By Matthew Reichbach
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich said he will not attend Tuesday’s joint address to Congress by President Donald Trump.
“I’m not going to President Trump’s Joint Address tonight,” Heinrich said on social media Tuesday morning. “I’ll start attending when he starts following the law.”
Heinrich is New Mexico’s senior U.S. Senator and recently won his third term in office.
In his role as the ranking member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Heinrich has spoken out against a number of Trump’s cabinet members, though he has voted to confirm five of them, including Doug Burgum as Interior Secretary and Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy.
The other members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation will attend, and announced who they would bring as a guest. Each member of the House and Senate can bring a guest to attend, and lawmakers usually use this as a way to prove a political point.
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján announced his guest would be Katy Anderson, a vice president at Roadrunner Food Bank.
“Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) are lifelines for thousands of New Mexicans,” Luján said. “Gutting these resources hurts our families and threatens our communities and the economy. I hope Katy’s presence is a powerful reminder of the vital role that Roadrunner Food Bank and federal nutrition programs play in keeping our communities healthy and fed.”
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury will attend with Linda Son-Stone, the CEO of First Nations HealthSource. According to the company website, the First Nations Health Source “serves as New Mexico’s Urban Indian Health Center and a Federally Qualified Health Center.”
Stansbury represents the state’s 1st Congressional District.
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez will attend with retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Roland “Coopdawg” Cooper. Cooper is the chairman of the Lincoln Otero County Veterans Leadership Council.
Vasquez’s office said in a press release they chose to invite Cooper to reflect the congressman’s “commitment to uplifting veteran voices — particularly those from rural areas — and ensuring New Mexico’s veterans are heard at the highest levels of government.”
Vasquez represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District.
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez announced her guest will be Arielle Pines, the spouse of a military member and a former Department of Veterans Affair employee who was fired from her job by the Trump administration, through Elon Musk’s DOGE effort.
Leger Fernandez represents the state’s 3rd Congressional District.
Heinrich is a disgrace to the state.
Good on Senator Heinrich! Bringing a guest is not a strong statement. Not attending is the only sane choice.
Any thing you can do to override Trump’s dangerous approach to governing is crucial to keeping some sanity in the governing process. Independents and Democrats and willing Republicans must come together to form a solid front of confrontation when the need arises to preserve the democracy.
Thank you
Wow, you’re a hero Martin. You’re also not really a New Mexican.
Enough for us.
I consider myself a New Mexican, even though I wasn’t born here.. but, hey almost 50 years qualifies me. I’m also not someone who enjoys belittling people. Senator Heinrich WAS elected, as were both Lujan and Hernandez. Wow.
Me too. You are right
Amen to the pushbacks??
Thank you, sir!
Senator Heinrich needs to attend the joint address of congress by President Trump. Senator Heinrich represents residents of New Mexico and by not being present he is disrespecting democracy, citizens of New Mexico and neglecting the job New Mexicans elected Senator Heinrich to do.
Martin, I am proud to have you representing New Mexican Democrats and applaud your decision to not attend the “Lie Fest” this evening!
You seem to forget who you work for!
And not to mention the poor example you’re setting before the people of being disrespectful to the to the office of the presidency!!! It’s your job to be there!
It’s very disappointing to see that Democrats such as yourself, has a personal vendetta against President Trump! You have seemed to forget the people of this country voted him in! Except the election!!
And get back to working for the people of the United States of America!
Rather than doing what is best for NM, and the country, he’s just being a sheep. Unfortunately, the junior Senator is no better.
Martin is a hypocrite. You represent ALL New Mexicans!
Kind of like Melanie Stansbury, eh? She’s completely out of her mind.
Congratulations. I’m not going to watch the bull & the lies. enjoy yourself. Right on!!
I am proud of our senators and representatives. I completely agree with senator Heinrich and am not going to watch the president speak tonight. Can’t take any more of his lies.
Thanks, Senator !
More important now than ever to take a stand! Thank you Senator.
Martin Sir. Your on the right track . We need to convince judges to do the right thing . You have always stuck up for the people , both sides . Keep it going, Douglas Mathews buster5775@aol.com
Reminds me why I voted against all of them. We need to launch a campaign to flip NM
I support your decision 100%.
You should honor the office of the president even if you don’t like him. It’s your duty.
i think that is a mistake. Dena need to be there and make their sldissapproval known . when a Dem was Pres. and Reps didn’t agree, they sat and booed. Dems should attend and voice their disapproval also. But not attending to a like not going to the playground ‘cuz you don’t like someone. And right now, the ISA government should s just short of being a toddlers’ playground.
Thanks Mr Heinrich for looking out for all Americans you and anybody else who does not support the president enough to listen to a speech is an embarrassment. The there position and and all Americans
Thank you, Senator Heinrich. Makes me proud that SOME of out Democratic reps are standing up to this autocratic. Needless to say, we will be watching John Oliver from Sunday. W3ve heard enough of the lying felon for a lifetime.
When Heinrich can specify which laws Trump has broken he might have credibility. Otherwise he’s just throwing an eighth grade tantrum.
You go Martin!!! Trump and Muskrat are already killing us, in just 45 days. Stock Markets crashing today, inflation up, unemployment up, farmers and veterans hit hard!!!
Bravo! So unlike the rest of the spineless Dems who sat through trump’s litany of lies like lemmings.
It is time to quit being the divisive party and and to quit being in lock step with whomever organized the sitdown that tonight showed no RESPECT for anthing. It was an embarrasment for us as a nation.
Where was he? At HOME in Connecticut? Because he sure doesn’t live in New Mexico.
Ol’ Marty can’t win for losing.
I’m proud of my Senator for publicly standing AGAINST Trump’s attempts to tear down our democracy,
Does not surprise me
Stop with the fake “shaming.” Hooray for our Democratic representatives! Stansbury and Leger-Fernandez also walked out just as Democrats walked out of Nixon’ State of the Union address 50 years ago! Totally appropriate for show of the level of respect the criminal-in-office deserves!!