More than a dozen projects in New Mexico may receive federal funding should a bill make it to President Joe Biden’s desk. The legislation heads to a Senate vote after receiving unanimous support from the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies.

The Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill includes more than $10 million in funding for 18 projects across New Mexico.

“This legislation is a reflection of the type of amazing work we can achieve when we push partisan politics aside and focus on solutions for the real challenges facing Americans. From supporting American farmers and ranchers to protecting our food supply and promoting the health and well-being of our children, this bill delivers,” Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat representing New Mexico, said in a press release. “I am especially proud that we were able to fully fund WIC, which will ensure women, infants, and children who depend on this vital program receive the nutrition they need. Make no mistake — we had to make tough decisions to get this funding bill where it needed to be. But I am pleased to have found common ground on legislation that will continue to grow our economy and put the interests of families in New Mexico and across the country first.”  

Heinrich serves as chairman of the Subcommittee and championed 15 of the 18 projects.

The projects are:

• $2,171,000 for the Town of Red River to construct an operations and maintenance facility for the Fire Department and Town transit busses 
• $1,575,000 for the Town of Springer to design and construct a new fire department substation 
• $1,500,000 for the Costilla Volunteer Fire Department to construct a new fire station 
• $825,000 for City of Anthony Public Safety to build a central administrative building for fire, police, and other administrative departments in the city government 
• $749,000 for the Pueblo of Tesuque to construct a new building and update farm equipment to provide members of the community with no-cost access to fresh, organic, native agricultural products 
• $605,000 for San Juan County Fire and Rescue to purchase replacement breathing apparatuses that protect firefighters from harmful gasses and particulates 
• $495,000 for the City of Portales Fire Department to purchase a new rescue engine  
• $375,000 for Santa Ana Pueblo to build a garage and vehicle maintenance facility to house Pueblo emergency vehicles, school buses, and other vehicles 
• $300,000 for Hidalgo County Emergency Medical Services to expand their current building  
• $289,000 for the Logan Ambulance Service to purchase a new ambulance that will service Logan, Tucumcari, and Harding County 
• $275,000 for the Roosevelt County Detention Center to plan, design, and complete necessary electrical and plumbing upgrades 
• $234,000 for Taos County Fire and EMS to purchase a wildland fire engine and a utility terrain vehicle that will aid in fire mitigation efforts around the state  
• $151,000 for Sunrise Clinics to purchase the property where they operate a dedicated mental health clinic 
• $81,000 for the Aztec Public Library to replace the roof of the building 
• $49,000 for Hozho Voices of Healing Center to purchase a tractor and equipment to create a native seed bank  

Heinrich and Sen. Ben Ray Luján, also a New Mexico Democrat, also got the following New Mexico Department of Agriculture projects funded:

• $200,000 for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to update equipment and provide technical assistance to communities for agricultural emergency planning  
• $50,000 for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to purchase veterinary diagnostic services equipment 
• $100,000 for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to detect and eradicate invasive toxic plants