27-05-2025
Local, state leaders discuss importance of federal social programs for senior New Mexicans
Sonia Saldaña, director of senior services for the City of Las Cruces, talks about how cuts to Medicaid would impact seniors during a roundtable hosted by U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lújan (D-N.M.) on May 27, 2025. (Leah Romero / Source NM)
State and local leaders representing food banks, health care and senior services voiced their concerns to U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lújan (D-N.M.) with possible cuts to federal social programs as Congress considers the 'big, beautiful bill.'
Lújan held the roundtable at Munson Senior Center in Las Cruces Tuesday where local advocates spoke of the impacts federal funding cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and federal nutrition programs will have on all New Mexicans, but particularly seniors. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill, which would make spending cuts to social programs, on May 22 and it now goes to members of the U.S. Senate to debate.
'This is quite concerning. These are the biggest cuts we've ever seen since the inception of this program,' Lújan said during the meeting.
Joseph Roybal-Sanchez, director of AARP New Mexico, said about one in three New Mexicans receive Medicaid assistance, which provides health care for lower-income people, while about 930,000 New Mexicans receive Medicare assistance, health care for people 65 and older. Lújan noted that some people don't realize that many older people rely on benefits from both programs, not just one or the other, further 'compounding' the issue of defunding the programs.
Las Cruces resident Jody Crowley shared that her adult son is on the autism spectrum and receives Medicaid benefits. He also works as an Uber driver in town, but the federal benefits help make ends meet.
'He is exactly the kind of person they want to throw off Medicaid. He's an able bodied young man with no dependents, and I am terrified,' Crowley said. ' I'm 77, my husband is 80. In five years, are we both going to be here? Are we both going to be competent? I don't know. So my concern is, who are they going to throw off and what is going to be the alternative?'
Las Cruces resident Jody Crowley talks about how cuts to Medicaid would impact her family during a roundtable in Las Cruces hosted by U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lújan (D-N.M.) on May 27, 2025. (Leah Romero / Source NM)
Sonia Saldaña, director of senior services for the City of Las Cruces, pointed to all of the services offered to older New Mexicans by senior centers, which are funded at least partially by federal dollars, such as in-person meals, meals on wheels, home care services, respite care for caregivers and programs supporting grandparents raising their grandchildren.
'People have to remember that our programs and our services are designed to allow people to stay living in their homes longer. We want people to stay in their homes longer. We don't want people to go to an institution early in life,' Saldaña said. 'For us, having those federal dollars and making sure that our constituents keep those Medicaid and Medicare dollars is at the top of the list because without that funding, a lot of these wouldn't be what they are.'
Las Cruces resident Eileen Rosenblatt shared how she benefitted from the local meals on wheels program when she had to deal with medical situations that left her unable to cook for herself. 'It was a blessing in disguise because I didn't realize how hard it was for me…Cooking would have been terrible, just standing up and cooking,' Rosenblatt said.
She added that she knows of another woman locally who is in her 90s and relies on meals on wheels regularly and 'cherishes' seeing the delivery person each day.
Casa de Peregrinos Executive Director Lorenzo Alba explained that the Las Cruces food pantry has already had to deal with federal funding cuts in recent months and further cuts would have a 'major effect' on their operation. At the same time, he said food prices have increased by 24% in the last two years, putting another strain on their limited funds.
'The state can't fund everything. We need the federal government to help fund some of these programs for nutrition to get food out to the communities,' Alba said.
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