Latest news with #MartinHeinrich
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Bipartisan senators seek study on wildfire insurance
A pair of bipartisan senators introduced legislation this week that would seek information on how much growing wildfires are costing homeowners. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) first shared with The Hill a draft of the Wildfire Insurance Coverage Study Act. Their bill would require the U.S. Comptroller General to study the extent of growing U.S. wildfire risks and whether private companies have refused to issue new policies to homeowners because of those risks. Climate change is worsening droughts and leads to more severe wildfires. While this science has been politicized, dealing with wildfire damage can be an area of consensus. Still, it's not entirely clear if the bill will advance. 'I'm hearing from more and more New Mexicans who've seen their insurance premiums skyrocket, lost coverage entirely, or been priced out of protecting their homes. That is completely unacceptable,' Heinrich said in a written statement. 'We need a clearer picture of how worsening wildfires and climate risks are impacting insurance companies' decisions to raise insurance premiums.' 'One-third of America lives in wildfire-prone areas, and we must get our arms around this crisis, because if you can't get or afford homeowners' insurance, you can't finance your home, which means hardworking families can't achieve homeownership,' Sheehy said in a written statement.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Bipartisan senators seek to prevent Trump from cutting EPA science research office
A bipartisan Senate appropriations bill seeks to prevent the Trump administration from cutting the EPA's scientific research office. Text of the appropriations bill, which advanced 26-2 on Thursday, was not immediately available. However, a summary posted online states that the bill 'requires EPA to maintain its Office of Research and Development to ensure cutting-edge research, such as research into the risks from hazardous chemicals like PFAS or contaminated water, continues.' This bipartisan pushback comes as the Trump administration said last week that it wants to eliminate the EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). It did announce previously that it wanted to create a different science office known as the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions (OASES). OASES will be within the office of the administrator while ORD is its own office within EPA. Critics of this restructure have warned that it creates the potential for more bias and political influence in what should be independent science. The Trump administration has billed the changes as improving 'the effectiveness and efficiency of EPA operations.' Every year, Congress needs to pass an appropriations bill to fund the government. Doing so requires at least some degree of bipartisan consensus because of the Senate's 60-vote threshold to clear the filibuster. It's not entirely clear whether this provision or any others will remain in a bill that ultimately passes, as both the House and the Senate need to agree. However, its inclusion in the bipartisan Senate legislation shows it has a strong chance of passing. In addition, the Senate proposal appears to reject some cuts proposed by the Trump administration. It also maintains funding levels at the National Park Service, where the Trump administration has proposed 30 percent operations and payroll cuts. A Senate aide told The Hill that the bill includes requirements for staff to carry out the mission of the agency, but does not have an explicit minimum staffing level. Senators rejected an amendment from Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) that would require the Interior Department, National Park Service and Forest Service to maintain 2020 staffing levels in a 15-14 party-line vote.
Politico
18-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
‘Definitely playing favorites:' Interior memo could strike dire blow to wind and solar projects
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the top Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, warned the move would hamstring the U.S. economy by delaying additions of readily available power. 'The president and Secretary Burgum will then be responsible for raising electricity prices on every state in this country because that will be the end result of that kind of abuse of permitting,' he said. 'I would warn them if they create this as a precedent and it survives, a future administration could play the same game with oil and gas pipelines and leases.' The department's new policy requires Burgum's office to weigh in on virtually every aspect of or permit for solar and wind projects with a nexus to Interior. That includes siting, navigating threats to endangered species, road access and right-of-way permissions. 'There are some projects — particularly in the West because that's mostly where you're going to see this Interior footprint — that are going to be directly impacted by this, significantly impacted by this,' said Walter McLeod, managing director of Monarch Strategic Ventures, which finances solar and battery storage projects. Those steps would ensnare a massive amount of projects, said Ted Boling, a partner at law firm Perkins Coie who spent decades working on permitting at Interior and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Projects that begin on private land but must cross public land — such as transmission lines that connect solar and wind to other power lines carrying electricity to populated areas — require authorization from Interior's Bureau of Land Management, he said. Transmission projects, which can span hundreds of miles, that cross national wildlife refuges on Interior-managed land may also need Burgum's approval, Boling added. Some companies and clean energy advocates worried the directive would slow solar and wind approvals to a crawl by creating a bottleneck at Burgum's office. The memo outlining the new marching orders referenced several executive orders that were designed to either elevate fossil fuel production or stymie renewable power.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NM joins lawsuit over mental health funding for students
