Elected in 2012, Martin Heinrich is a United States Senator for New Mexico. Heinrich serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources, Appropriations, Intelligence, and Joint Economic Committees.
With a background in engineering, Heinrich brings a unique perspective to the Senate, where he is focused on creating the jobs of the future and confronting the climate crisis. He is a strong advocate for working families, a staunch ally of Indian Country, and a champion for New Mexico’s public lands and growing clean energy economy.
Senator Heinrich is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Military Construction (MILCON), Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, which oversees funding for new military construction and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The state is home to several military installations – Kirtland Air Force Base, Holloman Air Force Base, Cannon Air Force Base, Fort Bliss, and White Sands Missile Range – two major national laboratories – Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories – and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Through his role on the committee, Heinrich has fought to ensure our military installations have all of the modern facilities they need to execute their national security missions, and to secure all the resources and funding the VA needs to keep America’s promise to our service members and their families when they return home as veterans. Senator Heinrich also serves on the following Appropriations Subcommittees: Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; and Legislative Branch. New Mexico plays a pivotal role in our national security.
An avid sportsman and conservationist, Heinrich works to protect New Mexico’s public lands, watersheds, and wildlife for future generations. He worked with local communities to designate the Río Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monuments. Heinrich also led the effort to create the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah and Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Areas, open up public access to the Sabinoso Wilderness, establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Los Alamos, and transition the Valles Caldera National Preserve to National Park Service management. Heinrich serves as a member of the Migratory Bird Commission, where he helps approve grants to restore and conserve essential wildlife habitat. Heinrich has worked to pass legislation to upgrade Bandelier and White Sands National Monuments into new national parks. He is also leading the effort to pass bipartisan sportsmen’s legislation to extend key conservation programs and improve public access to public lands for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation.
With its abundance of solar and wind resources and energy research hubs, New Mexico can lead the way in combating the devastating effects of climate change and modernizing our nation’s electrical grid. In 2015, Heinrich helped negotiate the long-term extension of renewable energy tax credits that support New Mexico’s growing clean energy industries. Heinrich introduced legislation to prepare New Mexico’s workforce for good-paying clean energy jobs. He has also supported the development of renewable energy projects on public and tribal lands, the adoption of innovative energy storage and battery technologies, and improvement to the security of our nation’s energy infrastructure.
To build a brighter economic future, Heinrich believes in investments in communities and the next generation of New Mexicans. Heinrich supports major investments in early childhood education, public schools, and health care. He introduced the bipartisan Two Generation Economic Empowerment Act to help states like New Mexico coordinate programs across human services, workforce development, education, and health care agencies so they can work more effectively to put parents and children on the path to success. He has also long championed strengthening the education pipeline for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers for all students including women and minorities.
Heinrich supports legislation to keep our promise to veterans, raise the federal minimum wage, close the gender wage gap, reduce the burden of student loan debt, ensure LGBTQ Americans have equal rights under federal law, and prevent violence against women. Representing a diverse border state, Heinrich is a leading voice for fixing our nation’s broken immigration system, meeting the security needs of border communities, and creating jobs by attracting more trade through New Mexico’s ports of entry. He has also introduced legislation to boost technology transfer and foster collaboration between New Mexico’s national laboratories, local businesses, and research institutions to help turn innovative technologies and materials developed in New Mexico into commercial businesses with great potential to grow and create jobs.
Heinrich is also a leader in protecting American constitutional liberties. As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, he was an original cosponsor of the USA FREEDOM Act, a law passed in 2015 that ended the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone and other records and ensured more accountability and transparency from the government surveillance agencies. Heinrich strongly supported the release of the Intelligence Committee’s report on the CIA’s detention and interrogation program during the Bush administration, and he continues to support reforms to prevent the future use of torture.
Heinrich is a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, Senate Outdoor Industry Caucus, Senate Climate Action Task Force, Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, Senate Democratic Hispanic Task Force, National Service Congressional Caucus, Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus, and the founder of the Congressional Directed Energy Caucus and the Senate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Caucus.
