WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today voted to bring up key health insurance reform legislation in the Senate for debate and amendment. Today's vote (60-39) is the first procedural vote in the process to allow the Senate to consider The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The bill takes several key steps that would both contain skyrocketing health care costs and extend health insurance to the 46 million Americans who currently do not have it.

"New Mexico families are paying increasingly higher insurance premiums, and under the status quo premiums will continue to rise at an unsustainable rate. At the same time, our state has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country," said Bingaman, who for months has been helping write the health insurance reform proposal. "It's clear that our health care system is broken, and I am very glad that we are finally focused on fixing it."

Bingaman has said New Mexicans with insurance stand to benefit tremendously from this legislation because it seeks to contain costs. In 2000, the average New Mexico family spent $6,000 on insurance premiums. By 2006, that number rose to $11,000, and it is expected to rise to $28,000 by 2016.

The bill also extends coverage to uninsured New Mexicans by creating "exchanges" where insurance can be purchased and by helping defray the cost of premiums.

If the bill, as written, were to be signed into law, within the first year it would do the following:

Provide access to Affordable Coverage for the Uninsured with Pre-existing Conditions

• Will provide $5 billion in immediate federal support for a new program to provide affordable coverage to uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions
• Coverage under this program will continue until new health insurance exchanges are operational
• Will provide $5 billion in immediate federal support for a new program to provide affordable coverage to uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions
• Coverage under this program will continue until new health insurance exchanges are operational

Re-insurance for Retiree Health Benefits Plans

• Will create immediate access to re-insurance for employer health plans providing coverage for early retirees.
• This re-insurance will help protect coverage while reducing premiums for employers and retirees

Closing the Coverage Gap in the Medicare (Part D) Drug Benefit

• Will reduce the size of the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap or "donut hole" by raising the ceiling on the initial coverage period by $500 in 2010.
• Will also guarantee 50 percent price discounts on brand-name drugs and biologics purchased by low and middle-income beneficiaries in the coverage gap.

Small Business Tax Credits

• Will offer tax credits to small businesses of 25 or fewer full time workers to make employee coverage more affordable.
• Tax credits of up to 50 percent of premiums will be available to firms that choose to offer coverage.

Extension of Dependent Coverage for Young Adults

• Will require insurers to allow parents to opt to maintain family coverage for young adults up to 26 years of age.

Free Prevention Benefits

• Will require coverage of prevention and wellness benefits and exempt these benefits from deductibles and other cost-sharing requirements in public and private insurance options.

No Arbitrary Limits on Coverage

• Will prohibit insurers from imposing lifetime limits on benefits and will restrict the use of annual limits.

Protection from Rescissions of Existing Coverage

• Will stop insurers from rescinding insurance when claims are filed, except in cases of fraud or intentional misrepresentation of material fact.

Prohibits Discrimination Based on Salary

• Will Prohibit group health plans from establishing any eligibility rules for health care coverage that have the effect of discriminating in favor of higher wage employees.

Ensuring Value for Premium Payments

• Establishes standards for insurance overhead to ensure that premiums are spent on health benefits.
• Also, requires public disclosure of overhead and benefit spending and require premium rebates for insurers that exceed established standards for overhead expenses.

Public Access to Comparable Information on Insurance Options

• Enables the creation of a new website to provide information on and facilitate informed consumer choice of insurance options

Health Insurance Consumer Information

• Provides assistance to States in establishing offices of health insurance consumer assistance or health insurance ombudsman programs to assist individuals with the filing of complaints and appeals and enrolling in a health plan.

Clear Summaries, Without the Fine Print

• Requires insurance companies to outline coverage options using a simple and standard format that enables consumers to make an apples-to-apples comparison when they are choosing their health insurance plans.

Appeals Process

• All plans will implement an effective appeals process for appeals of coverage determinations and claims.

Administrative Simplifications

• All health plans will adopt uniform descriptions of plan benefits and appeals procedures and will use uniform forms and claims processes to reduce costs.

Video of speech

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today pointed to the many provisions in the health insurance reform legislation that would benefit New Mexicans.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Bingaman said the measure that merged the work of two Senate committees would help make health care more affordable for families and small businesses, and extend coverage to uninsured New Mexicans – and it is done in a fiscally responsible manner that actually reduces the deficit by more than $130 billion over the next 10 years. 

“Among other things, this bill would create a system that helps to prevent illness and disease instead of just treating it when it's too late and when the cost is excessive. This proposal will reduce health care fraud and waste and abuse and overpayment to insurance companies. It's estimated by most experts in the range of $60 billion per year under the current arrangements we have, the current health care delivery system,” Bingaman said. 

“Additionally, this legislation would eliminate most of the cost of uncompensated care. This is a very substantial part of the premium that people with health insurance are required to pay. They are not only paying for their own health care when they pay their premium, they are paying for the uncompensated care that the hospitals and the physicians and others are providing to people who don't have insurance,” he added. 

Bingaman also said this legislation would no longer allow health insurance companies to discriminate against Americans with pre-existing medical conditions.

New Mexicans are experiencing rapid growth in their insurance premiums, and Bingaman pointed out in his speech that the legislation aims to address that serious problem.

“Let me talk a little about the impact of this legislation on my state. I represent New Mexico and, frankly, this legislation is critically important to my state. Without health care reform my state is expected to experience the largest increase in health insurance premiums of any state in the union. For example, the average employer-sponsored insurance premium for a family in New Mexico today, or in 2000, the year 2000, was $6,000. By 2006, that had almost doubled to $11,000 for a family of four. By 2016, the expected increase goes to an astonishing $28,000,” Bingaman said.

“In addition, the health insurance premiums and the percentage that those premiums represent of the income of the average New Mexico family is higher in my state, unfortunately, than in any other state in the union. Today 31 percent of a family's income is going to pay for health care. That is for the folks who have coverage today in New Mexico. That's expected to grow to an astounding 56 percent -- over 56 percent of a family's income is expected to be consumed just paying premiums for health care by 2016. That's totally unsustainable and unaffordable,” he added. 

The health reform proposal before the Senate intends to slow the growth of health care costs around the nation. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecasts that the legislation would not add to the federal deficit. In fact, CBO would reduce the deficit by $130 billion by 2019 and by much more than -- by more than $400 billion by 2029. Most experts believe these reductions also will drive down cost in the private health insurance market. Thus, this legislation is critically important to New Mexico because it will help to curb costs for all residents.

Bingaman said there will be time to improve the legislation further, but he looks forward to a debate on this extremely important piece of legislation.

“I compliment Majority Leader for putting together a very credible proposal that will move this country very far toward meeting the health care needs of all Americans, and I hope that by the end of this year we are able to enact that legislation or pass it through the Senate and go to conference with the House of Representatives,” Bingaman said.

 I wanted to speak for a few minutes about the health care legislation that has now been proposed by the majority leader and that we will be hopefully proceeding to for serious discussion and deliberation and opportunity for amendment.  

Let me talk first about where we are today without health care legislation. What are the circumstances faced by the average American family without health care legislation enacted?   The cost of medical care is rising. In fact, it is unaffordable for many individuals. It is unaffordable for many businesses.  

In addition, there are 46 million who are uninsured in the country, and that number continues to grow. I have been here in the Senate and continued to watch that number grow for the last decade at least. Those most in need of health insurance often are denied coverage. Many others worry about whether they are one diagnosis away from financial ruin because of their lack of adequate coverage and their lack of ability to afford adequate coverage.  

So we are working here in the Senate to craft a national health reform proposal that would remedy this situation, and would do so by reducing the growth in the cost of health care. And let me be clear. We are not saying that the cost of health care is going down substantially. We're talking about the growth in the cost of health care. And that is what we are trying to moderate as part of this legislation.  

We are also, as part of this legislation, providing insurance to nearly everyone in the country, regardless of their health status and their medical conditions.  This health reform proposal is designed to lower health care costs, lower them from what they otherwise will be in the future.  Health reform caps what insurance companies can force patients to pay in their out-of-pocket expenses and in their deductibles.    

The legislation we're considering would let small businesses and join purchasing pools and give them the lower cost  for the benefit -- that benefit larger groups today. I have heard from many hundreds of small business owners in my state over the years who have complained that the cost of health care to them and their employees is so much higher than the cost of health care to large employers and their employees. So we would solve that.  

We would create a system that helps to prevent illness and disease instead of just treating it when it's too late and when the cost is excessive. This health reform proposal will reduce health care fraud and waste and abuse and overpayment to insurance companies. It's estimated by most experts in the range of $60 billion per year under the current arrangements we have, the current health care delivery system.    

This legislation would eliminate most of the cost of uncompensated care. This is a very substantial part of the premium that people with health insurance are required to pay. They are not only paying for their own health care when they pay their premium, they are paying for the uncompensated care that the hospitals and the physicians and others are providing to people who don't have insurance. That's that 46 million uninsured figure that I mentioned before. This legislation reduces the growth in the cost of public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and helps to rein in the federal deficit.    

Let me just say we have the unusual circumstance here that many of the individuals who opposed the establishment of Medicare and claimed it was socialized medicine are now resisting any effort to put it on a sounder financial footing and doing so purportedly in the name of defending the beneficiaries of Medicare.  So we need to speak the truth to the American people and say Medicare and Medicaid are going to continue. There are going to have to be reductions in the growth of those programs the future, the growth of the cost of those programs. And some of those changes are incorporated in this legislation. And that is a good thing for Medicare beneficiaries. That is a good thing for people who are going to be dependent upon Medicare in the future.  They will know that Medicare is there. They will know that Medicare is solvent and will benefit accordingly.              

Health reform will also ensure that Americans -- all Americans -- have access to quality and affordable insurance.  It will prevent insurance companies from the current practices that they're engaged in.  And one of the worst of those practices is this practice of denying health insurance, or health coverage for preexisting medical conditions.  If you find that someone with a preexisting medical condition is able to buy a policy perhaps, but the policy in its own language will exclude them from getting medical treatment that might result from that preexisting medical condition.  This legislation would end that.  It would end the discrimination that charges that currently exist where the charge for health care is based on your health status.  

During the course of this year, and in the last few years while we've been health care and the health care delivery system, I've come to a new understanding of the meaning of the word underwriting. I used to think I knew what the word underwriting meant in insurance. What I found is that underwriting means the screening out of people who might actually need the insurance that is being sold so that much of the effort of the health insurance industry today is not focused on assisting the patient or the policyholder. It is focused on screening out those individuals who might in fact wind up sick and might need health care. So we try to end that in this legislation, and we do so effectively.  

The legislation provides tax credits to middle-class families to make sure that they can afford quality coverage. And there are many middle-class families in my state who, frankly, cannot afford adequate coverage and quality coverage for themselves and their children. This legislation strengthens employer-based health care by offering small businesses a tax credit so that employers can offer competitive affordable rates to their employees if they choose to do so.  

It creates incentives that reward doctors for healthy outcomes, not just for more and more procedures. We have the unfortunate circumstance today which this Congress and this administration and previous Congresses and previous administrations are responsible for, and that is we've set up a system of payment Medicare, in particular, where the amount that the health care provider receives depends on how many procedures they perform, not on whether or not the patient gets better, not on whether or not they have done the right thing to assist that patient. And we are trying to begin changing that in this legislation. This will result in better health care for all Americans.  

This health care reform bill is also designed to improve the choices that people have when they go out to obtain coverage or to obtain health care itself. Most Americans get their insurance through an employer. Many are very satisfied with the plans they currently have. They're very satisfied with the physician or the doctor that they currently have. And it's very clear in the legislation we are considering that this legislation does not require them to change that.  This legislation says they can keep that policy.  They can renew that policy.  They can add family members to that policy if they choose to do so.  But the health reform also provides security that ensures that families always will have guaranteed choices of quality, affordable health care.

And that's even when a person loses their job, when a person switches jobs, when a person gets sick or a person decides to move from one community to another, this legislation will ensure that they have access to health care even in those circumstances.  

It creates a health insurance exchange, and this exchange would be a place where families and businesses could easily compare insurance plans and prices and make a judgment based on that comparison. This puts families, rather than insurance companies or government bureaucrats, in charge of their own health care. It helps people to decide which quality, affordable insurance option is right for them and for their family.  

It keeps government and insurance bureaucrats -- both because there are bureaucrats working for insurance companies just like there are bureaucrats working for the government -- it keeps both from coming between each individual and his or her doctor by simplifying insurance paperwork, by cutting out the pages of fine print, by eliminating all of the gotcha clauses that people discover once they get sick. They find out that they were not covered for whatever it is that afflicts them. And by promoting computerized medical records, this legislation will dramatically improve efficiency in our health care system and through that effort also reduce costs.  

Let me talk a little about the impact of this legislation on my state. I represent New Mexico and, frankly, this legislation is critically important to my state. Without health care reform my state is expected to experience the largest increase in health insurance premiums of any state in the union. For example, the average employer-sponsored insurance premium for a family in New Mexico today, or in 2000, the year 2000, was $6,000. By 2006, that had almost doubled to $11,000 for a family of four.  By 2016, the expected increase goes to an astonishing $28,000.  

In addition, the health insurance premiums and the percentage that those premiums represent of the income of the average New Mexico family is higher in my state, unfortunately, than in any other state in the union. Today 31 percent of a family's income is going to pay for health care. That is for the folks who have coverage today in New Mexico. That's expected to grow to an astounding 56 percent -- over 56 percent of a family's income is expected to be consumed just paying premiums for health care by 2016. That's totally unsustainable and unaffordable.  

The health reform proposal that has been developed by the majority leader based on the work of the Finance Committee, based on the work of the HELP committee, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, intends to slow the growth of health care costs around the nation. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecasts that the legislation would not add to the federal deficit. In fact, that it would reduce the deficit by $130 billion by 2019, and by much more than -- by more than $400 billion by 2029.  

Most experts believe these reductions also will drive down cost in the private health insurance market. Thus, this legislation is critically important to my state because it will help to curb costs for all New Mexicans.  

In 1999-2000, there were two states that had more than 23 percent of this population uninsured, and those two states were Texas and New Mexico. The only state in the union that has a higher uninsured rate than we do in New Mexico is Texas, and that was the case then in 1999-2000. It is still the case today, I would point out. Many other states, particularly across the south, in California, many other states have joined the ranks of states that have over 23 percent of their population uninsured – their 18-64 population uninsured.  

My state has the lowest rate of employer-sponsored insurance in the nation. We also have the highest rate of uninsured among employed individuals in the nation.  

You generally think of the American public as having a lot of -- most people have private health insurance coverage. In New Mexico, 38 percent of our population has private health insurance coverage, so it's not a majority. It's 38 percent. We have 14 percent that are covered by Medicare. We have 22 percent that are covered by Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  We have 4 percent that are undocumented immigrants in our state - estimated at about 80,000 individuals.  And they do not have coverage today and they will not have coverage once this legislation becomes law if we are able to pass this legislation and the president is able to sign it. And then this large red area down here at the bottom, it's 22 percent, so you have the undocumented immigrants 4 percent, and then you have 22 percent without coverage. These are folks who are legally here. Most of them are citizens. They do not have coverage. And this gets back to the point I was making before about people's premiums today are covering not only the costs of their own health care needs but they're covering the cost of care, the uncompensated care that is provided to the uninsured. So it's a serious problem that needs -- needs attention.  

New Mexico will benefit from this legislation in very important ways. The legislation will provide new federal tax credits for private insurance, and it will also expand the Medicaid program for individuals with incomes of up to 133 percent of poverty. Now, this is a -- this is a very important provision for my state.   

It's projected that insurance market reform and federal tax credits may reduce the costs of coverage on the individual private market for the average family in my state by as much as 40 percent. 

What would likely occur by 2019, ten years from now, if, in fact, we are able to enact this legislation? We will have more people covered by Medicaid and CHIP. We would have 29 percent rather than the 22 percent we had before. And it shows that we will have many more people covered by private insurance. We will have for the first time, I believe in the history of our state, we will have for the first time over 50 percent of our population. Exactly 53 percent is what is estimated that will be covered by private insurance and have an insurance policy that they can depend upon.  

So this would still leave undocumented immigrants, which is still 4 percent of the population estimated to be without any guaranteed source of coverage. But you would have about 124,000 New Mexicans newly eligible for Medicaid coverage and covered by Medicaid, we would hope, and you would have an additional 238,000 New Mexicans who would be eligible for private coverage through the exchange or from their employers if their employers chose to provide that coverage.  

We will have a lot of opportunity over the next few weeks to debate particular parts of this legislation. I look forward to that debate. I think the more that the American people understand what's in this legislation, the more support they -- the more wholeheartedly they will support us moving ahead and enacting there legislation.  

This has been a long time in coming. In the 27 years I have been in the Senate, we have not gotten to this point previously where we -- we were beginning a serious debate that might actually result in the passage of legislation, major comprehensive reform legislation. But I think we are to that point.  

This is legislation that is currently available for anyone to review on the Internet, and I encourage people to do that. I encourage people to study the issue and follow the debate, and as I say, the more people do study the issue and follow the debate, the more people will conclude that this is worth doing, this is important to do. So I very much urge my colleagues to rally around this effort. I hope, frankly, we will get some republican support for this.  

I think it is very unfortunate that we are going into this debate with reports that all Republicans are agreeing to oppose health care reform. That is not the way to move our country forward. If there are amendments that they would like to offer, obviously they will have every opportunity to offer those. Some of them may prevail. That certainly was the case in the Finance Committee when we marked up the legislation there. That certainly was the case in the HELP Committee when we marked up the legislation there.  

Amendments were offered from Republican members and some were adopted, but to just say no, to just say we are opposed to reform is not a good option, and I think the American people deserve better than that, and I hope we will have a serious, substantive discussion about what the elements of health care reform should be.  

I compliment the majority leader for putting together a very credible proposal that will move this country very far toward meeting the health care needs of all Americans, and I hope that by the end of this year we are able to enact that legislation or pass it through the Senate and go to conference with the House of Representatives.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is renewing New Mexico Airlines' (Pacific Wings) contract to provide commercial air service to the Alamogordo-Holloman Air Force Base area.

Under the agreement, New Mexico Airlines will continue to provide two round trips each weekday and three over each weekend to Albuquerque International Sunport under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program for an annual subsidy rate of $1.16 million.  The contract is for two years beginning on January 1, 2010.

"Commercial air service is important to Alamogordo's economy and an important asset to Holloman Air Force Base.  I am pleased New Mexico Airlines will continue to provide this important service," Bingaman said.

Congress established the Essential Air Service Program in 1978 to ensure that communities that had commercial air service before deregulation continue to receive scheduled service.   Without EAS, many rural communities would have no commercial air service at all.  New Mexico has a total of 4 EAS communities: Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Clovis, and Silver City. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he is anxious to begin full Senate debate on health insurance reform legislation.

Bingaman has been a key negotiator of the legislation, which is aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of care while also lowering the costs in both the private and public sectors.  He is on both Senate committees that approved reform legislation; Majority Leader Harry Reid today unveiled legislation that incorporates provisions from both bills.

"After decades of discussion, the full Senate is on the verge of debating health insurance reform legislation that will affect the lives of nearly all Americans.  Our goal is to control escalating costs, improve quality and extend coverage to those who do not have it now," Bingaman said.  "And we do this in a fiscally responsible way that will actually reduce our deficit by more than $100 billion over ten years."

New Mexico stands to gain a lot from health insurance reform legislation.  It is the second most uninsured state in the country, and has the highest rate of uninsured workers.  Without health reform New Mexicans who do have insurance are projected to experience the greatest increase in premiums in the nation.  In 2000, an average family of four spent $6,000 on premiums.  By 2006, that amount jumped to $11,000.  In five years that figure is projected to rise to $28,000.

The full Senate debate is expected to begin this week.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today remember the life of the late Bruce King in a speech on the Senate floor. The text follows:

This week New Mexicans of all political persuasions have been recalling the life of a legendary figure in our state, Bruce King, who served as governor during three different decades and who taught by example that public service is an honorable calling. Governor King died last Friday at the age of 85.

Bruce used to tell the story about a former governor who was the speaker at his high school graduation who looked at the very small class of teenagers and said, "One of you could grow up to be governor of this state." Bruce looked around at his other classmates and figured that the governor had to be speaking to him. Sure enough, in the course of time, and after service in the Santa Fe County Commission, state legislature, and speaker of the House in New Mexico, he was elected governor.

He served as governor of our sate for 12 years, longer than anyone else in the history of New Mexico. In all of those years he never failed to make the people of New Mexico his first priority. With him at every step of the way from their family ranch in Stanley to Santa Fe and back again was the remarkable Alice Martin King, his wife. She was a great force in her own right. She was a champion for children in our state; she died last December.

My own history with Bruce King began when I was just out of law school. I was serving then as an assistant attorney general in New Mexico and I was assigned the job of counsel to the Constitutional Convention, which our state had in 1969. Bruce, who was then the speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives, was elected president of that convention. I learned a great deal about the legislative process, about New Mexico history, and about our state in general as a result of the effort to work with Bruce in that important capacity. His management of the process and the people involved with the convention was masterful. He was always inclusive. He was always listening. And he was always working to get the best result. In short, he was the model of a legislative manager.

I also recall being privileged to serve as attorney general during Bruce's second term as governor from 1979-1982. We worked closely together on a number of issues and I was impressed all over again at his knowledge of New Mexico and his genuine love for its citizens.

He was gregarious and kind. He never knew a stranger. He shook every hand in our state, whether there was a voter attached to it or not. People were delighted to see Bruce coming and to hear his famous reply when asked "How are you doing, governor?" He would rely, "Mighty fine" regardless of the circumstances that the state and he were facing.

Our friendship extended for 40-plus years. And along with my fellow New Mexicans, I will miss him greatly. His sons Bill and Gary, his brothers Don and Sam, and the entire King family have lost tremendously. Every New Mexican feels this loss and joins his family in honoring his life.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today remember the life of the late Bruce King in a speech on the Senate floor. The text follows:

This week New Mexicans of all political persuasions have been recalling the life of a legendary figure in our state, Bruce King, who served as governor during three different decades and who taught by example that public service is an honorable calling. Governor King died last Friday at the age of 85.

Bruce used to tell the story about a former governor who was the speaker at his high school graduation who looked at the very small class of teenagers and said, "One of you could grow up to be governor of this state." Bruce looked around at his other classmates and figured that the governor had to be speaking to him. Sure enough, in the course of time, and after service in the Santa Fe County Commission, state legislature, and speaker of the House in New Mexico, he was elected governor.

He served as governor of our sate for 12 years, longer than anyone else in the history of New Mexico. In all of those years he never failed to make the people of New Mexico his first priority. With him at every step of the way from their family ranch in Stanley to Santa Fe and back again was the remarkable Alice Martin King, his wife. She was a great force in her own right. She was a champion for children in our state; she died last December.

My own history with Bruce King began when I was just out of law school. I was serving then as an assistant attorney general in New Mexico and I was assigned the job of counsel to the Constitutional Convention, which our state had in 1969. Bruce, who was then the speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives, was elected president of that convention. I learned a great deal about the legislative process, about New Mexico history, and about our state in general as a result of the effort to work with Bruce in that important capacity. His management of the process and the people involved with the convention was masterful. He was always inclusive. He was always listening. And he was always working to get the best result. In short, he was the model of a legislative manager.

I also recall being privileged to serve as attorney general during Bruce's second term as governor from 1979-1982. We worked closely together on a number of issues and I was impressed all over again at his knowledge of New Mexico and his genuine love for its citizens.

He was gregarious and kind. He never knew a stranger. He shook every hand in our state, whether there was a voter attached to it or not. People were delighted to see Bruce coming and to hear his famous reply when asked "How are you doing, governor?" He would rely, "Mighty fine" regardless of the circumstances that the state and he were facing.

Our friendship extended for 40-plus years. And along with my fellow New Mexicans, I will miss him greatly. His sons Bill and Gary, his brothers Don and Sam, and the entire King family have lost tremendously. Every New Mexican feels this loss and joins his family in honoring his life.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solution has been awarded a $1.25 million "green jobs" grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Funding was made available through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

Funding was awarded through DOL's State Labor Market Information (LMI) Improvement grants. The funding can be used for the analysis of labor market data to assess economic activity in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries to identify occupations and skill requirements within those industries, and to develop strategies to ensure that workers trained for green jobs are made aware of available positions.

"This grant will help provide the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions with the information they need to build the foundation for developing green collar jobs," Bingaman said.

"Clean energy has been one of the fastest growing sectors of New Mexico's job market and is critical to getting our economy back on track," said Udall. "This grant will help job seekers in New Mexico better identify new job opportunities in the energy efficiency and renewable energy fields."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall reported that the Senate has approved legislation to fund key construction projects at New Mexico's military installations.

The fiscal year 2010 Military Construction and Department of Veterans' Affairs Appropriations Act sets aside a total of $172 million for Cannon, Kirtland and Holloman Air Force Bases, as well as the National Guard facility in Santa Fe.

"This bill invests millions of dollars in New Mexico's military installations and ensures that our Air Force and National Guard facilities remain in top shape," Bingaman said.  "It is another way to support the men and women of our armed forces."

"This appropriations measure is one of the most important bills Congress passes each year," Udall said. "It provides important funding for New Mexico's military installations and ensures that our nation will fulfill its obligation to our veterans, including the almost 200,000 in our state."

The legislation contains the following:

National Guard
$39.0 million for an Army aviation support facility at Santa Fe

Cannon Air Force Base
$15.0 million for a consolidated communications facility
$41.27 million for C-130 maintenance hangar facility
$11.59 million modification to hangers to support CV-22s
$6.0 million for a C-130 ammunition loading ramp

Kirtland Air Force Base
$16.7 million for two simulator facilities to train pilots on C-130J aircraft

Holloman Air Force Base
$5.5 million for a consolidated munitions maintenance facility for the F-22 Raptor

Bingaman wrote an amendment, which Udall cosponsored, that sets aside $37.5 million Facilities for upgrades to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Training Wing at Holloman.  The amendment would fund alteration/additions to the operations and maintenance facilities to accommodate the UAV training wing, which will continue to ramp up as these improvements are made.

"When these upgrades are complete, Holloman will be training more than 600 airmen and women on UAVs – technology that is becoming increasingly important to the Air Force," Bingaman said.

"The new UAV training mission at Holloman is quickly becoming a robust program that provides enormous benefits to the U.S. Air Force, and I'm proud that we were able to secure funding for these facilities," said Udall. 

The legislation also included an amendment from Udall, Bingaman and Sen. Kit Bond, (R-MO) to provide additional transitional housing services for our nation's homeless veterans. Click HERE for more information.

The spending bill passed today must be reconciled with the version passed by the House of Representatives before it can be signed into law.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio reporters about the passing of former governor Bruce King. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about the passing of former governor Bruce King.

02:29 – Bingaman comments on a proposed solar energy project at Jemez Pueblo.

03:49 – Bingaman talks about the health care bills being debated in Congress.

07:00 – Bingaman comments on undocumented immigrants having access to emergency room services.

08:16 – Bingaman comments on criticism regarding a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fundraiser.

11:16 – Bingaman says he plans to attending Bruce King's funeral service this weekend.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today issued the following remembrance of the life of former Governor Bruce King:

"Bruce King was as dedicated and successful a public servant as New Mexico has ever seen.  I first got to know him when he was president of New Mexico's constitutional convention, and I was assigned by the New Mexico attorney general's office to work with him.  My respect for him was firmly established at that time and only grew in subsequent years, particularly during the time of his second term as governor when I was serving as attorney general.  Anne and I became close friends with Bruce and Alice and remained so for decades.

