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Letters from Martin Heinrich


Desertrat56

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1 hour ago, Tatetopa said:

I live on the outskirts of town.  I interact with few people, and my job does not require me to travel through or work in dangerous areas.

Oh, I see. Yes, our shop is in a very bad part of town. I take it with a grain of salt, but I am still very conscious of strange people along with my general surroundings. I've become a master at evasive maneuvers and I do carry a gun. There are times when I am alone there all day. Our regular customers call before coming by to drop something off or for pickup, which is very helpful. Often we are all out on a job so it's hit and miss anyone is there at all anyway. I keep the doors locked and nobody closes up alone. 

All in all, we've been lucky for a lot of years I guess.

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2 hours ago, Michelle said:

All in all, we've been lucky for a lot of years I guess.

I really hope that luck continues.  I get that from your posts once in a while.  I have always been a floor engineer rather than a desk guy or a computer design person.  Manufacturing is what I have enjoyed for 40 years.  The plant I retired from last year was in the middle of hundreds of acres of agricultural land.  Occasionally I got sent back to consult in Chicago, Detroit, and Ohio.  Standing on the loading dock in Chicago, we saw a dope deal go down across the street. The lobby of the Detroit plant had razor wire  and bullet proof glass. You have to send ID into a receptionist to get let in the inner door.  A week of working on a project there is OK, but I  don't think I would want to live there.  Be safe.

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4 hours ago, Tatetopa said:

A week of working on a project there is OK, but I  don't think I would want to live there.  Be safe.

Well, we do live in one of the top two safest neighborhoods in the county though.

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1 hour ago, Michelle said:

Well, we do live in one of the top two safest neighborhoods in the county though.

That is good.  Is your shop in a safe neighborhood too?

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9 hours ago, Tatetopa said:

That is good.  Is your shop in a safe neighborhood too?

Absolutely not. It's across town from where we live though. People tend not to like having manufacturers in their neighborhoods. That area has always been industrial mixed with low income housing.

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mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fci4.googleusercontent.com%2Fproxy%2FwwwcvPq6vpxFyg5IAthzlJPmBDVEeLPDaw96Gp93MTcc9fzN1io1_kclLxobsDIqJY9oBY5fnolXCIyvbG_sT-Ou0mn_JP1ViTBE-LlP%3Ds0-d-e1-ft%23https%3A%2F%2Fs.bsd.net%2Fheinrich%2Fmain%2Fpage%2F-%2Fheinrich_primary.png&t=1615328602&ymreqid=143e43a8-1c98-e02c-1c2d-b00001013900&sig=0ffenoiuNUO_tK7MRR6pJg--~D

Hello,

This Thursday, my colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and I will be holding a hearing on the widespread blackouts in Texas.

As I have said before, the energy crisis that occurred after Winter Storm Uri was not an accident. It was the predictable and preventable result of Republican deregulation.

A near-complete lack of governmental oversight allowed energy companies in Texas to avoid weatherizing their equipment and allowed the Texas energy grid, ERCOT, to remain un-connected to surrounding or national grids.

But rather than recognizing their role in creating this crisis and taking action to prevent another one, Texas Republicans chose to blame wind energy (including Senator Ted Cruz, who did his blaming en route to Cancún!) while their constituents bore the brunt of the crisis they helped create.

Severe winter weather is not the norm in Texas, but it is not unprecedented. A snap of cold weather caused widespread blackouts in 2011, and clearly Republican politicians and energy companies failed to learn the lessons needed then. Their inaction is directly responsible for the blackouts, exorbitantly high energy bills, and deaths of dozens of Texans last month.

Inclement weather is a reality of climate change. We need to be honest about what happened in Texas to prevent it from happening again. Coal, natural gas, and nuclear plants all failed due to decades of deregulation and lack of oversight. Wind and solar energy are not to blame for these outages — poor governing is.

Over 70 lives were lost to the unnecessary energy crisis created and compounded by Republicans. I am determined to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again. 

 

Thank you. I will continue to keep you updated about my work in the Senate and our progress on issues relating to energy and safety.

— Martin

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fheinrich.senate.go

March 19, 2021

Dear Friend,

I cannot support the continued abuse of the filibuster in the United States Senate. This procedural tactic was created to encourage debate and bipartisan deliberation. But in current practice, it has proven to achieve the complete opposite. The roadblock created by the filibuster has prevented the Senate from taking up meaningful action or even debate on so many important issues--at the detriment of the American people.

