Latest news with #D-NM
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Parasitic fly puts halt to cattle imports; U.S. legislators back domestic sterilization facility
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A cattle ban placed on the southern border has prompted dozens of U.S. representatives to introduce a bill that would prevent a similar suspension from happening again. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced May 11 the suspension of cattle, horse and bison imports due to the northward spread of the new world screwworm (NWS) in Mexico. According to the USDA, the NWS is a parasitic fly that burrows into the flesh of a living animal that can cause deadly damage. These pests can infect livestock, wildlife, pets and in rare cases, people. The infestation has been confirmed in Oaxaca and Veracruz, around 700 miles south of the U.S. border. In response to the outbreak, a number of legislators introduced a bipartisan bill on May 14 to combat the parasite and protect domestic livestock. According to a news release sent by U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales' (TX-23) office, the bill Strengthening Tactics to Obstruct the Population of Screwworms (STOP Screwworms) Act would authorize funds for the USDA to begin construction on a sterile fly production facility. According to the bill text, the U.S.-based facility would produce sterile screwworm flies that would be released into infested areas to help combat the growth of the screwworm population. 'It's important that Texans stop relying on other people to do our work. That's where I think it's important that we get this facility built in Texas that sterilizes these flies, that prevents them from spreading of this parasite that would wipe out our industry,' said Gonzalez. 'This bipartisan legislation will fund a new sterile fly facility to help stop the spread of the destructive New World screwworm and protect New Mexico's 1.4 million cattle and calves. This is a critical investment that supports over 10,000 cattle farms and ranches in New Mexico, saves the U.S. livestock industry nearly $1 billion each year, and helps prevent an outbreak in the U.S,' said Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM). The construction would be a costly feat, Gonzales estimating the price tag to be in the multi-million-dollar range. 'It's not a drop in the bucket. It would be hundreds of millions of dollars. This is why it's so important that the administration and Secretary Rollins has led on this understanding the importance of how to tackle it. It would cost billions to rebuild our beef industry if screwworms were to hit. This is where I think it's a drop in the bucket compared to what could happen,' said Gonzales. The trade of livestock itself is a multi-billion-dollar industry, something the New Mexico Border Authority says will suffer millions of dollars in losses over this suspension period. 'This is the second halt on cattle from Mexico, a suspension that will result in millions of dollars being lost… From the Chihuahuan cattle it's going to represent around almost $100 million on these days,' said NMBA Executive Director Gerardo Fierro. Fierro said impacts on trade go beyond the beef industry, that the White House's policies impact communities on both sides of the border. 'Through Santa Teresa, the total trade value for cattle last year was almost $1 billion just on the value of the animals that are crossing through Santa Teresa… but it goes far beyond like, for example, Columbus Palomas, which is Columbus, New Mexico and Paloma, Chihuahua. They never reopened that port because of the new administration and all the changes with the employees,' said Fierro. Fierro said this resulted in staff across different industries like hotels, restaurants, and ranchers losing income. 'You see it on those smaller communities where cattle imports and exports represent most of their incomes… smaller towns like Columbus, Palomas, where they depend on that industry, it's harsh to see those folks suffer,' said Fierro. 'It's frustrating from the trade community but it's also stressful to the northern states of Mexico because they don't have the problem though they're paying the price because only the northern states of Mexico are the ones that are allowed to export cattle into the United States,' said Fierro. Fierro said USDA has received the green light to hire around 17 technicians to help with inspections once the halt is lifted which will help in expediting the process and cover the time loss during the suspension. The halt on Mexican cattle imports is just the latest obstacle the cattle and livestock industry has faced, with prices increasing due to tariffs and an ongoing drought that has impacted cattle inventory. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'More about politics than policy': Dem senator knocks GOP-backed funding bill
Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) joins José Díaz-Balart to share why he is voting against the GOP-backed funding bill and to discuss Dr. Oz, Trump's pick to lead Results for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, facing a Senate confirmation hearing.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scoop: Democratic Women in Congress to Wear Pink to Trump's Speech