"Bruce was a public servant whose integrity was never questioned and who always did the right thing for New Mexico.  As a result of his love for our state and the people who live here, he was great friends with many thousands of New Mexicans, and he will be missed by all of us."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today issued the following statement in advance of Veterans Day:

"Each Veterans Day is a solemn occasion when we, as a nation, reflect and show gratitude to those who have served or are currently serving in our military.  But today is an especially difficult Veterans Day, as we honor the men and women who were killed or wounded last week at Ft. Hood Army Base in Texas.  I extend my condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were hurt in this terrible act of violence.  We must take every precaution to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.

"On this Veterans Day, I'd especially like to thank New Mexico's veterans for their commitment to protect our country and its interests.  New Mexico has a long and proud history of military service, and we are honored to have some of you among us today, who now serve as living testaments to American bravery.

"This bravery has been exhibited by those who fought for the Union in the Civil War at Glorieta Pass, by the National Guardsmen who were captured at Bataan, and the Navajo codetalkers who safeguarded our military secrets.  New Mexicans have displayed their courage defending our country on the frozen steppes of Korea, in the jungles of Vietnam, and the desert sands of the first Gulf War.  And today, this tradition lives on, in Afghanistan and Iraq and in countless other countries where our sons and daughters are currently deployed.

"While the needs may be different, America's solemn obligation to our veterans holds true regardless of whether one served in WWII, Vietnam, or has only recently returned from a tour of duty.  All veterans deserve accessible and affordable healthcare, full payment of benefits, and the opportunity to receive a quality education.   To ensure these promises are met, President Obama has made a bold commitment to our nation's veterans: to increase the VA budget by $25 billion over the next five years.  This funding will expand health services, provide better care for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, and help reduce and prevent homelessness in our veterans community.  I am proud that the Congress is set to meet and exceed the President's goals.

"In addition, as the veterans of our greatest generation know well, the GI Bill gave many of our service members returning from WWII access to the tools necessary to lead a successful life and help bring the nation out of the Great Depression.  With the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, 2.4 million veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will receive educational benefits on par with those provided at the end of World War II.   As we once again look to our veterans to help lift our nation out of economic hardship through their leadership in business and industry, it is my sincere hope that our returning men and women will accept this challenge and take full advantage of these educational opportunities.

"For every American, as we honor the service of all our veterans today, let us not limit the celebration of their sacrifice to one day a year.  Their service was not limited to one 24-hour period; nor should we limit our respect and gratitude to this day alone.  To this end, I pledge to continue my work in the Senate to ensure our veterans receive the benefits that they fully deserve.  And in closing, I again extend my sincere thanks to our veterans and their families for all the sacrifices they have made.  I stand ready to assist you in any way that I can."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today issued the following statement in advance of Veterans Day:

"Each Veterans Day is a solemn occasion when we, as a nation, reflect and show gratitude to those who have served or are currently serving in our military.  But today is an especially difficult Veterans Day, as we honor the men and women who were killed or wounded last week at Ft. Hood Army Base in Texas.  I extend my condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were hurt in this terrible act of violence.  We must take every precaution to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.

"On this Veterans Day, I'd especially like to thank New Mexico's veterans for their commitment to protect our country and its interests.  New Mexico has a long and proud history of military service, and we are honored to have some of you among us today, who now serve as living testaments to American bravery.

"This bravery has been exhibited by those who fought for the Union in the Civil War at Glorieta Pass, by the National Guardsmen who were captured at Bataan, and the Navajo codetalkers who safeguarded our military secrets.  New Mexicans have displayed their courage defending our country on the frozen steppes of Korea, in the jungles of Vietnam, and the desert sands of the first Gulf War.  And today, this tradition lives on, in Afghanistan and Iraq and in countless other countries where our sons and daughters are currently deployed.

"While the needs may be different, America's solemn obligation to our veterans holds true regardless of whether one served in WWII, Vietnam, or has only recently returned from a tour of duty.  All veterans deserve accessible and affordable healthcare, full payment of benefits, and the opportunity to receive a quality education.   To ensure these promises are met, President Obama has made a bold commitment to our nation's veterans: to increase the VA budget by $25 billion over the next five years.  This funding will expand health services, provide better care for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, and help reduce and prevent homelessness in our veterans community.  I am proud that the Congress is set to meet and exceed the President's goals.

"In addition, as the veterans of our greatest generation know well, the GI Bill gave many of our service members returning from WWII access to the tools necessary to lead a successful life and help bring the nation out of the Great Depression.  With the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, 2.4 million veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will receive educational benefits on par with those provided at the end of World War II.   As we once again look to our veterans to help lift our nation out of economic hardship through their leadership in business and industry, it is my sincere hope that our returning men and women will accept this challenge and take full advantage of these educational opportunities.

"For every American, as we honor the service of all our veterans today, let us not limit the celebration of their sacrifice to one day a year.  Their service was not limited to one 24-hour period; nor should we limit our respect and gratitude to this day alone.  To this end, I pledge to continue my work in the Senate to ensure our veterans receive the benefits that they fully deserve.  And in closing, I again extend my sincere thanks to our veterans and their families for all the sacrifices they have made.  I stand ready to assist you in any way that I can."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today joined in introducing legislation aimed at helping ensuring America's food supply continues to be safe.

The National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Program Act builds on an existing U.S. Department of Agriculture program and aims to provide outreach, training and technical assistance to the country's small farmers and small-scale food processors to help assure a safe supply of fruits and vegetables.

"This legislation in an important step in helping small, local farms, organic producers and other food processors with the resources they need to produce food safely," Bingaman said.

The bill authorizes $50 million per year in competitive grants to help eligible organizations carry out education and training activities on food safety.  Activities could include: good agricultural practices, good handling practices, good manufacturing practices, produce safety standards, risk analysis and preventive control mechanisms, sanitation standards, safe packaging and storage systems, recordkeeping for product sourcing and sales, traceability, food safety audits and certification, and other activities determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

The following entities would be eligible to apply for funding: state cooperative extension services; federal, state, local, or tribal agencies; community based non-profits; universities; agricultural organizations (trade associations, etc); and collaborations and multi-state partnerships

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $91,903 grant to help Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo continue a water pollution control program.

The funding awarded today will be used for water sampling to assess surface water quality on pueblo lands and to continue compiling data to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards.

"This grant will make it possible for Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo to help ensure that water quality needs are being met," Bingaman said.  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio reporters about health care reform legislation that cleared the House of Representatives this weekend.  Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill currently being debated on the Senate floor and about an amendment he join Senator Tom Udall in cosponsoring to increase funding to provide transitional housing for homeless veterans.

01:38 – Bingaman talks about President Obama's call for eliminating veterans' homelessness in five years.

02:49 – Bingaman comments on the passage of landmark health care legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

04:51 – Bingaman talks about the redesigning of the payment process for private insurance providers such as Medicare Advantage.

07:07 – Bingaman talks about the health care reform bills being debated in Congress seek to extend health care coverage to Americans who are currently uninsured.

10:45 – Bingaman talks about the Obama Administration's commitment to increase funding for the Veterans Administration.  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today introduced legislation to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) – a law that provides funding to protect sensitive landscapes and grants to states to develop recreation areas and facilities.

Right now, the Land and Water Conservation Fund is subject to the annual appropriations process.  And Congress has rarely appropriated the $900 million that is authorized annually.  As a result, the levels of funding for both federal and state agencies have fluctuated wildly.

Over the years, the program has protected more than 5 million acres of land and water across the country, including portions of Chaco Canyon, Gila National Forest, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, and Petroglyphs National Monument, among many others, in New Mexico.

Bingaman believes the LWCF needs consistent and predictable funding to allow the program to continue to be effective.  The Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act of 2009, which was introduced today, seeks to do just that.

"Protecting special places and landscapes for the common good has always been a great American idea that we have exported to the rest of the world.  By protecting natural systems, we're protecting human health as well as the economy by providing clean water, clean air, livable coastal areas and the quality of life that is so important to all Americans," Bingaman said.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he is pleased the Senate has approved legislation to extend unemployment benefits to thousands of New Mexicans who have been unable to find a job in this difficult economic climate.

The bill would extend unemployment insurance by up to 14 additional weeks for jobless workers in all states and up to 20 weeks in hard-hit states with unemployment levels at or above 8.5 percent.  New Mexico's unemployment rate as of September was 7.7 percent, up from 4.3 percent a year ago.

"Like the rest of the country, New Mexico is feeling the effects of the current economic situation," Bingaman said.  "While it is not a permanent solution, unemployment benefits provide many families with temporary relief as they continue to look for work.  I am pleased it has cleared another hurdle."

The bill does the following:

• Extend unemployment insurance by up to 14 additional weeks for jobless workers who exhaust their benefits by Dec. 31; and
• Extend benefits for an six additional weeks for workers who exhaust their unemployment benefits by Dec. 31, in states with unemployment levels over 8.5 percent.

The bill does the following to encourage new home-buying:

• Extend through April 30, 2010 the tax credit for first-time homebuyers (up to $8,000 or up to 10 percent of the purchase price of the residence), allowing 60 days to close (July 1, 2010), provided that the homes are under a binding contract by April 30;
• Provide homebuyer tax credit of up to $6,500 to owners who have been in the same principal residence for five consecutive years during the previous eight years;
• Increase the income limitations to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for joint filers;
• Phase out the credit for individuals with incomes above $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for joint filers at the same rate as current law (over the next $20,000);
• Limit the credit to purchases of principal residences equal to or less than $800,000;
• Eliminate the 36-month recapture requirement for military personnel, including members of the Foreign Service and intelligence community, forced to sell as a result of an official extended duty of service; and
• Extend the tax credit for one year for military personnel serving outside the United States for at least 90 days in 2009 or 2010.

The bill must now be approved by the House of Representatives before it can be signed into law.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today urged Congress to swiftly take up and pass energy legislation aimed at creating "green collar" jobs.

"The economy has lost 7.2 million jobs during this recession -- one out of every 20 jobs in the country.  In percentage terms, that is the biggest job loss since the recession in 1948 and 1949," Bingaman said, in a speech on the Senate floor.

"Congress needs to take steps to ensure this recovery is different from the jobless recoveries in our nation's recent past.  The tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration were meant to stimulate job growth but it is apparent now that they failed to do so.  Those tax cuts were too blunt an instrument to do the job, not focused enough on creating jobs, and the $4 trillion hole they dug in the federal budget has made it harder to recover from this recession," Bingaman added.

One way to create jobs is to enact clean energy policies that encourage the use of renewable energy.  Bingaman is the lead author of the American Clean Energy Leadership Act – legislation that creates a national Renewable Electricity Standard, a policy that would require electricity companies to get 15 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2021.  This would spur job growth because it would require new electricity production from wind, solar and other renewable resources.

The American Clean Energy Leadership Act also sets up a revolving loan fund that would provide the financing needed to create the new power plants that produce renewable energy or factories that make wind turbines and other components.

And the Bingaman legislation, among other things, would provide federal grants to defray the costs of retrofitting homes and businesses to reduce energy consumption.

Combined, adopting the American Clean Energy Leadership Act could create more than 500,000.

"Adopting this forward-thinking energy bill will put us on a path toward creating good jobs in the energy sector, help keep our nation competitive and put Americans back to work," Bingaman said.

In recent weeks, Bingaman has delivered other floor speeches on the economy.  He has urged Congress to quickly pass legislation to extend unemployment insurance by at least 14 weeks.  And he has outlined four other steps Congress can immediately pass to create jobs:

• Job Creation Tax Credit worth 10 to 15 percent of the cost of creating new jobs.  The proposal could create 2.8 million new jobs in 2010 and 2.3 million jobs in 2011.
• Enhance the investment tax credit for manufacturing.  Such a credit would subsidize the cost of building new factory space or purchasing new machinery.  Manufacturing jobs are critical to the long-term health of our economy, and additional policies are needed to create them.
• Additional aid to states, in the form of education funds, health care funds, or other direct grants.  Without additional help, states will have to cut services and raise taxes, making the recession worse and slowing down job creation even more.  Enacting additional aid to states could have immediate benefits by curtailing plans to cut state programs.
• Providing emergency bridge loans to families to help them stay in their homes.  The amount of the loan would be equal to up to two years of mortgage payments and could be repaid over 10 or 15 years.  These bridge loans would complement the Job Creation Tax Credit and Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit by preventing a fall-off in the demand for consumer goods and services.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today confirmed that the counties of Lea, Curry, Quay and Roosevelt have been declared eligible for disaster assistance due to their proximity to Texas counties, which were declared disaster areas due drought and other disasters that occurred earlier this year.

As a result of the declaration, farmers and ranchers in Lea, Curry, Quay and Roosevelt counties are now eligible to be considered for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

"I am pleased the USDA is lending a helping hand to the farmers and ranchers in Lea, Curry, Quay and Roosevelt Counties who have been economically affected due to severe weather in the area this year," Bingaman said.

For more information or to determine eligibility for a low interest loan contact the local USDA Farm Service Center.

Lea County Farm Service Agency
401 E Tatum Highway Lovington, NM 88260
(575) 396-5857
(575) 396-5768 Fax

Curry County Farm Service Agency
918 Parkland Dr Clovis, NM 88101-4432
(575) 762-4769
(575) 763-0034 Fax

Quay County Farm Service Agency
706 S 1st St Tucumcari, NM 88401-2715
(575) 461-0793
(575) 461-0285 Fax

Roosevelt County Farm Service Agency
050 Hwy 467 Portales, NM 88130
(575) 356-6629
(575) 356-6210 Fax

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio reporters about climate change and a variety of other issues being debated in Congress. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about a bill he has introduced with Senator Tom Udall aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change on resources like forests, clean water, and fish and wildlife habitat and the communities and economies that depend on these resources.

01:25 – Bingaman talks about a bill he is cosponsoring, which authorizes the government to research whether small-scale nuclear power plants are a feasible source of energy supply.

04:16 – Bingaman says the Congress needs address the economic issues facing the country, including job creation and financial reform.

06:18 – Bingaman talks about efforts to address nuclear waste disposal.

08:01– Bingaman says he supports Senator Reid's decision to include a public option, which would allow individual states to opt out, as part of a health care bill.

10:24 – Bingaman says he supports energy efficiency standards for television screens.

12:10 – Bingaman talks about where the health care reform debate stands in Congress.

13:40 – Bingaman talks about climate change legislation being debated in the Senate.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has released over $10 million for four New Mexico projects aimed at exploring and developing new geothermal fields and research into advanced geothermal technologies. Funding comes from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

“Geothermal energy can be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly form of energy production.  This funding will help New Mexico take advantage of the current technology, and make investments in advancing this important technology, as well,” Bingaman said.  

“Advanced geothermal technology holds immense potential as a carbon free energy source and economic stimulator,” said Udall. “Much of our state is a known or potential geothermal resource, so we are in the perfect position develop another source of energy and create jobs in the process,” Udall said. 

The following projects will receive funding:

·         $4.99 million - Pueblo of Jemez:  The pueblo’s project involves utilizing different technologies to image and locate geothermal reservoirs in Jemez Pueblo.

·         $3 million Simbol Mining Corp. (Pleasanton, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Sacramento, CA; Calipatria, CA): This project will develop technologies that extract valuable metals and compounds from geothermal fluids.

·         $1.99 million - New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology: New Mexico Tech New will construct a district heating system at the NM Tech Campus.

·         $50,000 Arthur Mansure of Albuquerque: Mansure is a life cycle expert who will determine and document sustainability of geothermal development.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall voted for final approval of a spending measure that funds important public lands initiatives in New Mexico.

The FY10 Interior Appropriations Bill will now be sent to the White House for signature.

The fiscal year 2010 Interior Appropriations Bill contains an amendment Bingaman wrote and Udall cosponsored aimed at ensuring there that is adequate federal funding available to help fight wildfires. The measure, known as the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act, creates a separate account to pay for fighting large, complex wildland fires. This move would prevent the Forest Service from raiding other accounts to pay for such expensive fires, preventing shortfalls in other Forest Service programs.

"Our wildfire funding practices have been broken for a decade, and that has had a negative impact on the Forest Service, communities, businesses, and natural resources," said Bingaman, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "The success of this legislation ultimately depends on the support of the White House and Congress, but we have charted a new and clear course to that success, and that is a significantly accomplishment."

"With more severe drought conditions in New Mexico and increasing catastrophic wildfire danger, we have a responsibility to take the necessary precautions," said Udall. "With our amendment, we are helping ensure that New Mexico is prepared for these threats."

The bill also provides $10 million for the Forest Landscape Restoration Act, a program authored by Bingaman and supported by Udall to select and fund landscape-scale forest restoration projects.

The legislation also contains funding the senators sought for the following lands projects:

The bill contains funding the senators sought for the following lands projects:

• $3.5 million -Valles Caldera National Preserve for operations
• $3 million -- Land Acquisition of riparian areas in the Gila National Forest
• $3 million -- Land Acquisition for La Cienega Area of Critical Environmental Concern (Santa Fe County)
• $1.5 million - Lesser Prairie Chicken Area of Critical Environmental Concern (Chaves County)
• $500,000 - Land Acquisition within Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (Socorro County)
• $2.2 million - Navajo Technical College for operations
• $1 million – Land Acquisition for Petroglyph National Monument

The spending bill also funds other agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey, and sets aside funding the following projects:

• $300,000 – City of Portales for wastewater treatment plant improvements
• $300,000 – City of Carlsbad for a water reuse project
• $1 million – for the U.S. Geological Survey to continue implementation of the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act that is characterizing, mapping, and modeling groundwater resources along the border.
• $1 million – Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research and Policy (SCERP) based out of NMSU

"New Mexicans will benefit from the investments this bill makes in water, public lands and education initiatives," Bingaman said.

"In this legislation, we are making significant and necessary investments for responsible land and water usage, as well as education in our state," said Udall. "I am pleased it is one step closer to being signed into law."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today outlined four steps Congress can take to help create jobs in this economic downturn.

"We find ourselves in an economic situation that is worse than almost anyone predicted.  And while I believe the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is helping, it wasn't intended to tackle an economic problem this size," Bingaman said.  "It's my belief that we need to do more to create good jobs."

In a speech on the Senate floor, Bingaman said there is no danger of doing too much to create jobs.

"We should learn from Japan's Lost Decade.  Japan was plagued by weak economic growth and lackluster job creation all through the 1990s.  Its Lost Decade was caused by the bursting of an asset price bubble, similar to what triggered the financial crisis last year.  A primary lesson from Japan's Lost Decade is that intermittent stimulus policies are ineffective.  We need to take sustained and overwhelming action to reenergize our economy," Bingaman said.

In addition to passing an extension of unemployment insurance, which the Senate is now debating, Bingaman said we should do the following:

• A Job Creation Tax Credit worth 10 to 15 percent of the cost of creating new jobs.  The proposal could create 2.8 million new jobs in 2010 and 2.3 million jobs in 2011.
• Enhance the investment tax credit for manufacturing.  Such a credit would subsidize the cost of building new factory space or purchasing new machinery.  Manufacturing jobs are critical to the long-term health of our economy, and additional policies are needed to create them.
• Additional aid to states, in the form of education funds, health care funds, or other direct grants.  Without additional help, states will have to cut services and raise taxes, making the recession worse and slowing down job creation even more.  Enacting additional aid to states could have immediate benefits by curtailing plans to cut state programs.
• Providing emergency bridge loans to families to help them stay in their homes.  The amount of the loan would be equal to up to two years of mortgage payments and could be repaid over 10 or 15 years.  These bridge loans would complement the Job Creation Tax Credit and Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit by preventing a fall-off in the demand for consumer goods and services.

"The four proposals I have outlined today are just some of the ideas that could create jobs in the short and medium term.  Congress should hold hearings on these and other job creation proposals, and quickly enact the best of them.  If we do nothing, unemployment is projected to climb past 10 percent next year, more families will lose their homes, and our economy will grow weaker, making it more difficult for the United States to compete in the global market," Bingaman said.

"Even as Congress continues working on other strategic challenges like health care, energy, and climate change, we must give renewed priority to job creation to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of the United States and the prosperity of the American people," he added.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today reported that President Obama has signed into law a key spending bill that supports New Mexico's two national laboratories, the Waste Isolation Pilot Project and a variety of key water-related projects.

"When we started this process several months ago, LANL was facing deep cuts to a key research center.  The measure that has been signed into law not only prevents those cuts it provides strong support to the range of R&D initiatives performed at both laboratories, as well as the operation of WIPP," Bingaman said.  "New Mexico fared very well in this important piece of legislation."

"Saving the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center at LANL has been a top priority, and today's signing by the president means LANSCE will continue to play a critical role in preserving our national security and providing solid scientific research," Udall said.

The 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill contains $20 million for upgrades to the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) – the only machine in the country that can do a series of diagnostic tests to ensure our nuclear stockpile is safe and secure.  The White House had recommended zeroing out funding for these necessary upgrades.  But the New Mexico senators fought for the funding, arguing that the one-of-a-kind facility was still needed.

The bill also contains $6.38 billion in stockpile stewardship for the National Nuclear Security Administration, much of which will be directed to Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories.

OTHER LAB RELATED FUNDING

LOS ALAMOS

• $196 million for environmental cleanup
• $97 million for Chemistry and Metallurgy Facility Replacement Project
• $10 million for radiological facilities to conduct nuclear energy research 

SANDIA

• Inertial confinement fusion ignition: $458 million, including $16.5 million above the request for operation of the Z-Machine and the Omega facility, returning them to FY09 funding levels

MISC.

• $750,000 Microgrid research initiative at New Mexico State University
• $1.75 million Navajo electrification
• $750, 000 for the Center of Excellence and Hazardous Waste Materials at Carlsbad for advance biofuels research

WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PROJECT

• $230.34 million for WIPP

"This law funds water projects large and small -- from the Navajo-Gallup pipeline to acequia rehabilitation," Bingaman said. "In an arid state like ours where every drop of water counts, these investments are extremely important."

"This new law will allow us to make significant investments at WIPP in Carlsbad to make sure we have a safe facility, more needed environmental cleanup and job security for employees working there," Udall said.

WATER FUNDING

Albuquerque Title XVI Reuse Project - $250,000 for continued support of the City's water reuse and recycling project.
Animas-La Plata Project - $49,608,000 to continue progress on the project components that benefit New Mexico, including the Navajo Nation.
Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program –$160,000 for continued data collection relating to ecological health in the Middle Río Grande.
Carlsbad Project - $3,541,000 – for continued operation of the Carlsbad irrigation project in the Pecos River Basin.
Chimayo Mutual Domestic Water Association - $233,000 to construct storage tanks, develop additional groundwater supplies, and extend water lines for the regional water system.
Eastern New Mexico Investigations Program - $47,000 for planning associated with improved water management in the Pecos and Canadian River basins in Colfax, Mora, Harding, San Miguel, Quay, Guadalupe and DeBaca counties.
Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System - $1 million for design and construction of intake structure at Ute Reservoir for the Ute pipeline project.
Jicarilla Apache Rural Water Project - $3 million to continue to repair and replace the drinking water delivery and wastewater system on the Jicarilla Reservation.
Middle Rio Grande Project $22,684,000 to continue work on project operations relating to water delivery and continued participation in the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act Collaborative Program.
Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project - $3 million for planning, design, and construction of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, including the Cutter Lateral Regional System and the Gallup Regional System.
Navajo Nation Investigations Program - $190,000 to support water supply planning efforts within the Navajo Nation in cooperation with other agencies.
Pecos River Basin Water Salvage Project - $201,000 for continued removal of invasive plants and for an analysis of the effects of such removal.
Rio Grande Project - $4,791,000 for the ongoing operations of the Rio Grande Project which benefits the Elephant Butte Irrigation District in New Mexico.
Southern New Mexico/West Texas Inv. Program - $142,000 to analyze water supply options for irrigation and municipal uses in the Las Cruces, El Paso and Juarez areas.
Tucumcari Project - $39,000 for expenses associated with operation of Conchas Dam and Reservoir northwest of Tucumcari.
Upper Colorado River Operations Program - $237,000 to support the ongoing activities relating to management of the Colorado River system which benefits the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and the San Juan – Chama Project which serves water users such as the City of Albuquerque and Santa Fe and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.
Upper Rio Grande Basin Investigations - $71,000  to support investigations involving the Rio Grande water supplies in coordination with the States of Colorado and New Mexico and other water users.

Corps of Engineers

Abiquiu Dam - $3,141,000 – for continued management activities at Abiquiu Dam and Reservoir.
Acequias Irrigation System - $2.4 million to continue construction and rehabilitation work for acequias throughout the State.
Alamogordo - $2.9 million to construct and repair diversion channels and prevent flood damage.
Cochiti Lake - $6.5 million for continued management activities at Cochiti Lake.
Conchas Lake - $1.7 million for continued management activities at Conchas Lake.
Espanola Valley Investigations - $224,000 to evaluate water supply options.
Galisteo Dam - $562,000 to operate and maintain Galisteo Dam.
Jemez Canyon Dam - $718,000 to operate and maintain Jemez Canyon Dam.
Middle Rio Grande ESA Collaborative Program - $2,994 for continued compliance with the Biological Opinion and participation in the collaborative program.
Middle Rio Grande Flood Protection, Bernalillo to Belen - $756,000 to repair and replace existing levees and create wetlands.
Rio Grande Basin, NM, CO & TX – $103,000 to improve water conveyance efficiencies and address ecosystem degradation and flooding throughout the Rio Grande Basin which includes over 160,000 square miles from Colorado, through New Mexico to Texas.
Rio Grande Floodway, San Acacia To Bosque Del Apache - $754,000 for maintenance and restoration of the Rio Grande floodway.
Santa Fe - $134,000 to conduct a watershed study to analyze flood damage potential and ecosystem restoration potential for the Santa Fe area.
Santa Rosa Dam and Lake - $1.044 million for operation and maintenance of Santa Rosa Dam and Lake.
Southwest Valley Albuquerque - $2.810 million to repair drains and prevent flooding in the South Valley of Albuquerque.
Two Rivers Dam - $384,000 for repairs and maintenance of the Two Rivers Dam in the Roswell area.
Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model Study - $2.05 million to continue work developing and utilizing the model to assist with Rio Grande operations.   

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announce that a bill that supports several of New Mexico's national security initiatives has been signed into law.

The Senators said the fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that was enacted contains $20 million Bingaman and Udall requested for the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC) at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.  The program models every conceivable disaster and other simulations for disaster preparedness purposes.

The bill also contains $23 million the Senators secured for New Mexico Tech's National Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center.  New Mexico Tech is a member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which provides natural disaster preparedness training.

"Our state's federal laboratories and research centers play a valuable role in helping develop and test emergency preparedness models that will benefit the country as a whole, and this legislation strongly supports their activities," Bingaman said.  "The measure also provides key funding to FLETC, which trains law enforcement agents that protect our nation's borders."

"With ever increasing violence across our border, New Mexico plays has an integral role in maintaining security for our country and safety for our citizens," said Udall. "The funding for border patrol initiatives and institutions like FLETC and New Mexico Tech included in this bill will help ensure New Mexico's role in keeping our nation safe and secure. I am pleased President Obama has signed it into law."

The spending bill also contains $282.8 million for personnel and construction for the nation's Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers.  Artesia is home to one of the centers.  It also contains $600,000 for an emergency ops initiative in Lea County and $400,000 for San Miguel County's predisaster mitigation project.

