Latest news with #Luján
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Mexico Sen. Luján: Trump administration blocking nearly $316 billion for tribes
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján continued to sound the alarm this week on the Trump administration's decision to block hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds for programs that focus on health, education and other services in Native American communities. A day after questioning the impacts of potential cuts to early childhood, maternal health and other programs for Indigenous people during a meeting of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, the New Mexico Democrat on Thursday blasted the administration of Republican President Donald Trump. 'The Trump administration is illegally withholding hundreds of billions of dollars owed to communities across the country — including nearly $316 billion owed to Native communities — just to hand out more tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporate interests,' Luján, a member of the committee, said in a statement. Luján called the matter a 'profound betrayal' and 'shameful failure' of the federal government's responsibility to tribes and said, 'This reckless decision puts the well-being and safety of New Mexicans and tribal nations at risk.' Aaron Lopez, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department, also expressed concern over new federal policies that will disrupt services and programs for Native Americans in New Mexico's 23 tribes, impacting education, health care, infrastructure and economic development. 'The New Mexico Indian Affairs Department and the State are keeping a close eye on federal actions that could adversely affect Indian Country,' Lopez said in a statement. The department will continue to work closely with New Mexico's congressional delegation to advocate for Indigenous people in the state, he added. Luján's pointed statement, based on a tracker of federal funds compiled by the Democratic staffs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, comes as Democrats continue to assail Trump and his administration amid a vast array of federal funding cuts, planned or otherwise, in Trump's first 100 days in office. Luján and other members of New Mexico's all-Democratic congressional delegation have been raising concerns about the cuts and how they affect regular New Mexicans since Trump took office. In February, Luján and 110 other members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, New Mexico's senior senator, signed a letter to Trump and other high-ranking members of his administration asking the president to 'immediately halt and reverse the harmful impacts of executive actions' impacting programs for Indigenous people. During Wednesday's Senate Indian Affairs Committee, which held a hearing to examine federal programs under the purview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that serve Native Americans, Luján questioned the Trump administration's commitment to Indigenous communities. 'I want to point out what a disappointment I believe this administration has been to the Indian Health Service,' he said, adding Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. missed an opportunity during his recent visit to Gallup in northwestern New Mexico to stop at one of the oldest Indian Health Service centers and see firsthand the staffing cuts, water issues and other problems impacting Native patients and providers. 'The way that I was raised is you make time for what's important,' Luján said, 'and he didn't make time.' The Health and Human Services Department did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Luján also questioned witnesses about cuts to early childhood and maternal health programs. 'We all care greatly for Native American mothers and babies, which is why I'm outraged by the fact that 92% of Native American women that die from pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable,' he said. 'Just let that sit for a second and that the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has seen a 20% reduction in staffing, leaving more vulnerabilities out there.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Sen. Luján calls out Trump order on NPR, PBS
Longtime KUNM volunteer DJ Don McIver pictured hosting the station's afternoon Freeform program (Megan Kamerick/KUNM) 'Unlawful' and 'illegal' is how U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) on Friday described President Donald Trump's May 1 executive order eliminating funding for NPR and PBS. Entitled 'Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,' the order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease current and future direct and indirect funding 'consistent with my Administration's policy to ensure that Federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage.' It also directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary to determine whether PBS or NPR '(or any successor organization)…are complying with the statutory mandate that 'no person shall be subjected to discrimination in employment . . . on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.' In the event of a finding of noncompliance,' the order continues, 'the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall take appropriate corrective action.' Luján, the ranking member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, said in a statement the 'unlawful' order, signed 'in the dark of night,' will 'strip New Mexicans of vital access to public programming that educates, entertains, and keeps us safe. For decades, NPR and PBS have delivered news, entertainment, and much more to New Mexicans, especially in rural and Tribal communities. Public media, like NPR, PBS, and their local affiliates, provide critical information to New Mexicans in all corners of the state — including during disasters and emergencies when our rural communities rely on public media the most.' Moreover, Luján's statement noted, 'this illegal executive order is an attempt by President Trump to strip New Mexicans of vital public services that thousands rely on day-to-day. The President is disregarding CPB's authority and working to prevent New Mexicans from accessing free news, educational programming, and emergency alerts. Defunding NPR and PBS will leave New Mexicans in the dark when they need information the most.' Local NPR affiliate KUNM General Manager Richard Towne, in a statement provided to Source, agreed with Luján's characterization of the order, writing: 'In my view, the EO does not have the legal basis for enforcement. This is because CPB is an independent non-profit corporation, not a government agency. The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 protects CPB against political meddling through Congressional funding for two years of funding.' Towne notes that the CPB is currently funded by Congress 'with White House approval' through Sept. 30, 2027, so Trump's executive order bypasses Congress. Trump's order impacts approximately $540,000 in CPB funding for KUNM over the next two years, he said. For public