Politics

Luján: Republican Piecemeal Funding Bill Picks Winners and Losers, Would Still Leave Lab Employees Furloughed

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District spoke today on the House floor on the importance of swiftly passing a clean funding bill that will end the government shutdown, fund the national laboratories, and ensure that lab employees are not furloughed. 

House Republicans are bringing up piecemeal bills that fund portions of the federal government, but fail to provide full funding to end the shutdown. Below are Luján’s remarks on the floor. Click here to watch his speech.

“Mr. Speaker, Read More

N.M. Delegation Working to Protect Federal and Lab Workers Hurt by Shutdown

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STATE News:
  • Urges DOE to compensate national lab employees for back pay if furloughed because of shutdown

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham are working to ensure that federal workers in New Mexico are not financially hurt in the long-term by the federal government shutdown.

New Mexico is home to roughly 27,000 federal workers, and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) employ an additional 18,000 New Mexicans.

All four lawmakers are strong supporters of the Federal Employee Read More

Letter to the Editor: Congress Needs to Act on Clean Continuing Resolution to Fund Government

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By Ben Ray Luján
Member of Congress

I want to thank Mr. Redman for his letter concerning the need to take action to end the government shutdown. I could not agree more that Congress needs to act on a clean continuing resolution to fund the government. It is long past time that the House of Representatives votes on such a measure. Even before House Republicans caved to the Tea Party demands to shut down the government, I advocated for a clean vote that would have kept the government open and allowed Congress to do its work without furloughing thousands of New Mexican workers or delaying vital services Read More

Letter to the Editor: It’s Time for Luján to Take Action

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By JIM REDMAN
Los Alamos
 
In response to: “Luján: It’s Time House Republicans End Political Games, Allow Vote to End Shutdown” (Oct. 5 ladailypost.com)
I’m excited that not only is U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján in favor of re-opening the US government but has been presented with an opportunity to advance a solution. This also allows him to ensure that government workers, including those he mentions at LANL and Sandia are not “adversly affected by the continuing budget impasse.”

I would urge the Congressman to promptly support the introduced “discharge Read More

Luján Wants LANL Employees Compensated if Furloughed Due to Government Shutdown

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District spoke today on the House floor in support of H.R. 3223, legislation that ensures furloughed federal employees retroactively receive their pay.

During his remarks, Luján highlighted that it is the intent of Congress to also support contract employees at the national laboratories.

In addition, he submitted into the Congressional Record a letter he is sending Department of Energy Secretary Earnest Moniz to emphasize that fact.  Below are Luján’s remarks as Read More

Luján: It’s Time House Republicans End Political Games, Allow Vote to End Shutdown

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District released the following statement on the government shutdown and House Republicans’ refusal to allow a vote on the Senate-passed Continuing Resolution:

“Enough is enough. New Mexico families are hurting as workers have been off the job for days and critical services have been delayed. It is long past time for Congress to act to end the government shutdown and make sure that the employees who have been furloughed through no fault of their own are made whole. It is long past time Read More

Heinrich on Thursday’s Capitol Hill Incident

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Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., was in his office in the Hart Senate Building in Washington. D.C., Thursday when gunshots were reported. The Senator and the few staffers who were working quickly followed procedure, locking the doors and gathering in a designated secure place in the office, while the police worked to secure the area, Heinrich said in a statement. Unaccounted for staff were contacted and told to stay away from the building.
“On behalf of everyone in my office, I want to thank the Capitol Police and our first responders for the risks
Read More

Letter to the Editor: Voice Opposition to Shutdown

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By Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard
Los Alamos
 
Whether or not you agree with the Affordable Care Act, the viability and sustainability of Los Alamos and LANL depend on a continuing resolution to be passed and a budget approved.
 
This issue is beyond partisan politics and threatens thousands of families in Los Alamos and the surrounding area. I am speaking with our federal delegation and urging them to continue to press their fellow members until Congress restarts the federal government. 
 
Los Alamos and our entire region depend on a predictable federal budget process,
Read More

Governor Joins New Mexico Kindergarteners in World Record Reading Attempt

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STATE news:

Santa Fe – Gov. Susana Martinez will join students in Santa Fe today to participate in the national “Read for the Record” Event.

Martinez and the students will join millions of others in reading the same book, on the same day to promote literacy and attempt to break the current world record.

For the last two years, Martinez and students in New Mexico have participated in breaking the world record for adults reading to children in a single day. Read More