11/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/14/2026 16:30
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, announced that he was able to get $338 million for New Mexico included in the newly released Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (VA); Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS); Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Interior and Environment; Homeland Security; Energy and Water Development; and Legislative Branch Appropriations Bills, including Congressionally Directed Spending for 42 local projects.
"I've spent months fighting to secure federal funding to help New Mexico families put food on the table and afford housing, give local law enforcement the tools they need to keep our communities safe, support our veterans and military installations, and invest in critical water infrastructure, including $63 million for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. I'm proud to have secured $338 million for New Mexico in the released bills. But I remain frustrated by Senate Republicans refusal to include the critical funding needed for rural communities, necessary reforms to rein in an out-of-control ICE, and oversight tools to hold this administration accountable," said Heinrich, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee.
Heinrich continued, "Together, we got a lot into these bills. But New Mexicans deserve better than the totality of what Senate Republicans included, and my vote will reflect that. In this and future appropriations cycles, I will continue working to bring home investments that lower costs for working families, create more good-paying jobs, strengthen our communities, and honor the service of those who keep us safe."
FY27 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights
Military Construction
Heinrich successfully included $206 million for the following two projects:
Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) also successfully included $32.75 million for the following two projects:
Veteran Healthcare
Toxic Exposure: This bill includes $54.6 billion to implement the PACT Act, which expands and extends eligibility for VA healthcare for veterans of the Vietnam War, Gulf Wars, and post-9/11 era who were exposed to dangerous toxins while serving our country. Heinrich championed the PACT Act into law in 2022.
Home Healthcare: Heinrich secured language that requires the VA to study the impacts of the 19% cut to reimbursement rates for home health aides serving veterans in New Mexico. If the VA finds that these cuts negatively affected veterans' access to care, the VA is required to issue waivers to allow home healthcare providers to receive higher reimbursement, reversing the cuts and protecting veteran access to home healthcare.
Earlier this year, Heinrich led New Mexico and Texas congressional Democrats in introducing the Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act, legislation to reverse the Trump administration's cuts to reimbursement rates for essential homecare services for veterans in New Mexico and Texas.
Rural Health: This bill provides $349 million to help veterans living in rural communities access health care, including the Highly Rural Transportation Grant, which provides free transportation services to help veterans in rural areas travel to VA health appointments at no cost.
An estimated 2.7 million rural and highly rural veterans are enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Many rural veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare system are at an advanced age, with approximately 54 percent aged 65 or older. With the aging veteran population growing increasingly medically complex and more likely to be diagnosed with chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease, each requiring more frequent, ongoing, and costly care, these funds would help close the gap and get highly rural veterans the care they need.
Telehealth: The bill includes $6.7 billion to sustain and expand telehealth services at the VA, helping more veterans access care.
Mental Health: The bill includes nearly $3.7 billion for suicide prevention efforts at the VA. This includes a program to identify at-risk veterans established under the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, which Heinrich helped pass into law.
Education
GI Bill: The bill asks the VA to study and report how much it would cost to adjust for inflation the books and supplies stipend GI Bill recipients receive. The current stipend has not been adjusted since 2008. This builds on Heinrich's Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act, bipartisan legislation that will increase veterans' yearly books and supply stipend to $1,500 to keep up with inflation. The bill also increases the supply stipend for veterans enrolled in apprenticeships and pursuing careers in the trades.
Housing
Reducing Veteran Homelessness: The bill includes $3.8 billion to help connect veterans with stable, secure housing with the goal of putting 45,000 veterans experiencing homelessness into long term housing by 2027.
FY27 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights
Congressionally Directed Spending
Heinrich successfully included $5 million for the following seven local projects:
Heinrich and Luján also successfully included $6.5 million for the following seven projects:
Keeping New Mexico Communities Safe and Combating Crime
Combatting Crimes on Tribal Lands: Heinrich successfully included language directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to continue allocating additional resources to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, including providing sufficient funding to investigate, respond to, and prevent crimes in Tribal communities.
Fentanyl Tracking System: Heinrich successfully included language directing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop a comprehensive fentanyl tracking system. That tracking system would include documentation of seizure location, chemical composition, probable or known manufacturing location, and probable or known point of entry into the United States. Currently, fentanyl interdiction is compiled at land ports of entry by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but the DEA does not have readily accessible tracking data on the movement of illicit drugs within the U.S. or their point of origin. Requiring the compilation and organization of that data will complement DHS' work and improve our country's work to effectively combat the fentanyl crisis.