Finally, the measure contains funding for a variety of border security-related activities.  New Mexico will receive funding from the following initiatives:

• Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology: $800 million for Southwest Border investments.  Through a mix of fencing, technology, and Border Patrol agents on the ground CBP now has nearly 700 miles of Southwest border under effective control, compared to 241 miles in FY 2005.
• Border Patrol: $3.587 billion to fully support 20,163 Border Patrol agents – an increase of 6,000 (or more than 50 percent) since 2006.
• Southwest Border Counterdrug Initiatives: $72.6 million, including $20 million for additional scanning systems for southbound lanes and checkpoints, and $26 million for 50 additional CBP officers, 100 Border Patrol agents, and 33 support personnel and equipment to stop the outbound flow of weapons and currency used in the drug trade.
• Southwest Border Violence: $100 million to combat international trade in illicit drugs, weapons smuggling and crimes associated with violence along the Southwest Border. This is part of an overall $99 million increase over 2009 for ICE investigations. Funding includes:
• • $70 million to expand operations related to Southwest border violence by initiating more ICE investigations, intelligence activities, and international programs;
  • $10 million for investigations of transnational gangs;
  • $10 million for expansion of Border Enforcement Security Task Forces (BESTs); and
  • $10 million for counter-proliferation investigation, including bulk cash and weapons smuggling investigations.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he is pleased the Senate has voted to move forward with legislation to extend unemployment benefits to thousands of New Mexicans who have been unable to find a job in this difficult economic climate.

The bill would extend unemployment insurance by up to 14 additional weeks for jobless workers in all states and up to 20 weeks in hard-hit states with unemployment levels at or above 8.5 percent.  New Mexico's unemployment rate as of September was 7.7 percent, up from 4.3 percent a year ago.

"This legislation will help many New Mexican families who are struggling because of the economic downturn.  I am pleased the Senate is making this issue a priority," Bingaman said.

The Senate is expected to vote on final passage later this week.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today introduced a bill aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change on resources like forests, clean water, and fish and wildlife habitat and the communities and economies that depend on these resources.

Reports from the last several seasons indicate that increasing temperatures associated with climate change are resulting in less snowpack in many regions of the country, thus changing the timing of snow-melt runoff.   In New Mexico, an already arid state, this trend could be devastating.

"From increased drought to a rise in sea level, our country's natural resources are at risk from the effects of climate change.  As we work to reduce carbon emissions, we must also find ways to protect the things so important to New Mexicans like clean water and our fish and wildlife habitat," Bingaman said.

"Climate change doesn't just threaten our economy and security, it threatens our way of life. Scientists predict that global warming could give New Mexico the same climate as the Sonoran Desert in Chihuahua, Mexico – doing irreversible harm to the natural resources that our communities and economies depend on," Udall said. "This legislation will help protect these special New Mexico places for generations to come."

The Natural Resource Adaptation Act would:

• Require all federal agencies, including the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation, to work together to prepare a national strategy and individual agency plans to reduce the negative impact of climate change on natural resources.
• Establish a fund to help federal, state and tribal programs carry out work related to climate change adaptation, including restoring watersheds to ensure abundant clean water supplies, managing forest health and restoring wetlands to protect coastal communities.

"We often forget that healthy ecosystems are essential to human, as well as wildlife, needs.  They are necessary to provide us with a clean and abundant drinking water supply, clean air, and habitat for a diversity of fish, wildlife and plant species," Bingaman said.

"New Mexico is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, all of which depend on a healthy ecosystem," Udall said. "As we continue working to combat global warming and create the clean energy economy of the future, we must ensure that our efforts include the protection of these natural resources."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today applauded news that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid intends to include a public option in the health insurance reform bill that the Senate will debate in the coming weeks. A public insurance option is a non-profit health care plan that would be run by the federal government and financed with premiums.

Bingaman helped craft the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee’s public plan proposal, and voted for both unsuccessful measures to include a public plan in the Senate Finance Committee’s bill. 

Reid is currently working to meld the different bills passed in the HELP and Finance committees.  He is expected to include a public plan similar to the one in the HELP legislation, but that allows states to opt out of participating in it.

“It has always been my strong preference that we include a public insurance option.  I believe it will be a very useful tool for containing health care costs,” said Bingaman, who added that the public plan should follow the same rules as private plans for defining benefits, protecting consumers, and setting premiums that are fair and based on local costs.

“I applaud Senator Reid for working hard to gain Senate support for a public plan proposal,” he said.

Bingaman pointed out that the health reform legislation would take many other important changes to the law, including a proposal that prevents healthcare companies from denying insurance to Americans with pre-existing conditions. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio reporters about health care reform legislation being debated in Congress. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about a bill he introduced and was passed in Congress that recognize Stewart Udall for his contributions as U.S. Interior Secretary and for advancing the important work of the Morris K. Udall Foundation.

01:17 – Bingaman talks about where health care reform legislation stands in Congress.

02:35 – Bingaman talks about the chances of getting a public option included as part of health care reform legislation.

03:35– Bingaman talks about a proposal being discussed in the Senate to included a public option but would allow individual states to opt out of the plan.

07:37 – Bingaman says health care reform legislation being debated in the Senate will help extend health care coverage to those who are currently uninsured.

10:15 – Bingaman says the Congress is following the same eligibility guidelines for the H1N1 vaccination as most of the country.

11:10 – Bingaman talks about where climate change legislation stands in the Senate.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today reported that the Senate has approved key defense legislation that gives strong support to New Mexico’s military installations and the state’s two national laboratories.

The bill, called the fiscal year 2010 Defense Authorization Bill, passed the Senate 68-29.  The House of Representatives passed it earlier this month, so it can now be sent to the president for signature.  Defense spending must be authorized through this bill before funding can be released; the spending bills that fund the activities authorized in this measure move through Congress separately.   

“This important legislation outlines where and how our defense dollars will be spent, which is why it is so important to New Mexico.  I believe this measure does a very good job supporting our national laboratories and our defense installations,” Bingaman said.

The bill contains the following:

Cannon Air Force Base

$15.0 million for a consolidated communications facility

$41.27 million for C-130 maintenance hangar facility

$11.59 million modification to hangers to support CV-22s

$6.0 million for a C-130 ammunition loading ramp

At Bingaman’s urging the Senate adopted an amendment have the Air Force and the U.S. Special Operations Command begin the process of evaluating the life of the existing AC-130 gunships and plan for their replacement.  Eight of these gunships are in the 16 Special Operations Squadron now at Cannon, some of which are 40 years old dating back to Vietnam. The gunships are the airplane of choice by ground troops in Afghanistan and Iraq for close air support operations.

Kirtland Air Force Base

$16.7 million for two simulator facilities to train pilots on C-130J aircraft

$5.8 million for facility space at the Space Test and Development Wing

The bill keeps the budget of the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Program Office at $112 million the same as the President’s request.  That program was “stood up” at Kirtland two years ago and will provide a game changing ability to quickly field satellites for urgent needs.

White Sands Missile Range

The bill authorizes additional $6 million increase for the High Energy Laser Test Facility at WSMR, to begin testing the next generation solid-state laser, putting the facility on a new track to test next generation battlefield laser systems.  In addition $3 million is authorized to develop software to integrate the large airspace surrounding White Sands Missile Range, which handles training by Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands Test Range and Fort Bliss.

Holloman Air Force Base

$5.5 million for a consolidated munitions maintenance facility for the F-22 Raptor

$5 million for continued development of the High Speed Test Track, which when completed will be the world’s fastest magnetic levitation test track.

$10.4 million Fire / Rescue Station

$37.5 million Facilities for UAV Training Wing

National Guard

$39.0 million for an Army aviation support facility at Santa Fe

$30 million to support Army Guard Counterdrug efforts of which $3 million is for New Mexico

In addition the bill asks the Secretary of Defense to develop a transition plan for the Air Guard from F-16 and F-15 fighter aircraft to F-35 and F-22 aircraft.

Other Department of Defense issues relevant to New Mexico, and authorized under the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA):

$6.43 billion for maintaining the stockpile

$2.18 billion for stemming the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

$55 million for the Chemistry and Metallurgy Replacement Facility construction at LANL

$24 million for upgrades to the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center as part of the overhaul of the complex so it can provide stockpile science in the 21^st century to ensure we do not have to test.

$189.0 million for clean up funding at LANL, to avoid missing milestones in the clean up consent agreement between the Department and the State

$220.34 million for WIPP

In addition at Bingaman’s urging the committee asked the Administrator of the NNSA and the Undersecretary for Science at the DOE to develop a long-term roadmap so that major facilities at NNSA sites such as the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center can be used for other DOE research program whether fundamental or the applied energy sciences.  Bingaman feels it is critical that the weapons laboratory begin to diversify their research portfolio as we draw down the stockpile, this roadmap will help with that diversification.

And the bill contains a Bingaman amendment aimed at improving the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICPA).  EEOICPA, which Bingaman helped create in 2000, compensates Department of Energy employees for illnesses they developed because of their service.  In the amendment adopted in this bill, the Office of the Ombudsman is expanded to assist employees applying for compensation under Part B of EEOICPA.  Currently, the ombudsman can only assist employees applying under Part E. 

Finally, bill contains a separate measure that Bingaman has long supported that prevents discrimination.  The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act strengthens the ability of federal, state, local, and tribal governments to address hate crimes based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.  The legislation will enable the Justice Department to assist state, local, and tribal authorities with the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.  Nothing in the legislation impacts the ability of individuals to exercise their First Amendment rights.

WASHINGTON – The Senate has given final passage to legislation U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman wrote to recognize Stewart Udall for his contributions as U.S. Interior Secretary and for advancing the important work of the Morris K. Udall Foundation. The House of Representatives had previously approved the measure, so it can now be sent to the White House for signature.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation was established by Congress in 1992 to provide federal-funded scholarships to student seeking to pursue a career in environmental studies and to identify and educate new generations of leaders in Indian Country.

Bingaman's bill provides additional resources for the foundation as well as rename it the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, in recognition of the historic Interior Secretary's contributions.

"New Mexicans know the important role Stewart Udall has played over his lifetime to protect our environment and public lands. For that reason, I believe he should be recognized alongside his brother Morris. I am very glad we have won support of this legislation in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that the bill can now be signed by the president," said Bingaman from New Mexico, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation provides $5,000 scholarships for students interested in environmental and Native American issues. Currently, the foundation awarded 80 scholarships a year. Bingaman's bill would make it possible for them to provide more.

Programs of the Udall Foundation include:

• U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution. This institute has played a quiet leading role to find common ground on issues as diverse as Everglades Restoration to the joint tribal-federal management of the National Bison Range Complex.
• The Native Nations Institute (NNI) a graduate educator and policy center for Indian Country. NNI teaches a new way of governance on the reservations which embraces tribal identity as a core principle and smart business practices as a way to assist Indian nations rebuild their economies. In the last 5 years, more than 2,000 Native American leaders have benefitted from its courses. New leaders emerging from the Foundation's education programs are beginning to take their places in Tribal governance.
• Parks in Focus aims to connect underserved youth to nature through the art of photography.

Stewart Udall was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona in 1954. He served with distinction in the House for 3 terms on the Interior and Education and Labor committees. In 1960, President Kennedy appointed Stewart Udall Secretary of Interior. In this role, he oversaw the addition of four parks, 6 national monuments, 8 seashores and lakeshores, 9 recreation areas, 20 historic sites and 56 wildlife refuges to the National Park system. During his tenure as the Interior Secretary, President Johnson signed into law the Wilderness Act, the Water Quality Act, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and National Trails Bill.

Stewart currently resides in Santa Fe and will turn 90 years old in the coming year.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said Congress should quickly take up and pass legislation to extend unemployment benefits to thousands of New Mexicans who have been unable to find a job in this difficult economic climate.

The bill would extend unemployment insurance by up to 14 additional weeks for jobless workers in all states and up to 20 weeks in hard-hit states with unemployment levels at or above 8.5 percent. New Mexico's unemployment rate as of August was 7.5 percent, up from 4.3 percent a year ago.

[Listen to the full floor speech online]

"The pain of unemployment is being felt across the country. More than 5 million Americans have been unemployed for 6 months or more and 2 million of those workers face the end of their unemployment benefits before the end of the year. Up to 4,000 New Mexicans will exhaust their current unemployment benefits by the end of December," Bingaman said.

"The total number of unemployed and underemployed, including those who are working two or three part-time jobs to try and make ends meet and those who have given up looking for work, is approaching 17 percent. These aren't just numbers, these are real people who face each day with the dread of not knowing how they are going to pay for this week's groceries or make the coming mortgage or rent payment," he said.

A vote on whether to take up the bill for debate is scheduled for Friday, but Bingaman said he hopes the Senate can come to an agreement that allows the bill to be finalized today. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he is disappointed that a bill to prevent cuts in payments to physicians serving Medicare patients has failed, but hopes that Congress will act before the end of the year to ensure that the cuts do not go into effect.

Despite Bingaman's support, the Senate today voted 47-53 on The Medicare Physician Fairness Act, defeating legislation that would have prevented a 20 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians next year. The cuts were called for in the Balanced Budget Amendment of 1997. In total, the cuts are projected to reduce payments to New Mexican physicians serving seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries by $50 million in 2010. Because TRICARE physician payments are linked to Medicare payments, TRICARE is also facing deep cuts.            

"Obviously we cannot let stand deep cuts to doctors in New Mexico and across the country.  We must act soon to avert this crisis," Bingaman said. "I hope we can find a way to not only prevent these deep cuts, but to do so in a way that does not add to the deficit."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced today that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is releasing $294,000 he secured for Las Cumbres Community Services Facility in Española.

The nonprofit will use the funding, which Bingaman secured in a fiscal year 2008 spending bill, for the construction of a new facility to house child and family services, adult services, respite care, and the Early Childhood Mental Health Training Institute.  The facility will also include meeting rooms that will be open to the public.

"Las Cumbres Community Services provided vital support assistance to residents of Northern New Mexico.  The funding released today will help it expand and reach out to more people," Bingaman said.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced today that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is releasing funding he secured to help provide homes to Navajo families in need. Bingaman secured the funding in a fiscal year 2009 spending bill.

The Southwest Indian Foundation will receive $950,000 for its Operation Footprint Program, which constructs and places new homes for Navajo families. Funding will help provide building materials, equipment maintenance and cover administrative costs associated with the program.

"Operation Footprint brings together military personnel, students, and community volunteers to help give Navajo families a place to call home. This funding will go a long way in helping them continue this important program," Bingaman said.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today applauded the passage of a bill that supports several of New Mexico's national security initiatives.

The Senate approved the fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill; this measure can now be sent to the White House for signature.

The bill includes $20 million Bingaman and Udall requested for the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC) at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.  The program models every conceivable disaster and other simulations for disaster preparedness purposes.

The bill also contains $23 million the Senators secured for New Mexico Tech's National Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center.  New Mexico Tech is a member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which provides natural disaster preparedness training.

"Our state is engaged in important disaster preparedness work, which is funded by this spending bill," Bingaman said.  "The entire country is benefiting from the research and training done at our national labs, New Mexico Tech and FLETC."

"With ever increasing violence across our border, New Mexico plays has an integral role in maintaining security for our country and safety for our citizens. The funding for border patrol initiatives and institutions like FLET-C and New Mexico Tech included in this bill will help ensure New Mexico's role in keeping our nation safe and secure," Udall said.

The spending bill also contains $282.8 million for personnel and construction for the nation's Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers.  Artesia is home to one of the centers.  It also contains $600,000 for an emergency ops initiative in Lea County and $400,000 for San Miguel County's predisaster mitigation project.

Finally, the measure contains funding for a variety of border security-related activities.  New Mexico will receive funding from the following initiatives:

• Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology: $800 million for Southwest Border investments.  Through a mix of fencing, technology, and Border Patrol agents on the ground CBP now has nearly 700 miles of Southwest border under effective control, compared to 241 miles in FY 2005.
• Border Patrol: $3.587 billion to fully support 20,163 Border Patrol agents – an increase of 6,000 (or more than 50 percent) since 2006.
• Southwest Border Counterdrug Initiatives: $72.6 million, including $20 million for additional scanning systems for southbound lanes and checkpoints, and $26 million for 50 additional CBP officers, 100 Border Patrol agents, and 33 support personnel and equipment to stop the outbound flow of weapons and currency used in the drug trade.
• Southwest Border Violence: $100 million to combat international trade in illicit drugs, weapons smuggling and crimes associated with violence along the Southwest Border. This is part of an overall $99 million increase over 2009 for ICE investigations. Funding includes:
• • $70 million to expand operations related to Southwest border violence by initiating more ICE investigations, intelligence activities, and international programs;
  • $10 million for investigations of transnational gangs;
  • $10 million for expansion of Border Enforcement Security Task Forces (BESTs); and
  • $10 million for counter-proliferation investigation, including bulk cash and weapons smuggling investigations.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio about a variety of issues. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about funding contained in a key spending bill for Los Alamos National Laboratories.

01:55 – Bingaman talks about the legislation he introduced aimed at settling a decades old water dispute over water rights claims in the Rio Pojoaque.

04:40 – Bingaman says the Congress has showed its continued commitment to funding New Mexico's national Laboratories.

05:57 – Bingaman comments on the White House's dilemma over whether to increase troop strengthen in Afghanistan.

08:08 – Bingaman talks about attending the signing ceremony to make official the environmental impact statement for the Navajo-Gallup Pipeline Project.

09:35 – Bingaman talks about the hearings he is holding as chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee on energy and related economic effects of global climate change legislation.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman meets with Rice University student Roque Sanchez of Tome, NM on a tour of the team's solar-powered house during the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Oct. 15. Bingaman chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and is a national leader in pressing for a shift from a fossil-based economy to a renewable economy.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall voted (80-17) to give final passage to a key spending bill that supports New Mexico’s two national laboratories, the Waste Isolation Pilot Project and a variety of key water-related projects.

 

The 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill is now ready to be sent to the White House for signature. 

 

The measure contains $20 million for upgrades to the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) – the only machine in the country that can do a series of diagnostic tests to ensure our nuclear stockpile is safe and secure. The White House had recommended zeroing out funding for these necessary upgrades. But the New Mexico senators fought for the funding, arguing that the one-of-a-kind facility was still needed.

 

“I’m very glad we were successful in our efforts to prove that LANSCE is too important to the country to shut it down. With this funding, LANL can continue to use LANSCE to perform a key component of its stockpile stewardship mission,” Bingaman said. “In general, this bill does a very good job funding our national laboratories, WIPP and key water initiatives in our state.”

 

“We faced an uphill battle to save the LANSCE facility at LANL, but I am proud to say that when the president signs this bill, we will have done just that,” said Udall. “With this legislation, we have made sure Congress recognizes the critical role LANSCE plays in preserving our national security and providing solid scientific research. In addition, we are making significant investments at WIPP in Carlsbad to make sure we have a safe facility, more needed environmental cleanup and job security for employees working there.”

 

The bill also contains $6.38 billion in stockpile stewardship for the National Nuclear Security Administration, much of which will be directed to Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories. 

OTHER LAB RELATED FUNDING

LOS ALAMOS

 

·         $196 million for environmental cleanup

·         $97 million for Chemistry and Metallurgy Facility Replacement Project

• $10 million for radiological facilities to conduct nuclear energy research

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the Environmental Protection agency has awarded a two New Mexico Pueblos grants to continue water pollution control programs.

The following Pueblos were awarded grants:

Funding will be used to continue surface water sampling on Pueblo lands and to continue compiling data to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards.

"These grants will make it possible for the Acoma and Laguna Pueblos to help ensure that water quality needs are being met in their communities," Bingaman said.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio about a health care reform bill that was approved by the Senate Finance Committee yesterday. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman says he is pleased the health care reform bill the Finance committee passed yesterday will help extend health care coverage to Americans who are currently uninsured.

02:45 – Bingaman says he expects the health care reform bill to come to the Senate floor under regular order.

04:45 – Bingaman says the health care bill reported out of the Finance Committee calls on Americans to obtain coverage – if they can afford to do so – by 2014.

06:56– Bingaman says a "public option" would be an alternative to purchasing private insurance.

10:08 – Bingaman talks about how the national health care exchange would work under the Senate Finance Committee bill.

12:26 – Bingaman talks about an Energy and Natural Resources hearing he chaired today on energy and related economic effects of global climate change legislation.

14:06 – Bingaman talks about how a health care cooperative would work under legislation approved by the Finance Committee.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today voted to approve legislation he helped write to better protect New Mexicans who have health insurance, contain increasing health care costs and extend health care coverage to those who are currently uninsured.

The Senate Finance Committee today approved (14-9) the "America's Healthy Future Act."  The measure can now be merged with a bill approved earlier this year by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and debated on the Senate floor.  As the only Democrat who serves on both the HELP and Finance Committees, Bingaman was in a unique position to influence both pieces of legislation.

"We have been talking about health insurance reform for decades.  With this vote, we're finally on a path to enacting it," Bingaman said.  "This bill reduces the growth in health care costs, which is important to all American families but particularly important to New Mexican families, who are expected to experience the highest growth in premiums in the nation if reform is not enacted.

"The bill also prevents insurance companies from denying health insurance to Americans because they have pre-existing conditions.  It also prevents insurance companies from capping coverage at an annual or lifetime level.  And if Americans like the coverage they have, they can keep it Bingaman said. In short, it is a very good bill for Americans and, in particular New Mexicans, who already have insurance."

Bingaman also said the bill will provide health care coverage to millions of Americans who do not currently have it.  Such reform is critical to New Mexico, the second most uninsured state in the nation.  It will do so by creating a "exchange" – a marketplace -- where individuals can purchase insurance, and by creating new tax credits to help defray the cost.

Bingaman is a strong supporter of the public option -- a health care plan available to all Americans receiving coverage in newly formed health insurance "exchanges" that focuses exclusively on providing care, not turning a profit.  The Finance Committee bill does not contain a public option, but Bingaman is hopeful that the final bill sent to the president contains a public option or another plan that would provide an affordable health care plan for all Americans to choose from.

"This bill is a very good start, but we've still got work to do," Bingaman said.  "I will continue working to make this the strongest bill possible."

Bingaman wrote or co-wrote several key provisions in the America's Healthy Future Act.  As a member of a bipartisan group that helped shape the first draft of the bill, Bingaman was influential in improving the level of tax credits available to lower- and middle-income Americans to help pay for coverage.

One of the provisions of the bill extends Medicaid to millions of Americans who currently do not qualify.  To ensure New Mexico could pay for the expansion, Bingaman worked to ensure that the state will get the maximum amount of federal dollars available.  As a result, between 2014 and 2019, the federal government will pick up 95 percent of the cost of New Mexico's Medicaid expansion.

Bingaman also worked to help make health insurance more affordable for seniors.  Specifically, he worked to eliminate or reduce cost-sharing for seniors enrolled in the prescription drugs plan to help them get through the current gap in coverage known as the "doughnut hole" so that they may receive catastrophic coverage at which point the federal government covers more of their costs.

To improve health care delivery in rural parts of the state, Bingaman incorporated a proposal that allows primary care physicians to do the majority of their residencies in community health centers, rather than hospitals.  He also wrote a provision that will create a new Medicare payment system for community health centers, which currently lose tens-of -millions of dollars every year treating Medicare patients. Community health centers are typically in rural communities.

Bingaman also is a strong supporter of bonus payments for primary care physicians and wrote a proposal that guarantees that 50 percent of new physician training slots reimbursed by the Medicare program are placed in rural and underserved communities; both of these provisions are in the bill approved today.

"To meet New Mexicans' health care needs, we not only need to improve health insurance, we also need to improve the delivery system," Bingaman said.  "This bill will help ensure that rural states like ours can attract and retain medical professionals as well as significantly improve the quality and efficiency of our healthcare system."

Bingaman also wrote a key provision that will transform the way healthcare is delivered to allow for "bundled payments," which will incentivize higher quality care in the Medicare program as well as reductions in payments when Medicare beneficiaries do not receive appropriate care and are readmitted to hospitals.

Once provisions from both the HELP and Finance committees are made into a single bill, it will be brought to the Senate floor for a vote.  

WASHINGTON – At a Senate hearing today, the Obama administration endorsed legislation written by U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall to protect the scenic landscape of the Organ Mountains in Doña Ana County.

The bill, called the Organ Mountains –Desert Peaks Wilderness Act, creates wilderness and conservation areas that would provide for continued public use while protecting the granite peaks of the Organ Mountains and the volcanic cinder cones of the Potrillo Mountains, among other public lands in the County.

"This bill already had strong local support, and now we have the backing of the Obama administration," said Bingaman, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.  "The Organ Mountains provide one of the most stunning views in New Mexico, and we are now on our way to preserving them for future enjoyment."

"I want to thank Chairman Bingaman for allowing me to participate in the hearing for this important legislation," said Udall. "The Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks Wilderness Act will protect thousands of acres of desert prairie and rugged mountain. From the jagged basalt lava flows of the Cinder Cone Wilderness, to the roaming hawks and scrambling javelinas of the Robledo Mountains, this unique piece of southern New Mexico has abundant natural and economic value, and deserves protection for generations to come."

At a hearing of the Senate Energy Committee's Subcommittee on Public Lands, a high-level Obama administration official agreed the Organ Mountains are special enough to warrant protection.

"Passage of this legislation will ensure that generations of New Mexicans and all Americans will be able to witness a golden eagle soar over the Sierra de las Uvas, hike the landmark Organ Mountains, or hunt in the volcanic outcroppings of the Potrillo Mountains," said Marcilynn A. Burke, Deputy Director for the Bureau of Land Management. "We welcome this opportunity to enhance protection for some of America's treasured landscapes."

The legislation creates 259,000 acres of wilderness and 100,000 acres of National Conservation Area (NCA).  These areas would be managed in ways that protect the landscape from development while preserving current uses – such as hunting and grazing.

The bill also releases 16,350 acres along the southern border that had previously been designated as so-called "Wilderness Study Area."  This will provide increased flexibility for border law enforcement.

The Las Cruces City Council, the Doña Ana County Commission and Town of Mesilla have passed resolutions in support of the Organ Mountains –Desert Peaks Wilderness Act.  Governor Bill Richardson also has written a letter of support.

Oscar Butler, vice chairman of the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners, and Jerry Schickedanz, chairman of People for Preserving Our Western Heritage, were invited to testify at the hearing.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today said they are pleased a key spending bill that contains funding for key New Mexico agricultural-related projects has cleared a final hurdle and is now on its way to the president to be signed into law.

The 2010 Agricultural Appropriations Bill contains $350,000 the senators secured for the Southern Great Plains Dairy Consortium. The funding is for New Mexico State University's Agriculture Science Center in Clovis to continue its work to support of the state's dairy industry. The consortium will enhance the dairy industry's competitiveness and its impact on the economy, and will also focus on the environmental impact of dairy production, including converting biomass waste to energy.

"This bill invests in a variety of initiatives that benefit our state's agricultural base and small communities – which are the foundation of New Mexico's economy," Bingaman said.

"This bill will help support economic growth and rural development in New Mexico," said Udall. "The funding included will benefit our farmers, invest in rural housing and help provide nutritious food for hungry New Mexico children."

The bill also contains funding for the following projects:

• $350 million in aid for dairy farmers, who face the lowest price for milk in three decades. USDA will decide how to apportion $290 million in aid directly to farmers. The remaining $60 million will buy surplus cheese and other dairy products for donation to food banks.
• $200,000 to restore and maintain riparian areas along the Rio Grande, Pecos and Canadian Rivers where the state is working to treat and kill the noxious salt cedar. The funding would be used to restore native vegetation to riparian areas in order to stabilize soils; to maintain replanted areas; and for management to prevent invasive species from returning to treated areas.
• $25 million for Water and Wastewater Projects in Colonias along the U.S.-Mexico border: New Mexico is expected to get about $7.9 million of this funding.
• $800,000 for USDA to contract with the Albuquerque-based National Tribal Environmental Council to continue a Native American circuit rider program to provide technical assistance for rural water systems.
• $404,000 for NMSU and the State Department of Agriculture to continue work on an Internet-based system for early detection and reporting of outbreaks of infectious diseases in food animals. The system is known as the Rapid Syndrome Validation Program for Animals. This is the sixth year funds have been earmarked for this effort.
• $24 million to continue a Bingaman-created grant program that supports community development projects in Native American Communities. The funds are set aside for basic drinking water and wastewater systems, tribal colleges, and business promotion in Indian country.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today voted to approve a spending bill that contains more than $45 million dollars to support national defense efforts, including work at White Sands Missile Range and various New Mexico universities.