Prior to being elected to the U.S. Senate, Heinrich served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the House, Heinrich voted to cut taxes for the middle class, worked to make college more affordable, improved benefits for veterans, opposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and championed the DREAM Act as an original cosponsor. Heinrich authored the HEARTH Act to remove barriers to homeownership for American Indian families and led the effort in Congress to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Heinrich secured language in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010 that prohibited the retirement of the 150th Fighter Wing from Kirtland Air Force Base, which helped preserve 1,000 jobs.
Before he was elected to Congress, Heinrich served four years as an Albuquerque City Councilor and was elected as City Council President. During his time on City Council, Heinrich championed successful efforts to raise the city minimum wage, address crime through community policing, support local small businesses, make Albuquerque a leader in energy and water conservation, and fought for campaign finance reform. He also served as New Mexico’s Natural Resources Trustee, working to conserve the state’s outdoor heritage.
After completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Missouri, Heinrich and his wife, Julie, moved to Albuquerque where he began his career as a contractor working on directed energy technology at Phillips Laboratories, which is now Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base. Heinrich later served in AmeriCorps for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and was the Executive Director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation. He also led the Coalition for New Mexico Wilderness and founded a small public affairs consulting firm.
Heinrich’s principled leadership is driven by his working-class upbringing, his wife, Julie, his two sons, and the people of New Mexico.
AGRICULTURE
New Mexico’s farmers, dairy producers, and ranchers help drive the state’s economy and are an integral part of our history. Many growers in New Mexico come from families who have cultivated their land for generations. Today, however, challenges such as water shortages and wildfires have made farming more difficult.
I am strong proponent and cosponsor of the Senate’s bipartisan farm bill, which helps provide certainty for rural New Mexico and boosts our state’s dynamic agriculture economy. The farm bill includes federal funding for important programs in New Mexico including soil and water conservation, rural economic development, drought and disaster assistance, renewable energy, and food and nutrition programs.
JUSTICE AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
Our civil rights and liberties are only real if every American benefits from them equally.
From fighting for LGBTQ+ equality and increasing transparency and accountability in government, to reforming our broken immigration system, protecting your right to privacy, closing the gender wage gap, and reducing sexual and domestic violence, I will work to safeguard the rights of all New Mexicans.
During my time in the Senate, I have also worked to rein in the NSA’s pervasive and constitutionally flawed domestic surveillance activities and adopt reforms that protect privacy while ensuring American security.
Together, we will create a fairer, more just future for our children.
CONSERVATION
New Mexicans’ livelihoods are rooted in our open spaces. Our public lands are where locals and visitors alike go to find the biggest elk, the best camping spot, the most challenging single track, or the greatest fishing hole.
Outdoor traditions on our public lands are not only at the core of New Mexico’s way of life: they also fuel our economy and create much needed jobs–especially in rural communities. Outdoor recreation activities in New Mexico generate $9.9 billion annually in consumer spending and are also directly responsible for 99,000 jobs.
To ensure our public lands remain an economic engine, we must continue to protect our air from pollution, conserve our precious water resources, and work to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change. I am committed to protecting our public lands, watersheds, and wildlife for our children and all future generations to enjoy.
ECONOMY AND JOBS
Too many people in Washington, D.C. think that if the stock market is going up, the economy is in good shape. But that’s not the reality for working families. The way we should measure the success of the economy is if parents can afford to send their kids to college, entrepreneurs can start new businesses, and workers are able to retire with peace of mind.
As a member of the Joint Economic Committee, I am focused on building an economy that works for everyone—not just a select few. My number one priority is not only continuing to grow our economy, but also ensuring that we create good jobs that pay workers a fair and livable wage.
From making college affordable, to strengthening our nation’s infrastructure, to growing our diverse, high-tech, advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries, I remain deeply committed to strengthening New Mexico’s middle class. We must restore the basic bargain on which this country was built – that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead. I won’t stop fighting until every New Mexican who is willing to work hard to support their family and their community can find a job that supports them.
EDUCATION
Students in New Mexico represent a bright future for our state. We must ensure that every student has access to a quality education, regardless of their background or zip code, their ethnicity or religion, or their gender or sexual orientation.
