Earlier today, Senator Martin Heinrich and Representative Gabe Vasquez were on Zoom to discuss their work to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown that would impact the economy and New Mexicans. Representative Vasquez had this to say.
“We desperately need to make sure that week keep this government open,” said Vasquez. “And unfortunately, the dysfunction in the House, and bringing forth a proposal that we cannot agree to and that is not realistic, it’s going to hurt New Mexicans, it’s going to hurt the American people. We are going to negotiate in good faith with the Republicans, but we are waiting for them to bring us a proposal that is fair, and that is also supporting of New Mexico families and New Mexico communities.”
In a Q&A with reporters, Senator Heinrich was asked if there was any chance that an agreement could be reached to avoid a shutdown.
“Oh, absolutely”, said Heinrich. “And we are grinding through a bipartisan agreement in the Senate right now to create a stopgap spending bill that is bipartisan, that is supported by both sides, that has had pretty heavy votes for it in the runup.”
When asked the same question, Representative Vasquez appeared more cautious.
“Well, right now, things are very much up in the air. And in fact, I just voted against this terrible proposal that would hurt New Mexicans. And there’s not realistic options on the table as of yet.
“What we need to do is make sure that the far right wing of the extreme Republican party comes together, perhaps either with leadership or with other folks who are willing to work across the table, for a responsible budget or continuing resolution deal. And it’s unfortunate that folks are more interested, here in Washington, about making a statement than they are about helping the American people.
“So I am hopeful that there will be a deal, and I’m counting on my colleagues in the Senate, like Senator Heinrich and Senator Ben Ray Lujan, to be able to help strike a deal with leadership that we can all agree to.”