The Senate passed the fiscal year 2010 Defense Spending Bill (93-07); the measure must now be reconciled with the bill passed by the House of Representatives.

"This spending bill funds projects in our state that are critical to our nation's defense. I'm especially pleased that we are providing $6 million to support the National Guard's effective counter-drug activities along the border," Bingaman said.

"This funding will provide for vital national defense projects along the border, at White Sands, and at NMSU," said Udall. "I am proud we are one step closer to having it signed into law."

Bingaman and Udall report that the measure contains the following for New Mexico:

$6 million for the New Mexico National Guard Counterdrug Support Program. This funding will support the Guard's ability to conduct counterdrug activities in conjunction with by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement. With the ongoing drug-related violence in Mexico and the need to increase resources aimed at interdicting the flow of drugs, weapons, and bulk currency being smuggled over the border, the Guard's counterdrug assistance is more important than ever. The Guard's current counterdrug duties include camera surveillance of high traffic border areas, mobile vehicle inspection and dismantlement, vehicle barrier construction, and at-risk school counterdrug education programs.

$5 million for Kirtland Air Force Base to fund further field evaluation of the Advanced Tactical Laser before it is retired and to perform an analysis on the most suitable aircraft for future electric laser systems.

$2 million for Define Renewable Energy Sources at White Sands Missile Range. This funding will be used to develop plans for the environmental, site and other assessments needed to pursue alternative energy generation (such as wind, solar and geothermal) and storage options at White Sands Missile Range.

$6 million for the High Energy Laser System Test Facility at White Sands Missiles Range. This funding would be used to refurbish the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) subsystem to accommodate a solid state laser, for a test qualification live-fire, and would ensure that other users with late-emerging high energy laser test and evaluation needs vital to national security will be able to utilize the facility. Areas of research include rocket, artillery and mortar as well as unmanned aerial vehicle threats.

$4.7 million for the Regional Partnership at White Sands Missile Range. This funding, directed toward White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), Ft. Bliss and Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB), will help more effectively and efficiently manage the regions land, air and frequency domains. and coordinate real-time test and training missions.

$3 million for Algal Biofuels for Aviation at New Mexico State University. This project targets biofuels production from algal biomass as an alternative source of fuel for aviation. Between 2.5 and 3 percent of the Department of Defense (DOD) budget is spent on fuels, with more than 60 percent of the fuels used for aviation. Moving toward an alternative source of fuel for aviation would address sustainability, environmental impacts, economic dependence and energy security related to our military and our national security.

$7 million for Holloman Air Force Base's High Speed Test Track.  The funding would be used to advance technology development that allows for the implementation of a levitated, vibration-free test on the ground at a significantly reduced cost.

$4 million for Playas Training and Research Center at New Mexico Tech. This funding would establish Playas Training and Research Center as a Joint National Training and Experimentation Site for the National Guard Bureau to be used for mission training areas of joint operations between services as well as intergovernmental agencies, irregular warfare, new and emerging missions, emergency management and civil affairs and peacekeeping missions.

$2.9 million for UAV Systems and Operations Validation Program at New Mexico State University.  This project will address a major shortfall of the existing Department of Defense knowledge base of the expertise and technology focused on small- to mid-sized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The recent proliferation of small to medium UAVs within the various DOD services and commands emphasizes the need for systematic and consistent data sets to support decision makers. Critical needs for small- to mid-sized UAVs to be addressed by this project include reliability, standards, interoperability, airspace integration, communication links, maintenance standards, training, operator certification, and multiple airworthiness issues.

$2.4 million for the University Strategic Partnership at the University of New Mexico. This funding would be used in cooperation with divisions throughout the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to research biotechnology, materials sciences, situational awareness, infectious diseases, radiation detection, and medical sciences.

$5 million for the Smart Instrument Development at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory (New Mexico Tech).  This project is a unique teaming arrangement to build a state-of-the-art observatory with a 2.4 meter telescope and a multi-telescope interferometer that will make it a test bed for numerous astronomical and Department of Defense projects and will enhance the capabilities of the existing observatory, particularly in the area of Space Situational Awareness. The existing facility is currently being used to support the DOD in applications including sensor development and testing, space weather monitoring and the rapid tracking of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) objects and debris. This project will result in the most comprehensive images of astronomical and man-made objects yet available.

The bill also boosts the Air Force Test and Evaluation budget by $19.3 million to hire more federal scientists and engineers helping the 46th Test Group's activities at Holloman Air Force Base.

A separate bill working its way through the Senate contains funding for construction projects at New Mexico's installations. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that Mesilla Valley Community of Hope (MVCH) has been awarded $180,750 to help provide transitional housing for homeless veterans.

MVCH will use the funding to renovate and add rooms to its Oak Street Apartments/ Veterans Transitional Housing Program and to purchase a handicapped accessible van.  The program is run by MVCH through a partnership with the Mesilla Valley Housing Authority and provides transitional housing for homeless veterans for up to 24 months.

"I had the opportunity to tour the Oak Street housing project a while back to learn more about this important program," Bingaman said.  "This funding will be put to good use assisting at-risk veterans in the southern part of our state."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio about health care reform legislation currently being considered before the Finance Committee. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about health care reform legislation being written in the Senate.

01:11 – Bingaman says he supports a health care bill being written in the Finance Committee.

03:02 – Bingaman talks about getting a public option included in a health care bill that will be considered by the entire Senate.

05:02 – Bingaman talks about the timeline for getting health care reform done in Congress.

06:18 – Bingaman says it's important that Americans be able to purchase adequate health care coverage.

09:25 – Bingaman talks about the redesigning of the payment process for private insurance providers such as Medicare Advantage.

12:35 – Bingaman says the Finance Committee bill exempts employers with 50 or fewer employees from having to provide health care coverage.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, along with Representative Ben Ray Lujan, today celebrated the latest milestones in implementing the Navajo-Gallup Pipeline Project.

The New Mexico lawmakers joined Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor at a Capitol Hill signing ceremony making official the environmental impact statement for the project. Signing the Record of Decision was necessary to allow the project to move forward. The Navajo-Gallup project is a major component of the water rights settlement that provides certainty to the Navajo Nation and other New Mexico residents who rely on San Juan Basin water.

The signing ceremony, which took place in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing room in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, coincided with a House-Senate panel's decision to set aside $3 million for the Navajo-Gallup Pipeline Project.

 "We are now officially on track toward getting this pipeline built -- thus providing water to thousands of Navajos who are currently not served and bringing water certainty to Gallup. I want to thank the Obama Administration for making this project a priority," said Bingaman, who sponsored the legislation to settle the Navajo Nation's water rights claims in the San Juan River Basin. Bingaman chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

"There aren't many issues more important than having access to drinkable water in homes. It is intolerable that, in 2009 in the United States of America, many Navajos in New Mexico still must travel miles and miles to bring back water for their families to drink, to bathe and to cook with every day. Today's signing by Secretary Salazar is the next critical step in remedying this unsustainable situation," Udall said.

"Water availability is a critical issue in New Mexico. Many tribal communities on the Navajo Nation do not have access to a relievable water supply, and the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will provide many of these communities with stable and reliable access to water. I am encouraged that this project has taken a significant step toward becoming a reality," Lujan said.

Also attending today's ceremony were Stanley Pollack, an attorney representing the Navajo Nation, and Gallup City Councilor John Azua.

October's e-newsletter, Saving Jobs and Rebuilding Our Economy, revisits the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to focus on its impact on New Mexico to date.

Many New Mexicans are still feeling the pain of job loss or a reduction in pay or hours, and are continuing to struggle to make ends meet. There is some good news, though, and this month's e-newsletter highlights some signs that our economy is beginning to pull out of one of the worst downturns in nearly 50 years.

You can also view a distribution map of ARRA funding that has reached our state. There are also distribution maps for five regions of New Mexico: Northwestern, Southwestern, Southeastern, Northeastern, and Albuquerque Metro.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice has released over $3 million to help New Mexico combat violent crimes against women.  The funds come from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women.

"The funds awarded today to New Mexico will enhance efforts to combat this serious problem," Bingaman said. 

Funding was awarded to the following:

New Mexico Crime Victims Reparation Commission - $1.13 million: Funding will help the commission implement a variety of activities aimed at strengthening the justice system's response to violent crimes committed against women.   

New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc. - $818,950: Funding, which was awarded through two separate grants, will be used to implement support programs and other projects aimed at providing victim services, preventing domestic violence, and assisting rape crisis centers throughout the state.

Enlace Comunitario - $300,000: Funding will be used to develop and enhance innovative strategies to increase services and resources to help the nonprofit organization provide direct services to Spanish-speaking victims of domestic violence.

New Mexico State University - $350,000:  Funding will be used to implement support programs and other projects aimed at addressing and preventing domestic violence in rural parts of the state.

New Mexico Highlands University - $283,947: Funding will be used to help the university establish or continue programs aimed at combating violent crimes against women on campus.

City of Santa Fe - $200,000:  Funding will be used, in collaboration with the Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families and the Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center, to implement a project to improve the response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.  

National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence - $125,000: Funding will be used develop Hispanic-centered, multi-topic curriculum on domestic violence.

New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence - $84,821: Funding will be used to support efforts to coordinate victim services in rural parts of the state and to improve the response to violence against women.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today voted for two amendments that would have created a public insurance option in the health insurance reform legislation being written by Senate Finance Committee. Neither amendment passed.

"If we're going to drive down health care costs for the long term, we need to have adequate competition in the marketplace. I strongly believe we should create a non-profit entity to compete with insurance companies to offer the best care at the lowest cost," Bingaman said. "While neither public option amendment considered today was approved, we still have an opportunity to write a bill that encourages healthy competition."

An amendment offered by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) would have created an insurance plan run by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department that tied payment rates to Medicare payments for two years. After that, the plan would have negotiated its own payment rates. The proposal failed 8-15.

A separate amendment offered by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) would have set up a plan run by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department that would have negotiated its payment rates immediately. The amendment failed 10-13.

Both plans would have required federal dollars up front that would have been paid back within months, and the plans would have had to be self-sufficient after that. But neither would have required Americans to enroll.

Bingaman voted for both proposals, but preferred the Schumer proposal because it did not tie costs to Medicare.

The Finance Committee is continuing its work on health insurance reform legislation that aims to both contain skyrocketing costs and extend coverage to the uninsured. The bill can be found on the Finance Committee website.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall reported today that the thirteen special shape balloons being held by a Chinese company are at the airport and bound for the U.S. just in time for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Bingaman and Udall have both asked the Chinese Embassy in Washington to intervene.

"This is terrific news for the thousands of New Mexicans and visitors to our state who are looking forward to Balloon Fiesta this year," Bingaman said."I appreciate the Chinese Embassy's willingness to help resolve this problem."

"New Mexicans and tourists from hundreds and thousands of miles away come to Albuquerque to watch the special shapes balloons light up the night skies and cruise by the Sandia Mountains during our crisp October mornings," said Udall. "I'm happy this year will be no exception."

According to news reports ten of the 13 special shapes balloons that have been held up in China were scheduled to take place in the Balloon Fiesta's Special Shapes Rodeos on Oct. 8 and 9.

The balloons had traveled to China's Inner Mongolia region for a mid-August balloon festival.

The balloons now making their way back to the U.S. include Darth Vader, Sunny Boy, Nelly-B the pink elephant, the World's Biggest Shopping Bag, Burnie the Little Devil, Woodrow Greenleaf, the Air Ball, the Golf Ball, Coco the Clown, the Snowman, and the Orange.

Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez contacted the senators to help assist in the effort.

Health care reform is complex, and many New Mexicans who contact me are not sure why reform is necessary, or what it would do for them.

Health insurance reform would lower costs, improve choices, and ensure that all Americans have access to meaningful, quality, and affordable insurance.  Legislation is making its way through Congress that would ensure that those who are currently insured satisfied with their coverage will be able to keep their current plan.  A few of the other provisions in health care reform discussions are limiting what insurance companies can force patients to pay out-of-pocket and tax incentives for families and small businesses to help afford quality coverage.

Health insurance reform would greatly help New Mexicans, 26% of whom are currently uninsured.  While residents of every other state in the nation tend to receive insurance through their employers, only 42% of New Mexicans do, forcing the majority of our residents to buy insurance on their own, without any tax incentives to do so—in a state with one of the highest family health insurance premiums.

Health insurance reform would help curb growing health care costs, stop unfair insurance practices, and decrease the number of New Mexicans without insurance.    The cost of employer-sponsored health insurance plans in New Mexico for a family of four will more than double in the next seven years without reform—from $11,279 in 2006 to $28,533 in 2016.  The Congressional Budget Office estimates that without health care reform, our nation’s health care spending will rise from 16% in 2007 to 25% in 2025 and a whopping 50% in 2082.  Talk about passing debt onto our children.

You can find more information in my policy summaries on a Health Reform Overview, The Cost of Doing Nothing, and the Current State of Health Insurance Coverage in New Mexico.

If you are interested in reading the Senate Finance Committee’s original draft of the health care reform bill, it is available on its website.

The online version is updated regularly, and as of this posting includes all amendments offered as of Tuesday, September 22.  The original draft (or, the “Chairman’s mark”) is titled America’s Healthy Future Act, and the Finance Committee’s website has made amendments filed through Tuesday, September 22 available as well.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Senate has approved a spending bill that funds important public lands initiatives in New Mexico.

The fiscal year 2010 Interior Appropriations Bill contains an amendment Bingaman wrote and Udall cosponsored aimed at ensuring there that is adequate federal funding available to help fight wildfires.  The measure creates a separate account to pay for fighting large, complex wildland fires. This move would prevent the Forest Service from raiding other accounts to pay for such expensive fires, preventing shortfalls in other Forest Service programs.

"Funding wildfire fighting has become almost as difficult as fighting the fires themselves.  Today we took a significant step toward solving many of the recurring problems associated with expenses at the Forest service and Interior Department," said Bingaman, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

"With more severe drought conditions in New Mexico and increasing catastrophic wildfire danger, we have a responsibility to take the necessary precautions," said Udall. "With our amendment, we are helping ensure that New Mexico is prepared for these threats."

The bill, which will now be the subject of a Senate-House of Representatives conference panel, contains funding the senators sought for the following lands projects:

• $3.5 million -Valles Caldera National Preserve for operations
• $3 million -- Land Acquisition of riparian areas in the Gila National Forest
• $3 million -- Land Acquisition for La Cienega Area of Critical Environmental Concern (Santa Fe County)
• $1.5 million - Lesser Prairie Chicken Area of Critical Environmental Concern (Chaves County)
• $500,000 - Land Acquisition within Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (Socorro County)
• $1.6 million – "Forest Legacy" Conservation Easement for the Vallecitos High Country (Río Arriba County)
• $2.2 million - Navajo Technical College for operations

The spending bill also funds other agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey, and sets aside funding the following projects:

• $300,000 – City of Portales for wastewater treatment plant improvements
• $300,000 – City of Carlsbad for a water reuse project
• $500,000 – for the U.S. Geological Survey to continue implementation of the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act that is characterizing, mapping, and modeling groundwater resources along the border.

"From protecting our state's public lands to helping communities fund water projects, this bill makes a great investment in our state," Bingaman said.

"In this legislation, we are making significant and necessary investments for responsible land and water usage, as well as education in our state," said Udall. "I am glad it's one step closer to being signed into law."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Albuquerque Police Department will receive $826,422 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help fight drug-related crime.

Through a Bingaman initiative – supported by Udall -- the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained $30 million in grant funding nationwide aimed at fighting drug-related criminal activity.  The funding awarded to Albuquerque came from that border grant program.  It will be used to fill five vacancies within the police department to address narcotics issues and to make technology upgrades.

"Drug-related crime isn't confined only to New Mexico communities that border Mexico, it's happening across the state," Bingaman said.  "This funding will bolster the Albuquerque Police Department's efforts to fight drug trafficking."

"Drug-related crimes are an ongoing challenge for law enforcement across the state, and Albuquerque is no exception," said Udall, a member of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. "This funding will give the Albuquerque Police Department additional manpower and tools to ramp up the fight against drug crimes and keep Albuquerque residents safe."   

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman reported today that the Pueblo of Jemez has been awarded a $521,016 grant for affordable housing activities. Funds were provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"This investment will allow Jemez Pueblo to expand affordable housing opportunities to residents," Bingaman said.

Funds were awarded through HUD's Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) Indian Housing Block Grant Program. The pueblo can use the funds to implement a number of affordable housing activities. These activities may include operating assistance, development of affordable housing that may include new construction, acquisition, modernization, or rehabilitation of rental or owner-occupied housing; housing services, housing management for low-income housing; crime prevention safety or model activities as described in the recipients Indian Housing Plan.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the Mind Research Network (MRN) in Albuquerque has been awarded an $11.09 million grant from the federal government.

Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Energy and will be used to advance MRN's mission of prevention, diagnosis, and treating of mental illnesses and other brain disorders.

"The Mind Research Network is doing exceptional research that is essential to both understanding the causes of mental illness and developing effective treatments," Bingaman said.  "This grant will support the very important work being done there."

MRN was established in 1998 by then-Senator Pete Domenici.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is releasing $2.7 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for the construction of a new fire station in Sandoval County.

Funding will be used to construct a fire and emergency rescue station.  The station will be staffed 24 hour, 365 days a year by professional firefighters and paramedics.  Additionally, the station will house the Sandoval County's Fire Residency Program.  The station will serve southern Sandoval County, including the Pueblos of Santa Ana, San Felipe and Zia, the town of Bernalillo, the Tamaya Hyatt Resort and Santa Ana Star Casino and will be the first responders to accidents in the nearby 550/528 and I-25 corridor.

"This new fire and rescue station will be a great benefit to the county and the communities it will serve.  It will be particularly well positioned to respond to traffic emergencies on the heavily used roads surrounding it," Bingaman said.

"This funding will provide essential support for fire station construction in Sandoval County," Udall said. "By improving the county's emergency response capabilities, we're ensuring our firefighters have the tools they need to protect area residents from the dangers of fire and other hazards."

Funding was awarded through DHS's Fire Station Construction Grant Program (SCG), which helps local fire departments build new or modify existing fire stations to enhance response capabilities and protect communities from fire-related hazards. Funding can be used to replace unsafe or uninhabitable structures and expand fire protection coverage in compliance with National Fire Protection Association standards.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today introduced comprehensive legislation aimed at improving high school graduation rates and turning around struggling high schools. The measure is cosponsored by Harry Reid (D-NV), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Al Franken (D-MN).

The Graduation Promise Act (GPA) would provide federal funds to improve high schools in which a high percentage of students do not graduate on time.

About one-third of the students who enter 9th grade will not graduate from high school in four years, if at all. In New Mexico, only 54 percent of students statewide will graduate in four years. Outcomes for African American, Hispanic and Native American students in the state are even worse: approximately 50 percent Hispanic students, 45 percent of Native American students and 52 percents of African American students graduate on time. Students from low-income families drop out of school at a rate six times higher than their more affluent peers.

"We cannot afford to let underperforming high schools continue to push students off the path to prosperity. We must ensure our nation's economic competitiveness by promising each high school student a chance to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue his or her dreams and succeed in college or the workplace. The Graduation Promise Act will help to make that possible," Bingaman said.

GPA (S.1698) would invest up to $2.5 billion each year in struggling high schools. Specifically, GPA would authorize for the first time a $2.44 billion competitive grant program called the High School Improvement and Dropout Reduction Fund, which would support states and local school districts in their efforts to identify and turn around high schools with low graduation and student achievement rates.  Funding would be awarded on a competitive basis to allow schools to develop partnerships with local communities, education experts, businesses, and parents to implement dropout prevention initiatives such as mentorship and apprenticeship programs, and "early college high schools."

GPA also authorizes $60 million in competitive grants annually for the development and implementation of successful school models geared toward students who are struggling in conventional education settings. Schools receiving these grants might implement project-based instructional programs tied to state academic standards, use education technology in innovative ways, or extend or revise school schedules in order to reach underserved student populations.

"The Graduation Promise Act is an investment in our nation's future. No longer can we, as a nation, afford to stand by while millions of our youth fail to earn high school diplomas," Bingaman said.  

WASHINGTON – The Senate Finance Committee today began crafting health insurance reform legislation. U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman is a member of that panel.

Bingaman said the time has come to pass health insurance reform legislation to both contain skyrocketing costs and extend coverage to the uninsured.  

"The average premium for a family of four in New Mexico was about $6,000 in 2000. By 2006, this rate had almost doubled to over $11,000. By 2016 this amount is expected to rise to an astonishing $28,000," Bingaman said. "Unchecked, New Mexico is expected to experience the greatest increase in health insurance premiums in the nation. The legislation we are considering today will address this very serious problem."

Bingaman also pointed out that New Mexico continues to have one of the highest uninsured rates in the country, and that he hopes to adopt a public option that will introduce more competition into the insurance market.

Finally, Bingaman said the bill before the Finance Committee will benefit the country's long-term financial stability. 

"According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, not only does this proposal not add to deficit but it actually cuts health care costs in the long run, reducing the suffocating burden of health care costs on our economy projected for the future," Bingaman said. 

You can watch Bingaman's statement online.

Recent studies indicate that about 73% of Americans with health insurance are happy with their coverage.  I have heard concerns from many of these insured New Mexicans that health care reform would only affect the uninsured, is too expensive, or is unnecessary.

The financial necessity of accomplishing meaningful health care reform cannot be overstated.  As of 2005, annual insurance premiums cost each family an extra $1,000 to cover care for the uninsured.  Between 2000 and 2007, premiums increased more than four times as median wages for New Mexicans.  The Congressional Budget Office estimates that without reform, total health care spending will nearly double in the next 20 years and will be half our national gross domestic product (GDP) by 2082.  We can’t afford not to reform our health care system.

Health care reform will protect consumers—those already with insurance coverage and those seeking coverage—by instituting insurance market reforms that guarantee all policies to be stable, secure, and meaningful.  I addressed some other concerns about health care reform in my July newsletter, and below I’ve used examples of how the reform we are crafting in the Senate would affect New Mexicans:

•  Health reform would remove caps on annual and lifetime coverage. Santa Fe resident Mary and her family pay for their own health insurance, and put aside savings for unforeseen medical expenses.  But when their insurance didn’t cover tens of thousands of dollars for her teenage son’s necessary treatment, Mary and her husband had to use all their savings for the lifesaving surgery.  Mary was shortly thereafter diagnosed with cancer and her husband then lost his job, sending the family in a financial tailspin with no way out, no way to pay their medical bills, and worried about what one more diagnosis would do.

Health care reform bills making their way through Congress all include provisions that would forbid the sorts of arbitrary limits that forced Mary and her family to pay tens of thousands of dollars for necessary medical expenses.  Mary and her family paid into the system when they were healthy with the expectation that insurance would pay for them if they needed it; that expectation should be honored.

 

As a small business owner, I would like to offer health insurance to my employees but it’s too expensive.  Will this bill help me extend coverage to my employees? 

•  Reform would help small businesses provide health insurance to their employees.  Dan is a New Mexican small business owner who has tried to provide health care benefits for his employees but has been unable to find an affordable plan.  A healthy 57 year-old, his premium has increased twice in three years, and he worries about the devastating effect of an unforeseen medical emergency for him or his employees.

The proposed health plan would help small businesses by providing tax incentives for those who offer employee health insurance.  For Dan and his employees, this would mean that either the business or its employees would have a tax break to help make coverage affordable.  The plan also would set up a health insurance exchange – a marketplace where individuals can shop around for health care.

 

I cannot get affordable insurance because I have a chronic disease.  How will health insurance reform help me?

• Reform would forbid insurance companies from excluding people based on pre-existing conditions.  New Mexican Elise S.was diagnosed with lupus in 1985, when she was insured through her family’s small business.  But she lost that coverage when the company was sold in 2002.  After searching exhaustively and being repeatedly denied health insurance from multiple companies because of her lupus—what insurers call a pre-existing condition—Elise finally found a plan, underwritten by the state of New Mexico, that would accept her.  Unfortunately, that plan has still refused to cover various necessary surgeries and treatments.

I believe every American should be able to have at least some choice in attainingaffordablehealth insurance for themselves and their families.  People with pre-existing conditions, like Elise, are no different and should be able to choose their insurance company just like the healthiest among us.  Under proposed health care reform legislation in Congress, they would be.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio about health care reform legislation currently being considered before the Finance Committee. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed accordingly:

00:23 – Bingaman says the Senate Finance Committee this week will begin consideration health care reform legislation.

00:51 – Bingaman says he continues to support a public option as part of health care reform legislation.

01:24 – Bingaman talks about the health care reform bill introduced by Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), which contains the major elements of reform.

06:07 – Bingaman talks about health care reform.

08:36 – Bingaman says he continues to hear from New Mexican on both sides of the health care debate.

10:18 – Bingaman talks about defining a strategy for Afghanistan.

13:19 – Bingaman talks about legislation he cosponsored that would reform the Patriot Act and other surveillance laws.

16:07 – Bingaman the Finance Committee's meetings this week to consider a health care reform bill.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today introduced legislation that will protect the scenic landscapes of the Organ Mountains in Doña Ana County.

The bill, called the Organ Mountains –Desert Peaks Wilderness Act, creates wilderness and conservation areas that would provide for continued public use while protecting the granite peaks of the Organ Mountains and the volcanic cinder cones of the Potrillo Mountains, among other public lands in the County.

[Read a fact sheet on the bill]


Photograph by Jorge Silva-Banuelos

"The Organ Mountains are the backdrop for one of the most breathtaking scenic views in our state. Doña Ana County residents have been working for years to develop plans that would ensure these views are protected. I'm very glad that we now have a bill that will do just that even while ensuring the public continues to have access to this extraordinary space," Bingaman said.

"This legislation will celebrate and preserve a portion of the spectacular landscapes that make southern New Mexico unique," Udall said. "I am proud to join with Senator Bingaman in introducing a bill that protects this precious land for future generations to hunt, fish, hike or just enjoy our state's incomparable natural environment."

Specifically, the legislation creates 259,000 acres of wilderness and 100,000 acres of National Conservation Area (NCA). These areas would be managed in ways that protect the landscape from development while preserving current uses – such as hunting and grazing.

The bill also releases 16,350 acres along the southern border that had previously been designated as so-called "Wilderness Study Area". This will provide increased flexibility for border law enforcement.

Photograph by Jorge Silva-Banuelos

"The areas we're trying to protect through this legislation boast caves, limestone cliffs and winding canyons that draw visitors to Doña Ana County. To that end, it is my hope that it will also help promote tourism and economic development in the region," Bingaman said.

"Preserving New Mexico's environmental heritage through these wilderness areas is the right thing to do – environmentally and economically," Udall said. "Thanks to the cooperation of a wide range of individuals and groups in developing this legislation, I believe we strike the right balance between preservation and progress in a way that will benefit southern New Mexico for generations to come."

The Organ Mountains –Desert Peaks Wilderness Act has been referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which Bingaman chairs. Bingaman plans to schedule a hearing on the bill this fall.

