60s. He always described Senator Chavez as a visionary and a man of courage.

“When Senator Chavez left this world in 1962, he was eulogized by Vice President Lyndon Johnson. In that eulogy, Vice President Johnson remembered Senator Chavez as ‘a man who recognized that there must be a champion for the least among us.’ And four years later, when the U.S. Congress placed Senator Chavez’s statue in Statuary Hall, Reverend John Spence summed up the man nicely. Senator Chavez, Spence said, was ‘ever a champion of the underdog, the poor and oppressed.’

“But it’s the quote inscribed at the bottom of that statue that best reveals the legacy of Senator Chavez. Written in three languages – Spanish, English and Navajo – it reads simply: ‘He left a mark that will never be forgotten in the hopes that others would follow.’

“El Senador makes me proud to be a New Mexican and humbled to follow in his footsteps as a senator representing the great state of New Mexico. America is a better place because of Senator Chavez. For that, we honor him today.”

The Best YouTube Video You'll Watch at Work!

Here is a video from Senator Tom Udall and Representative Ben Ray Lujan in support of Farmington's bid to get Google High-speed Broadband:

This Weekend's Showdown: Health Care Reform

After a dramatic lead-up to passing Health Care Reform in the US House of Representatives, it is now the US Senate's turn to do the same.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has no easy feat on his hands. Whipping support among his fellow party members -- some of whom are in tough re-election scenarios -- is about as easy as herding cats. (Luckily for New Mexicans, our two Senators are behind the reform efforts.)

With the Democratic Party providing little in the way of a litmus test for candidates, our proverbial "big tent" houses lots of folks from a diverse set of backgrounds.

So as Reid soldiers on towards reform in the Senate, we are happy to hear this morning that Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) -- a fairly conservative Senator from an even more conservative state -- has indicated his support for bringing the issue of health care reform to the Senate floor.

This leaves two Senators -- Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mary Landrieu -- the focus of Reid's efforts to bring the bill to debate. Recent polling has shown that voters in Kansas, Louisiana, and Arkansas overwhelmingly support both bringing the bill to the floor for debate as well as eventually voting on the bill.

We don't understand the harm of debating the bill and given the positive score from the Congressional Budget Office, there is even less of a reason for delaying debate on this bill -- which includes a public option.

The longer the delay to debate, the higher the chances of hacks like Glenn Beck can mislead and misinform the American public. In his latest rant, Beck compares the health care reform bills to the unmitigated downfall of America as we know it(!):

Arianna Huffington (while on MSNBC) accurately calls Beck's outbursts "fear-mongering." The Anti-Defamation League concurs.

While we New Mexicans are notorious for resisting the influence of others -- recently noted by Vice President Joe Biden on a stop in Albuquerque -- it is hard to stay immune to such pernicious speech.

With visits to New Mexico from RNC Chairman Michael Steele and an upcoming visit by Sarah Palin, as much as we try to resist, folks like Beck & Co. will be trying harder than ever to leverage their influence in the upcoming elections -- it is up to us to call them out on it.

Do Your Part for "Feed America Day"

November 18, 2009

The United States' Senate has unamimously designated Thursday, November 19 -- one week before Thanksgiving -- as national "Feed America Day." Our own Senator Tom Udall was among the co-sponsors of this bill. The bill encourages Americans to give up two meals tomorrow, opting instead to donate goods to area food banks. Democrats are encouraged to donate food between November 19 through Tuesday, November 24. We will be accepting donations at the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

On behalf of myself and the Democratic Party of New Mexico, I want to thank Senator Udall for his sponsorhip of the bi-partisan Feed America Day resolution in the United States Senate. With food insecurity impacting nearly 14% of New Mexicans, Senator Udall's efforts to bring light to this issue are both timely and compassionate.

New Mexicans can participate in Feed America Day by dropping off food goods at any of the following locations:

Road Runner Food Bank -- Albuquerque
The Food Depot -- Santa Fe
ECHO, Inc. -- Farmington
The Community Pantry -- Gallup
Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico -- Las Cruces
Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico -- Clovis
The Salvation Army Southeastern New Mexico Food Bank -- Hobbs

The Democratic Party of New Mexico, located at 1301 San Pedro NE in Albuquerque, is also accepting donations of food goods on November 19th.

As we begin to plan for the upcoming holiday season, I am asking all New Mexicans to give what they can in order to help their friends and neighbors across the State.

I thank you in advance for participating in this initiative.

Sincerely,



Javier M. Gonzales, Chairman
Democratic Party of New Mexico

Now, All Eyes Will Turn to the Senate

In case you missed it (but we're not sure how you could have) here is a short clip of the House of Representatives passing HR 3962 or the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

The historic vote was taken Saturday night and fulfills the Democratic Party's promise of quality, affordable health care to the American people.

The Act provides stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality affordable options for those who don't; brings down the cost of health care for families, businesses and government -- while strengthening the financial health of Medicare.

The legislation is fully paid for and will bring down the long-term federal deficit.

One step closer towards comprehensive health care in America, the United States Senate now must follow suit.

Already, the Senate has aligned many parts of their bill to match the House version -- including providing unprecedented security and stability for Americans with insurance and is also fully paid for, reducing our long-term deficit.

Here in New Mexico, Senator Bingaman and Senator Udall have both indicated their support for health care reform which includes a public option.

Sotomayor Vote as Early as 3pm

While Thursday does not always elicit excitement, this particular Thursday (today) may well serve to be an historic occasion. Senate confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor, a Hispanic woman would represent the first Hispanic and only third woman on the high court.

Sotomayor's journey to this point has been described as "an American dream" by Partick Leahy (D-VT), the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. So how do our own New Mexican Senators feel about the nominee?

Freshman Senator Udall has posted on his official site that he, "had the opportunity to meet with her in June and was impressed by her intellect and character. Not only is Judge Sotomayor an exceptionally qualified candidate, but we are now one step closer to putting the first Hispanic, and just the third woman, onto the nation's highest court. I look forward to voting for Judge Sotomayor and encourage my colleagues in the Senate to do the same." Also of note is the Senator's speech on the Senate floor in favor of Sotomayor, which is posted on the same site.

For his part, Senator Bingaman met with Sotomayor in mid-June and has stated that he "was very impressed with Judge Sotomayor . . . She is clearly well qualified and I think she’d be a great addition to the Supreme Court.”

CNN is currently reporting that the official count in favor of Sotomayor within the Senate is 67, which represents 58 Senate Democrats and a handful (9) of Republicans, including the most recent voice of support from Senator George Voinovich of Ohio. (It should be noted that two Democrats, Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia are expected to miss the vote due to health concerns.)

Interestingly, several of the Republicans who are opposing Sotomayor's confirmation are from border states with high Hispanic populations, including both Republican Senators from Arizona, Jon Kyl and John McCain. This opposition to the first Hispanic candidate for the High Court is troubling to many within the GOP which recognizes that alienating this fast-growing demographic could hurt the party's chances in the future. (We're not complaining, mind you . . .)

Barring any last minute grandstanding by the Republican holdouts on Sotomayor's confirmation, we can expect to have our newest Supreme Court Justice as early as Friday afternoon. She will also be eligible to rule in the Court's special September session.