Firearm Straw Purchases Prevention: Heinrich successfully included language calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to continue its public awareness campaign to reduce firearm straw purchases at the retail level and to educate would-be straw purchasers of the penalties associated with knowingly participating in an illegal firearm purchase. This language builds on Heinrich's work to negotiate and author the provision in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that increased criminal penalties for straw purchases and made it illegal to traffic firearms out of the United States. To date, more than 1,000 defendants have been charged by the Department of Justice because of those provisions, removing hundreds of firearms from the streets.
Removing Barriers to Lifesaving Medication: Heinrich successfully included language directing the DEA to take further action to remove barriers to access for opioid use disorder medications such as buprenorphine. The data clearly shows that prescriptions of medications for opioid use disorder significantly reduce the risk of overdose death, but despite their demonstrated effectiveness, approximately 87% of those suffering from opioid use disorder do not have a prescription for these lifesaving medications. The inclusion of this language will assist local medical and mental health providers and make medications, including buprenorphine, more accessible to New Mexicans.
FY27 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights
Congressionally Directed Spending
Heinrich successfully included $6 million for the following seven local projects:
Heinrich and Luján successfully included $1.4 million for the following two projects:
Nutrition Assistance
Supporting New Mexico Rural Communities, Agriculture, and Food Security
Rental Assistance: The bill provides $1.7 billion for rental assistance to help ensure Americans living in rural communities have access to safe and affordable housing. The bill also includes $1 billion in Single Family Direct Loans to help more low-income families and first-time home buyers get mortgages.
Tribal Communities: The bill provides $271 million for the Food Distribution on Indian Reservation Program (FDPIR), a $36 million increase over FY26. The bill also provides $700,000 for processing and federal inspection of Tribal bison, which will help support Tribal food sovereignty by enabling Tribes to include bison raised on their own lands to be included in federal nutrition programs like school meals.
Additionally, the bill provides $5.1 million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Office of Tribal Relations, which is responsible for government-to-government relations between USDA and Tribal governments.
Economic Development: The bill includes a $3 million investment in the Southwest Border Commission (SBRC), a $500,000 increase over FY26, which supports economic and community development in southern New Mexico. Previously, Heinrich successfully secured the first-ever congressional investments to finally allow the SBRC to jump-start and expand its operations. The SBRC is one of eight authorized federal regional commissions and authorities.
Conservation and Wildlife: The bill rejects the administration's proposal to eliminate all discretionary funding for the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Conservation Technical Assistance program, which helps farmers and ranchers protect their land, improve soil health, and conserve water. Instead, the bill provides $748 million for conservation programs, $50 million more than FY26. This includes $51.6 million to help communities prevent flooding and protect watersheds and $10 million to help ranchers maintain healthy grazing lands.
The bill further provides $5.5 million to support non-lethal strategies to reduce wildlife-livestock conflict and includes direction to expand the Migratory Big Game and Working Lands for Wildlife Initiatives, a long-time Heinrich priority. Finally, the bill includes $22.5 million in funding for research and management of Chronic Wasting Disease, which funds the program created by Heinrich's Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, passed into law in 2023.
Agriculture Research: The bill fully funds agricultural research, including a $39 million increase over FY26 for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which conducts research to help farmers and ranchers improve their operations and protect their land. The bill also continues funding for Climate Hubs, which help farmers and ranchers prepare for drought and extreme weather, and the Long-term Agroecosystems Research (LTAR) Network, which studies how to keep farmland and grazing lands healthy and productive for years to come. This includes research conducted jointly by New Mexico State University (NMSU) and ARS Experimental Station in Las Cruces. The bill also provides $1.5 million for agrivoltaics research by ARS and NMSU, which explores how farmers can use the same land to grow crops and produce solar energy.
Small Farms and Local Food Systems: The bill provides $5 million for the Office of Urban Agriculture, which helps people grow food in urban communities by providing training, resources, and tools to manage risks. Albuquerque is home to one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Urban Service Centers, which helps local farmers and growers access these resources. The bill also provides $16.3 million for the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), which helps farmers and ranchers sell their products directly to customers, expand local food markets, and create new products from the crops and livestock they raise.