Clink on the link to view an overview of the areas included in the proposed legislation in Doña Ana County. Or you may look at a map of the Desert Peaks National Conservation Area, the Organ Mountain National Conservation Area, the Potrillo Mountains Complex, or the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today congratulated Sandia National Laboratories on 60 years of science and technology innovation.

During an event commemorating this milestone at the Capitol Visitor Center, Bingaman lauded Sandians for their contributions to the nation.

"Sandia's mission has broadened from ensuring our nuclear stockpile is safe and secure to pioneering new energy technologies such a concentrating solar, light emitting diodes and nuclear energy. Sandia will continue to serve the country by pioneering new fields of nanoscience, biofuels, smart grid and even health care modeling using supercomputers. I congratulate Sandia on this milestone and I am proud to have this great laboratory in New Mexico," Bingaman said.

Bingaman chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Department of Energy. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman issued the following statement in response to the health insurance reform proposal released today by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus:

"I am glad that we are taking another big step forward toward ensuring health care for all Americans.  While this is not a bipartisan proposal at this point, I think this bill meets many of the goals on which there is general agreement.

"For example, it allows people to keep the coverage they have, but with more stability and security in part because insurance companies would no longer be allowed to deny coverage to Americans for pre-existing medical conditions.  It expands coverage to those who do not have it, and it reduces the costs of health insurance for families and businesses.  And not only doesn't this bill add to the deficit, it also cuts health care costs in the long run, reducing the suffocating burden of health care costs on our economy projected for the future.

"That is not to say this bill is perfect.  For example, I believe it should have a public option, and I will support its inclusion when we vote on this bill in committee.  I also believe that we should make coverage even more affordable for working families.  On balance, though, the proposal moves the process ahead significantly, and I congratulate the chairman for his hard work and for his proposal."

Bingaman is a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which both have jurisdiction over health insurance reform.  He has been playing a major role in crafting health insurance reform legislation.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that New Mexico State University – Doña Ana Community College has been awarded $600,000 through the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities (HSIAC) grant program to help bring educational opportunities to the residents of Las Cruces' Mesquite neighborhood.

Funding will make it possible for NMSU-DACC, in partnership with the Mesquite Neighborhood Learning Center, to provide workforce and life skills training, as well as social services, to those who otherwise might not have access to them.

"Education and vocational training are key to finding a good job, especially in today's economy," Bingaman said. "This federal grant will help expand educational opportunities to more Las Cruces residents."

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Albuquerque District Attorney's Office will receive a $893,750 economic recovery grant to fight violent drug crimes in New Mexico.

Through a Bingaman initiative – supported by Udall -- the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained $30 million in grant funding nationwide aimed at fighting drug-related criminal activity.  The funding awarded to Albuquerque came from that border grant program.  It will be used to hire new prosecutors, to assess the prevalence of drug-related violence and to generally increase the efficiency of prosecutions of drug-related violent crimes.

"Violent drug crime in Mexico seems to be getting worse, and it's important for New Mexico to do what it can to fight criminal networks on our side of the border.  This funding recognizes that law enforcement in states like ours need additional help," Bingaman said. "I'm very glad that the Albuquerque District Attorney's office is able to tap into this federal grant to prosecute drug-related crime."

"New Mexico is on the front lines of the increasingly violent drug war just over our border in Mexico. This funding will give the Albuquerque District Attorney's Office the resources it needs to protect New Mexico residents, ensure the security of our state, and provide valuable jobs for the region," Udall said.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator today said he is pleased the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has released funding he secured for a juvenile justice project in Doña Ana County.

Bingaman secured $180,000 in a FY 2009 spending bill for a jail diversion program in the Doña Anna County Detention Center.  Funding will enhance the existing jail diversion project by assisting misdemeanor offenders who are found to be mentally ill in obtaining services to help them with their rehabilitation and recovery.

"Juvenile detention centers too often are not prepared or equipped to deal with mental illnesses. This funding will provide law enforcement officials with the training they need to address mental health situations," Bingaman said.

Additionally, Bingaman say the Crisis Center of Northern New Mexico will receive $500,000 to help reduce domestic violence.  Funding will be used for an education and outreach campaign to help end domestic violence in Northern New Mexico.

The following communities were also awarded funding through the DOJ's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, which provides grants to states, tribes, and local governments to help implement crime prevention and crime control policies in their communities.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio about health care reform legislation currently being debated in the Senate. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved online and followed accordingly:

00:23 – Bingaman talks about the President's address to Congress last week.

03:16 – Bingaman talks about some of the requirements for using the "reconciliation" process to pass health care reform legislation in the Senate.

04:27 – Bingaman says the health care proposal being discussed in the Finance Committee could contain a provision to penalize those who can afford health care coverage but do not enroll in a program.

07:23 – Bingaman talks about funding being provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and how it is benefiting New Mexico, specifically for projects relating to clean energy.

09:51 – Bingaman says that meeting with constituents last month has reinforced his believe that health care reform is needed in this country.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today reported that a key spending bill working its way through Congress contains more than $40 million dollars to support national defense efforts, including work at White Sands Missile Range and various New Mexico universities.

The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved the fiscal year 2010 Defense Spending Bill, clearing the way for full Senate debate.

"This bill invests more than $40 million in key national defense initiatives in New Mexico.  It not only supports essential national security projects, it supports good jobs in our state," Bingaman said.

"I am proud that we won support for these important projects which reaffirm New Mexico's key role in maintaining our national security," said Udall.  "With these strong investments we are committing to ensure the future stability of New Mexico's universities, military installations and border security."

Bingaman and Udall report that the measure contains the following for New Mexico:

$6 million for the New Mexico National Guard Counterdrug Support Program.  This funding will support the Guard's ability to conduct counterdrug activities in conjunction with by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement.  With the ongoing drug-related violence in Mexico and the need to increase resources aimed at interdicting the flow of drugs, weapons, and bulk currency being smuggled over the border, the Guard's counterdrug assistance is more important than ever.  The Guard's current counterdrug duties include camera surveillance of high traffic border areas, mobile vehicle inspection and dismantlement, vehicle barrier construction, and at-risk school counterdrug education programs.

$2 million for Define Renewable Energy Sources at White Sands Missile Range.  This funding will be used to develop plans for the environmental, site and other assessments needed to pursue alternative energy generation (such as wind, solar and geothermal) and storage options at White Sands Missile Range.

$6 million for the High Energy Laser System Test Facility at White Sands Missiles Range.  This funding would be used to refurbish the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) subsystem to accommodate a solid state laser, for a test qualification live-fire, and would ensure that other users with late-emerging high energy laser test and evaluation needs vital to national security will be able to utilize the facility.  Areas of research include rocket, artillery and mortar as well as unmanned aerial vehicle threats.

$4.7 million for the Regional Partnership at White Sands Missile Range.  This funding, directed toward White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), Ft. Bliss and Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB), will help more effectively and efficiently manage the regions land, air and frequency domains.  and coordinate real-time test and training missions.

$3 million for Algal Biofuels for Aviation at New Mexico State University.  This project targets biofuels production from algal biomass as an alternative source of fuel for aviation.  Between 2.5 and 3 percent of the Department of Defense (DOD) budget is spent on fuels, with more than 60 percent of the fuels used for aviation.  Moving toward an alternative source of fuel for aviation would address sustainability, environmental impacts, economic dependence and energy security related to our military and our national security.

$7 million for Holloman Air Force Base's High Speed Test Track.  The funding would be used to advance technology development that allows for the implementation of a levitated, vibration-free test on the ground at a significantly reduced cost.

$4 million for Playas Training and Research Center at New Mexico Tech. This funding would establish Playas Training and Research Center as a Joint National Training and Experimentation Site for the National Guard Bureau to be used for mission training areas of joint operations between services as well as intergovernmental agencies, irregular warfare, new and emerging missions, emergency management and civil affairs and peacekeeping missions.

$2.9 million for UAV Systems and Operations Validation Program at New Mexico State University.  This project will address a major shortfall of the existing Department of Defense knowledge base of the expertise and technology focused on small- to mid-sized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).  The recent proliferation of small to medium UAVs within the various DOD services and commands emphasizes the need for systematic and consistent data sets to support decision makers.  Critical needs for small- to mid-sized UAVs to be addressed by this project include reliability, standards, interoperability, airspace integration, communication links, maintenance standards, training, operator certification, and multiple airworthiness issues.

$2.4 million for the University Strategic Partnership at the University of New Mexico.  This funding would be used in cooperation with divisions throughout the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to research biotechnology, materials sciences, situational awareness, infectious diseases, radiation detection, and medical sciences.

$5 million for the Smart Instrument Development at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory (New Mexico Tech).  This project is a unique teaming arrangement to build a state-of-the-art observatory with a 2.4 meter telescope and a multi-telescope interferometer that will make it a test bed for numerous astronomical and Department of Defense projects and will enhance the capabilities of the existing observatory, particularly in the area of Space Situational Awareness.  The existing facility is currently being used to support the DOD in applications including sensor development and testing, space weather monitoring and the rapid tracking of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) objects and debris.  This project will result in the most comprehensive images of astronomical and man-made objects yet available.

The bill also boosts the Air Force Test and Evaluation budget by $19.3 million to hire more federal scientists and engineers helping the 46th Test Group's activities at Holloman Air Force Base.

A separate bill working its way through the Senate contains funding for construction projects at New Mexico's installations. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today attended President Barack Obama's address to Congress on the need for health insurance reform. Following the speech, Bingaman released the following statement:

"I believe the president did a very good job explaining many of the problems with our current health care system, particularly how those problems affect average Americans' ability to access a good health care plan at a reasonable cost.

"In his speech, the president also laid out a good case for reforming the system and he laid out the key elements of what reform should contain.

"Enacting reform legislation is extremely important for us in New Mexico. Our state suffers from growing health care costs and from many people not being able to afford coverage. The health insurance reform legislation we're working on would help us deal with those problems very directly."

Bingaman is a member of the two Senate committees with jurisdiction over writing health insurance reform legislation.

You can listen to Bingaman's audio or watch the video online.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that three New Mexico pueblos will benefit from a total of $1.14 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"The funding awarded today will help these Indian communities meet the housing needs of many," Bingaman said. 

Funds were awarded through HUD's Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) Indian Housing Block Grant Program. The pueblos can use the funds to implement a number of affordable housing activities. Those activities may include: new construction, acquisition, modernization or rehabilitation of rental or owner-occupied housing.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today joined 78 of his Senate colleagues in voting to approve legislation aimed at boosting tourism in New Mexico and across the country.

The measure, called the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, will establish a public-private partnership to promote the United States as a destination for international visitors, through advertising and other means, with equal emphasis on travel to urban and rural areas.

The partnership will provide clear information about visa and security requirements for traveling to the United States, making it easier for people to choose to come here.  These efforts are aimed at increasing the number of visitors New Mexico, and other states.

"New Mexico's stunning public lands, interesting history and outstanding cuisine have long made it a destination for international travelers.  Any step we take to boost tourism to our state will in turn boost our economy," Bingaman said.

Travel- and tourism-related businesses account for over eight percent of New Mexico's economy and employ over 85,000 New Mexicans.

The bill must now be approved by the House of Representatives before it can be sent to the president for signature. 

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio about health care reform legislation currently being debated in the Senate and about President Obama’s address to Congress tomorrow. You can follow Bingaman’s remarks using the following transcript:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about health care reform legislation being written in the Senate.

00:58 – Bingaman says he continues to support a public option as part of health care reform legislation.

02:48 – Bingaman says the health care reform proposal being discussed in the Finance Committee does seek to establish insurance cooperatives in lieu of a public option.

03:26 – Bingaman talks about using the “reconciliation” process in the Senate to help get health care reform legislation approved.

5:50 – Bingaman says that meeting with constituents last month has reinforced his believe that health care reform is needed in this country.

08:34 - Bingaman talks about the differences between the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s bill and the one being discussed in the Senate Finance Committee.

13:09 - Bingaman talks about some of the common misunderstanding of health care reform legislation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that two New Mexico airports will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to make improvements to their facilities and runways.

"Transportation infrastructure is a crucial element in helping to attract businesses and new jobs to every corner of our state. I am pleased that the federal government is making this important investment in our state," Bingaman said.

Funding was awarded to the following:

• Cavern City Air Terminal in Carlsbad - $114,000: Funding will be used to remark runway 03/21 to meet FAA standards.
• Grant County Airport in Silver City - $114,000: Funding will be used remark runway 08/26 to meet FAA standards.
• State of New Mexico - $95,000:  Funding will assist the State Aviation Division in the development of airport property maps at various general aviation airports throughout the state.

I outline some of the provisions of the Graduation Promise Act, which I recently introduced, in my September newsletter.  This measure would help New Mexico high schools by providing support to increase graduation rates.

This month's newsletter also features a segment from this website on how health care reform would help the insured.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced today that the National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence (Alianza) has been awarded $516,204 through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to help combat domestic violence.

The Albuquerque non-profit will use the funding to provide training and technical assistance to domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.  The assistance will be made available through: 1) curricula-based train-the-trainer workshops; 2) written educational materials through a web-based resource center; and 3) a national conference on family violence issues affecting Hispanics.

"The funding awarded today will help Alianza better assist victims of domestic violence and support important initiatives to address this serious issue," Bingaman said.

The funding announced today was awarded through DOJ's Office on Violence Against Women, which provides direct support to domestic violence and sexual assault organizations through funding, training and technical assistance, public awareness activities and public policy advocacy.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today reported that the U.S. Department of Justice is releasing $375,000 to assist border law enforcement agencies situated along the New Mexico-Mexico border with border-related criminal activity, such as human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, vehicle thefts, and destruction of private property.

Bingaman secured the funding for the Southwest Border Law Enforcement Alliance in a fiscal year 2009 spending bill.  The Alliance, which is composed of the sheriff departments of Dona Ana County, Hidalgo County, Grant County, Luna County, Otero County, and the police departments of Deming, Sunland Park, Lordsburg, and Las Cruces, will use the funding to purchase needed equipment to improve communication capabilities, surveillance, and enhance officer protection.

"Law enforcement agencies in southern New Mexico continue to see their resources and manpower stretched thin due to the ongoing drug and smuggling activity in the area.  The funding released today provides much needed support to agencies along the border," Bingaman said.

The Department of Justice also released funding for the following:

• $228,550 - New Mexico Attorney General's Office: Internet Crimes Against Children Grant Program to continue to operate a Task Force aimed at preventing crimes against children;
• $17,939 - Pueblo of Laguna: Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to purchase new radar units for police vehicles;
• $15,532 - City of Bloomfield: Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to obtain additional firearms.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman reported today that three New Mexico pueblos have been awarded a total of $1.938 million for affordable housing activities. Funds were provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"This nearly $2 million grant will help ensure that more New Mexicans have access to quality, affordable housing," Bingaman said.

The following pueblos were awarded funding:

Funds were awarded through HUD's Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) Indian Housing Block Grant Program. The pueblo can use the funds to implement a number of affordable housing activities. Those activities may include: new construction, acquisition, modernization or rehabilitation of rental or owner-occupied housing.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that four Native American police departments in New Mexico have been awarded a total of $1.25 million from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (DOJ).

"This funding is an important investment in reducing crime in Indian Country," Bingaman said.

These grants support Native American law enforcement agencies by funding the salary and benefits of additional sworn officers and such items as basic equipment, crime fighting technology systems, and training. The grant program is intended to enhance the law enforcement infrastructure and community policing practices in Native American communities.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that two New Mexico communities will benefit from federal funding aimed at preventing and reducing drug and alcohol abuse among young people.

Organizations in Carlsbad and in Torrance County have been awarded funding through the Office of National Drug Control Policy's Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC). 

"These two New Mexico organizations are addressing issues that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting efforts to minimize the risk of abuse.  This funding will be put to good use," Bingaman said.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced today that the Village of Los Lunas has been awarded $15,012 to support efforts aimed at reducing and preventing crime.

Funding will be used to purchase a new vehicle to serve the Los Lunas Police Department's Detective Division to enhance the fleet of vehicles that are assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division.

"Los Lunas Police Department will greatly benefit from the funding awarded today," Bingaman said.

Funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG), which provides grants to states, tribes, and local governments to help implement crime prevention and crime control policies in their communities.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced today that the Doña Ana County and the City of Las Cruces has been awarded $106,409 to support efforts aimed at reducing and preventing crime.

Funding will be used to make software upgrades to the city's automated fingerprint identification system, to purchase an all-terrain vehicle and trailer to support a juvenile citation program.

"This federal funding will help Doña Ana County and the City of Las Cruces purchase equipment and make upgrades that will help prevent and reduce crime in the area," Bingaman said.

Funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG), which provides grants to states, tribes, and local governments to help implement crime prevention and crime control policies in their communities.

SANTA FE – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today issued the following statement following the death of his friend and colleague, Senator Edward M. Kennedy:

"Ted Kennedy was a good friend, a superb human being, and a colleague who will be greatly missed by those who served with him in the Senate. As a legislator he played a role in every significant piece of social legislation that came before the Congress during his remarkable career. His extraordinary list of accomplishments were not just a function of his passion and ideals, but also his pragmatism and ability to reach across party lines to get done what was needed for the good of the country. His leadership will be particularly missed in the Senate at this critical time for health care reform. The American people have lost a great champion, but his legacy will endure."

[listen to Bingaman deliver his statement]

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced today that the State of New Mexico has been awarded over $4.2 million to support crime prevention and reduction efforts and to assist victims of crime.

The New Mexico Department of Public Safety will receive $2.87 million through the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to help state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies implement crime prevention and crime control policies in their communities.

Additionally, the New Mexico Office of the District Attorney will receive $1.33 million through DOJ's Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN) program, which helps ensure that victims of crime receive accurate and timely information regarding the status of offenders and events related to their cases.

"The funding awarded today will help New Mexico communities address crime and help keep victims safe by providing them with timely information pertaining to their case," Bingaman said.

ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today congratulated Terry Brunner, his long-time state director, on his appointment by President Obama to lead the New Mexico office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Administration. Bingaman recommended Brunner for the position.

“Terry has served New Mexicans for many years as the director of my state offices. I know he will do a terrific job continuing his public service as director of New Mexico’s Rural Development Administration office,” Bingaman said. 

Rural Development administers and manages over 40 housing, business, and community infrastructure and facility programs as laid out by Congress through a network of 6,100 employees located in 500 national, state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of over $114 billion in loans and loan guarantees.

Bingaman said he is pleased to announce that Greg Bloom, who has been working for Bingaman in Las Cruces, has been promoted to state director. 

Bingaman also applauded President Obama’s appointment of veteran USDA employee Salomon Ramirez as state executive director for the Farm Service Agency.

“Salomon Ramirez brings a wealth of experience to this important appointment,” Bingaman said. 

USDA's Farm Services Agency works to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural Americans. Some of the agency's efforts include facilitating income support, disaster assistance and conservation programs, providing operating loans for the procurement of farm equipment, seed and fertilizer, as well as offering ownership loans to help new and veteran producers purchase a farm. FSA also works to procure various commodities to benefit low-income families through domestic food assistance programs.

ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Departments of Treasury and Energy have outlined plans for how manufacturers of green energy technology can access $2.3 billion in tax credits to create new U.S. jobs.

The credit, authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is intended to help stimulate America's economy by making the United States a more attractive location for manufacturers of solar, wind and other green technologies.  This $2.3 billion investment in clean energy will pay significant dividends in the form of "green jobs," bulking up America's industrial base and boosting the production of homegrown renewable energy.

As Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure, Bingaman took the lead in designing this tax credit and working to ensure the credit was included in the recovery package.

"Domestic demand for renewable energy technologies has grown rapidly, and we anticipate even faster growth in the immediate future," Bingaman said.  "New Mexico has a growing cluster of established and start-up solar companies that include Schott, Advent, Emcore, Sapphire, Signet, Skyfuel, Sundrop, and eQSolaris, to name a few.  This new incentive will help those companies expand right here in New Mexico, while encouraging additional companies to consider manufacturing their clean tech products on American soil – and ideally in our state."

"Creating American Jobs in the clean energy manufacturing industry is the key to rebuilding our economy and putting our nation on a path of energy independence," said Udall. "These tax incentives for manufacturers will help feed New Mexico's burgeoning renewable energy industry and I commend Senator Bingaman for shepherding the creation of such a valuable program in the Recovery Act."

Under the Treasury Department's program, companies that manufacture clean technology products in the United States can apply for a tax credit allocation.  Successful applicants will be able to reduce their taxes by 30 percent of the amount they invest in establishing, expanding or retooling manufacturing facilities.  The credit is capped at $2.3 billion, sufficient to leverage $7.67 billion in domestic capital expenditures.

Bingaman's credit is notable because it is the first advanced energy credit that is not concentrated downstream – at the commercial or individual consumer level.  While those incentives have created some U.S. jobs, such as in installation, most advanced energy technologies that are installed in the United States continue to be manufactured overseas.  One major driver for this overseas manufacturing is the significant tax incentives that other countries offer.  For instance, Malaysia and the Philippines offer solar photovoltaic manufacturers income tax holidays, for 15 years in the case of Malaysia, while Germany offers them up to 50 percent of investment costs.  As a result, the U.S. is far behind, and is falling further behind, in "clean tech" manufacturing.  A recent New America Foundation report found that in 2008, the United States ran an overall "green trade" deficit of $8.9 billion.  According to one recent study, Japan represents 45 percent of global solar cell production while the United States accounts for just 9 percent.  And European manufacturers now account for more than 85 percent of the global wind component market.

But just as the U.S. is losing ground in advanced energy manufacturing, we can anticipate rapid near- to mid-term growth in domestic demand for renewable energy technologies.  This credit ensures that added demand will not be satisfied by imports – and that the United States can become an exporter of renewable energy technologies.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that six New Mexico pueblos will share more than $11 million in grant funding to improve housing. The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"This major investment in Indian Country will help ensure there is ample affordable, quality housing for New Mexicans," Bingaman said.

"Improving the living conditions and quality of housing in our native communities will create desperately needed jobs on tribal lands and help revitalize these areas as a whole," said Udall.

RATON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today visited Miners Colfax Medical Center to discuss efforts in Congress to reform health care and the MCMC's desire to become a "critical access hospital."

Bingaman is a member of the two Senate committees – Health and Education and Finance – working to develop health care reform legislation.  In a meeting with MCMC CEO Mike Carter and other hospital officials, Bingaman said Congress is working to pass health care reform legislation aimed at strengthening protections for Americans who have health insurance, extending insurance to those who don't have it, and containing spiraling costs.

"Health care costs continue to skyrocket.  Yet even New Mexicans who have health insurance have reason to worry about their coverage," Bingaman said. "Congress is working to develop a bill that would protect Americans by putting an end to unfair practices such as denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition."

Bingaman also told hospital officials that he would support their effort to become a critical access hospital.   MCMC is currently a "licensed general hospital," and as such only recovers a portion of their actual Medicare costs.  Adopting a critical access hospital designation would allow the hospital to receive more Medicare funding.

To be designated as a critical access hospital, a facility must: 1) Be no less than 35 miles from another hospital; 2) Have an average in patient stay of no longer than 4 days; 3) Have no more than 25 beds; and 4) Provide 24-hour emergency room service seven days a week.  MCMC will submit an application to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services seeking the new designation.

Congressional “recesses” are different from the ones we fondly remember from our elementary school days. Perhaps they are more aptly named “state work periods,”  because most members of Congress spend recesses traveling around their districts and states.

Congress meets in Washington for almost the entire year. And in the Senate, we are typically in session Monday through Friday. That leaves small windows of time to travel back to our states. I look forward to state work periods because they give me an opportunity to meet with  New Mexicans to get firsthand knowledge about the issues affecting our state. 

Congress is in recess from August 7 - September 7. I will spend this recess period in New Mexico with constituents discussing health care and energy issues, among other things.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman reported that the Senate today approved legislation that extends the popular "cash-for-clunkers" initiative, which encourages American consumers to retire their gas-guzzling vehicles in favor of purchasing fuel efficient cars.

Last week, Bingaman expressed concerns that the $2 billion to fund the cash for clunkers initiative would be taken from a loan guarantee program aimed at supporting investment in green collar jobs.  But the White House this week assured Bingaman it would work to restore the loan guarantee funding, so he felt more comfortable supporting the measure – which can now be signed into law.

Knowing that cash for clunkers likely will run out quickly, Bingaman today introduced a bipartisan bill that would -- for the long-term -- encourage Americans to purchase fuel efficient vehicles.

Bingaman's Efficient Vehicle Leadership Act creates a program that rewards consumers who buy cars and trucks that get better gas mileage than the average overall fuel economy required for its class.  Motorists who buy models which exceed that CAFE standard will receive a "fuel performance rebate" (claimed on their tax return or paid instantly by the dealer, whichever the buyer prefers), an amount tied to the fuel savings over and above the relevant CAFE standard.  The savings can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the vehicle's fuel economy relative to other models of the same size.  Conversely, for inefficient, gas-gulping vehicles, manufacturers will be assessed a fuel performance fee to pay for the program.

"The incentives in this bill will benefit American consumers, American automakers and the American economy. It will give manufacturers another good reason to increase the efficiency of its vehicle fleets, so that customers can get a rebate.  By exceeding the CAFE requirements, automakers and dealers can gain a competitive sales advantage, and consumers will save money both on the vehicle purchase price as well as lower gasoline costs.  Plus, our environment would benefit through reduced greenhouse gas emissions," Bingaman said.

Following is a brief summary of the bill, which Bingaman introduce with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME):

• Rebates begin next year (model year 2011), fees begin in model year 2013: Implementing the rebates as soon as possible will provide additional stimulus to the auto industry, as a logical successor to Cash for Clunkers. It also encourages an immediate increase in overall fuel efficiency. Delaying the onset of the fees allows manufacturers needed time to adjust their product plans to incorporate the new incentive system.
• Rebate and fee amounts: The rebates and fees will be calculated by multiplying the difference between the vehicle's fuel economy and the applicable CAFE standard by a prescribed amount.  Higher multipliers are used for vehicles that are 50 percent and 75 percent more or less efficient than CAFE.  This three-tiered structure creates an enhanced incentive for the most fuel-efficient vehicles that mirrors current incentives for hybrids and electric vehicles, and increased penalties for those with the worst fuel efficiency.  Estimated rebates show that relatively fuel efficient vehicles such as the Honda Civic and Ford Focus receiving rebates of about $1,000 under full program implementation.  The Ford Escape Hybrid would be eligible for a rebate of around $2,500, while purchasers of the highly-efficient Toyota Prius would receive about $4,000.  At its rated mileage of 100-mpg, a Chevy Volt rebate would be nearly $8,000, while a Hummer H3 would be assessed a fee of about $2,500.
• In time, the rebates will replace existing vehicle efficiency incentives and taxes: Existing incentives for fuel-efficient vehicles are allowed to sunset upon their current-law expiration date, and purchasers are allowed to choose which of the applicable incentives (the rebate or tax credit) yields them the greatest benefit.  When the fees take effect, the bill will eliminate the "gas-guzzler tax" that currently is in place.  The rebate system eliminates the patchwork of vehicle tax credits and fees with a predictable, tech-neutral incentive system.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman joined 67 other Senators in voting to approve Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

"I voted to confirm Judge Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court because I believe she has the qualifications, experience, and impartiality necessary to be an excellent justice," Bingaman said.

Justice Sotomayor earned degrees from Princeton University and Yale Law School.  Her judicial service began in October 1992 with her appointment to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H.W. Bush.  President Clinton appointed Sotomayor to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1998.

