Heinrich Fights Republicans’ Efforts to Fund ICE’s Lawlessness & Protect Trump’s $1.8 Billion Slush Fund for Cop-Beating Insurrectionists

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) stood up for New Mexico families by voting against Senate Republicans' budget bill that fails to address the skyrocketing price of gas, groceries, and everyday essentials - while giving away $70 billion in taxpayer dollars to a lawless U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol. These agencies are already sitting on over $103 billion in unspent funds from the last Republican budget bill.

Despite Heinrich's work to amend the legislation, Republicans blocked every effort to provide needed relief to working families and refused to prohibit President Trump from using taxpayer dollars to fund his billion-dollar ballroom and create a $1.8 billon slush fund for convicted criminals who beat up police officers during the January 6, 2021 insurrection.

"While you're paying higher costs on everything from gas to groceries, Senate Republicans are once again using your taxpayer dollars to fund a lawless ICE and protect Trump's $1.8 billion slush fund for cop-beating insurrectionists," said Heinrich. "Throughout this budget process, I fought for amendments to support working families, ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, and help lower everyday costs. Senate Republicans rejected those efforts at every turn, making clear that they would rather fight harder for Trump's corrupt vanity projects than deliver relief for the American people."

As Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Heinrich successfully led the effort to block Senate Republicans from using their budget bill to fund Trump's ballroom with $1 billion in taxpayer dollars. The Senate Parliamentarian sided with Heinrich, who advised that funding for Trump's gilded ballroom would be subject to a 60-vote Byrd Rule point of order, effectively forcing its elimination from the legislation.

During the budget vote, Heinrich and Senate Democrats attempted to amend the legislation and provide much needed relief for working families.

Senate Republicans blocked Senate Democrats' efforts to:

• Prohibit Trump from using taxpayer dollars to create a $1.8 billon slush fund for convicted criminals who attacked the U.S. Capitol and beat up police officers on January 6, 2021.

• Prohibit taxpayer dollars from being used to fund Trump's billion-dollar gilded ballroom.

• Revoke Trump's unlawful tax audit immunities.

• Build 7 million new homes for working families nationwide, including 42,000 new homes in New Mexico.

• Provide funding for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which expands the supply of affordable housing and helps more New Mexicans afford to rent or achieve homeownership.

• Fund early childhood education for working families.

• Establish a task force to conduct investigations into troubling health insurer utilization management practices, including "prior authorizations," that often restrict or delay patient access to medically necessary healthcare.
• Force the public disclosure of the White House's agreements with pharmaceutical manufacturers, which Trump has forced companies to keep confidential. Hire local law enforcement officers to address public safety in local communities.
• Require U.S. Department of Homeland (DHS) officers to wear body cameras while engaging in immigration enforcement activities.

• Prohibit an acting Director of National Intelligence who is simultaneously leading any other Federal department or agency.

• Process Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applications in a timely manner.

• Provide behavioral healthcare, counseling, and substance use prevention services to youth at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system.

• Limit the influence of Super PACs in federal elections.

• Ensure safe, humane conditions at DHS detention centers.

Below is a list of amendments that Heinrich filed to amend Republicans' budget resolution to lower costs for New Mexico families:

Lowering Costs & Fiscal Responsibility

• An amendment to fund the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice to combat rising prices caused by anticompetitive practices.

• An amendment to block Trump's efforts to use taxpayer dollars to create a $1.8 billon slush fund for convicted criminals who attacked the U.S. Capitol and beat up police officers on January 6, 2021.

• An amendment to prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars from being used to fund Trump's billion-dollar ballroom.

Public Safety

• An amendment to fund the interdiction of firearms being illegally trafficked out of the United States.

• An amendment to fund increased efforts to combat human trafficking.

• An amendment to improve federal and state DNA collection and analysis systems and end the DNA processing backlog that prevents an untold number of crimes from being solved.

• An amendment to monitor and investigate terrorist threats to places of worship and collaborate with law enforcement partners to deter extremist violence.

• An amendment to investigate and address violence by white nationalist domestic terrorist groups.

• An amendment to track coercive economic practices of the Chinese Communist Party in the U.S.

Immigration

• An amendment to train U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in processing Tribal identification documents.

• An amendment to reduce the backlog of applications at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and expedite processing.

• An amendment to reunite veterans and separated family members, including minor children, being held by DHS.

• An amendment to provide post-release services, legal services, and child advocates.

• An amendment to fund the DHS' Shelter and Services Program, which provides humanitarian services to migrants while their immigration proceedings are pending.

• An amendment to train U.S. Border Patrol agents to be emergency medical technicians.

Public Health & Food Safety

• An amendment to increase the interdiction of illicit vaping devices.

• An amendment to hire and train personnel to identify diseases with a high chance of zoonotic spillover in shipments of wildlife and animal products, illegally trafficked and poached wildlife and wildlife products, and illegally transported invasive plant and wildlife species.

• An amendment to help combat New World screwworm flies, which threaten the U.S. cattle industry.

• An amendment to help monitor pests and pathogens affecting specialty crops.

Public Lands & Conservation

• An amendment to prevent the sale of public lands.

• An amendment to identify and establish border crossing infrastructure that reduces human-wildlife conflict and enables wildlife range expansion.

Election Security

• An amendment to improve election security.

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