Food Safety: The bill provides $1.226 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an increase of $11 million over FY26. This funding will help ensure FSIS can perform its vital work protecting America's food supply without being forced to reduce its staffing levels, which would jeopardize food safety and exacerbate supply chain delays. The bill also includes $1.176 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, including $10 million, in additional funding for efforts to address the New World Screwworm infestation, a $5 million increase over FY26. This funding is in addition to over $1 billion the USDA has already spent using Commodity Credit Corporation funding and emergency funding.
Promoting Competition: The bill provides nearly $33 million for enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act to promote competition and prevent unfair or deceptive practices and monopolies.
International Food Aid: The bill provides $1.38 billion for the Food for Peace Program and $240 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. This funding is necessary to save lives around the world and reduce conflict.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA): The bill provides $7.265 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including $3.5 billion in annual funding, a $196 million increase over FY26. This includes $2.6 billion for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, which helps ensure prescription drugs are safe and effective; $627 million for the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, which oversees vaccines, blood products, and other medical treatments; and $71 million for the National Center for Toxicological Research, which studies the safety of drugs, chemicals, and other products. The bill also provides $19 million for the Orphan Products Grants Program, which supports research into treatments for rare diseases, including $5 million for the FDA Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grants Program, which funds research into rare diseases that damage the brain and nervous system.
The bill also provides at least $200 million for FDA enforcement efforts, including working with other federal agencies to crack down on illegal e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, remove these products from the market, and hold companies that illegally import or sell them accountable.
FY27 Interior and Environment Key Points and Highlights
Congressionally Directed Spending
Heinrich successfully included $5.65 million for the following 10 projects:
Heinrich and Luján included $1.87 million for the following 2 projects:
Supporting Tribes, Investing in Education, and Conserving New Mexico's Lands and Wildlife
Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act Implementation: Heinrich successfully included $500,000 to implement the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, a bipartisan law that Heinrich championed and passed in 2022 to prohibit the exporting of sacred Native American items and increase penalties for stealing and illegally trafficking Tribal cultural patrimony. Representing only the second year that this program has received dedicated funding, it will be used to halt the trade of culturally significant items and repatriate stolen pieces to the Tribal communities where they belong. Heinrich first introduced the STOP Act in 2016 after he helped halt the auction of a shield, stolen from the Pueblo of Acoma. Heinrich played a role in the effort to bring the shield home to Acoma by working with Governors Kurt Riley and Brian Vallo to call for its return.
Tribal Education: Heinrich fought for and successfully included $13,482,000 for the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development (IAIA). After the administration threatened to withhold FY25 funding from the IAIA, Heinrich secured the release of the funds and secured FY26 funding for the IAIA. This appropriations bill will ensure continued investment for the IAIA through FY27, supporting its mission to advance Indigenous arts, culture, and education for future generations. Heinrich also included language directing the U.S. Department of the Interior to continue to address the deferred maintenance backlog at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools.
Historic Preservation: Heinrich successfully secured level funding for the Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, totaling $23,750,000 after the Trump Administration proposed zeroing out the program.
Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program: Heinrich successfully included continued funding for the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program, after championing the creation of the program in the 2022 Infrastructure Law. Hardrock mines and mining features are related to the extraction of metals like copper, gold, silver, and uranium. When not reclaimed, many hardrock mines pose a hazard to public health and the environment. This funding will be used to clean up federal, state, Tribal, and private land and water resources affected by abandoned hardrock mines.
Southwest Ecological Research Institutes: Heinrich fought for and successfully maintained funding for the Southwest Ecological Research Institutes (SWERIs) after the Trump Administration proposed cutting the funding. SWERIs offer unique opportunities for dedicated research in forest science and watershed health and represent the future of science in forest management. New Mexico Highlands University houses one center along with Colorado State University and Northern Arizona University. This funding would ensure the continuation of valuable research in southwestern forest and fire management.
Conservation: Heinrich successfully protected funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, which leverages private dollars to restore waterfowl habitat across the country. Heinrich led the reauthorization of this fund last Congress. He also protected core wildlife management and science capabilities at the Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey from the steep cuts proposed by the Trump administration.
FY27 Homeland Security Key Points and Highlights
Heinrich successfully included $1.7 million for the following two projects:
Strengthening Public Safety, Election Security, and Emergency Preparedness
Election Security: Heinrich helped secure $39,610,000 for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) Election Security Program, which the Trump administration proposed eliminating in its FY27 budget request. The Election Security Program provides state and local election officers with intelligence, resources, and tools to help secure critical election infrastructure.
