Indian Country

Our tribal communities have always enhanced New Mexico’s rich culture and traditions.  

Issues that affect Indian Country are a top priority for me. As a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I led the effort to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. I also sponsored the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in 2012.  The HEARTH Act makes it easier to get a lease on trust land, which helps Native families buy homes and helps attract businesses and jobs to tribal communities.

I proudly cosponsored the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a bill to prevent violence against women, including Native women, by bolstering law enforcement efforts and providing necessary resources for victims of domestic violence.

I take pride in working with our tribal communities, and will continue to defend and protect tribal sovereignty, and advocate on their behalf on issues such as education, water access, housing, infrastructure, public safety, and cultural preservation.

Latest

  • Udall, Heinrich Hail Senate Passage of Resolution Recognizing 40th Anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act

    WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Martin Heinrich praised the Senate passage of a bicameral resolution commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and recognizing its importance to promoting the stability and security of Tribal communities and families. Read More

  • Heinrich Urges Reauthorization Of The Violence Against Women Act

    Dec. 13, 2018) - Today, in a press teleconference with the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native American Women, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) called for the reauthorization and expansion of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Nationwide, the number of domestic violence incidents has been cut in half since the enactment of VAWA, and in New Mexico that number has dropped by 35 percent since 2005. One in three women still face domestic violence in New Mexico. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Announce Over $35 Million to Improve Rural Water Infrastructure in New Mexico

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced $35.4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to build and improve rural water and wastewater systems in New Mexico. The awards were funded through the USDA's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program, and will help ensure clean water for Tribal lands, colonias, and rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents in New Mexico. The funding, which includes over $25 million in low-cost loans and more than $10 million in grants, will support water infrastructure projects benefitting businesses and residents of four New Mexico communities: Shiprock in San Juan County, Garfield in Doña Ana County, East Pecos in San Miguel County, and the City of Socorro. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Secure Major Wins for NM Farmers, Ranchers, Dairies, and Tribes in Farm Bill

    WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined their colleagues in the Senate to pass the final 2018 Farm Bill – major legislation that will send needed assistance to New Mexico farmers and ranchers, and support every county in the state by protecting the farm safety net and basic social services, while also making strategic investments in broadband access, clean drinking water, rural development, telemedicine, and more. The Farm Bill, which serves as the federal government's primary tool to provide agricultural funding and set food policy for the next five years, passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13. The bill must now be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and be signed into law by the president.  Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich, Luján Introduce Resolution Recognizing 40th Anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Martin Heinrich, along with Representative Ben Ray Luján, introduced a bicameral resolution commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and recognizing its importance to promoting the stability and security of Tribal communities and families.   Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Introduce Native American Voting Rights Act

    "Our nation's democracy is founded on the right to vote and the ability of every citizen to participate in that process equally," said Heinrich. "Unfortunately, there are many obstacles in Indian Country that stand in the way of Native Americans’ ability to vote-from language barriers and burdensome voter ID requirements to the locations of polling places for remote and rural communities. I’m proud to support this legislation to provide resources and oversight to overcome those obstacles and ensure equal access to our democracy." Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address Suicide Crisis in Native Communities

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the bipartisan Native American Suicide Prevention Act, along with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), to address the growing suicide crisis in Indian Country by ensuring collaboration among states and Tribal organizations to design and implement statewide suicide intervention and prevention programs that work for their communities. The legislation is the Senate companion to H.R. 3473, a bipartisan bill introduced by Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Congressman Tom Cole (R-Okla.), and 27 other House cosponsors. Read More