Justice Sotomayor was approved 68-31.  She replaces Justice David Souter, who retired. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded the New Mexico Crime Victims Reparations Commission a total of $3.43 million to assist victims of crime.

The New Mexico Crime Victims Reparation Commission will use $2.66 million to provide grants to organizations throughout the state to enhance, expand, and develop new programs to serve victims of crime. These services include counseling, providing shelter, assistance in filing compensation applications, crisis intervention services, assistance in court proceedings, and assistance in filing elderly abuse petitions or restraint orders.

The commission will use $772,000 to enhance state victim compensation payments to eligible crime victims.

"This funding will help expand services that assist victims of crime and their families," Bingaman said.

The grant comes from DOJ's Crime Victims Fund, which collects federal fines, penalty assessments, and forfeited appearance bonds and uses them to compensate victims of crime.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today reported that a key spending bill that passed the Senate today (80-17) contains funding for key New Mexico agricultural-related projects.

The 2010 Agricultural Appropriations Bill contains $350,000 the senators secured for the Southern Great Plains Dairy Consortium.  The funding is for New Mexico State University’s Agriculture Science Center in Clovis to continue its work to support of the state’s dairy industry.  The consortium will enhance the dairy industry's competitiveness and its impact on the economy, and will also focus on the environmental impact of dairy production, including converting biomass waste to energy.

“New Mexico’s dairy industry continues to be a tremendously important part of New Mexico’s economy.  This funding will allow NMSU to help ensure it remains competitive,” Bingaman said.

“From our dairy industry to our growers, a strong New Mexico economy depends on the success of our agricultural industry,” said Udall. “These projects will serve our communities well in ensuring our future competitiveness.”

The bill also contains funding for the following projects:

• $25 million for Water and Wastewater Projects in Colonias along the U.S.-Mexico border: New Mexico is expected to get about $7.9 million of this funding.  
  
• $983,000 for the Joe Skeen Institute for Rangeland Management: The institute conducts research on agricultural, range management, animal husbandry, education and extension programs.  The institute is a joint effort of NMSU, Texas A&M and Montana State.
  
• $800,000 for USDA to contract with the Albuquerque-based National Tribal Environmental Council to continue a Native American circuit rider program to provide technical assistance for rural water systems. 
  
• $404,000 for NMSU and the State Department of Agriculture to continue work on an Internet-based system for early detection and reporting of outbreaks of infectious diseases in food animals. The system is known as the Rapid Syndrome Validation Program for Animals.  This is the sixth year funds have been earmarked for this effort.
  
• $24 million to continue a Bingaman-created grant program that supports community development projects in Native American Communities.  The funds are set aside for basic drinking water and wastewater systems, tribal colleges, and business promotion in Indian country.

Finally, the bill contains $200,000 to restore and maintain riparian areas along the Rio Grande, Pecos and Canadian Rivers where the state is working to treat and kill the noxious salt cedar. The funding would be used to restore native vegetation to riparian areas in order to stabilize soils; to maintain replanted areas; and for management to prevent invasive species from returning to treated areas.   

The Senate-passed 2010 Agricultural Appropriations Bill must now be reconciled with the version passed by the House of Representatives.  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio about health care reform legislation being debated in Congress. You can retrieve Bingaman's remarks and follow the conversation:

00:00 – Bingaman gives a brief overview of the Senate's schedule this week.

01:38 – Bingaman talks about the 'Cash for Clunkers' program.

04:02 – Bingaman talks about health care reform legislation being drafted in Congress.

07:00 – Bingaman talks about the $2.39 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to that was released to begin planning and design associated with the rebuilding the Columbus Port of Entry.

09:40 – Bingaman talks about different health care reform proposals being debated in Congress.

13:35 – Bingaman answers questions regarding small utility company and state regulation.

16:40 - Bingaman talks about proposals for paying for health care reform.

My August newsletter focuses on a few of the early accomplishments of the 111th Congress, highlighting legislation and activity relating to the economy, health care, and public lands, among many others.

WASHINGTON– U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced the federal government is releasing $2.39 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to begin planning and design associated with the rebuilding the Columbus Port of Entry.

"Commercial and commuter traffic between Columbus and Palomas has increased over the past couple of year and upgrades to the Columbus Port of Entry are needed to accommodate this growth," Bingaman said. "This funding is the first step in helping rebuild the port of entry to help it better facilitate trade and traffic that crosses the border every day."

"Providing funding to rebuild the Columbus Port of Entry is integral to maintaining smooth and controlled traffic through this increasingly busy border crossing," said Udall, who toured the port in April. "This will create jobs in southern New Mexico as well as provide communities with efficient ways of safely crossing the border."

WASHINGTON – The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved a spending bill that contains millions of dollars U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall requested for New Mexico transportation, housing and community development projects.

“The funding included in this bill will help New Mexico communities break ground or continue work on important transportation and neighborhood projects,” Bingaman said. 

“Our growing New Mexico communities would benefit greatly from the project improvements included in this bill and the jobs that would be created in the process,” said Udall.       

The fiscal year 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill is now ready to be considered by the full Senate.  The bill contains the following:

$1 million - Albuquerque Regional East-West Trail and Bikeway: Funding would be used for a project to provide a continuous east-west trail and bikeway facility extending from Tramway Boulevard near the base of the Sandia Mountains to the Rio Grande Bosque. 

$1 million - Cannon Air Force Base: Funding would be used to improve alternative routes and access to Cannon Air Force Base in response to the base’s request to close County Road R on the west side of the base due to growing concern about safety and security.

$750,000 – Improvements to San Jose Blvd in Carlsbad:  Funding will be used for the reconstruction of 2.4 miles of San Jose Boulevard from Diaz Street south to National Parks Highway.  The project will include the installation of a center turning lane and a bike lane, concrete curb and gutter and sidewalks, reconstruction of major intersections, street lighting and storm drainage improvements.

$800,000 - Hobbs Transit Intermodal Facility: Funding would be used to acquire a site and build/develop a new city transit facility, which will include bus maintenance and administrative areas, driver areas and break room, counting room, and office and storage areas.  The facility will include several covered bus storage bays and outside parking spaces for 13 vehicles.  The site will include necessary paved entry way and exiting lanes of minimum width of 50’ pavement and will be fenced with security fence.

$2 million – State of New Mexico Statewide Bus and Bus Facilities: Funding will be used to improve public transit services to customers, including: construction and improvements to park and ride services, replacement/expansion of transit vehicles for rural transit providers, increased access to transportation opportunities for elderly persons and persons with disabilities.

$500,000 - Community Area Resource Enterprise (CARE66) in Gallup: Funding would be used for the development of up to 60 units of affordable housing.

$410,000 - Luna County Community Recreation Facility: Funding would be used for the renovation of the old Pepsi building to house dedicated youth activities, practice space, and community meeting rooms.

$400,000 - Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint: Funding would be used for construction of a regional health center located on the campus of the Navajo Technical College.

$300,000 - Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Rancho de Taos: Funding would be used for preconstruction costs of a youth facility.

$600,000 - Town of Silver City: Funding would be used for the construction of Vistas de Plata, a 56-unit affordable housing unit.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall reported that the Senate has approved legislation that provides funding for New Mexico's two national laboratories, and to a variety of key water-related projects.

The Senate's version of the 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill cleared the Senate Wednesday night.  A House-Senate panel will convene in the coming weeks to finalize the bill.

The measure contains $30 million for upgrades to the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) – the only machine in the country that can do a series of diagnostic tests to ensure our nuclear stockpile is safe and secure.  The White House had recommended zeroing out funding for these necessary upgrades.  But the New Mexico senators have been weighing in with both the Obama administration and Senate appropriators writing the Energy and Water spending bill, and are pleased that they are winning support for the facility.

"This bill provides strong support to our labs.  I'm particularly glad we were able to secure $30 million needed to upgrade LANSCE," Bingaman said.  "The bill also funds significant water projects in our state.  We will be working hard in the coming weeks to ensure New Mexico's needs are met in the final bill."

"I am pleased that, in addition to funding critical water infrastructure projects for New Mexico, funding for LANSCE was included in the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations bill.  This recognizes the facility's importance not only to our security but also to scientific research," said Udall. "Senator Bingaman and I have been working to ensure that our nation will continue to benefit from the dual-use capabilities of LANSCE and with each step in this process we have moved closer to achieving that goal."

The bill also contains $6.47 billion for National Nuclear Security Administration, which funds the stockpile stewardship program performed by Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories.

OTHER LAB RELATED FUNDING LOS ALAMOS

• $204 million for environmental cleanup, up $15 million above the President's request to help meet New Mexico consent order milestones
• $98 million for Chemistry and Metallurgy Facility Replacement Project, up $43 million over President's budget request

WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PROJECT

• $234.3 million for WIPP.  The additional funding will upgrade and replace safety systems at WIPP.

MISC.

• $750, 000 for the Center of Excellence and Hazardous Waste Materials at Carlsbad for advance biofuels research$
• 750,000 for technology transfer and commercialization at Department of Energy laboratories performed by the Technology Ventures Corporation in Albuquerque

WATER FUNDING

Animas-La Plata Project - $54,188,000 to continue progress on the project components that benefit New Mexico, including the Navajo Nation.
Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program - $160,000 for continued data collection relating to ecological health in the Middle Río Grande.
Chimayo Mutual Domestic Water Association - $500,000 to construct storage tanks, develop additional groundwater supplies, and extend water lines for the regional water system.
Eastern New Mexico Investigations Program - $50,000 for planning associated with improved water management in the Pecos and Canadian River basins in Colfax, Mora, Harding, San Miguel, Quay, Guadalupe and DeBaca counties.
Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System - $500,000 for design and construction of intake structure at Ute Reservoir for the Ute pipeline project.
Jicarilla Apache Rural Water Project - $5.0 million to continue to repair and replace the drinking water delivery and wastewater system on the Jicarilla Reservation.
Middle Rio Grande Project - $23,910,000 to continue work on project operations relating to water delivery and continued participation in the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act Collaborative Program.
Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project - $7.8 million for planning, design, and construction of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, including the Cutter Lateral Regional System and the Gallup Regional System.
Navajo Nation Investigations Program - $200,000 to support water supply planning efforts within the Navajo Nation in cooperation with other agencies.
Pecos River Basin Water Salvage Project - $209,000 for continued removal of invasive plants and for an analysis of the effects of such removal.
Rio Grande Project - $4,999,000 for the ongoing operations of the Rio Grande Project which benefits the Elephant Butte Irrigation District in New Mexico.
Southern New Mexico/West Texas Inv. Program - $150,000 to analyze water supply options for irrigation and municipal uses in the Las Cruces, El Paso and Juarez areas.
Tucumcari Project - $41,000 for expenses associated with operation of Conchas Dam and Reservoir northwest of Tucumcari.
Upper Colorado River Operations Program - $250,000 to support the ongoing activities relating to management of the Colorado River system which benefits the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and the San Juan – Chama Project which serves water users such as the City of Albuquerque and Santa Fe and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.
Upper Rio Grande Basin Investigations - $75,000  to support investigations involving the Rio Grande water supplies in coordination with the States of Colorado and New Mexico and other water users.

Corps of Engineers

Abiquiu Dam - $3,305,000 – for continued management activities at Abiquiu Dam and Reservoir.
Acequias Irrigation System - $500,000 to continue construction and rehabilitation work for acequias throughout the State.
Alamogordo - $4,200,000 to construct and repair diversion channels and prevent flood damage.
Cochiti Lake - $6,876,000 for continued management activities at Cochiti Lake.
Conchas Lake - $1,796,000 for continued management activities at Conchas Lake.
Grants Drainage Management Plan - $56,000 to evaluate drainage options.
Galisteo Dam - $591,000 to operate and maintain Galisteo Dam.
Jemez Canyon Dam - $756,000 to operate and maintain Jemez Canyon Dam.
Middle Rio Grande Flood Protection, Bernalillo to Belen - $800,000 to repair and replace existing levees and create wetlands.
Rio Grande Basin, NM, CO & TX – $120,000 to improve water conveyance efficiencies and address ecosystem degradation and flooding throughout the Rio Grande Basin which includes over 160,000 square miles from Colorado, through New Mexico to Texas.
Rio Grande Floodway, San Acacia To Bosque Del Apache - $800,000 for maintenance and restoration of the Rio Grande floodway.
Santa Fe - $228,000 to conduct a watershed study to analyze flood damage potential and ecosystem restoration potential for the Santa Fe area.
Santa Rosa Dam and Lake - $1,099,000 for operation and maintenance of Santa Rosa Dam and Lake.
Southwest Valley Albuquerque - $4.0 million to repair drains and prevent flooding in the South Valley of Albuquerque.
Two Rivers Dam - $404,000 for repairs and maintenance of the Two Rivers Dam in the Roswell area.
Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model Study - $4,188,000 to continue work developing and utilizing the model to assist with Rio Grande operations. 

Washington, DC-Wednesday, Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall and Congressman Harry Teague announced that $9.4 million will be made available through a loan from U.S. Department of Agriculture to build the Guadalupe County Hospital. The funds, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will go to replace the outdated care center currently in Santa Rosa. The new facility will house a 10-bed acute care hospital and medical clinic.

"I recently had the opportunity to view the plans for the new hospital, and was extremely impressed.  I'm very glad that the recovery package is helping get this important project done," Bingaman said.

"The new Guadalupe County Hospital will put high quality medical care within reach for residents of the county and the surrounding communities.  I am proud that Recovery Act funding is putting people to work on a critical project that will make a real difference in the lives of New Mexico families," said Udall.

"The people of Guadalupe County deserve a first rate medical facility and I am proud to have worked with folks in the community to secure the funding for this hospital," said Congressman Harry Teague.  "Projects like this hospital are essential to providing quality health services to rural communities across Southern New Mexico."

Guadalupe County Hospital, the only emergency care facility over the 275 miles between Albuquerque and Amarillo, Texas, will service the people of Guadalupe County as well as several other surrounding small villages and communities. Guadalupe County is currently a federally designated health professional shortage area.

The funding announced today is being provided through USDA Rural Development's Community Facilities program, which helps finance essential community facilities for public use in rural areas. Through this program, USDA ensures that health and safety facilities are available to all rural residents.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today said they are pleased a spending bill working its way through the Senate contains funding they sought for New Mexico education, job training, and health care initiatives.

The funding is contained in the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill, which has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.  The bill is now ready to be considered by the full Senate.

"This funding will support key health and educational initiatives that serve individuals and families throughout New Mexico.  I hope Congress will move fast to approve the bill and get it to the president's desk to sign," Bingaman said.

"Each of these projects would help provide New Mexico communities with critical health care support and educational opportunities," said Udall.  "I am committed to making sure New Mexico families have the necessary resources to enable our future generations to grow and succeed."

At Bingaman and Udall's request, the bill also contains the following:

$200,000 - AVANCE, Inc.: Funding would help AVANCE establish a regional office in Doña Ana County and expand their parent-child education programs to serve more families in southern New Mexico.

$200,000 - Inquiry Facilitators, Inc.: Funds would help the non-profit organization conduct up to 20 workshops throughout New Mexico to recruit participants and assist students and teachers in designing, building, programming, and testing robots as well as completing the required team engineering reports and blogs associated with robotics competitions.

$100,000 - La Familia Medical Center: The funding would help the center acquire written materials, exercise aids and staff, including a Promotora, a certified diabetes educator and a nutritionist to collaborate with a community diabetes education outreach program to provide on-site individual counseling and group classes for patients.

$200,000 - Hobbs Hispano Chamber of Commerce: Funding will help with renovation of the Hobbs Hispano Chamber of Commerce business incubator building, which will serve as a "one-stop shop" for start-up and fledgling business in the area.  The incubator will provide area entrepreneurs with an array of targeted resources and services to include accounting, management, marketing, and manufacturing information.

$150,000 - Save the Children: Funds will be dedicated towards curriculum and assessment materials, computers and technological equipment, and ongoing training and technical assistance needs, as well as towards equipment and supplies for a physical activity and healthy snack component of the after school literacy program.

$150,000 - City of Farmington: Funds will be used to hire 1-2 treatment counselors and retain one position as residential counselor to provide evidence based intervention strategies for public inebriates. The service population is primarily Native American and all programming will hold cultural competence and sensitivity.

$100,000 - Eastern New Mexico University: Funding would upgrade student labs and campus computers (software, hardware, peripherals and security) for students and faculty, with back-up power generator and servers for security protection.

$100,000 - Los Alamos National Lab Foundation: Funding would help the foundation establish the Teacher Corps programs.  It would help them recruit 20 recent math/science college graduates and provide training for alternative teacher licensure while they work in 18 school districts. These school districts are expected to hire these college graduates once they are licensed.

$100,000 - Semos Unidos: The nonprofit organization would use funds to cover staff salaries, office supplies and other equipment needed to develop and produce Hispanic learning materials for approx. 30,000 students.

$125,000 - Sierra County: Funds would help with the construction of a building to replace an out of code, old facility that serves as a critical care hospital.

$125,000 - YMCA Española Teen Center: Funds would provide salaries for instructional and administrative staff and support (i.e., transportation services) to serve 280 at-risk students for truancy, violence prevention, and provide remedial academic support.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that millions of dollars are being directed to New Mexico to bolster rural job creation and fund the construction of affordable housing. The funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"This funding will give a boost to the effort of encouraging job creation in rural parts of our state, and ensure there is ample quality and affordable housing for New Mexicans," Bingaman said.

"We need to keep business opportunities open in New Mexico and make sure there is affordable housing for those who need it," said Udall. "By providing funding through the Recovery Act to ensure these projects move forward, we can help to create jobs in New Mexico's rural communities while providing a service our citizens need."

USDA's Rural Business Enterprise Program will release $577,750 to Acoma Pueblo for infrastructure improvements that include an additional water well with better quality water, installation of fiber optic communications capability, extension of the electrical delivery system, and development of existing water and sewer mains, all in an effort to expand business opportunities.

New Mexico's Own, Inc. will receive $400,000 from USDA's Rural Business Enterprise Program for outreach, recruitment and technical assistance followed by on-site incubating of potential or existing manufacturers of artisan products.  Funding will also be used for a planning/feasibility study for a proposed Four Corners Southwest wholesale trade mart to establish New Mexico as a regional product sales and distribution center for the Four Corners region.

Additionally, the Department of U.S. Housing and Urban Development is releasing $13.8 million to New Mexico to fund construction of housing projects aimed at providing affordable residences for New Mexicans. To ensure the funding creates jobs in the construction sector, it must be spent on projects that can begin immediately and be completed by February 16, 2012.

HUD is also releasing $2 million to Laguna Housing Development and Management Enterprise; $2 million to Nambe Pueblo Housing Entity; and $2 million for the San Felipe Pueblo Housing authority. Funds will be use to improve housing stock, develop viable communities, promote energy efficiency and create jobs.   

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the federal government on releasing over $5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funding to help New Mexico communities hire law enforcement officers.

The grants are being provided through the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Recovery Program, and will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for entry level officer positions over a three year period.  Police departments receiving the grants will then be required to retain the grant funded positions for a fourth year.

"Providing for an adequate number of law enforcement officers is key to keeping our state's communities safe. Unfortunately, smaller communities often lack the resources needed to hire enough police officers and sheriff's deputies to address crime," Bingaman said.  "This funding will help many New Mexico law enforcement agencies hire or rehire officers and help them meet their policing needs."

"In a struggling economic climate, crime is often on the rise.  Adding additional police officers in these areas will help combat crime and allow New Mexicans to feel safe in their homes and communities," said Udall.  "This Recovery Act funding is also creating lasting jobs that benefit New Mexico's police force." The following communities and police departments will receive funding:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio about health care reform legislation being debated in Congress. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about the 2010 Defense Authorization bill that cleared the Senate last week and about health care reform legislation being debated in Congress.

02:54 – Bingaman talks about health care reform legislation and how it would affect New Mexico.

07:07 – Bingaman talks about a provision to a defense bill to end production of the F-22 fighter jets.

10:50 – Bingaman says he hopes Congress passes health care reform legislation that is supported by a majority of Americans.

14:12 – Bingaman says he worked to get some parts on his obesity bill included in the health care bill that was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

15:24 – Bingaman talks about some of the consequences of not passing comprehensive health care reform legislation.

As we turn our attention to global warming and the need to control green house gas emissions, nuclear power can play an important role.

The United States currently has over 100 nuclear plants that produce about 20 percent of American power supply, but there have been no new American nuclear plants built in the last three decades. 

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes federal loan guarantees for nuclear reactors and other technologies that avoid greenhouse gases.  The Act also contained several nuclear-specific provisions such as tax incentives to help construct nuclear power plants and invest in their long-term support needs.  This is a necessary first step toward building new nuclear plants to accommodate the growing need for clean energy.

At the same time, we must find a way to store nuclear waste.  Yucca Mountain, Nevada, had been selected as our nation’s nuclear waste site, but concerns have put that project on hold. 

As chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I am looking for ways to move ahead.  I helped write the American Clean Energy Leadership Act – legislation that includes a provision authorizing a national commission to study five alternative means of safely managing and disposing of spent nuclear fuel:

• The efficacy of deep geologic disposal;
• Long-term storage at sites where waste is currently stored or generated;
• Long-term storage at one or more other regional storage facilities;
• Efficacy of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel; and,
• Alternative management and disposal options.

The commission’s findings will help us develop better strategies for spent fuel disposal.

It’s my hope that the Senate will approve the American Clean Energy Leadership Act in the coming months. 

Nuclear power production is – and will remain – an important part of our energy mix.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today reported that the Senate last night approved a key piece of defense legislation gives strong support to New Mexico’s military installations and the state’s two national laboratories.

The bill, called the fiscal year 2010 Defense Authorization Bill, passed 87-7.  It must now be reconciled with a version passed by the House of Representatives before it can be sent to the president for signature.  Defense spending must be authorized through this bill before funding can be committed. 

“This bill not only strongly supports our military bases, it also ensures our labs remain strong,” Bingaman said. 

The bill contains the following:

Cannon Air Force Base

$15.0 million for a consolidated communications facility
$41.27 million for C-130 maintenance hangar facility
$11.59 million modification to hangers to support CV-22s
$6.0 million for a C-130 ammunition loading ramp

At Bingaman’s urging the Senate adopted an amendment have the Air Force and the U.S. Special Operations Command begin the process of evaluating the life of the existing AC-130 gunships and plan for their replacement.  Eight of these gunships are in the 16 Special Operations Squadron now at Cannon, some of which are 40 years old dating back to Vietnam. The gunships are the airplane of choice by ground troops in Afghanistan and Iraq for close air support operations.

Kirtland Air Force Base

$16.7 million for two simulator facilities to train pilots on C-130J aircraft

The bill increases the budget of the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Program Office to $112 million from $282 million for work on additional launch and space vehicle research as well as satellite sensors.  That program was “stood up” at Kirtland two years ago and will provide a game changing ability to quickly field satellites for urgent needs.

White Sands Missile Range

The bill authorizes an additional $6 million increase for the High Energy Laser Test Facility at WSMR, to begin testing the next generation solid-state laser, putting the facility on a new track to test next generation battlefield laser systems.  In addition $3 million is authorized to develop software to integrate the large airspace surrounding White Sands Missile Range, which handles training by Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands Test Range and Fort Bliss.

Holloman Air Force Base

$5.5 million for a consolidated munitions maintenance facility for the F-22 Raptor
$5 million for continued development of the High Speed Test Track, which when completed will be the world’s fastest magnetic levitation test track.

National Guard

$39.0 million for an Army aviation support facility at Santa Fe
$30 million to support Army Guard Counterdrug efforts of which $3 million is for New Mexico 

In addition the bill asks the Secretary of Defense to develop a transition plan for the Air Guard from F-16 and F-15 fighter aircraft to F-35 and F-22 aircraft.

Other Department of Defense issues relevant to New Mexico, and authorized under the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA):

$6.49 billion for maintaining the stockpile
$2.14 billion for stemming the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
$35 million for the Chemistry and Metallurgy Replacement Facility construction at LANL
$30 million for upgrades to the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center as part of the overhaul of the complex so it can provide stockpile science in the 21st century to ensure we do not have to test.
$46.0 million in upgrades to safeguards for storing nuclear materials at LANL
$19.6 million to continue to refurbish the radioactive liquid waste treatment facility at LANL
$10 million for an ion beam laboratory upgrade at Sandia
$189.0 million for clean up funding at LANL, to avoid missing milestones in the clean up consent agreement between the Department and the State
$220.34 million for WIPP

In addition at Bingaman’s urging the committee asked the Administrator of the NNSA and the Undersecretary for Science at the DOE to develop a long-term roadmap so that major facilities at NNSA sites such as the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center can be used for other DOE research program whether fundamental or the applied energy sciences.  Bingaman feels it is critical that the weapons laboratory begin to diversify their research portfolio as we draw down the stockpile, this roadmap will help with that diversification.

Finally, the bill contains a Bingaman amendment aimed at improving the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program.  EEOICPA, which Bingaman helped create in 2000, compensates Department of Energy employees for illnesses they developed because of their service.  In the amendment adopted in this bill, the Office of the Ombudsman is expanded to assist employees applying for compensation under Part B of EEOICPA.  Currently, the ombudsman can only assist employees applying under Part E. 

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman welcomed Ellen Weinstein of Las Cruces to Washington this July as part of a five week internship designed to educate students about the legislative process.

"Interns are an integral part of our office. We are delighted to have them join our team each summer and learn about important issues and the political process," Bingaman said.

Weinstein is a 2008 graduate of Mayfield High School and now attends the University of Michigan. As a political science and history major, Weinstein says she has always held a special interest in politics.

"I applied to this internship to gain more insight into the inner workings of the political system and to explore it as a future career path," Weinstein said.

During here internship, Weinstein worked in the Energy and Natural Resources, which Bingaman chairs. She added that the experience of working in the Senate "added to my drive and excitement about a possible career in politics."

Weinstein is the daughter of Dr. Gerry and Alice Weinstein.

To learn more about internships in Senator Bingaman's Washington and New Mexico offices please visit www.bingaman.senate.gov.

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman welcomed José Campos III of Santa Rosa to Washington this July as part of a five week internship designed to educate students about the legislative process.

"Interns assist our office in many different ways and we are grateful for the work they do for us. We hope that they have great experiences here and will want to come back to work in our office in the future," Bingaman said.

Campos is a sophomore at the New Mexico Military Institute Junior College.  He said he apply to the internship so he could "experience D.C. and a career in public policy." As a criminal justice major Campos hopes to work for the FBI in the future.

Campos is interning in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which Bingaman chairs.

Campos adds, "I made great friends through this internship and learned a lot about environmental policy. I think that any experience where you surround yourself with new people and new challenges is a valuable one."

Campos is the son of Representative Joseph and Christina Campos and a 2008 graduate of New Mexico Military Institute High School.

For more information on internship opportunities in Bingaman's Washington and New Mexico offices visit his website at www.bingaman.senate.gov.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded WESST an $800,000 grant to expand its business incubator in Albuquerque.

The grant, which comes through the Economic Development Administration, will be used to complete the east wing of the incubator and to expand the digital media studio.   The studio will be used for distance learning and training for businesses and employees across the state.

"WESST's business incubator does a terrific job getting businesses off the ground.  Even during these difficult economic times, the incubator is helping create good jobs in New Mexico," Bingaman said.

Since its opening in January, the WESST business incubator has helped six businesses housed in the building get up and running with three more expected to begin operations in the building shortly.  The businesses housed and supported through WESST employ 30 full-time employees.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman welcomed Abdullah Feroze of Roswell to Washington this July as part of a five week internship program designed to educate students about the legislative process.

Interns assist legislative assistants in key policy areas, give tours of the Capitol building to New Mexican visitors and relay constituents' concerns and requests to the Senator.