The filibuster is not what some folks might imagine it to be based on movies like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. In today's Senate, if one senator just threatens to use the filibuster, popular legislation that has majority support--but not 60 out of 100 votes--dies without any debate. We must change this. The filibuster should be abolished or, at the very least, reformed to force senators who have objections to physically hold the floor to extend debate and tell the American people why they are standing in the way of the Senate's consideration of a bill.

Too often in our nation's history, the filibuster has been used to block our country's continued march toward equality. It was the favored tactic of segregationist Southern senators who banded together as a minority in the Senate to block civil rights, voting rights, and anti-lynching laws in the era of Jim Crow. Today, the filibuster remains the obstacle standing in the way of the Senate passing immigration reform, climate legislation, gun safety measures, and protections for LGBTQ Americans.

Right now, Georgia state legislators are attempting to pass laws that would prevent Black voters from participating in our elections. Let's call this what it is: a racist attempt to steal future elections. We have the legislation to stop this. The House of Representatives has already passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, which would strengthen ethics and campaign finance laws and restore voting rights to Americans targeted by efforts like those in Georgia. We will never be able to pass this important bill to strengthen our democracy until the Senate reforms or abolishes the filibuster.

This is not an arcane or abstract debate over rules. It has real consequences on people's lives. If the Senate wants to become a legislative body that delivers for the American people, it needs to finally confront the filibuster.

Sincerely,

Signature

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Dear Friend,

The Senate just made a huge down payment on our fight against the climate crisis. We voted to pass the resolution that I am championed to bring back strong EPA standards on methane emissions in the oil and gas industry. This is by far the most significant federal action we have taken in years to confront the climate crisis and reduce dangerous air pollution that is harming communities in New Mexico.

mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heinrich.sena

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich speaks on the Senate Floor about his resolution to reinstate EPA methane emissions standards, April 28, 2021.

As a greenhouse gas, methane has over 80 times the global warming potency as carbon dioxide in the short term. It is estimated that around a quarter of the human-caused global warming that has occurred since the 1850s can be attributed to methane emissions. In the United States, the lion's share of these human-caused methane emissions are from the oil and gas industry--which is why we need clear standards at the EPA to prevent waste and leaks of methane.

Unfortunately, the federal rules that we had in place at the EPA to reduce methane pollution became one of the targets of the Trump administration's reckless rollbacks of protections of our clean air and clean water in this country. Late last year, President Trump dismantled the EPA rules that required oil and gas producers to monitor for methane leaks at their wells, at their compressor stations, and at their other operations. That was a total disaster for our climate and for public health.

As we transition toward a 100 percent clean energy and pollution-free future, we must do all can to mitigate the harmful pollution caused by our current use of fossil fuels. With today's vote, the Senate restored the EPA's ability to set clear standards and requirements for oil and gas companies to reduce waste and harmful pollution. This is an incredibly powerful step in confronting the existential threat posed by greenhouse gas pollution and a warming planet. 

This is a major first, but will not be the last, step that this Congress takes to confront the climate crisis. We need to build on today's historic vote by taking up President Biden's American Jobs Plan. The president's plan will put millions of Americans to work building a clean energy economy, restoring our landscapes, and creating a carbon pollution-free future. I won't allow us to miss the greatest opportunity in our lifetimes to save the future of our planet. 

Sincerely,

Signature

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator

 

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  • 10 months later...

If this is happening in New Mexico, I am sure it is happening all over the U.S.

Dear Friend,

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released its recommendations for the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission, which could impact the delivery of health care services at the community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) in Gallup, Las Vegas, Española, and Raton. Throughout my time in the Senate, I have worked closely with these communities to open and support their CBOCs. 

This multi-year review process by the VA, which started under the Trump administration, has relied on pre-pandemic data that doesn’t accurately reflect the current realities of veterans in our state, including access to broadband, health care provider shortages, and having nowhere else to turn to for medical services in rural New Mexico.

Closing down community-based outpatient clinics that New Mexico veterans rely on is not an option – and it will not happen without a fight. I will fight like hell every step of the way to keep these clinics open and improve access to the quality care and benefits that our veterans earned through their service.

On Monday, I spoke with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis R. McDonough to emphasize how the closure of New Mexico community-based outpatient clinics would have a significant negative impact on veterans. I also invited the Secretary to join me in visiting CBOCs in New Mexico so he can see the on-the-ground potential impacts of the recommendations.