radio and television together, the impact is more than $11 million over the next two years, he noted, adding: 'This is not chump change.' New Mexico PBS General Manager and CEO Franz Joachim sent Source a similar comment, also noting that Trump's EO 'is a clear violation of the 1st amendment and the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, which created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as a firewall against federal interference how our federal funding is used.' Federal funding of public media, he added, 'is essential and irreplaceable. Government should fund the free distribution of information that saves lives and changes lives. Towne also shared a letter he received Friday afternoon from CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison that says while Trump's executive order 'is concerning, we believe it has no effect on CPB, since CPB is not a federal agency subject to the President's authority.' As such, 'CPB will not be adding any additional conditions or restrictions on our Community Service Grants. Payments will continue to go to our grantees per their grant agreements.' Harrison's letter also noted that a few days prior to the executive order, the Trump administration 'sent emails to three members of CPB's Board of Directors stating they are fired effective immediately. We immediately filed a lawsuit to say the Administration has no authority to terminate any of CPB's board members. A U.S. District Court Judge ruled in favor of holding a hearing on our motion for a temporary restraining order, which seeks to block the president's actions until the case can be fully heard. The hearing is scheduled for May 14. That being said, Harrison acknowledged rumors that the administration intends to try to pull back $1.1 billion from CPB's forthcoming budget,. The CPB board met Friday to discuss these issues. 'I am proud of the resilience and dedication I have seen across the system,' Harrison's letter concludes. 'Your efforts ensure that public media remains a cornerstone of our shared democracy. Together, we will navigate these challenges, guided by our shared commitment to service, education, and community.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Sen. Luján town hall attendees worry about education, social security, democracy
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) addressed approximately 200 people at a town hall at Santa Fe Community College on April 22, 2025 (Julia Goldberg/Source NM) Education. Social Security. Health care. Attendees at a town hall hosted by U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) Tuesday night at Santa Fe Community College brought questions and concerns on a variety of topics, but the Trump administration served as the unifying thread. 'We have a lawless administration,' attendee Gary Lasswell said when he was called upon (organizers used a raffle system to take questions from the approximate 200 attendees). 'We hear talk about that we haven't technically gotten ourselves into a constitutional crisis. This administration is already disobeying laws. They're disobeying judges. They're gas lighting, they're stonewalling. They are not obeying judges orders. The resistance that we're starting to see a spark of, especially in the last month or so all across the country, is a good start, but we also need leaders within our party, within the Democratic Party, to be out there, like Bernie [Sanders] and AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez].' Said Judy Trimarchi: 'We are in the midst of a fascist coup. It's nothing less than that. We can't expect to reason for what they're doing. There is no explanation. There's no going back and looking at what they used to do or what they used to be like, or how we used to work together, or what we used to stand for, or what we pushed for, that's moot. It means nothing anymore. We are in a war for our democracy and nothing less.' Folks in the room —attendees included several local and state officials — also had suggestions for Luján and the Democratic Party in general: Use simpler language to discuss what's happening. Go on tour with Sanders and talk about universal health care. And requests: Talk to the military and secure commitments to serve the Constitution versus the Commander in Chief; back a special election or an impeachment trial. Luján took it all in stride. 'I agree with the question about the crisis that we're in today,' he told the room. 'I'm not the only senator that has been abundantly clear that I believe that we are in a crisis.' As for touring nationally: 'I appreciate you suggesting that I should hold something like Bernie,' Luján said. 'Mine would be very small, but I know that.' Regarding a special election: A non-starter, he noted. Not possible under the law. Impeachment also not possible given the Republican majorities in Congress. That being said, Luján did discuss in detail how he and the rest of the state's delegation and other Democrats are working to push back at the Trump administration and fellow Republicans. 'Here's the legislative tool,' Luján said, ' it's forcing my Republican colleagues to hold these votes where they don't want to take a vote on something. You can't stop the Republicans because of the sheer spread that they have right now…We need four in any one of these votes. And over the last three weeks — which seems like an eternity —…we've got three Republicans who have the courage to push back against this administration, but we've not seen a fourth.' Luján, however, expressed optimism about the impact constituents across the country could have on that equation, particularly when his colleagues encounter them at home. 'There's something magical that happens when people come back [to Congress] after being home for a week or for two weeks with their constituents,' he said. 'They go to grocery store, maybe they'll go to a church service, maybe they'll go somewhere else and see constituents. They're talking to them.' Democrats, he added, 'need to keep turning up the volume in all of these committees on the floor as much as we possibly can.' That means, he added, calling out falsehoods. 'Like I told my mom: I'm done saying, 'Oh, well, that's not completely true,' or, 'You may have misstated that. A lie is a lie, and the way that I was raised, a cover up is worse than a lie.' And so: 'We need to call out a lie everywhere it's a lie,' he said. Luján encouraged everyone in the room to also continue raising their voices. 'When these personal stories are being shared about someone that's been personally negative impacted, and I can engage my colleagues in those spaces, in that debate, that's one of the most powerful tools that we have right now,' he said. Following the close to two-hour town hall, Luján told Source he agreed with sentiments from attendees that 'everyone needs to do more…if one of my colleagues is holding a gathering where 30,000 people are there, we're all supporting each other, and everyone needs to do everything that they can and use all the tools and talents that they have to be able to connect with the American people.'