Fentanyl Analogues: Heinrich helped secure language directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to identify the specific types of fentanyl analogues and fentanyl-related substances that it encounters at ports of entry, rapidly deploy technology to detect, interdict, and deter the flow of illicit drugs, and provide a briefing on how the agency tracks fentanyl with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Currently, interdiction data is compiled at ports of entry by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the DEA does not have readily accessible tracking data on the movement of illicit drugs within the U.S. or their point of origin when it is seized within the U.S.
E-Cigarettes: Heinrich fought for and secured a $5,000,000 allocation from CBP to improve the Office of Field Operations (OFO) and the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) work on stopping the flow of illegal e-cigarettes into the U.S. The allocation will fund increased random inspections at ports of entry, increase the number of field examinations at ports of entry with high import volumes, and improve screening systems for field staff to better detect illegal e-cigarette imports.
Next Generation Warning System: Heinrich helped secure $56,000,00o for the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS). The NGWS supports the continuity, reliability, and resiliency of public broadcasting infrastructure, which is used across the country to provide alerts, warnings, and interoperable communications during emergencies.
FY27 Energy and Water Development Key Points and Highlights
Heinrich successfully included $2 million for the following two projects:
Additionally, Heinrich and Luján successfully included $63,333,000 for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to design and construct the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.
Heinrich and Luján have long supported efforts to fund and complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. For more information, click here.
Investing in New Mexico Water Infrastructure, Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, and the Southwest Border Regional Commission
Oversight of Federal Water Infrastructure: Heinrich successfully included report language that provides key oversight on federal water infrastructure throughout New Mexico, including the El Vado Dam and the San Juan-Chama Project.
Water Conservation and Natural Infrastructure: Heinrich secured level funding and significant increases for key Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART programs that provide water savings and ecosystem benefits for New Mexico and across the West.
Southwest Border Regional Commission: Heinrich successfully included $5.5 million for the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC). Since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee, Heinrich successfully secured the first-ever congressional investments to finally allow the SBRC to start its operations.
National Labs: Heinrich helped include $8.4 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science, which supports both Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Over the course of his tenure in Congress, Heinrich has helped double the total budgets for Sandia and LANL, significantly increasing the total employees and local economic impact of both labs.
Hexavalent Chromium Plume: Heinrich secured $20 million for addressing groundwater contamination by hexavalent chromium in the area surrounding LANL. Heinrich has consistently pushed the DOE's Office of Environmental Management to clean up its legacy waste. Within that funding, $2 million would support the San Ildefonso Pueblo to remediate its drinking water, and $5 million would be provided to Los Alamos County to build a new water well in another location away from the chromium plume.
FY27 Legislative Branch Key Points and Highlights
At a time when maintaining checks and balances is more important than ever, this bill falls short of ensuring Congress can effectively serve the American people and hold the executive branch accountable. As Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, Senator Heinrich does not support this bill, which fails to provide robust funding for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Congressional Research Service (CRS), both of which are crucial to Congress's oversight functions.
Safety and Security: The bill includes $965 million to support security operations for members, staff, and visitors to the Capitol campus. This funding allows continued recruitment and retention of sworn and civilian personnel.
The bill also provides authority to continue mutual aid reimbursements for state and local law enforcement, which helps cover costs incurred by state and local police departments when protecting lawmakers and congressionally sponsored events. And the bill responds to increasing safety threats by providing $75 million for enhanced member security for both the Senate and the House.
Government Accountability Office (GAO): The bill rejects House Republicans' efforts to cut the GAO by over $200 million but falls short of providing adequate resources to support aggressive oversight of the executive branch. Funding for the GAO is crucial for protecting taxpayer dollars, promoting government efficiency, and providing rigorous, nonpartisan oversight that builds public trust. Additional funding is necessary to support audits of federal programs, review of expenditures, and analysis of federal resource utilization.
Library of Congress: This bill includes $878.5 million for the Library of Congress, including $19.8 million for programs including Teaching with Primary Sources, the Surplus Books Program, Veteran History Project, and the Lewis Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative. This is a rejection of House Republicans' efforts to rewrite American history and hide the truth.
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