Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.03), David G. Valadao (R-CA-22) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) introduced the Support Water-Efficient Strategies and Technologies Act (WEST) Act (H.R. 5764) to support agriculture practices more commonly used in Western arid climates. This bipartisan bill would allow the USDA Secretary to increase cost shares to 85 percent for Environmental Quality Incentives Programs (EQIP) practices that support water-conserving and drought-resilient programs. It would also make perennial production systems eligible for supplemental payments within the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Further, it would strengthen the USDA soil health program by allowing the Secretary to conduct outreach on the program and offer payments for soil testing. Read more »
WASHINGTON – September 27, 2023 - Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández passed two amendments late last night to increase funding for oversight of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) rural housing program and USDA Office of Tribal Relations. Read more »
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Defense awarded nearly $40 million dollars to establish the Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) Hub, which includes both Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico. The regional innovation hub will focus on microelectronics education, research and development. This initiative is funded through the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act, which the Congresswoman voted for last Congress. Read more »
Washington, D.C. – September 21, 2023 - Today, U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and James Moylan (R-Guam) and U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján, (D-N.M.) Josh Hawley, (R-Mo.) held a press conference with advocates, downwinders, and uranium workers on the extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) program. Earlier this year, Senators Luján and Hawley successfully led the U.S. Senate to pass a historic expansion of the RECA program in the National Defense Authorization Act. This press conference celebrated progress and drove support for the RECA legislation. Congresswoman Leger Fernandez discussed the next steps to ensure this expansion of RECA stays in the final National Defense Authorization Act. Read more »
WASHINGTON – Today, Congress passed S. 475, which is the Senate version of legislation that Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández introduced in the House. This legislation will rename the Gallup Veterans Affairs clinic for the late Corporal Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura, who died on November 29, 2022. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan led the companion bill in the Senate. S. 475 previously passed the Senate and now goes to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Read more »
WASHINGTON – Today, Congress passed S. 475, which is the Senate version of legislation that Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández introduced in the House. This legislation will rename the Gallup Veterans Affairs clinic for the late Corporal Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura, who died on November 29, 2022. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan led the companion bill in the Senate. S. 475 previously passed the Senate and now goes to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Read more »
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández led the House of Representatives in a moment of silence to honor former Governor Bill Richardson. She was joined by fellow Representatives Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) and Gabe Vasquez (NM-02). Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, September 14, 2023, U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández, Melanie Stansbury, and Gabe Vasquez shared a joint statement ahead of Governor Bill Richardson’s funeral services in Santa Fe. Read more »
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) and U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong urging them to investigate Bosley Management’s potentially illegal conduct. Read more »
Santa Fe, N.M. – U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández, who led the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act, issued the following statement after FEMA announced the final regulations. The final regulations will be published on Tuesday. Read more »