As a father of two public school students, I believe that all children deserve an opportunity to benefit from a great public education. We must ensure that every student has access to an education that will put them on the path to success—from early childhood through higher education. I was proud to support the Every Student Succeeds Act, which puts education decisions back in the hands of districts, school boards, and states, while maintaining important federal civil rights protections.
Earning a college degree shouldn’t be a luxury, but something that every family can afford. In the Senate, I have cosponsored legislation to keep federal student loan interest rates low and make community college free for two years. We must make sure New Mexicans can learn skills they need to succeed in the workforce without having to take on crippling debt. I introduced the Degrees Not Debt Act to increase the Federal Pell Grant and hold states and universities accountable for reducing costs and improving student outcomes.
As one of the few engineers in Congress, I’ve always had a special commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Building the STEM pipeline will help us develop a strong, skilled workforce in New Mexico for the jobs of the future. Many companies in high-tech fields have demand for skilled workers that exceeds the available workforce. I have introduced the bipartisan Championing Apprenticeships for New Careers and Employees in Technology (CHANCE in Tech) Act to provide workers from all backgrounds with apprenticeships in computer science and information technology, where they can learn the skills and knowledge they need to fill good-paying tech jobs.
I will continue to work to ensure higher education is affordable and within reach for every student in New Mexico, and that educators have the resources, training, and support they need to help students succeed.
ENERGY
New Mexico, with its abundant wind and solar resources, can and should be at the center of America’s clean energy economy. If we make bold and pragmatic decisions now, we can bring thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars of investment to communities across our state. I’m committed to making that brighter future a reality.
To mitigate the devastating effects of climate change, our nation must reduce carbon pollution and continue to invest in clean energy production, energy efficiency, and energy storage. I support implementing energy efficiency initiatives to help our nation do more with the power we have.
I was proud to lead a bipartisan group of lawmakers that passed an energy agreement to stimulate robust investments in clean energy production through multi-year extensions of clean energy tax incentives.
Transitioning to clean energy sources and making America energy independent not only creates jobs. It also helps reduce our dependence on foreign oil and strengthens our national security. With forward-looking energy policies, I’m confident we can meet our climate goals and create thousands of good paying jobs in the process.
HEALTH CARE AND WELLNESS
Health care is a fundamental right and our goal must be to ensure that every American has access to quality, affordable care, no matter their means or where they’re from.
New Mexico faces significant health challenges, including access to care in rural and tribal communities, limited mental health services, and an opioid addiction epidemic. Our state can’t afford to see the impacts of reckless repeal of the Affordable Care Act or efforts to dismantle our nation’s health care system and gut Medicare and Medicaid.
As a proud supporter of the Affordable Care Act, I know prevention and early intervention are cost effective and lead to healthier families. Health insurance, prevention, and value for your health care dollars are at the heart of the health reform law. I am committed to working with anyone, regardless of party, to advance measures that improve health care access, quality, and affordability. The goal of revising the ACA should be to lower costs for those who already have health benefits and expand access to those who do not currently have coverage.
IMMIGRATION
My father immigrated to the United States in search of a better life - like so many before and after him. Immigrants recognize the hope that America represents; the way we treat them when they arrive shows the world who we are. Unfortunately, for decades, our nation’s broken immigration system has fallen short.
We are a nation of laws, and our immigration laws are badly in need of repair. New Mexicans are eager for a solution, immigrants deserve a solution, and our economy requires a solution. I am pleased that President Biden has made fixing our immigration system a priority. I look forward to working with him on comprehensive immigration legislation to provide a fair and earned pathway to U.S. citizenship for Dreamers and millions of undocumented people, prioritize smart federal infrastructure investments for our vibrant border communities, and address the root causes of mass migration from Central America’s northern triangle.
As a border state, we understand the deep cultural ties we share with our neighbors to the South, and we know that immigrants make our country stronger. Delivering on a pathway to citizenship and lasting protections for immigrants is critical to America’s success. Keeping in mind the Senate Parliamentarian’s ruling that a pathway to citizenship cannot be included in a reconciliation bill, I will continue to work with President Biden and senators from both sides of the aisle to create lasting protections for our neighbors, friends and family members - who make incredible sacrifices and significant contributions to our communities and our successes.
