U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández greets Thomas H. Begay, a Navajo Code Talker who served in World War II, after addressing a joint session of the Legislature on the House floor of the Capitol on Monday. Michael G. Seamans/The New Mexican
Thomas H. Begay, a World War II code talker, is wheeled out of the House chambers by his son, RC Begay, as a guest of Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández after she addressed a joint session of the New Mexico legislature on the House floor of the Capitol in ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe on Monday.
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández greets Thomas H. Begay, a Navajo Code Talker who served in World War II, after addressing a joint session of the Legislature on the House floor of the Capitol on Monday. Michael G. Seamans/The New Mexican
Thomas H. Begay, a World War II code talker, is wheeled out of the House chambers by his son, RC Begay, as a guest of Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández after she addressed a joint session of the New Mexico legislature on the House floor of the Capitol in ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe on Monday.
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández did not mince words Monday on the New Mexico House floor when raising concerns about the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term.
“I’m going to say it, guys: We are at the door of a constitutional crisis, when profiteering billionaires who are not elected ...,†Leger Fernández said, the rest of her sentence largely drowned out in a flurry of heavy applause.
In speeches spanning about 20 minutes, Leger Fernández, along with U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, offered messages of strength and unity, stressed the importance of the Legislature’s work and relayed concerns about the policy priorities of the Trump administration — messages that spurred multiple standing ovations.
New Mexico has historically relied on large portions of federal aid, and the members of the delegation alluded to natural disasters that have rocked the state in recent years.
“In our most challenging times, New Mexicans look out for each other,†Heinrich said. “From the darkest days of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire to last year’s flooding in Roswell. From north to south, from east to west, New Mexicans understand our shared commitment to one another.â€
The remarks came as protesters gathered outside the Roundhouse on Monday to rail against policy directives set by the Trump administration as well as against billionaire Elon Musk’s new role in the federal government at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., addresses a joint session of the New Mexico Legislature on the House floor of the Capitol in ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe on Monday.
There were a number of open seats in the chamber, with some Republican members of the House and Senate choosing not to attend the joint session. House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, noted the session came at a busy time in the lawmaking season but that she was able to attend portions of it.
“Today’s speeches from members of New Mexico’s Congressional delegation only solidify how out of touch they are with New Mexicans,†Armstrong said in a statement. “I’m not focused on their attacks and complaints about lost elections.â€
“I’m focused on the people of New Mexico,†the statement continued. “We want to deliver for them by lowering costs, making our neighborhoods safer, and fixing broken departments like CYFD.â€
Heinrich praised state lawmakers for prioritizing deeper investment in behavioral health and for looking to increase the childhood tax credit. Three bipartisan bills — all aimed at reforming and funding New Mexico’s behavioral health system — are moving quickly through the Legislature.
“All of these New Mexicans are counting on us, here in this room, to lead, to give a damn and to keep our community safe,†Heinrich said. “Simply put, they are counting on us to deliver and that requires grappling with difficult decisions, and it requires solving real problems that impact real people.â€
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Luján talked about the importance of New Mexican values, calling for communication and collaboration across a range of issues. He noted he is one of the senators who reintroduced the last month, an effort to revive and expand a program that compensates people who were sickened through the federal government’s nuclear weapons testing and production. The proposal would extend the benefits to residents of New Mexico.
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján kisses his mother, Carmen Luján, after addressing a joint session of the New Mexico Legislature on Monday.
“I am more convinced than ever that, as New Mexicans, we can stand strong against whatever headwinds there are. And we are going to come out stronger, right?†Luján said.
He also urged funding tied to closing gaps in broadband access in the state.
“It’s time for the state to start investing these dollars,†Lujan said. “If you don’t believe me, just go back and chat with the folks back at home, and take time to travel down that long, dirt road to that one farm where you know the family but you know there’s no connectivity.â€
Leger Fernández agreed.
“We can’t just have broadband in the big house. We need it in the adobe house. We need it in the ranch house,†she said, generating applause. “We need it in every house in New Mexico.â€
Amid concerns about housing affordability in the Land of Enchantment, Leger Fernández talked about her “Home of Your Own Act,†introduced in Congress in June of last year.
The legislation would expand a limited pilot project to provide a one-time, $30,000 down payment assistance grant to first-time homebuyers who qualify for the program and to create a new national homeownership assistance grant program at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Leger Fernández referred to proposed spending cuts at the federal level.
“What are we going to say? Hell, no. We are going to fight like hell to keep those cuts from happening,†Leger Fernández said.
Talking to reporters following the speeches on the House floor, Heinrich said Democrats in Congress will have their work cut out for them to push back on Trump’s agenda.
“We’re now in trench warfare. We’re in program by program, issue by issue, and it’s an endless game of Whac-a-Mole,†he said.