"Interns are a valuable addition to our office. It is wonderful to see young people engaged in politics and we want to encourage their interests," said Bingaman.

Feroze applied to the internship because "the Senate is a great place to be during the health policy debate, which I was most interested in learning about."   Feroze explains that "Senator Bingaman's status as a senior member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee made this office a very interesting and lively place to work".

Feroze is a senior at the University of New Mexico majoring in Biology and Economics. He is the son of Hamid and Amna Feroze. Feroze added that beyond his pursuits of attending medical school, the internship "reaffirms my interest in a career in public health policy".

To learn more about internship opportunities with Senator Bingaman's Washington and New Mexico offices please visit www.bingaman.senate.gov.

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman welcomed Paul Stauder of Silver City to Washington for a five week internship focusing on the legislative process.

Interns assist legislative assistants in key policy areas, give tours of the Capitol building to New Mexican visitors and relay constituents' concerns and requests to the Senator.

"The summer interns are a valuable addition to our office. It is wonderful to see young people engaged in politics and we want to encourage their interests," said Bingaman.

Stauder is a senior at Western New Mexico University and is majoring in business management with a minor in economics and Spanish.

Stauder applied to the internship because he wanted to "experience the inner workings of politics".  He added that his time in Washington showed him "how important it is to educate yourself about politics and stay informed about what's going on in your government".

Stauder is a 2003 graduate of Silver High School and is the son of Jim and Barbara Stauder.

For more information about internships with Senator Bingaman's New Mexico and Washington offices please visit www.bingaman.senate.gov. 

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman welcomed Conor Sanchez of Santa Fe to his Washington office as part of a five week internship program designed to teach young New Mexicans about the legislative process.

Interns assist legislative assistants in key policy areas, give tours of the Capitol building to New Mexican visitors and relay constituents' concerns and requests to the Senator.

"Interns are a valuable addition to our office. It is wonderful to see young people engaged in politics and we want to encourage their interests," Bingaman said.

Connor graduated in May 2009 from Occidental College with a B.A. in Diplomacy and World affairs and said he wanted to participate in the internship to experience working on Capitol Hill.

"I wanted to see how our Senators work to push the interests and concerns of New Mexicans in Congress," Conor said.

When speaking of his overall experience during his internship, Conor said that he learned "how hard Congressman work and how hard the staff work. They go way beyond what's expected of them. They care very deeply about the issues they're working on and it shows".

Conor is a graduate of Santa Fe High School and is the son of LeRoy and Hellen Sanchez.

For more information about internships with Senator Bingaman's Washington and New Mexico offices please visit www.bingaman.senate.gov.

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman welcomed four Albuquerque students to Washington for a five week internship this July to learn about the legislative process and the dynamics of the United States Senate.

Interns assist legislative assistants in key policy areas, give tours of the Capitol building to New Mexican visitors and relay constituents' concerns and requests to the Senator.

"Interns are a valuable addition to our office. It is wonderful to see young people engaged in politics and we want to encourage their interests" said Bingaman.

Lauren Harding, a 2008 graduate of Albuquerque Academy, is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania and is triple majoring in philosophy, politics and economics. She is the daughter of Dr. Michael and Janet Harding.

Harding applied to the internship seeking "first-hand experience of policy-making and knowledge of the political system." She added that the internship greatly added to her future because "the experience solidified my ambitions to work in public service."

Lindsey Frick said she wanted to intern in Bingaman's office due to her long-time interest in politics. A senior at Boston University, Frick is seeking a B.A. and a B.S. in business administration and marketing with a minor in advertising.

"I have a wide array of interests but I feel that internships are the perfect way to find out what you really want to do in the future," Frick said.

Frick added that she felt particularly inspired by the Obama administration and wanted to come to Washington to experience the change. She is a 2006 graduate of Sandia High School and the daughter of Richard and Rebecca Frick.

(From left to right: Van Snow, Lauren Harding, Lindsey Frick, Sen. Bingaman and Nora Lamm)

Nora Lamm said she wanted to intern with Bingaman's Washington office because she enjoyed interning at his Albuquerque office last summer. Lamm is a junior at Middlebury College majoring in Latin American Studies and Geography.

"Though my major focuses on International issues, I wanted to learn more about domestic politics because they are the way in which the world perceives our capability as a nation," Lamm said.

Lamm is a 2007 graduate of Bosque School and is the daughter of Terry and Nancy Lamm.

Van Snow said he applied to the internship because he knew "the Senate was going to be dealing with really important issues this summer and it was the right time to get involved".

Snow, a junior, and a history and philosophy major at the University of New Mexico, added that he "wanted to experience this feeling of opportunity and change that comes along with a new administration". Snow is a 2007 graduate of Albuquerque Academy and is the son of Ed Snow and Kelly Borns.

For more information about internships with Bingaman's Washington and New Mexico offices please visit www.bingaman.senate.gov.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is releasing $588,000 in federal funds he secured to purchase new buses in Los Alamos. Bingaman secured the funding in a fiscal year 2008 spending bill.

Atomic City Transit will use the funding to purchase four new buses to add to the fleet.

"This funding is an important investment in Los Alamos's transit systems," Bingaman said.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that Forest Service is releasing $11.06 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for upgrades to forest facilities and trails across New Mexico.

“New Mexico’s forests and trails attract visitors from around the country and are an important part of the state’s tourist economy,” Bingaman said.  “The stimulus funding released today will put people to work while investing in our state’s public lands.”

“Funding for these improvements to our forest facilities, trails and watersheds will allow for an increase in recreational opportunities like camping, fishing and hiking that New Mexicans treasure,” said Udall.  “It will afford us the resources to help preserve historic buildings and make additional improvements that will create jobs in many New Mexico communities and boost tourism to bring in additional revenue for the state.” 

$500,000 for construction at Cedro Trailhead in Bernalillo County:  Funding will be used to construct a new trailhead to provide access to the Cedro trail system. This trailhead would provide needed parking, a restroom, education and information signs, and picnic table sites for multiple trail users, including off-highway vehicles, equestrians, and mountain bikers.

$115,000 for Cimarron Campground water system improvements in Taos County:  Funding will be used to replace a leaking water line on an existing water system that serves the Cimarron Campground, Shuree Ponds day use site, and Shuree Lodge in the Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest.

$615,000 for phase I of the Mexican Canyon Trestle restoration project in Otero County:  Funding will be used to complete restoration of half of the Mexican Canyon Trestle. This will include the replacement of rotted and missing timbers and the stabilization of 6 additional bents of 22 total bents. A bent is one section of the trestle comprised of vertical posts and the associated cross members supporting the track.

$2.075 million for phase II of the Mexican Canyon Trestle restoration project in Otero County:  Funding will complete restoration of the Mexican Canyon Trestle and construction of all elements of the Trestle Recreation area and viewing deck.

$950,000 for maintenance of Forest Administrative Facilities in Taos County:  The project will involve maintenance and rehabilitation work on a variety of facilities such as the warehouse, office, campgrounds and historic structures. The project will improve the facilities and resolve safety and health issues by meeting building code requirements in the facilities for both the employees and the visiting public. The project will also preserve historic structures for future generations.

$100,000 for restoration to Old Shuree Log Cabin in Colfax County:  Funding will be used to restore the historic Old Shuree Cabin located on the Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest.

$285,000 for Jemez Falls Restroom Facility installation in Sandoval County: This project will replace all six buildings and restroom facilities to meet current environmental and accessibility standards.

$680,000 for Facility Site Improvements in Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe Counties:  The project will enhance visitor safety and health with bear-proof trash receptacles, replacement and improvements to water systems, fencing, and by adding host sites and tent pads in seven campgrounds forest-wide. It also includes constructing kiosks, fencing, restrooms and signage at dispersed camping areas and trailheads.

$835,000 for forest-wide restroom improvements in San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe Counties:  This is a Forest-wide restroom replacement project for seven campgrounds and three day-use facilities. These facilities are all quite old, do not meet accessibility standards, and are leaking

$100,000 for Wilderness District Recreation improvements in Grant County:  Funding will be used to reduce maintenance backlog at recreation sites and install facilities to expand recreational opportunities.

$120,000 for improvements to the Aldo Leopold Vista rest stop in Grant County: Upgrades to the facility consist of ADA accessible parking space and sidewalk to the bathrooms; rock barrier between restrooms and parking area to prevent shooting at windows; sidewalks and garbage can bases.

$140,000 to construct the Little Tesuque Restroom Facility and Shelter in Santa Fe County: The restroom has been damaged twice by vehicle collisions due to its location on a curve, is leaking, and does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act or Architectural Barriers Act standards. It needs to be moved away from the road and replaced with more modern equipment. The picnic shelter needs to be replaced to accommodate larger groups.

$1.5 million for restroom building replacement at forest campgrounds and picnic grounds in McKinley and Sandoval Counties:  This project replaces six flush restroom buildings at McGaffey Recreation Complex in McKinley County and two flush restroom buildings in Las Huertas Picnic Ground in Sandoval County with vandal-resistant buildings.  It will also benefit residents of the nearby communities of Gallup, Grants, and metropolitan Albuquerque who use these facilities

$350,000 for the Lincoln National Forest Trail maintenance backlog: Funding will allow the forest to maintain 50-70 miles of trail and install new or improved trail signs on all three ranger districts.

$260,000 for the Cibola National Forest Trail:  Funding will be used for maintenance and construction of trails in the Cibola National Forest. Trail maintenance includes trails managed for motorcycle and mountain bike use in the Cedro area in Bernalillo County with additional trail maintenance in the Sandia and Manzano Mountain, Apache Kid and Withington Wildernesses for hiking and equestrian use.

$100,000 for the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and Pecos Wilderness Trails in Taos County:  Funding will be used for trail maintenance on the Continental Divide Trail and trails in the Pecos Wilderness to insure visitor safety and resource protection. The trail maintenance work will include removing trees blown down on trails, improving drainage structures, trail signing, and providing informational and educational kiosks at trail heads.

$100,000 for Trail Bridge Replacement for Goose Lake Trail, Red River / Rio Grande Bridge and Trail 24 in Taos County:  Funding will be used to survey, design and construct a replacement trail bridge and supports for the Goose Lake Trail and for Trail 24 on the Pecos Wilderness.

$100,000 to identify, locate and interpret the Camino Real and Old Spanish National Historic Trails in Taos County:  Funding will be used to boost the local tourism economy in Northern New Mexico by providing more information about the region’s history.  The project involves conducting archival research and initial field work to validate the location of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, as well as providing interpretive information for both the Old Spanish Trail and the Camino Real Trail. Information kiosks would be constructed and installed at key points along the trails.

$1.196 million for 476 miles of trail maintenance in Catron, Grant and Sierra Counties: This project will significantly reduce the backlog of deferred trail maintenance on approximately 476 miles of trail.

$197,000 for trail maintenance on the Continental Divide in Catron County: The project involves the construction of 34 miles on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) through the northern end of the forest. The completion of the 34 miles will add to the approximately 230 miles of CDT on the forest.

$145,000 for forest-wide trail maintenance in Rio Arriba County: Funding would be used for repair and maintenance of trails damaged by heavy snow combined with high wind, which has caused considerable blowdown of trees and has increased the workload and cost of trail maintenance.

$100,000 for Dry Canyon Trailhead/Crossings in Otero County: This project will review and implement an existing site plan resulting in a significant improvement to recreation user safety and enjoyment, as well as a reduction in resource damage and littering caused by overuse of motorized traffic.

$250,000 for the interpretation, trail planning and design of the Mexican Canyon Trestle Overlook in Otero County: Funding will be used for the planning and design of a scenic overlook with parking, interpretive signs, and trail system for viewing the restored Mexican Canyon Trestle.

$250,000 for repair to Three Rivers Trail in Otero County:  Funding will be used to repair damage caused to the trail by Hurricane Dolly in 2008, and the subsequent flooding that followed.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the Aztec Municipal Airport will receive $175,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Funding will be used for reimbursement of administrative costs associated with the transfer of land from the Bureau of Land Management to the City of Aztec, which was needed by the airport for existing infrastructure.  The grant will also help with the design of the reconstruction of runway 8-26.

"I am pleased the funding released today will help Aztec make improvements at its airport," Bingaman said.

The Need for a Public Option

One key element of the debate we’ve been having is whether to create a so-called “public option” – a health care plan available to all Americans that ensures that there is at least one health insurance option for Americans that is affordable and would focus exclusively on providing meaningful care, not turning a profit. With my strong support, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved a bill which contains a robust public option described below:

• Run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Secretary of HHS would have the authority to negotiate provider payment rates that are no more than the local average private rates, which would help control costs. The government would provide funding for the first three months of the plan in order to get it up and running and make the public option available in all parts of the country. The funding would be repaid once the public option began operating.
• Public option would be one of the Gateway choices. The public option would be available to all Americans alongside private insurance options within the newly established health insurance “Gateways.”  .
• States would help tailor a public plan to their needs. Each state would create an Advisory Council to recommend strategies for quality improvement and affordability. This would allow states to implement strategies that would provide efficient, affordable care to their residents.
• Participation would be purely voluntary; Americans would have the choice of participating in the public option but there would be no obligation to do so.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio about health care reform legislation being debated in congress. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee's passage of a health care reform bill.

02:17 – Bingaman talks about the different interest groups that have an interest in the health care reform debate.

04:07 – Bingaman says opponent of health care reform continue to attack progress made in congress.

07:47 – Bingaman talks about funding in the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill for Los Alamos National Laboratory.

09:58 – Bingaman talks about the national health care reform debate.

13:42 – Bingaman talks about U.S. Interior Department's proposal to temporally suspend new mining claims on lands near the Grand Canyon National Park.

14:56 – Bingaman talks about hate crime legislation that is currently before the Senate.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that U.S. Department of Transportation is releasing $11.38 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for upgrades to Albuquerque’s bus system.

Funding will be used to enhance the operation of ABQ Ride – the city’s bus service.  Specifically, money will be used to purchase and install fare boxes and related technology on 72 buses; to purchase kiosks and related security equipment for several transit centers and part and ride lots; to upgrade between 350 and 450 bus shelters to include benches, lighting, and other improvements and to purchase four support vehicles.

“Many in Albuquerque depend on public transportation to get to and from work.  I am pleased the funding released today will make needed upgrades to help ABQ Ride continue to provide safe and reliable service to the community,” Bingaman said. 

“By helping Albuquerque improve its buses and bus stations, this Recovery Act funding will create jobs and give more New Mexicans a comfortable, convenient alternative to driving,” said Udall.

WASHINGTON – The New Mexico delegation today introduced a Congressional Resolution that recognizes Santa Fe’s historical significance as it celebrates its 400^th anniversary.

Rep. Ben Ray Luján introduced the resolution in the House of Representatives, with Reps. Martin Heinrich and Harry Teague as cosponsors. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall introduced the same measure in the Senate. 

“New Mexicans know how lucky we are to be home to Santa Fe and all its treasures. That is why I am proud to introduce this resolution with the entire New Mexico delegation calling on Congress and the people of the United States to recognize the historical significance of this special place,” Bingaman said.

“As the oldest capital city in the U.S., Santa Fe is steeped in a rich history, treasured by its residents and celebrated by visitors from around the world,” said Udall. “It gives me great pleasure to honor the City Different’s history by introducing this resolution with Senator Bingaman.”

“Congratulations to the City of Santa Fe on its 400^th anniversary,” said Luján. “The history of the city is marked with important cultural, economic and social achievements that have contributed greatly to our state and our country. It is my honor to recognize Santa Fe for this important milestone.”

“As the oldest capital city in North America, Santa Fe is nationally known for its rich cultural heritage, diversity, and picturesque surrounding wilderness. I join my fellow New Mexicans in celebrating the city of Santa Fe’s 400th Anniversary—remembering our past is the key to a brighter, more prolific future,” Heinrich said.

“Santa Fe has flourished as a city with rich cultural diversity and heritage for 400 years,” said Teague. “This anniversary recognizes our state’s capital city the oldest in our nation and I am proud to join my colleagues in celebrating this historic occasion.”

The resolution is as follows:

Whereas, before 1598 the Pueblos of the Rio Grande region of New Mexico inhabited the area now officially known as Santa Fe;

Whereas, from the first arrival of Spanish colonists in August of 1598, the Pueblos of the Rio Grande and adjoining regions of New Mexico provided support and sustenance to those colonists, which allowed the colonists to persevere at San Gabriel del Yunque, the first villa and capital of New Mexico located in the pueblo lands of Ohkay Owingeh;

Whereas, on March 30, 1609, the Viceroy of New Spain, Luis de Velasco II, upon receiving a royal proclamation from the King of Spain and Captain General of New Mexico, ordered Governor Pedro de Peralta to arrive in New Mexico before the end of 1609 and establish a villa at the site of what is now Santa Fe;

Whereas, some 70 years following the establishment of the Villa of Santa Fe, the Pueblos took up arms and forced the inhabitants of the villa to retreat to El Paso de Guadalupe in what was then Mexico;

Whereas, in 1692, the Spanish colonists began a return to the villa which, although initially peaceful, resulted in several armed conflicts lasting through 1696;

Whereas, following the repopulation of Santa Fe and reinstitution of the Spanish government in New Mexico, the Pueblos and Spanish colonists found ways to engage in mutual cultural interchange;

Whereas, over the following years, and despite intermittent disputes, the colonists and the descendants of the colonists formed alliances with the Pueblos and each accommodated the culture of the other, allowing Santa Fe to flourish;

Whereas, the peaceful acceptance of each other’s cultures continued through the conquest of New Mexico by the United States during the war with Mexico, contributed to the evolution of the cultural heritage of Santa Fe, and resulted in the recognition by the State and Federal governments of the sovereign rights of the Pueblos, including their rights to self-government;

Whereas, during 2009 and 2010, Santa Fe will proudly observe the 400th anniversary of its settlement and subsequent founding as a villa and the multicultural heritage of the city with suitable events and observances to commemorate the occasion and to pass on to future generations the heritage of Santa Fe and the surrounding region; and

Whereas, it is important that the commemoration provide a foundation for peace, hope and collaboration for Santa Fe and its surrounding communities, and a foundation to move forward as a flagship community within the State of New Mexico: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) recognizes the historical significance of the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico;

(2) recognizes the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Santa Fe; and

(3) encourages the people of the United States to observe the anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the federal government is releasing over $1.6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funding to support housing and economic development projects in New Mexico.

“This funding for communities across our state will help meet the housing needs of many in New Mexico, while creating much needed jobs,” Bingaman said.

“The Community Development Block Grant program is important to preserving and rehabilitating affordable housing infrastructure.  This funding will support New Mexico’s efforts in maintaining and improving public facilities and affordable housing in our hardest hit communities,” said Udall.

Funding was released through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, which primarily benefit low- to moderate-income families. CDBG enables state and local governments to undertake a wide range of activities intended to create suitable living environments, provide affordable housing and create economic opportunities. 

Funding will be distributed as follows:

• Albuquerque   $1.18 million
• Farmington      $116,504
• Las Cruces      $269,562
• Rio Rancho     $84,497

Mr. Bingaman:

Mister/Madam President, I rise today to introduce a bill commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  This bill is co-sponsored by Senator Udall and a companion bill will be introduced in the House by Representatives Ben Ray Luján, Martin Heinrich, and Harry Teague.

Over the next year the City of Santa Fe will commemorate the arrival of Spanish settlers and the designation of the City as the capital city of the Spanish territory now known as New Mexico.  On their arrival the Spaniards found a thriving Native American culture.  These Native American and Spanish cultures served to enrich each other and led the creation of a vibrant social, cultural, and financial center that made the settlement of the Western United States possible.

Despite the difficulties and periodic clashes the Spanish, Native American, and Anglo cultures in Santa Fe fought and worked to create a unique and vibrant culture that enriched all in the area.  It is this confluence of cultures and the incomparable natural beauty of the area that make Santa Fe, The City Different, an American treasure that should be recognized and celebrated.

Santa Fe is celebrated worldwide for its thriving artistic community, including the Santa Fe Opera, museums, and working artists.  Many of these artists were drawn to its natural beauty, the light and air of the place.  It is this special something that led artists like D.H. Lawrence and Georgia O'Keefe and countless others to visit and move to the area.

We in New Mexico know how lucky we are to have Santa Fe and its treasures the entire state stands with the City to commemorate its 400th anniversary. That is why I am proud to introduce this resolution with the entire New Mexico delegation calling on the Congress to recognize the historical significance of Santa Fe and calling on the People of the United States to observe the anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the bill be printed in the record

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that a key Senate committee today approved a landmark health care reform bill that works to contain rising health care costs, demands much more of health insurance plans, and expands coverage to millions of Americans who are uninsured.

Bingaman is a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee – the panel that approved its version of health care reform legislation today. He is also a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which will be writing its version of a bill as soon as next week.

“For millions of Americans, the health care system in place today is not working. In this landmark legislation we have a great framework for an improved system that reduces costs, requires more of health insurance plans, focuses on prevention, and ensures high quality and affordable heath care for all Americans,” Bingaman said of the HELP Committee bill.

Bingaman also emphasized that under this legislation Americans who are happy with their current health insurance plans can keep what they have.

But for those Americans who are uninsured and under-insured the bill represents a significant improvement. 

Under the insurance reforms in The Affordable Health Choices Act, no American can be denied health coverage because of a preexisting medical condition, or have that coverage fail to help them when they need it most. In addition, health insurance companies will be prohibited from charging sicker patients more for coverage.  No American will be subject to annual or lifetime limits on their coverage, or see it terminated arbitrarily to avoid paying claims.

Moreover, the bill reduces health care costs through stronger prevention, better quality of care and use of information technology. It also includes a national workforce Commission authored by Senator Bingaman that would provide comprehensive information about the nation’s healthcare workforce needs and the recommendations on how to align federal resources to meet these needs. It also roots out fraud and abuse, reduces unnecessary procedures and creates a system that allows everyone to obtain insurance thereby gaining access to doctors, medication and procedures essential for prevention and disease management. By sharing in this responsibility, these nearly 50 million uninsured Americans will avoid eleventh-hour treatment in emergency rooms that drive up costs for everyone else.

Shared responsibility requires that everyone - government, insurance companies, medical providers, individuals and employers - has a part in solving America’s health care crisis. The Affordable Health Choices Act requires those businesses which do not provide coverage for their workers to contribute to the cost of providing publicly sponsored coverage for those workers. It includes an exception for small businesses.

Here is a complete summary of the bill. 

Bingaman said he is particularly pleased with the provision of the bill that contains a so-called public option -- a health care plan available to all Americans receiving coverage in newly formed health insurance “gateways” that focuses exclusively on providing care, not turning a profit. The public option as outlined in the HELP Committee-passed bill is as follows:

Health and Human Services-based plan: The Community Health Insurance Option would be run by the Department of Health and Human Services. The government would provide funding for the first three months of claims as a way to capitalize it; this would be a loan to be repaid over time. This would make the public health insurance option quickly available in all areas of the country.

Plays by the same rules: The public option would be one of the Gateway choices. It would follow the same rules as private plans for defining benefits, protecting consumers, and setting premiums that are fair and based on local costs.

Provider payments and participation:

o Negotiated rates within limits: The payment rates paid by the public option would be no more than the local average private rates – but could be less.  The Secretary would negotiate these rates. 

o Input from Advisory Councils: Each State would create a Council of provider and consumers to recommend strategies for quality improvement and affordability. States would share in the savings that result.

o Purely voluntary: Health care providers and the American public would have the choice of participating in the public option; there would be no obligation to do so.

“Overall, I think this bill – including its strong public option – strikes the right balance. It’s a good bill for New Mexico,” Bingaman said. “I hope the legislation we ultimately send to the president this summer resembles this bill closely.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall announced today that a Carlsbad company has been awarded a contract through the U.S. Department of Energy to perform work at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

Constructors Inc. has been awarded $932,400 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to construct a new salt storage evaporation pond at WIPP.

"I am pleased the recovery funding released today will be used for work at WIPP and benefit a local Carlsbad business," Bingaman said.

"In this tough economic situation, I am pleased we are directing Recovery Act funding to create jobs by building important infrastructure like this Salt Storage Evaporation Pond at WIPP," said Udall. "This project will help continue to spur economic growth in the Carlsbad community."

Washington, DC – Tuesday, the New Mexico Congressional delegation announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has made $1,903,927.00 available for energy efficiency rebates for purchases of new ENERGY STAR qualified home appliances.   The funding was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“This appliance rebate initiative was written into law in 2005, but the Recovery Act is the first opportunity we’ve had to fund it.  By helping New Mexicans purchase energy-saving appliances, we will be stimulating the economy while reducing our nation’s energy consumption,” Senator Jeff Bingaman said.  Bingaman, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, worked hard to incorporate the appliance rebate into the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and helped ensure it was funded through the Recovery Act.”

“This $1.9 million in Recovery funding will help New Mexican families save money on their monthly electric bill and give them a rebate incentive to purchase energy efficient appliances that are good for our environment,” said Senator Tom Udall.

“These rebates will provide double savings to New Mexicans, both on the cost of the appliance and on their energy bills for the life of the appliance,” said Congressman Harry Teague.  “Heating and cooling our homes can account for as much as 46% of utility bills so savings on the purchase of energy efficient appliances continues beyond checkout.” 

“Efficient home appliances save energy and money,” said Congressman Martin Heinrich.  “This program encourages smart home improvement by offsetting the cost of replacing old appliances with more efficient models.  New Mexicans will save energy, lower utility bills, and stimulate the economy.”

“This program through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will make it easier for families to get energy saving appliances in their homes,” said Congressman Ben Ray Luján. “The program and these appliances will help save families money during these difficult economic times, while saving electricity.”

The new funding will be awarded to the state using a formula set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. 

10 percent of the funds will be awarded after submitting an initial application with the balance awarded after their program plans are approved.  DOE anticipates that substantially all funding will be awarded by November 30, 2009. 

Types of Appliances that can qualify for rebates:

·         Boilers

·         Central air conditioners

·         Clothes washers

·         Dishwashers

·         Freezers

·         Furnaces (oil and gas)

·         Heat pumps (air source and geothermal)

·         Refrigerators

·         Room air conditioners

·         Water heaters

Visit the Energy Star Website for more information about the program. 

Already this year, several major environmental provisions have been signed into law.  I included several accomplishments in the Public Lands Omnibus Bill that will have a significant, positive impact in New Mexico.  Among them are the following:

• Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Establishment Act: This created a new national monument out of over 5,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in the Robledo Mountains in Doña Ana County.  The Monument will protect and preserve wilderness that includes 290 million-year old fossilized animal tracks for further scientific investigation.
• Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area Act: Southern New Mexico's Snowy River contains a more than 4-mile long continuous calcite-crystal bed, believed to be the longest of its kind in the world.  This provision permanently protects the Snowy River and surrounding areas for future research and educational purposes.
• Sabinoso Wilderness Act: This legislation established 2 million acres of wilderness in nine states, including the Sabinoso Wilderness in San Miguel County.  This wilderness will preserve the unique landscape of this remote area for future generations to enjoy.

I also recently introduced a bill that would designate more conservation areas in northern New Mexico; the El Río Grande Del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act would preserve over 235,000 acres of public land in the upper reaches of the Rio Grande Gorge, protecting migratory corridors, elk wintering grounds, and other natural habitats.  Two other wilderness areas would be established in this bill—the Cerro del Yuta Wilderness, which  would protect Ute Mountain, and the Río San Antonio Wilderness, whose protections would include the majestic canyons created by the Río San Antonio.