Dreamers across the country have come out of the shadows because of the promise that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program represents, including more than 7,000 here in New Mexico. These are some of our brightest students and veterans. I am proud to have led a group of Democrats in introducing the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act to ensure that the information they provide the government is not used against them in enforcement.
INDIAN COUNTRY
I am honored to work with the Pueblos and Tribes in New Mexico, and nationally. Native peoples have lived in the land we now call New Mexico since time immemorial. And I will continue to advocate on their behalf on issues like education, water access, housing, infrastructure, public safety, and cultural preservation, as well as defend and protect tribal sovereignty.
Issues that affect Indian Country are a top priority for me. During my time in the U.S. House of Representatives, I led the effort to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and sponsored the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act, which makes it easier to get a lease on trust land and helps Native families buy homes and helps attract businesses and jobs to tribal communities.
As one of my first actions in the Senate, I proudly cosponsored the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which bolsters law enforcement efforts and provides necessary resources for victims of domestic violence, particularly for Native women.
I have also worked with New Mexico’s tribes and pueblos to introduce the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act to prohibit the exporting of sacred Native American items and increase penalties for stealing and illegally trafficking tribal cultural patrimony. I remain committed to helping repatriate stolen culturally significant items to their rightful owners.
INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
I believe that innovation is what America does best. I also believe that technology and science-driven policies are how we can best meet many of our 21st century challenges.
New Mexico has long been home to leading innovators and researchers. Our national laboratories, research universities, and military installations have an extensive history of breakthroughs that have changed the way we power our electric grid, protect our national security, and connect the world.
To compete in the 21st-century economic landscape, New Mexico must tap into the extraordinary research and development already being conducted in our backyard,. We need to support creative homegrown companies, and build a skilled workforce that will manufacture the advanced technologies and products of the future. Our business owners, scientists, and engineers have the creativity and capacity to provide a steady stream of technologies that could yield dividends in commercial markets.
We must encourage our national labs to more actively engage with the regional innovation systems where they are located. I was proud to pass legislation to establish off-campus microlabs that serve as the “front door" to our national laboratories. These microlabs give universities and businesses direct access to equipment, facilities and personnel at our labs and help create an environment that nurtures collaboration and entrepreneurship.
The clean energy industry is one area where New Mexico stands to gain thousands of jobs in the coming years thanks to this type of collaboration. With our immense potential for both solar and wind and the brilliant energy innovators at our labs and small businesses, our state can and should be a major producer and exporter of clean energy technology and power.
We owe it to our children and our economy to make smart investments in education and target areas where we have the potential to create jobs and major new industries. By preparing our students and retraining our labor force for a lucrative high-tech job market, we can build pathways toward a more diverse future generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, and create a sustainable and prosperous future for our state.
MILITARY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Our women and men in uniform make up the strongest, best-trained, most well-equipped military in the world. New Mexicans have long answered the call of duty to serve. This tradition runs deep in our state’s history, and at times New Mexico has had the highest rate of military volunteerism of any state in the country.
With military bases at Cannon, Holloman, Kirtland, and White Sands Missile Range, and two national laboratories, New Mexico plays a pivotal role in our national security and defense. Our state is also at the forefront of research and development that contribute to our country’s safety. I am proud to have championed initiatives to expand the roles of our labs and bases—from directed energy and small satellites to new flying missions. Today, New Mexico is the nation’s Center of Excellence for researching, developing, and testing high energy laser and high powered microwave systems as well as researching and developing rapid space capabilities. I will continue fighting to ensure our state remains a leader in developing these next generation systems as well as transformative technologies like Artificial Intelligence. In the Senate, I founded a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Caucus so that lawmakers can strike a careful balance between mitigating the risks of new technologies like AI and fostering its tremendous economic and national security benefits.
As a son and brother of service members, and in my role as a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I am firmly committed to ensuring that our military and intelligence communities have the tools they need to keep our nation safe, fight terrorism, and support our allies.