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP's Kennedy compares dire Trump tariff predictions to 'late-night psychic hotlines'
While senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., cited economists' projections that President Donald Trump's tariffs will cost American families an extra $5,000 per year, GOP Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., insisted, "We don't know," suggesting those who claim they do are making fools of themselves. "I followed what all these economists are saying. Most of them make these late-night psychic hotlines look respectable," Kennedy told Fox News Digital at the Capitol. "They don't know any more than anybody else. We're in uncharted waters here." According to Schumer and Luján, Americans can likely expect to see costs rise enough to equate to a $5,000 per year tax on American families. Stephen Miller Says Americans Have To Understand How 'Badly' We've Been Ripped Off As A Country "When the average American family sits down and tries to figure out how they're going to pay for things, and they hear they may pay $5,000 more than they've had to pay before — and they may not be able to buy a new car, they may not be able to support that new drug that grandma needs, they may not be able to take that vacation they were planning for a year — they're going to be outraged," Schumer told reporters. "It's a huge tax on American families. All – all – to help billionaires get a tax cut." Read On The Fox News App Luján seconded the sentiment from Schumer, pointing to the economists that Kennedy blasted as less respectable than a "late-night psychic hotline." Trump's China Tariffs Face Legal Challenge From Conservative Group Calling Them 'Unlawful' "There's no question that the American people are the ones that are going to be paying the brunt of this," Luján argued. "The actuaries that have been putting out reports and other economists are suggesting that this is going to be a national sales tax on the American people of about 5,000 bucks year. That's just not right. "If the president would be open to using targeted tariffs as a tool — something that I'm open to and I think others are — that's one thing," Luján added. "But when he's arbitrarily just going across the board and trying to slap on numbers … I'm very concerned for my constituents that are going to be paying out of pocket." Kennedy argued such projections had no basis in fact. "The truth is we don't know. These economists don't know," Kennedy insisted. "These are uncharted waters. We've not had these kind of tariffs in a long time. It may be a net positive. President Trump implemented tariffs in his first term. Didn't seem to hurt the economy. It could be a negative. All I'm saying is that in Washington, D.C., for every economist, there's an equal and opposite economist, and they're usually both wrong."Original article source: GOP's Kennedy compares dire Trump tariff predictions to 'late-night psychic hotlines'
Fox News
05-04-2025
- Business
- Fox News
GOP's Kennedy compares dire Trump tariff predictions to 'late-night psychic hotlines'
While senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., cited economists' projections that President Donald Trump's tariffs will cost American families an extra $5,000 per year, GOP Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., insisted, "We don't know," suggesting those who claim they do are making fools of themselves. "I followed what all these economists are saying. Most of them make these late-night psychic hotlines look respectable," Kennedy told Fox News Digital at the Capitol. "They don't know any more than anybody else. We're in uncharted waters here." According to Schumer and Luján, Americans can likely expect to see costs rise enough to equate to a $5,000 per year tax on American families. "When the average American family sits down and tries to figure out how they're going to pay for things, and they hear they may pay $5,000 more than they've had to pay before — and they may not be able to buy a new car, they may not be able to support that new drug that grandma needs, they may not be able to take that vacation they were planning for a year — they're going to be outraged," Schumer told reporters. "It's a huge tax on American families. All – all – to help billionaires get a tax cut." Luján seconded the sentiment from Schumer, pointing to the economists that Kennedy blasted as less respectable than a "late-night psychic hotline." "There's no question that the American people are the ones that are going to be paying the brunt of this," Luján argued. "The actuaries that have been putting out reports and other economists are suggesting that this is going to be a national sales tax on the American people of about 5,000 bucks year. That's just not right. "If the president would be open to using targeted tariffs as a tool — something that I'm open to and I think others are — that's one thing," Luján added. "But when he's arbitrarily just going across the board and trying to slap on numbers … I'm very concerned for my constituents that are going to be paying out of pocket." Kennedy argued such projections had no basis in fact. "The truth is we don't know. These economists don't know," Kennedy insisted. "These are uncharted waters. We've not had these kind of tariffs in a long time. It may be a net positive. President Trump implemented tariffs in his first term. Didn't seem to hurt the economy. It could be a negative. All I'm saying is that in Washington, D.C., for every economist, there's an equal and opposite economist, and they're usually both wrong."
