Commentary:  U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with 40 other Democratic senators, introduced legislation to keep immigrant families together and prevent the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from taking children from their parents at the border. The Keep Families Together Act would prohibit the separation of children from their parents or legal guardians at or near ports of entry or within 100 miles of the border, unless they are being trafficked or abused by their parents. The legislation was developed in consultation with child welfare experts to ensure the federal government is acting in the best interest of children and is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), Children’s Law Center, Young Center for Immigrant Rights, and the Women's Refugee Commission. 

Commentary: With the first hearing for The Medicaid Buy-in Act scheduled for Friday, families from across the state came to the Capitol on Wednesday to tell their personal healthcare stories and to explain their support for Medicaid Buy-in.

“My family didn’t have health insurance,” said Richard Ranger from McKinley County. “Then we started getting medical bills and I knew we needed it. But when I applied for Medicaid, I found out we were making too much money to qualify. Medicaid Buy-in would really help people like me who are stuck in the middle without insurance.”

Commentary: U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on President Trump’s State of the Union Address:

“After he dragged our country through the longest government shutdown in American history, President Trump had an opportunity tonight to show people in New Mexico that he would change course. Unfortunately, the president seems committed to the same destructive tactics that caused 35 days of hardship, pain, and fear for families across our state and the country.

Commentary: Today, Democrat state Senators Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and Benny Shendo introduced legislation to place a four-year moratorium on new fracking permits in New Mexico.

Chairman Pearce today issued the following statement in response:

“I agree with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham when she famously said last year that left-wing progressive activists have ‘​lost their minds​’in their hostility to the oil and gas industry. The mere discussion in Santa Fe of the concepts presented in this bill will cause future investors to reconsider investing hundreds of billions of dollars in New Mexico when the state is considering eliminating their ability to recoup their investment.“

Commentary: Denying textbooks to all students, disenfranchising voters and prohibiting pro-life New Mexicans from testifying were all part of a barrage of actions from House Democrats on Friday.  Taking votes late into the evening, House Democrats are hoping New Mexicans will forget their efforts to push unpopular laws upon the state with little public input.

“House Democrats may be forcing these bills on New Mexicans so quickly because they hope a few years down the road, we’ll forget,” said Rep. Jim Townsend (R-Artesia) “they couldn’t be more wrong.”