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) speaks during a Mother's Day Press Conference calling for action on Care and Reproductive rights on May 08, 2024 in Washington, DC. Credit - Jemal Countess–Getty Images Dozens of Democratic congresswomen are planning to wear pink to President Donald Trump's Joint Address to Congress on Tuesday night as part of a coordinated protest against the President's policies. New Mexico Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, who chairs the Democratic Women's Caucus, confirmed exclusively to TIME on Monday that the pink attire is meant to 'signal our protest of Trump's policies which are negatively impacting women and families.' 'Pink is a color of power and protest,' she says in an interview. 'It's time to rev up the opposition and come at Trump loud and clear.' Trump's return to the Capitol marks his first formal address to Congress in five years. Such high-profile speeches have historically served as a prominent stage for the party not in power to showcase its opposition to the sitting president. During Trump's first term, Democratic lawmakers were vocal in their dissent—some booed, others staged walkouts, and many used their attire to make political statements. At Trump's 2020 State of the Union, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi made headlines when she tore up a copy of his speech while seated directly behind him on the dais. Read More: Trump's Strategy For His Speech to Congress: Craft Viral Moments, Blame Biden The Democratic Women's Caucus, which has 96 members, has long used fashion as a form of protest. In previous years, they donned white as a tribute to the suffragists who fought for women's voting rights, and at last year's State of the Union Address to highlight their advocacy for reproductive freedom. This year, the group is opting for a new strategy, choosing pink to reflect a shift in tone as they address what they see as a critical moment in American politics. 'Women have worn pink in opposition to Trump before, and we will do it again,' Leger Fernández says. She cited a range of concerns with the Trump Administration, from his tariffs on Canada and Mexico that could increase prices on goods to pushing for a budget that would cut Medicaid, which is the largest single payer of maternity care in the U.S. and covers more than 40% of U.S. births. She argued that policies advanced by his Administration—on reproductive health and social programs—are disproportionately and negatively affecting women, particularly those from working-class backgrounds. 'All of those are falling on women's shoulders especially hard,' Leger Fernández says. 'Women in my district are terrified and are also losing their jobs with the indiscriminate, inconsistent, chaotic, mass firings. When a woman loses her job, she loses the ability to care for her family.' But beyond symbolism, Democrats are looking to use the address as an opportunity to highlight the real-world consequences of Trump's policies. Many lawmakers are bringing guests who have been directly impacted by his administration's initiatives, including union leaders, federal workers affected by widespread cuts, and others who have felt the effects of a government funding freeze. Unlike in previous years, there does not appear to be a widespread push among Democrats to boycott the address. Instead, many lawmakers say they want to be visibly present, highlighting their opposition through a striking visual contrast—Democratic lawmakers seated in stony silence as Republicans rise in applause. 'I think it's important that Trump, my Republican colleagues, and the nation see the faces and the pain that he is inflicting on America and on the services we depend on,' Leger Fernández says. Write to Nik Popli at
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Sen Heinrich: USDA funding and firefighter hiring freeze threatens communities
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 19: Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) listens during a hearing with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 19, 2022 in Washington, DC. The committee held the hearing to examine federal regulatory authorities governing the development of interstate hydrogen pipelines, storage, import, and export facilities. (Photo by) In a letter sent Tuesday to the acting secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and colleagues put forth a list of concerns related to wildfires, including a halt of fund disbursement for forest management and restoration projects, and what they characterized as a universal hiring freeze that includes permanent and seasonal firefighters. 'As we have recently seen in Los Angeles, addressing the threat of wildfire — even in winter months —should remain a top priority for the Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture,' the letter to Gary Washington notes.'The funds provided by Congress for this work led to record-breaking accomplishments in forest management in 2024. Halting these payments is not only unlawful but also endangers our rural communities by removing a vital component of their economies and delaying critical work to mitigate the threat of wildfire.' The senators write that it is their understanding USDA stopped funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or the Inflation Reduction Act in response to President Donald Trump's executive order, and suspended hiring firefighters in response to Trump's order to freeze federal hiring, even though his order exempted public safety personnel. A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to comply with the judge's previous ruling requiring the government to unfreeze funding on grants and loans. The letter also includes 10 questions to the department, including a request for a full list of the Forest Service programs for which funding has been paused; the status for personnel hired under both the IIAJ and IRA; and an explanation for the hiring freeze for firefighters despite the public safety exemption. For their last question, the senators write: 'In recent years, the Forest Service has spent months at a time at Preparedness Level 4 and 5, indicating that staffing levels were stretched to a breaking point. How does the Department plan to effectively fight wildfires if the Forest Service cannot hire firefighters?' In addition to Heinrich, who is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, fellow committee member U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-W.A); Subcommittee on Interior, Environment Ranking Member U.S. Sen. Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore) and Ranking Member Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Amy Klobucha (D-MN) signed the letter. Read the full letter here. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Heinrich questions FEMA chief over delays for those who lost everything in northern NM wildfire
