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I am working hard to lower costs and create opportunities for economic prosperity across New Mexico. That means investing in families and workers, making housing more affordable, and spurring economic development. Lifting Children Out of Poverty With nearly 1 in 4 of New Mexico’s children living in poverty, our state has one of the highest child poverty rates in the nation. We must fix that. I voted for the American Rescue Plan Act, which expanded the Child Tax Credit to create economic opportunities for families. In my district alone, this life-saving investment delivered $207.9 million to more than 78,000 families. I am disappointed that the expanded CTC expired at the end of 2021. I will always stand for the children of New Mexico and do anything in my power to help them. Please be assured that I will not give up on the expanded CTC. Fighting for Workers Workers are the backbone of our economy. They deserve fair treatment and a voice in the workplace. I cosponsored the PRO Act to protect workers from anti-union intimidation and make sure they can hold free and fair union elections. I also support the Raise the Wage Act to make sure wages keep up with rising costs of living. Making Homeownership Affordable As housing costs soar, too many New Mexicans struggle to pay rent or achieve their dreams of homeownership. I believe all of our neighbors deserve to afford to live in the communities they grew up in. That’s why I introduced my Home of Your Own Act, which would create a new homeownership assistance program that would provide one-time, $30,000 grants to eligible first-time homebuyers nationwide. I also cosponsored the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act and the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to increase the supply of housing and bring down costs. Spurring Small Business Development I am committed to spurring new economic development across New Mexico. I cosponsored and helped pass the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act. I also convened a roundtable with small business owners and Los Alamos National Lab officials to discuss how to create new businesses. This builds on the fiscal year 2024 funding bill that includes my initiative to support the commercialization of technologies from the national labs. Growing Our Creative Economy In New Mexico, one in ten paychecks are tied to the creative economy. We know how the arts can spur economic growth and enhance our culture. That’s why I introduced the Creative Workforce Investment Act to support arts and creative workforce initiatives that create publicly accessible art while employing individuals in the local community. |