I also sent a letter along with Senator Luján laying out our strong objections to these recommendations. We are urging the VA to consult with Veterans Service Organizations, medical providers, and communities in northern New Mexico to fully understand the impact of these recommended changes. We are also requesting that the VA conduct in-person listening sessions and re-assess the data relied on to come to the current recommendations, including re-assessing and re-gathering data on the relevant community care networks and realities of telehealth access.

The Constituent Services Representatives in my offices in New Mexico have helped hundreds of veterans all across our state access their care and benefits. Whether you or a family member is having trouble filing a claim, receiving benefits, accessing health benefits or military records, replacing medals, or other veterans issues, you can contact my office by calling (505) 346-6601 or by visiting the Veterans Resources Center on my website.

As your United States Senator, I am committed to keeping America’s promise to all of our state’s heroic veterans and their families.

Sincerely,

Signature

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator

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  • 1 month later...

mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heinrich.senat

April 20, 2022

 

The time is now to act on climate change.  We can't afford to wait.  We're already seeing the effects of climate change manifest themselves in more extreme drought conditions, more destructive wildfires, shrinking forests, and increased flooding when we do get precipitation.  I believe we have a moral responsibility to be good stewards of the Earth, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate our contributions to climate change. 

For these reasons, I do not support giving tax breaks to the fossil fuel industry.  That's why last Congress, I was an original cosponsor of the Clean Energy for America Act (S. 1288).  This legislation was introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (OR) and would simplify our country's complex energy tax code by ending direct tax credits for oil and natural gas and replacing 44 different tax deductions for energy sources with three technology-neutral tax credits.  

I work every day to fight for federal policies like this that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  I am pleased that, as Congress came together to pass COVID-19 relief legislation at the end of 2020, a set of bipartisan energy provisions collectively known as the Energy Act of 2020 was also signed into law.  Several clean energy measures I have championed for years, including the creation of a research, development, and demonstration program for cutting-edge energy storage technology, were included in this new law.  We have started to make progress on climate change in this country, but we have so much work left to do.  

Climate change is a problem we are facing today, and the time has come for us to act in the best interest of our children.  They deserve to inherit a safe and healthy environment.  Thank you for writing to me about this issue.  Your thoughts, experiences, ideas, and concerns inform my work and decisions, and I hope you will continue to keep me informed of the issues important to you.

Sign-up to receive email updates for the latest news on issues important to you.

Sincerely,

Signature

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator

 

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I'm not sure how affected New Mexico is going to be by climate change, given the place is already a desert, but it's good to see him taking it seriously. Now if he could just do something about the skinwalkers infesting rest stops, the damn things keep on taking all the Hostess snacks out of the vending machines. 

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12 minutes ago, Autochthon1990 said:

I'm not sure how affected New Mexico is going to be by climate change, given the place is already a desert, but it's good to see him taking it seriously. Now if he could just do something about the skinwalkers infesting rest stops, the damn things keep on taking all the Hostess snacks out of the vending machines. 

He isn't just concerned about New Mexico, and New Mexico is vastly affected by the oil and gas industry.    Then environment in the whole state has been changing just like every where else.   Desert is not desolate, you need to come visit just to see it before it becomes desolate.   And maybe my 5 acres in mountains 7500 feet above sea level will be water front property in 100 years.   Any climate change affects the whole planet, not just one area.     Do you remember (or were you old enough) when Mt. St. Helen's blew up?   We had ash fallout in New Mexico a week later.  And it was probably in russia about a week after as well.  We live in a closed system.  What happens in Australia affects what happens in Canada.

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  • 1 month later...
 

Dear Friend,

The Senate just passed the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, historic bipartisan legislation that will finally deliver critical VA health benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxins during their service. Right after the vote, I joined veterans and their families in front of the Capitol to talk about the importance of this bill.

>>I hope you can take a moment to watch and share the video of my remarks.

mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heinrich.sena

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich speaks about the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act after it passed in the U.S. Senate, June 16, 2022.

When veterans return home from war, they often come back with wounds. Some of these wounds are visible, but others, especially those related to exposure to toxins during their service, are hidden. When I think about this issue, I remember my father, who was exposed to nuclear weapons tests during his service in the Navy in the 1950s and whose health suffered later in life as a result. I also recognize countless veterans and their families who have been fighting for far too long to achieve this overdue recognition and to deliver treatment for toxic exposure conditions.

The Honoring Our PACT Act will expand VA health care for more than 3,500,000 toxic-exposed and Post-9/11 combat veterans. It will add 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to the VA’s presumption list and provide every veteran with a toxic exposure screening during their routine VA medical appointments. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee that oversees funding for the VA, I worked hard to ensure these new and necessary benefits will not be funded at the expense of any other critical VA benefits and priorities.

