When President Donald Trump enters a joint session of Congress tonight to deliver his State of the Union, only one member of New Mexico’s elected federal delegation will be there to watch.
Representative Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat representing most of southern and western New Mexico and Albuquerque’s Westside, told New Mexico Political Report today that attending wasn’t a partisan decision.
“I represent both Democrats and Republicans and independents,” he told us late Tuesday afternoon before heading to the joint session. “Part of my job is to be here, to represent all of them, and certainly to listen to the president today about ideas that he has or initiatives that he might propose that will improve the quality of life of residents in my district. Now, I hope that’s what he’s going to focus on – I’m unsure if that’s what he will focus on. But regardless, I do feel like it’s my job to represent my constituency and be here to hear firsthand what the president has to say.”
Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, both Democrats, announced via social media Tuesday that they will not attend the president’s speech.
On the House side, Representatives Melanie Stansbury, representing the 1st District in the central part of the state, and Teresa Leger Fernández, representing the 3rd District covering northern and eastern New Mexico, were already listed as participants in an alternative event on the National Mall organized by progressive group MoveOn, and others. They both confirmed that they will not attend the Trump speech.
“I will once again not be going to the State of the Union this year. I will not normalize Donald Trump’s actions and his abuse of the presidency,” Heinrich said in announcing his plan Tuesday. Luján shared a similar sense of frustration in his message: “After years of division, attacks on the rule of law, and policies that make life more expensive for New Mexico families, I expect more of the same.”
Although they did not plan to attend, both Stansbury and Leger Fernandéz invited guests to highlight issues important to them.
Stansbury invited State Representative Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) who is chairing the new Zorro Ranch “Truth Commission” established by the State House of Representatives last week. Leger Fernández invited Carmen Pacheco-Muñoz, Interim CEO of La Casa Family Health Center where she and her team serve vulnerable populations in need of care, and Elizabeth Stein, an Epstein survivor and anti-human trafficking advocate. It is not clear if those guests will attend to watch from the gallery if their sponsors boycott the event.
This is the second year Heinrich declined to attend Trump’s annual address to Congress. Last year, Stansbury’s “this is not normal!” sign became a viral social media moment.
Congressman Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat who represents southern New Mexico in the 2nd District, invited Aaron Vega, a Carlsbad resident and health care provider at Carlsbad Family Health Center. He told NM Political Report he does plan to attend the State of the Union in-person.
The State of the Union is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. MT.