New Mexico AG Raúl Torrez on July 1, 2025 announced another lawsuit against the federal government, this time for cancellation of school mental health grants. (Photo by Justin Garcia / Las Cruces Bulletin) The New Mexico Department of Justice announced on Tuesday it has joined 15 other states in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education's discontinuation in April of grants under the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The law, which U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) played a role in crafting, included enhanced measures to address gun violence, including more funding for school-based mental health programs. Specifically, a news release from New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez's office notes, the bill allocated $1 billion to expand access to school-based mental health services. However, the federal education department in April 'issued boilerplate notices discontinuing the grants based on vague and unsupported claims of conflict with current policy priorities,' the news release said. 'The coalition lawsuit argues this violates federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and statutory protections under the Safer Communities Act' and has asked the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington to block the cuts. 'It is one of our greatest responsibilities to protect the mental health and safety of our children,' Torrez said in a a statement. 'This funding was secured by Congress—thanks in large part to the leadership of Senator Heinrich—to address the trauma and mental health challenges students face after school shootings and during an ongoing youth mental health crisis. The Department's decision to abruptly eliminate this funding is not only reckless, but it also defies the law and threatens to dismantle programs that are saving lives.' The state in April also joined in a lawsuit against the federal education department's cancellation of funds for three programs funded through the American Rescue Act to help vulnerable school children recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. AG Torrez joins lawsuit over federal education funds The new suit comes as the Trump administration puts on hold $6.8 billion in federal funds for K-12 schools, according to an Education Department notice obtained by States Newsroom. The agency informed states on Monday that it would be withholding funding for several programs, including before- and after-school programs, migrant education and English-language learning, among other initiatives. Solve the daily Crossword
Economic Times
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Economic Times
Flash flood devastates Ruidoso, New Mexico: Homes swept away, river rises 20 feet in 30 minutes
A severe thunderstorm hit central Florence County in Wisconsin. The National Weather Service issued a warning. The storm brought strong winds and hail. Wind speeds reached 60 mph. Hail was about one inch in diameter. Residents were advised to take shelter. They were asked to stay away from windows. Outdoor activities were postponed. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Flash flood emergency & river rising Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Refuge Centers for Evacuees in Ruidoso Ruidoso Community Center, 501 Sudderth. ENMU-Ruidoso, 709 Mechem, near Albertson's. Angus Church of the Nazarene, 103 Bonita Park, Capitan. Texas (Over 100 deaths) over Fourth of July weekend. North Carolina (Monday). New Mexico (Tuesday). FAQs A flash flood hit the village of Ruidoso, New Mexico on Tuesday afternoon ,July 2, water currents were seen washing away several homes in videos shared Martin Heinrich of New Mexico warned people to evacuate to higher ground for safety, as per the reports. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Albuquerque said a "DANGEROUS situation is unfolding" in the area, as per the issued a flash flood emergency alert telling people to avoid driving through flood waters as the current could carry away vehicles. The Rio Ruidoso River, which runs through the village, rose 20 feet in just 30 minutes during the flood, as per the Hindustan Times report.A map released by NWS showed the areas placed under flash flood emergency. Multiple videos showed the rapid water rise and destruction in the village. It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt or missing, as per the Village of Ruidoso posted on Facebook about refuge centers being set up for those affected. List of Refuge Centers are as follows:Not just Ruidoso, but also Lincoln County and Hollywood in New Mexico were hit. Multiple people were reportedly trapped during the flooding. This is the third major flash flood in the U.S. in under 7 days:Some social media users are blaming cloud seeding for the back-to-back floods. New Mexico did start a cloud seeding pilot project in early 2024. But there's no scientific evidence linking it to the floods. Rio Ruidoso is 150 miles southeast of Albuquerque, and rose 20 feet in 30 minutes around 4 p.m. Tuesday, as per the report by Hindustan rainfall caused the Rio Ruidoso River to rise 20 feet in 30 minutes, leading to sudden flash floods across the centers were opened at Ruidoso Community Center, ENMU-Ruidoso, and Angus Church to help affected residents.