When President Biden signs this bill into law very soon, it will mark a historic step toward making good on our promise to provide veterans with full health care benefits and treatment for health conditions stemming from their service.

Sincerely,

Signature

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator

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  • 1 month later...

Dear Friend,

With the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Senate Democrats have secured a path forward to fight inflation, lower energy costs, invest in clean energy, and reduce carbon emissions. In addition to lowering prescription drug prices and increasing access to health care through the Affordable Care Act, this bill will represent the single biggest climate investment in U.S. history.

Among the provisions to lower energy prices, I'm pleased we secured a new rebate program that mirrors my Zero-Emission Homes Act to help families with the upfront costs of installing clean and efficient electric home appliances like air-source heat pumps. This will go a long way in making the economic, environmental, and health benefits of home electrification more affordable and accessible.

There is certainly more to do and say, but I am proud to go home to New Mexico this weekend knowing we have fought successfully for the future our kids deserve.

Sincerely,

Signature

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator

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On 3/9/2021 at 4:27 PM, Desertrat56 said:

A snap of cold weather caused widespread blackouts in 2011,

These cold snaps occur about every ten years on the average.  You're going to have more of them.

Can't tell you the frequency of hot spells, but they are pretty common, too.  Our worst case happened in 1934 with 42 consecutive days of 100+ temps.  It can get worse.

Doug

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Dear Friend,

Last week, I visited the Siler Yard Arts+Creativity Center in Santa Fe, which is New Mexico’s first net-zero energy multi-family affordable housing project. All of the homes in Siler Yard receive 100% of their energy from a utility-scale solar array and use 100% clean and all-electric HVAC equipment.

I also visited the Santa Fe Business Incubator, where I met with the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District and local business owners including B.PublicPrefab, a manufacturing company that is designing panelized construction components for high performance and affordable homes that are all-electric and equipped with highly efficient heating and water systems.

This is what the future looks like!

mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heinrich.sena

PHOTO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich tours the Siler Yard Arts+Creativity Center in Santa Fe, July 29, 2022.

As part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022—the landmark climate package that the Senate will take up in the coming days—I secured $4.5 billion for new consumer rebates for electric household appliances that mirror my legislation, the Zero-Emission Homes Act. These rebates will help many more families electrify their homes with heat pumps for space heating or cooling, electric induction stovetops, and electric heat pump water heaters and clothes dryers.

The Inflation Reduction Act also includes new tax credits to help more families purchase new and used electric vehicles and game changing investments to grow clean energy generation, build new energy storage projects, and manufacture more clean technologies and electric vehicles here in America.

The widespread electrification of the appliances in our homes and buildings—and the vehicles in our driveways—will help families achieve substantial savings on energy bills, improve indoor and outdoor air quality, and make a huge difference in solving the climate crisis that threatens our children’s future.

Sincerely,

Signature

MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator

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  • 1 month later...

This is from Martin Heinrich's office in response to a letter I wrote about ranked choice voting.  I am glad to know that the Senate is thinking about this subject.

 

Thank you for your message regarding ranked choice voting. Senator Heinrich knows that our most important right is the right to vote, and he is committed to doing everything he can to ensure that Congress finds a way to mitigate persistent voter discrimination and disenfranchisement. 

 

You wrote our office specifically about ranked choice voting. Introduced by Senator Michael Bennet (CO), S.2939, the Voter Choice Act, would direct the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to establish a program to support state and local governments in the transition to ranked choice voting. Specifically, the EAC must provide technical assistance and award grants to support governments that are considering whether to make, or are making, the transition to a ranked choice voting system for their elections. S.2939 is currently before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. While Senator Heinrich does not serve on that committee, he will keep your thoughts in mind if it reaches the full Senate for a vote.

 

Senator Heinrich believes that New Mexico is a great example of what it looks like to enhance rather than attack participation in our democracy. He is proud of the ways that elections officials in our state have stepped up in recent years to make voting safer, more secure, and much more accessible for every New Mexican. He will continue to do everything he can to ensure that Congress finds a way to mitigate persistent voter discrimination, and he will continue to support legislation that removes unnecessary barriers to voting in our country.

 

Please know your thoughts are vital to the work we do, and I have shared your concerns with our policy team and hope you will continue keeping us informed of the issues important to you. And thank you for your patience as you awaited a reply from our office.

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