By Tom Joyce | The Center Square contributor
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, is happy the U.S. Senate voted on a bill it hopes will prevent a government shutdown. He celebrated the passage of a continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through November 17, 2023.
“Keeping the government open today with responsible spending levels is a victory for the American people,” Heinrich said in a press release. “It’s also important to understand that this was a monumental defeat for Speaker [Kevin] McCarthy and the most extreme elements in the House.
“But our job is not done. Now we must return to crafting responsible bipartisan government funding bills and redouble our efforts to pass a more robust support package for our allies in Ukraine.”
The statement came a week after Heinrich blasted House Republicans for being willing to have a government shutdown.
“We know that the costs of a government shutdown are too high,” Heinrich said in a release. “Past shutdowns have raised interest rates, reduced economic output, and jeopardized government benefits — impacts that our recovering economy simply cannot afford. And depending on how long this drags on, this shutdown could even precipitate a recession.
“We have a job to do, and the only way forward is to pass bipartisan spending bills to fund the government.”
With the Republicans’ government shutdown averted, Heinrich returned to his priorities.
President Joe Biden signed a bill renaming the Gallup Community-Based Outpatient Clinic the Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura VA Clinic; it was named for a late Medal of Honor recipient who served in World War II and the Korean War, the Senator announced in a press release this week.
Additionally, he introduced legislation to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The bill would eliminate all instances of Columbus Day from federal law and regulations.
“Federally designating Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the strength and resilience of Tribal Nations while we continue our efforts to uplift Tribal communities and support Tribal sovereignty,” Heinrich said in a release. “I’m proud to stand with Tribes and Pueblos who have led the way to re-frame this national holiday to honor all of the significant contributions and diverse cultures of Tribal communities.”
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
