Latest news with #GabeVasquez
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Congressional vote to overturn California clean car rules could kill New Mexico mandates
A congressional vote to pass three measures overturning California's strict vehicle pollution standards could spell the end of New Mexico's ability to enforce similar regulations. The U.S. Senate voted mostly along party lines Thursday to pass the resolutions blocking the coastal state's efforts to push the sale of electric vehicles. The House passed the resolutions a few weeks ago, with a handful of Democrats, including New Mexico's Gabe Vasquez, breaking with the caucus to support the rollback. In 2022, California adopted its "Advanced Clean Cars II" regulation, which mandates that by 2035 all new passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state produce zero emissions. A handful of other Democratic-controlled states, including New Mexico, have followed suit, adopting similar regulations to phase in more zero-emission vehicles in an effort to combat climate change. Thursday's votes overturned three waivers provided to California by the Biden administration that allowed the state to set more rigorous standards than those on the federal level. Other states cannot set their own standards but they are allowed to follow California's, NPR reported a few weeks ago. President Donald Trump is expected to sign off on the measures. Assuming the action is held up in court — Democrats are arguing Congress didn't have the authority to overturn the regulations — the reversals will have an impact on New Mexico's own clean vehicle standards adopted in 2022 and 2023, Environment Department spokesperson Jorge Armando Estrada wrote in an email. For New Mexico, starting next year, 43% of passenger cars and light-duty trucks and 15% of commercial heavy-duty trucks shipped to local dealerships were supposed to produce zero emissions. "This is the same authority that underpins New Mexico's rules," Estrada wrote. The department did not respond Friday evening to follow-up questions about how it plans to proceed. In a news release Thursday, Western Resource Advocates said the votes "undermine nearly 50 years of precedent under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency." "Prior to [the] vote, other states could either rely on the weaker federal standard or adopt these more ambitious emissions standards, so these three rules were the nation's most robust path to decarbonize the transportation sector and protect people from dangerous air pollution," the organization's release said. The vote comes after the Environment Department announced a proposed clean transportation fuels rule earlier this week, which would create a carbon intensity standard for fuel used in transportation and a credit system for companies making or importing fuels. Stay below the standard, you earn credits; exceed it, and be required to buy credits. Hybrid market In the third quarter of 2024, full electric vehicle, hybrid and plug-in hybrid sales hit an all-time high nationally, making up around 21% of the market, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But adoption isn't even across states. In 2023, less than 1% of vehicle registrations in New Mexico were for full electric vehicles, according to data reported by the Department of Energy. And at least two states delayed implementation of their own clean vehicle rules in recent weeks — voluntarily. In a late April executive order, Vermont Gov. Philip Scott, a Republican, said charging infrastructure and technology hasn't kept up with the regulatory schedule. Some manufacturers are requiring that car dealers sell zero-emission vehicles before internal combustion engine vehicles, reducing the overall supply, Scott wrote. Tariffs are also increasing costs and disrupting the supply chain for the industry, he added. 'I continue to believe we should be incentivizing Vermonters to transition to cleaner energy options like electric vehicles," Scott said in a news release. "However, we have to be realistic about a pace that's achievable. It's clear we don't have anywhere near enough charging infrastructure and insufficient technological advances in heavy-duty vehicles to meet current goals." A memo sent by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Director Leah Feldon last week, meanwhile, stated some manufacturers are limiting the sales of internal combustion engine trucks to remain in compliance with the clean trucks requirements, reducing overall vehicle availability for drivers in the state. 'While manufacturers were involved in developing the [Advanced Clean Trucks] framework, they now indicate that ACT requirements are too difficult to meet,' Feldon wrote. In the memo, Feldon indicated that the department wouldn't be enforcing the regulations or fining manufacturers right away, so long as they kept selling internal combustion engine vehicles to Oregonians without limitations, took 'good faith' efforts to reduce emissions, and continued to follow reporting requirements. Although the stick is gone, the carrot remains: a credit program for zero-emission vehicles sent to the state remains in effect. 'The current federal administration has created significant uncertainty around [zero-emission vehicle] incentives, electric vehicle charging investments, manufacturing and tariffs, each of which threaten a smooth transition to medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs,' Feldon wrote. Governors push back A group of governors, including New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Oregon's Tina Kotek and Colorado's Jared Polis, reaffirmed their support for the programs. The U.S. Climate Alliance, of which the 11 governors are members, announced the launch of the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition on Friday. "The federal government and Congress are putting polluters over people and creating needless chaos for consumers and the market," read a statement from the governors. "But our commitment to safeguarding Americans' fundamental right to clean air is resolute. We will continue collaborating as states and leveraging our longstanding authority under the Clean Air Act, including through state programs..." They added, "As we consider next steps for our clean vehicle programs, our states will engage stakeholders and industry to provide the regulatory certainty needed while redoubling our efforts to build a cleaner and healthier future."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A huge victory': Vasquez touts nixing of public lands sell-off in Congressional bill
