U.S. Rep. Gabriel “Gabe” Vasquez plans to convene a Tribal task force that will advise his office on issues that are key to the seven sovereign nations within New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District.
Vasquez told NM Political Report that convening a task force will give his office a sense of the issues important to Tribal governments, which will enable him to introduce legislation and make funding requests on the Tribal governments’ behalf. The task force’s first meeting is scheduled for later this week.
One key issue for the task force will be to consider the missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives’ issue, which many call a crisis. Vasquez said this would be one of the key issues for the task force because it affects both Natives and nonnative communities.
Vasquez said the three primary issues the task force will take up will be infrastructure, housing and water. He said these three areas are some of “the most important opportunities for us to help support our Tribal communities and the existing proposals they have.”
“It goes beyond infrastructure. Sovereign water rights for pueblos. The inability to apply for federal funds and have to go through the state for infrastructure funding,” he said.
He said enabling more affordable housing and for more federal funding for resources for Tribal communities is also key.
Vasquez said representatives from the seven sovereign nations within the second congressional district will be the primary stakeholders but that there will be opportunity for other New Mexico tribes and pueblos to participate.
The seven sovereign nations within the state’s 2nd Congressional District are: Acoma, Laguna, Isleta, Ramah Navajo, Mescalero Apache, Ft. Sill Apache and Zuni.