Establishing wilderness areas are important to preserve wildlife and natural areas, but we must also help restore wilderness that has been damaged already.  I recently introduced a mining law that would modernize land and financial management practices in hardrock mining while also providing environmental provisions that would improve fish and wildlife habitat that have been adversely affected by hardrock mining, such as water and minerals reclamation.

I have been a committed advocate for our environment and New Mexico's natural wilderness for years, and I was honored to be recognized by The Wilderness Society with the prestigious Ansel Adams Award.

I continue to work for the important cause of protecting our nation's special places.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that New Mexico will receive $27.6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to help cover the costs of water and wastewater upgrades in communities across the state. The funding is coming through the Environmental Protection Agency.

The New Mexico Finance Authority will distribute $12.7 million in the form of grants and loans for drinking water projects and the New Mexico Environment Department will distribute $14.9 million throughout the state in grant funding for wastewater projects. 

“New Mexico communities will share nearly $28 million to fund significant water and wastewater projects that would otherwise likely have to be postponed because of the difficult economic climate,” Bingaman said.  “This necessary work will have the added benefit of providing work to New Mexicans.”

“New Mexico’s drinking water infrastructure and wastewater systems need investments to ensure that our communities have clean and quality sources of water, free from contamination,” said Udall. “These projects will help make important infrastructure improvements, create jobs in many communities, and make the best use of New Mexico’s limited water resources.”

A list of projects to be funded through these two grants is below:

Drinking Water Projects (Grants and Loans):

$252,500 for Village of Floyd to install treatment system for fluoride and arsenic,
$3.31 million for Town of Bernalillo to install arsenic treatment system
$454,500 for Dona Ana MDWCA to increase size of transmission lines
$1.97 million for Carlsbad to replace water lines
$2.11 million Farmington for Animas Street Waterline project
$590,000 Canjilon MDWCA for water supply well, water treatment
$2.02 million Carnuel MDWCA for storage reservoir, pump station, distribution lines
$2.02 million for Rio Rancho, reverse osmosis treatment for water well   

Wastewater Grant Projects:

$750,000 for City of Belen for collection system upgrades
$200,000 for the Village of Eagle Nest’s wastewater treatment plant lagoon 
$1.5 million for City of Elephant Butte for ewer collection lines and interceptors
$150,000 for Los Alamos County for an effluent reuse line 
$1.48 million for the Village of Logan’s wastewater treatment collection system
$1.17 million for the Village of Questa’s design and construct collection lines
$220,000 for the City of Raton’s wastewater collection system
$6.17 million for the Village of Ruidoso’s and the City of Ruidoso Downs’s expansion of wastewater treatment plant
$405,000 for San Miguel County wastewater treatment and collection
$1 million for City of Santa Rosa’s wastewater treatment facility upgrades
$600,000 for the Town of Silver City’s construct new digester cell
$1 million for City of Tucumcari wastewater treatment facility upgrades
$262,000 for Village of Wagon Mound to replace lagoon liner and effluent distribution system 

Some of these projects may also be funded through other federal sources, including regular EPA loans and U.S. Department of Agriculture grants or loans.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today joined Rep. Harry Teague in announcing that Holloman Air Force Base has been selected as home to two types of unmanned aerial vehicles used in military reconnaissance.

As a result of this announcement, Holloman is slated to receive 10 MQ-1s this year, and 12 next in 2010.  The base is also scheduled to receive five MQ-9s this year and 11 in 2010.   

"Unmanned aerial vehicles are playing an increasingly important role in our nation's ability to gather intelligence and perform surveillance.  I believe Holloman is the right place to locate this MQ-1 and MQ-9 training unit," Bingaman said.

"Holloman is an ideal location for unmanned aerial vehicle operations and I am pleased with the decision to base the training mission here.  I have every belief that the men and women at Holloman will ensure this mission is successful and will continue to provide dedicated service for our national defense," said Udall.

"The selection of Holloman Air Force Base to permanently house the MQ-1 and MQ-9 training units is not only great news for the base, but it is also great news for Alamogordo," said Teague.  "Being selected as the home for the UAV training units strengthens Holloman and further solidifies its mission to help keep America safe and secure and it will provide an economic boost to the Alamogordo community."

According to the Pentagon, the decision to locate the MQ-1/MQ-9 training unit at Holloman was made based on the completion of a favorable Environmental Impact Analysis required under the National Environmental Policy Act, which indicated no significant environmental impacts.  Other factors in the decision included the best combination of existing facilities, restricted airspace, cost effectiveness, mission compatibility and good weather.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked with New Mexico radio on a variety of topics. Bingaman's remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about funding for New Mexico in the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.

02:07 – Bingaman comments on the Judge Sotomayor's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

03:58 – Bingaman talks about stimulus funding for transit projects in Roswell and Carlsbad.

05:30 – Bingaman talks about funding in the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill for the Navajo-Gallup water pipeline project.

08:32 – Bingaman talks about a letter he wrote to USDA in support of the state's request for a natural disaster declaration for seven counties due to drought.

09:56 – Bingaman talks about climate change legislation that was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.

14:32 – Bingaman talks about how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is helping New Mexico.

16:41 – Bingaman talks about health care reform legislation being written in the Senate.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today introduced legislation that would expand a program that provides young people with job opportunities, while helping repair and restore the country's public lands. The bill also includes a provision authored by U.S. Senator Tom Udall to establish the Indian Youth Service Corps.

Bingaman's Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 expands on the existing Public Lands Corps by expanding the scope of corps projects to reflect new challenges such as climate change. Additionally, the bill would add incentives to attract new participants, especially from underrepresented populations, and paving the way for increased funding. Senator Tom Udall is a cosponsor of the bill.

"This bill expands on an already successful program that provides young American with educational and professional development opportunities, while helping restore our country's public lands," Bingaman said.

"This legislation will help ensure that future generations of young people can give back to their communities and gain important job and life skills by protecting our nation's natural heritage," said Udall. "This bill would also help address the needs of Native communities by allowing Tribes to develop their own corps projects."

Specifically the bill would do the following:

• Amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand the authority of the Interior and Agriculture Departments (including such agencies as the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service).
• Establishes an Indian Youth Service Corps so that Indian Tribes can start corps programs on Tribal lands to carry out priority projects determined by their communities.
• Authorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to participate in the program, which would allow Corps members to work on restoring coastal and marine ecosystems along our oceans and the Great Lakes.
• Authorizes the establishment of residential conservation centers, and encourages those centers to be built using solar and other green technology with the involvement of Corps participants.
• Expands the scope of eligible projects to include activities such as assisting -- historical and cultural research, scientists in field research, visitor services and interpretation.
• Authorizes the Secretary, in project areas where Corps members can reasonably be expected to live at home, to provide transportation to and from project sites.
• Allows agencies to provide noncompetitive hiring status for Corps participants for two years after completing service. Current law allows such status for only 120 days.
• Eliminates the $12 million authorization ceiling for the program, which would make the program eligible for increased funding.
• Age range for the program is 16-25, and participants may serve either in crews or as individuals.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today applauded the passage of a bill that contains million for New Mexico.

The Senate late Thursday approved the fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill; this measure will now be subject to a House-Senate panel, which will negotiate final legislation that can be signed into law.

The bill includes contains $20 million Bingaman and Udall requested for the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC) at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.  The program models every conceivable disaster and other simulations for disaster preparedness purposes.

The bill also contains $23 million the Senators secured for New Mexico Tech's National Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center.  New Mexico Tech is a member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which provides natural disaster preparedness training.

"This spending bill funds the very important work of the Border Patrol agents who secure our borders and the Customs officials who help advance commerce between the United States and Mexico," Bingaman said.

"The funding in this bill for the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC) ensures they will continue to provide critical research and expertise. NISAC is a perfect example of the diverse capabilities housed at Sandia and Los Alamos National Labs and highlights the work they do in many areas for our national security," said Udall. "We are also pleased there is critical funding to support New Mexico Tech's role in training our first responders and helping ensure public safety and preparedness in the event of any disaster."

Additional information on the bill can be found online at the Senate Appropriations website.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that New Mexico will receive $12.7 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for its State Energy Program.

Activities eligible for State Energy Program funding include energy audits, building retrofits, education and training efforts, transportation programs to increase the use of alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles, and new financing mechanisms to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy investments. 

“The Recovery Act is helping states take steps to improve energy efficiency and promote cleaner energy.  I’m confident New Mexico will put this funding to good use,” Bingaman said. 

“New Mexico will put this Recovery funding to good use by making sound investments in key energy areas including biofuels, residential weatherization and commercial energy efficiency projects,” said Udall. “In addition to creating jobs, these key initiatives will help bolster our energy security by taking steps to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

In March, the state also received $31.8 million in Recover Act funds for the state Energy Program.

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced today that the New Mexico Department of Children, Youth, and Families has been awarded $360,000 to help enforce underage drinking laws.

The funds will be used for innovative programs, evidence-based prevention and education strategies; statewide enforcement activities as well as media campaigns, public information initiatives and merchant education.

"This federal funding will be put to good use to protect our state's youth from the dangerous effects of underage drinking," said Bingaman.

The grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that U.S. Department of Transportation is releasing a total of $10.47 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for New Mexico transit projects.

“People throughout New Mexico depend on public transportation to get to and from work.  I am pleased that the stimulus funds released today will help provide New Mexico residents with a safe and reliable means of transportation,” Bingaman said. 

“As gas prices increase, the demand for modern, efficient and low-cost public transportation continues to grow,” said Udall. “Improving our transportation facilities around New Mexico will help ensure that our state can develop an up-to-date public transportation system to provide New Mexicans with the travel options they need.”??

Funds will be distributed as follows:

·         $ 790, 312 for the City of Farmington to purchase four 32-foot-replacement trolley-type buses to replace vehicles that have exceeded their useful life

·         $340,000  for the City of Roswell to purchase two buses and two vans

·         $96,250 for the Pueblo of Laguna to purchase an 8 passenger van with lift; bus shelter/garage for vehicles; and metal file cabinet for internal office files

·         $112,096 for the Village of Milan to purchase a 14 passenger van with lift; 19 bus shelters with installation; and 19 bus stop signage with installation

·         $173,900 for the Village of Angel Fire to purchase three 12 passenger buses with 4-wheel drive and signage

·         $383,000 for the City of Clovis to purchase two Entervans; Bus shed; storage units; Concrete Flooring; Security Cameras for Facility; and On-Board Surveillance and GPS equipment

·         $130,323 for the Ben Archer Health Center in Las Cruces to purchase three ADA vans 

·         $404,579 for the City of Carlsbad to purchase five vans; 30 bus stop signs; 30 posts; freight; paved parking area; and covered parking shelter

·         $286,200 for the Southwest Regional Transit District          to purchase two 15 passenger buses with lifts; bus benches and shelters; and bus stop signs

·         $200,000 for the City of Hobbs to purchase two 12 passenger vans with lifts; construction/installation of bus shelters; and bus stop signs

·         $133,923 for the Ruidoso Downs to purchase three 14 passenger with lifts and radios and base stations/mobile radios

·         $750,000 for Los Alamos County to purchase a 31 passenger bus; one low floor 40 ft hybrid bus; and eight passenger shelters

·         $767,500 for the Navajo Nation to purchase two 45 passenger buses; 15 bus shelters; dispatch console; five radios/GPS communication; and five surveillance systems

·         $260,486 for Na'Nizhoozhi Center, Inc. in Gallup to purchase four Startrans buses; 13 bus shelters; includes labor and materials; and signage

·         $160,044 for the Zuni Entrepreneurial Enterprises, Inc. to purchase a minivan with lift; van/bus with 4 wheel drive and lift; 15 bus shelters with installation; 15 bus stop signage with installation; desktop computer; printer and three desks, three chairs, two cabinets

·         $344,626 for Zia Therapy in Alamogordo to purchase two 25 pass buses w/lift; bus stop benches w/shade top; 45 rotating transit tubes for bus stops signs; two way radios/antennas/all cabling; and three flammable storage units

·         $76,400 for the City of Portales for 1-ST5 14 pass Candidate II High Top; and 1-PV5 6 walk-on Braun Para transit van

·         $81,600 for the City of Las Vegas  to purchase two Braun Para transit van PV5 with lift; a two way radio; and security cameras and monitoring system for transportation facility (interior/exterior ) as per safety and security recommendations - system consists of security cameras, DVR, monitors

·         $2.5 million for the Mid-Region Council of Governmentsfor the Santo Domingo transit facility

·         $400,000 for Sandoval County to purchase eight bus shelters and information board

·         $636,000 for the Rio Metro Transit District to purchase two 30 ft bus and two 40 ft bus  with lift, four bus shelters includes material, labor and maintenance

·         $130,323 for the South Central Council if Governments to purchase three ADA vans

·         $34,400 for the City of Socorro to purchase one Entervan uplander, six walk on vans and Bus Benches

·         $150,000 for the Town of Red River to purchase two small buses equipped with 4x4 and steel body each with lift

·         $507,500 for the Town of Taos to purchase four 20 passenger buses; a 10 passenger bus; six bus shelters and benches; two way radios

·         $72,200 for Torrance County to purchase one 15 passenger van w/lift;  security  fencing;  alert/alarm system and telecommunication equipment

·         $44,337 for Golden Spread in Union County to purchase one 13 passenger van with lift; a PV3 12 passenger van no lift; sign for building

·         $128,245 for the Town of Belen to purchase three shuttle buses, 15 passenger with lift and fare box; 10 shelters; 25 benches; and a computer and printer

·         $110,000 for the Town of Los Lunas to purchase a 25 passenger bus with lifts; and a 15 passenger van with lift

·         $2,789 for the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Park and Ride

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the Environmental Protection Agency is releasing $1.5 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to help with the cleanup of petroleum leaks from underground storage tanks.

“Leaks in underground petroleum storage tanks can have a devastating effect on the environment.  Petroleum can seep into underground drinking water and become a public health problem.  The funding released today by the EPA will help New Mexico with its cleanup efforts,” Bingaman said.

“This funding will put people to work and provide long-term protections to New Mexicans from the dangers of petroleum fuel leaking into the soil and contaminating drinking water,” said Udall, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.  “By initiating this cleanup process we can prevent potential hazards and help ensure New Mexico has safe drinking water for our citizens.”

The funds will be used for overseeing assessment and cleanup of leaks from underground storage tanks or directly paying for assessment and cleanup of leaks from federally regulated tanks where the responsible party is unknown, unwilling or unable to finance the cleanup.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today joined in introducing two bills aimed at improving the quality of public education in New Mexico and across the country.

Bingaman today cosponsored the Time for Innovation Matters in Education (TIME) Act, which promotes partnerships between schools and community-based organizations to carry out expanded learning models and encourage broad learning opportunities.  It would provide funds to lengthen the school day or year so that students receive adequate time in the classroom to master core academic subjects as well as subjects such as music and physical education.  The TIME Act authorizes $350 million in 2010 and similar levels of funding in future years.

"Students in other parts of the world receive up to 30 percent more time in the classroom to learn challenging academic subjects and access a broad and rich curriculum.  By helping schools increase the length of the school day or year and partner with community-based organizations to develop creative approaches to education services, this bill would allow American students to remain competitive globally and prepare for the jobs of the future," said Bingaman.

Bingaman today also cosponsored the Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged (Keeping PACE) Act, which supports strong partnerships between schools, families, and communities.  The bill authorizes $130 million annually for Title I schools to hire parent and community outreach coordinators to help families become more involved in their child's education.  It also authorizes $78 million to fund community-based organizations that deliver, in partnership with schools, integrated student supports such as health and counseling services, dropout prevention, and tutoring.  Finally, the bill authorizes $52 million in incentive grants to encourage the innovative use of schools to deliver, expand, and coordinate services for children and their communities.

"Encouraging parents and communities to engage in children's education will have a very positive impact on our public schools, and help school districts tackle difficult problems like our nation's high dropout rate," Bingaman said.

Bingaman is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is responsible for writing and overseeing federal education laws.  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today applauded a spending bill working its way through the Senate for the level of funding it provides to New Mexico’s two national laboratories, and to a variety of key water-related projects.

The Senate’s version of the 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill cleared its Senate Appropriations Subcommittee and is now ready for full committee consideration. 

The measure contains $30 million for upgrades to the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) – the only machine in the country that can do a series of diagnostic tests to ensure our nuclear stockpile is safe and secure. The White House had recommended zeroing out funding for these necessary upgrades. But the New Mexico senators have been weighing in with both the Obama administration and Senate appropriators writing the Energy and Water spending bill, and are pleased that they are winning support for the facility.

“Delaying upgrades to LANSCE would have had a serious impact on our stockpile stewardship program, making it very difficult to eventually ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. LANSCE also supports key non-classified scientific research in the areas of medicine and energy. For all these reasons, I’m very glad we’re on the way to securing the funding needed to support LANSCE,” Bingaman said.

“I am extremely pleased that the unique and vital capabilities of the LANSCE facility at LANL are recognized in the Senate Energy and Water Committee’s Appropriations bill,” said Udall. “Senator Bingaman and I have been working to ensure that our nation will continue to benefit from the capabilities utilized at LANSCE and this is an encouraging step forward in the process.”

The bill also contains $6.47 billion for National Nuclear Security Administration, which funds the stockpile stewardship program performed by Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories.    

OTHER LAB RELATED FUNDING

LOS ALAMOS

·         $204 million for environmental cleanup, up $15 million above the President’s request to help meet New Mexico consent order milestones

·         $98 million for Chemistry and Metallurgy Facility Replacement Project, up $43 million over President’s budget request 

WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PROJECT

·         $234.3 million for WIPP, $15 million from the president’s budget request. The additional funding will upgrade and replace safety systems at WIPP. 

MISC.

·         $750, 000 for the Center of Excellence and Hazardous Waste Materials at Carlsbad for advance biofuels research

·         $750,000 for technology transfer and commercialization at Department of Energy laboratories performed by the Technology Ventures Corporation in Albuquerque 

WATER FUNDING

Animas-La Plata Project - $54,188,000 to continue progress on the project components that benefit New Mexico, including the Navajo Nation.  

Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program - $160,000 for continued data collection relating to ecological health in the Middle Río Grande.

Chimayo Mutual Domestic Water Association - $500,000 to construct storage tanks, develop additional groundwater supplies, and extend water lines for the regional water system.  

Eastern New Mexico Investigations Program - $50,000 for planning associated with improved water management in the Pecos and Canadian River basins in Colfax, Mora, Harding, San Miguel, Quay, Guadalupe and DeBaca counties.

Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System - $500,000 for design and construction of intake structure at Ute Reservoir for the Ute pipeline project.

Jicarilla Apache Rural Water Project - $5.0 million to continue to repair and replace the drinking water delivery and wastewater system on the Jicarilla Reservation. 

Middle Rio Grande Project $23,910,000 to continue work on project operations relating to water delivery and continued participation in the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act Collaborative Program. 

Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project - $7.8 million for planning, design, and construction of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, including the Cutter Lateral Regional System and the Gallup Regional System.

Navajo Nation Investigations Program - $200,000 to support water supply planning efforts within the Navajo Nation in cooperation with other agencies.

Pecos River Basin Water Salvage Project - $209,000 for continued removal of invasive plants and for an analysis of the effects of such removal.

Rio Grande Project - $4,999,000 for the ongoing operations of the Rio Grande Project which benefits the Elephant Butte Irrigation District in New Mexico. 

Southern New Mexico/West Texas Inv. Program - $150,000 to analyze water supply options for irrigation and municipal uses in the Las Cruces, El Paso and Juarez areas. 

Tucumcari Project - $41,000 for expenses associated with operation of Conchas Dam and Reservoir northwest of Tucumcari. 

Upper Colorado River Operations Program - $250,000 to support the ongoing activities relating to management of the Colorado River system which benefits the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and the San Juan – Chama Project which serves water users such as the City of Albuquerque and Santa Fe and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.

Upper Rio Grande Basin Investigations - $75,000  to support investigations involving the Rio Grande water supplies in coordination with the States of Colorado and New Mexico and other water users.

Corps of Engineers

Abiquiu Dam - $3,305,000 – for continued management activities at Abiquiu Dam and Reservoir.

Acequias Irrigation System - $500,000 to continue construction and rehabilitation work for acequias throughout the State.

Alamogordo - $4,200,000 to construct and repair diversion channels and prevent flood damage. 

Cochiti Lake - $6,876,000 for continued management activities at Cochiti Lake.

Conchas Lake - $1,796,000 for continued management activities at Conchas Lake.

Grants Drainage Management Plan - $56,000 to evaluate drainage options. 

Galisteo Dam - $591,000 to operate and maintain Galisteo Dam.

Jemez Canyon Dam - $756,000 to operate and maintain Jemez Canyon Dam.

Middle Rio Grande Flood Protection, Bernalillo to Belen - $800,000 to repair and replace existing levees and create wetlands.

Rio Grande Basin, NM, CO & TX – $120,000 to improve water conveyance efficiencies and address ecosystem degradation and flooding throughout the Rio Grande Basin which includes over 160,000 square miles from Colorado, through New Mexico to Texas.

Rio Grande Floodway, San Acacia To Bosque Del Apache - $800,000 for maintenance and retoration of the Rio Grande floodway.

Santa Fe - $228,000 to conduct a watershed study to analyze flood damage potential and ecosystem restoration potential for the Santa Fe area.

Santa Rosa Dam and Lake - $1,099,000 for operation and maintenance of Santa Rosa Dam and Lake.

Southwest Valley Albuquerque - $4.0 million to repair drains and prevent flooding in the South Valley of Albuquerque.

Two Rivers Dam - $404,000 for repairs and maintenance of the Two Rivers Dam in the Roswell area.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that two New Mexico organizations will benefit from funding being awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority will receive $50,000 through HUD's HOME Technical Assistance program, which helps communities implement housing strategies that lead to more affordable housing in their area.  Strategies include making lower income homes more energy efficient, promoting employer-assisted housing and encouraging private involvement in the development of affordable housing.

The New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness will receive $15,000 though HUD's  Homeless Technology Assistance program, which helps implement strategies that result in permanent housing solutions for persons and families without a home of their own.

"This funding will help address many of the issues that lead to homelessness and get New Mexicans into safe, affordable housing," Bingaman said. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that six Native American communities in New Mexico will share nearly $5 million for water improvements. Funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Environmental Protection Agency and the Indian Health Service.

“This nearly $5 million investment of stimulus funding will be used to improve water infrastructure in six communities in New Mexico. It will create good jobs in the short term, and provide long-lasting quality of life improvements in communities where they are badly needed,” Bingaman said.

“Investing in the essential water infrastructure systems for these tribes will improve public health and help keep these communities clean,” said Udall, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. “In addition, we will succeed in creating new construction jobs to complete these needed projects.”

Funds will be distributed as follows:

Mescalero Apache Tribe $991,700 for drinking water main improvements
Pueblo of Picuris $15,600 for water service line replacements and $989,580 for wastewater treatment improvements
Pueblo of Laguna $487,500 for new construction of a waterline
Pueblo of Acoma $350,400 for waterline replacement project and $631,250 for a pilot project using waterless toilets
Pueblo of Zia $462,500 wastewater system improvements
Pueblo of Nambe $1.01 million for wastewater system improvements

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today urged U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to quickly approve New Mexico's request for a natural disaster declaration for seven counties due to severe drought and high winds.

In a letter to Vilsack, the Senators said that since last October farmers and ranchers in Otero, Lincoln, De Baca, Roosevelt, Lea, Eddy and Chaves counties have continued to suffer losses due to dry weather.  A disaster declaration would help provide access to federal disaster assistance.

"Producers in these Southeast New Mexico counties have suffered significant physical and production losses to agriculture due to high temperatures, high winds, and prolonged lack of precipitation.  Hay, pasture, and forage crops have been most acutely affected.  According to last week's Agriculture Statistical Service reports, 70 percent of range and pasture lands in the state are rated poor or very poor.

"In light of ongoing losses and the possible long-term impacts of the drought, we urge you to take prompt action to the state's request that the counties of Otero, Lincoln, De Baca, Roosevelt, Lea, Eddy and Chaves be declared primary disaster areas," the letter states.

The most recent U.S. Drought Monitoring shows all of Southeastern New Mexico under moderate or severe drought conditions.  In addition, 100 percent of the state's dry winter wheat crop and 80 percent of dry sorghum are rated poor or very poor.  Through the first six months of this year, the City of Roswell in Chaves County has received only 0.72 inches of rain, 85 percent below normal.  Also, as a result of the drought, extreme fire danger exists across most of the state.  Recent rains have been isolated and insufficient to relieve the ongoing dry conditions that are forecasted to continue into the summer months.

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked about health care and other issues with New Mexico radio. Bingaman’s remarks can be retrieved and followed:

00:00 – Bingaman talks about health care reform legislation being written in the Senate.

01:44 – Bingaman talks about climate change legislation that was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.

05:20 – Bingaman talks about the coverage portion, which he leading the effort on, of the health care bill being drafted in the Senate.

09:46 – Bingaman talks about talks about a briefing he will be attending with Secretary Ken Salazar on how Americans engage with and value the nation’s land and water resources and the recreational opportunities they provide. 

16:35 – Bingaman says Al Franken will be a great addition to the U.S. Senate.

SANTA FE – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today praised the health insurance coverage proposal unveiled by the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee aimed at helping containing health care costs and expanding coverage to uninsured Americans.

The HELP Committee is in the process of writing health care reform legislation. Next week, it will consider the full coverage proposal including the "public plan” health insurance option. The public plan would be established and overseen by the federal government, and made available to all Americans.

The primary purpose of a public plan is to ensure that there is at least one health insurance option for Americans that is affordable and that would provide meaningful care. By leveraging competition, the public plan would also serve as another safeguard against unscrupulous insurance practices.

"This strong public option proposal will ensure that there is real competition between public and private insurance plans. It is an important safeguard, the goal of which is controlling escalating health care costs and extending coverage to millions of Americans for whom health insurance has been out of reach," Bingaman said.

Details of the plan and explanation of why it is an importing cost savings tool follow:

Summary:

• HHS-based plan: The Community Health Insurance Option would be run by the Department of Health and Human Services. The government would provide funding for the first three months of claims as a way to capitalize it; this would be a loan to be repaid over time. This would make the public health insurance option quickly available in all areas of the country.

• Plays by the same rules: The public option would be one of the Gateway choices. It would follow the same rules as private plans for defining benefits, protecting consumers, and setting premiums that are fair and based on local costs.

• Provider payments and participation:

o Negotiated rates within limits: The payment rates paid by the public option would be no more than the local average private rates – but could be less.  The Secretary would negotiate these rates.   

o Input from Advisory Councils: Each State would create a Council of provider and consumers to recommend strategies for quality improvement and affordability. States would share in the savings that result.

o Purely voluntary: Health care providers and the American public would have the choice of participating in the public option; there would be no obligation to do so.

Why It Will Make Health Care Affordable

• Pooled purchasing power: This public option can pool the purchasing power of its enrollees nationwide to leverage lower prices to compete with private plans. Similar negotiation power has been used by states to get drug rebates in Medicaid beyond the statutory minimum. It has been used by large businesses to drive delivery system change. This negotiation would be backed by a ceiling of paying no more than average local rates.

• Flexibility and incentives to innovate: Unlike administered pricing, the negotiation for payment rates gives the Secretary the ability to quickly and aggressively promote payment policies that promote quality and best practices. In addition, the State Advisory Councils would tailor delivery system reform for the public option, with a financial bonus for success.

• Lower administrative overhead: The public option would not need to raise premiums to support shareholder profits and extensive marketing.   

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the U.S. Department of Education is releasing $19.12 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

"In these difficult economic times, we must do whatever we can to prevent cuts to school budgets. This funding will allow New Mexico to give school districts the