On the Senate Intelligence committee, I have helped lead efforts to investigate the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections and to combat foreign disinformation campaigns. I am also a strong supporter of human and constitutional rights, and believe in the notion that America can be both safe and free. I was proud to help pass the USA FREEDOM Act, which ended the National Security Agency’s (NSA) bulk metadata collection program that allowed the government to collect billions of Americans’ private phone call records while suspecting them of no wrongdoing.
I was also an active proponent of doing away with the discriminatory military policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and I continue to stand up for reforms to reduce sexual assault in our military.
I am also strong supporter of human and constitutional rights, and believe in the notion that America can be both safe and free. I opposed the authorization of the PATRIOT Act and was an active proponent of doing away with the discriminatory military policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
NATIONAL LABS
Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories employ some of the best and brightest minds in the country and are indispensable to our national security. The labs also strengthen our economy by providing high-paying, high-skilled technology jobs in our state. I will always fight to protect their missions and create a sustainable future for the innovative research and development at our labs.
As an engineer, I bring a problem solver’s perspective to the U.S. Senate in advocating for New Mexico’s national laboratories. I have consistently fought to protect the national security missions of the labs while strengthening their diversity in areas such as energy, homeland security, and nonproliferation. I also remain focused on looking for ways to better leverage our laboratories’ resources and competitive strengths in partnership with universities, local small businesses and the private sector.
Our labs will continue to have a vital role in addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Additionally, the completion of the environmental cleanup of legacy waste from the work at Los Alamos and Sandia is an important commitment that Congress and the Department of Energy have made to New Mexico communities that should remain a top funding priority.
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
A safe, efficient transportation system and strong basic infrastructure helps move New Mexico forward and supports our local economy.
Investments not only in public transit, passenger rail, and paved roads, but broadband infrastructure, drinking water and sewer lines, and modern wastewater treatment facilities provide the groundwork for economic development and job creation. I am committed to ensuring New Mexico has these resources. We must also continue to develop plans to modernize our electrical transmission infrastructure so we can accelerate development of distributed and renewable energy resources.
TWO-GENERATION ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ACT
The federal government’s current approach to poverty is not effective enough. Although we have data demonstrating what works, many of the federally funded programs intended to help families are disjointed and difficult to navigate for both families in need and for organizations trying to provide help. While multiple federal programs exist to help low-income parents and children, they have separate funding streams causing silos and fragmentation. Addressing the needs of children and parents separately and without a comprehensive strategy often leaves children or parents behind and diminishes a whole family’s chance of success.
The Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act, introduced by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), seeks to increase opportunities for families living in poverty through programs targeting both parents and children with support aimed at increasing economic security, educational success, social capital, and health and wellbeing. By aligning and linking existing systems and funding streams, our bill will lead to improved outcomes for parents and children together while improving the effectiveness of service delivery.
The Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act will give states, local governments, and tribes more flexibility to develop programs that meet their needs. Innovative approaches in this legislation will collectively ensure that no matter your zip code, you will have an opportunity to use already existing federal resources or attract private investment to implement the two-generation approach in your community.
Two provisions of an earlier version of the Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act have already been signed into law. These provisions include a request for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to issue a report exploring the potential for two-generation pilots, collaboration areas, and federal funding opportunities; and a new program administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury to implement Social Impact Partnerships to improve the effectiveness of social services.
VETERANS
One of my most important responsibilities as your Senator is to keep America’s promise to our service members and their families so that when our troops return home, they receive quality care and the benefits they have earned.
The tradition of women and men answering the call of duty runs deep in New Mexico’s history. Our state has long had one of the highest rates of military volunteerism in the nation. Our veterans’ unwavering devotion and extraordinary courage reflect the core principles we share as Americans.
As your Senator, I am working to increase timely access to health care services for our veterans and expanding and improving New Mexico’s community-based outpatient clinics. I am also committed to helping reduce the disability claims backlog, assisting veteran-owned small businesses and ensuring that needed fixes are made to the Veterans’ Choice Program.
My office has helped hundreds of veterans across New Mexico access the care and benefits they earned, and I have made a point of meeting with veterans across our state to hear about the challenges and issues they are facing.
We must be unwavering in our commitment to our men and women in uniform who deserve more than just words of gratitude for their sacrifice when they return home.