U.S. Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana, on May 7, 2025 announced a new bipartisan public lands caucus. (Photo courtesy U.S. Rep. Vasquez's office) The Republican reconciliation bill that cleared the United States House of Representatives by a narrow margin this week no longer authorizes the sale of thousands acres of public land in Utah and Nevada. U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), who co-founded the Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus earlier this year, said the removal of that provision represents a 'huge victory' for all Americans concerned about public lands being sold to the highest bidder. Vasquez said in a statement he started the caucus with U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican, to beat back these attacks on public lands. 'We committed to working across party lines to sit down and ensure the integrity of our land management system. We've worked together across the aisle to prevent this unprecedented public lands sell-off,' Vasquez said. 'We will continue to work together to ensure our lands are public, accessible and well managed.' U.S. Reps. Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Zinke (R-MT) launch new bipartisan public lands caucus The provision would have gutted protections for 500,000 acres of land near Zion National Park, along with critical habitat for threatened desert tortoises and other areas designated by Congress for conservation, according to New Mexico Wild, a conservation advocacy group. That could have meant the lands were turned into 'golf courses, luxury resorts or strip malls,' the group said in a statement Thursday. Environmental groups nationally have applauded the removal of the provision, which Reps. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) and Mark Amodei (R-Nevada) sponsored. New Mexico Wild's executive director Mark Allison said the bipartisan pushback was a factor in maintaining the land's protections, but he warned that this is the first of many fights in coming days to stave off efforts to privatize public lands. 'The fact that House Republicans were forced to retreat shows that when we unite to defend our birthright, politicians listen,' he said in a statement. 'But make no mistake — this fight is far from over. The same forces that tried to sneak this land grab through would love nothing more than to come after New Mexico's public lands next time.' The reconciliation bill now heads to the Senate.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Report alleges abuse, rights violations at El Paso processing center
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A new 31-page report by Amnesty International is raising alarms about alleged human rights violations at the El Paso Service Processing Center, citing disturbing accounts of mistreatment, poor conditions, and limited access to legal representation for migrants in U.S. custody. According to the report released this month, Amnesty International conducted a site visit to the facility in April. The organization said it interviewed more than a dozen detainees and reviewed public records, facility policies, and legal filings to support its findings. Among the most serious allegations in the report are claims of physical abuse by guards, spoiled food, inadequate medical care, and a systemic lack of legal aid. Amnesty describes the conditions as 'an environment and system designed to dehumanize the population within.' One testimony included in the report is of a Venezuelan migrant who alleges that a guard mocked detainees for refusing to play a game of football, using slurs, then allegedly attacked three of the men in the unit. 'The guard slammed him onto the floor. His knees were on his head, they were kicking him repeatedly,' the report states. In response to the claims, KTSM reached out to the El Paso County Republican Party, which questioned the credibility of that account. 'I want to see the video on that. It just does not sound like normal human behavior here in the U.S.,' said Michael Aboud, chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party. The report also highlights a reduction in legal resources available to detainees after the local organization Estrella del Paso lost federal funding. The group previously provided 'know your rights' materials to migrants held in the facility. Without that support, many are navigating the complex immigration system with little guidance, Amnesty said. Amnesty is now urging the federal government to open an investigation into the allegations, review immigration enforcement practices, and restore legal support for those in detention. The report arrives as federal lawmakers push for increased transparency inside immigration detention centers. U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-NM, who represents parts of Southern New Mexico, recently announced an updated version of his previously introduced legislation aimed at bolstering oversight. 'This bill mandates reporting on conditions in immigration detention centers for things like assaults, abuse, hospitalization and death, complaints from inmates or detainees about legal access, retaliation, and lack of resources,' Vasquez said during a press conference this week. When asked about the broader issue of legal representation for detainees, the El Paso GOP responded: 'They came here illegally, and now they want us to pay for lawyers so they can stay as long as possible — and they're still going to get some back.' Amnesty International is calling on the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to launch a formal inquiry into the conditions at the El Paso Service Processing Center and other facilities nationwide. The full report is available by clicking on this link Dehumanized by Design: Human Rights Violations in El Paso | Amnesty International USA Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Rep. Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Zinke (R-MT) launch new bipartisan public lands caucus
