Affordability and the economy: New Mexicans continue to face high costs for housing, food, utilities and other necessities. What specific actions should Congress take to make life more affordable, and what role should taxes, federal spending, tariffs and the national debt play in your approach?
Across our state, families are feeling the squeeze as costs from fuel to health care continue to skyrocket. Reckless tariffs and President Trump’s war are driving up prices and making it harder for hardworking New Mexicans to put food on the table.
I will be a relentless advocate for policies that bring down costs and put families first. I also remain steadfast in the fight to ensure that every New Mexican has access to high-quality, affordable health care. And I will continue working to grow our local economy by supporting the diverse industries that create jobs across the state and investing in infrastructure that improves our roads and delivers reliable broadband.
Immigration and the border: Since New Mexico is a border state, what changes would you make to current federal immigration and border policy, including border enforcement, legal immigration, asylum and the treatment of people who are already living in the United States without legal status?
The United States has not significantly updated its immigration laws since the 1980s, which is why I have long championed comprehensive immigration reform to address our broken immigration system and create an earned pathway for legal immigration.
I support legislation like the DREAM Act to provide a legal pathway for Dreamers, the SECURE Act which provides qualified Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients a path to legal permanent residency, and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to reform and modernize our temporary agricultural worker visa program.
I am also a proponent of modern and effective border security that uses technology rather than walls to keep out narcotics and the cartels. While Republicans have demonized immigrants and immigration enforcement officers are terrorizing our communities, I believe we need our immigration system to be fair and just, encourage legal immigration, and welcoming toward those of all backgrounds, religions, and races.
Energy, water and economic development: New Mexico's economy benefits significantly from energy production while the state also faces limited water supplies and growing demands from industries such as data centers. How should the federal government balance economic development, energy production, water conservation and protection of public lands and other natural resources?
One example is the REGROW Act, legislation that I introduced and was signed into law, which shows that both parties can work together to protect both jobs and the environment. The law puts people to work plugging abandoned oil and gas wells that leak methane and threaten our communities. We can support workers and our economy while also addressing environmental risks and building a more sustainable future. I’ve continued building on this work through additional efforts to identify and remediate abandoned wells nationwide, creating jobs and reducing harmful emissions at the same time.
On demand from industries like data centers, electricity costs are already too high, and New Mexicans know just how scarce and vital our water resources are. Data centers should not use our drinking water or water used for agricultural purposes. They should also be required to generate their own power rather than strain the grid, and New Mexicans should not pay a penny more for their electricity. I’ve also authored bipartisan legislation to prevent water waste and protect community drinking water.
Party loyalty: What responsibility does a U.S. senator have to provide oversight of a president of his or her own party, and on what issues, if any, do you believe Congress should reassert authority that has shifted to the executive branch?
Congress must be willing to exercise its Constitutional authority, regardless of who controls the White House. I have voted 14 times to end President Trump's deadly war in Iran and fought to restore funding for food programs and health care that New Mexicans depend on. I will continue to use Congress' oversight to demand accountability for corruption and self-dealing coming from this White House and protect the programs families rely on.
Unfortunately, Republican majorities in both of the House and Senate have failed to hold President Trump accountable, allowing him to abuse his power and letting corruption run rampant. Congress has a responsibility to provide oversight and serve as a check on the president.
The Supreme Court must also be held accountable. I support stronger ethics and transparency rules for Supreme Court justices so the public can trust how decisions are made. No president or Supreme Court justice should be above the law, and I will continue to stand up against abuses of power.
The Bulletin asked each Dona Ana County candidate four questions to allow voters to assess where the candidates stands on important issues heading into the election. The questions vary for each office, but are the same for every candidate running for the same office.
We attempted to wait to publish until we heard from all candidates for a race, but in this race, we have not received a response from Larry Marker, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. If we can get a response from his campaign this week, we will run his answers in the Oct. 30 edition of the Bulletin.