U.S. Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana, on May 7, 2025 announced a new bipartisan public lands caucus. (Photo courtesy U.S. Rep. Vasquez's office) Amidst upheavals in public land management, budget proposals to cut millions in funding from conservation and an amendment by House Republicans approving the sale of federal lands in two states, U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday announced a new bipartisan public lands caucus, co-chaired by U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana, to oppose the sale of public lands. 'Public lands are where I learned to fish, hunt, and connect with my family and culture — and those experiences shaped who I am,' Vasquez said in a statement. 'These lands don't belong to one party or one group of people; they belong to all of us. The Public Lands Caucus is about protecting that birthright — bringing Democrats and Republicans together to preserve access, defend conservation, and invest in the outdoor economy that powers rural communities like mine in southern New Mexico. This is personal for me, and I'm proud to lead this bipartisan effort to keep our public lands in public hands.' In addition to Vasquez and Zinke, the caucus includes 12 additional members, equally divided from both major parties. 'I follow the Theodore Roosevelt motto that public lands are 'for the benefit and enjoyment of the people,' and that means making sure we both conserve and manage those lands to ensure public access for the next generation,' Zinke said in a statement. 'Public lands aren't red or blue issues, it's red white and blue. The bipartisan Public Lands Caucus brings together lawmakers who don't agree on much, but we agree on and are ready to work together to promote policies that advance conservation and public access. I look forward to working with Co-Chair Vasquez, the vice chairs, and all the members of this caucus so future generations can enjoy the same opportunities to hunt, hike, fish, make a living and enjoy our uniquely American heritage.' The initiative earned quick praise from the national Outdoor Recreation Roundtable nonprofit, whose Senior Vice President Whitney Potter Schwartz described the new caucus in a statement as 'a significant and welcome step forward in protecting and expanding access to our public lands and waters that power America's $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy and enrich the lives of millions of Americans. Keeping public lands public is a business imperative. There couldn't be a more important time to stand up for America's best return on investment and keep public land selloff out of reconciliation.' Also in public lands congressional news, Democratic U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, on Wednesday sent a scolding letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over the advancement of authority to former DOGE staffer Tyler Hassen, accompanied by a list of questions regarding Hassen's employment. The Interior Department, Heinrich notes in the letter, 'plays a vital role in managing public lands, safeguarding cultural resources, and engaging in responsible energy development. Delegating sweeping authorities and responsibilities to a non-Senate confirmed person in violation of the Vacancies Reform Act is baffling and extremely troubling.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dem border rep brags about voting against Laken Riley Act
Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., touted his vote against the Laken Riley Act and bashed President Donald Trump's administration at an April event, saying deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia, along with other illegal immigrants, is "testing and stretching the fabric of our democracy to a place we have never seen before." In his speech, Vasquez claimed some said it would take "courage" to vote against the Laken Riley Act, to which the Democratic congressman exclaimed, "I did. I voted against [the bill]," leading the audience to cheer. "Because due process is a fundamental part of who we are as Americans," he continued. The Laken Riley Act, which was signed into law by Trump on Jan. 29, was introduced after an illegal immigrant brutally murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley while she was jogging in Athens, Georgia, in February 2024. The law established that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must detain illegal migrants if they are arrested or charged with a violent crime. Chance Of Laken Riley's Illegal Immigrant Killer Doing Time In El Salvador Prison Addressed By Lawmakers Just a month after the Laken Riley Act was signed into law, Secretary Kristi Noem and DHS announced a "627% increase in monthly arrests compared to just 33,000 at-large arrests under Biden for ALL of last year." Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose district contains the longest stretch of U.S. land neighboring Mexico, defended the bipartisan bill in a statement to Fox News Digital Friday. Read On The Fox News App Gonzales explained that border security is "a real and lasting issue as a result of four years of inaction under President Biden. That's why Americans voted for safer communities and to restore law and order and President Trump is delivering on that promise with legislation like the Laken Riley Act and much more that is coming down the pike." Vasquez went on to bash the Trump administration for deporting illegal migrants, including Abrego Garcia, claiming U.S. citizens aren't safe from being removed from the country if the Trump administration gets "their way." "Time and time again, out-of-touch Democrat Gabe Vasquez chooses to prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the well-being of hardworking New Mexicans," National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Zach Bannon told Fox News Digital. "He's completely abandoned common sense, pandering to the radical left while betraying the very people who will vote him out of office next year." DEMS RIDICULED FOR GOING 'ALL IN' ON SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA Abrego Garcia, who has been the focus of Democratic talking points criticizing Trump's immigration policies, was one of many illegal immigrants who were deported to the El Salvadorian "Terrorism Confinement Center" (CECOT) in March. It was most recently revealed that the 29-year-old illegal migrant and suspected member of the violent MS-13 gang was pulled over while driving an SUV that belonged to another illegal immigrant who confessed to human smuggling in 2020. While the Trump administration has maintained their position on Abrego Garcia's gang ties and history of violence, a federal judge and even the U.S. Supreme Court have ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate his return. Abrego Garcia had been living in Maryland with his family prior to being sent to El Salvador, on the grounds that his removal to the country was unjustified. Top Trump Officials File Charges Against Illegal Immigrant After Fox News Exposes Early Release Plans Some Republicans have pushed back at the decision to double down on Abrego Garcia's stay in El Salvador, including Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, who said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that Abrego Garcia's deportation was a "screw up." On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis gave the DOJ a week's extension to provide explanation, documentation and testimony defending the decision to deport Abrego Garcia. Fox News Digital reached out to Vasquez's office for article source: Dem border rep brags about voting against Laken Riley Act
