Read More about Senator Udall's Accomplishments
Senator Tom Udall has served New Mexico for over 29 years. New Mexicans first elected Udall as the state's Attorney General in 1991, and elected him to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998. Udall served in the House for a decade before New Mexicans elected him to the U.S. Senate in 2008.
During his two terms as New Mexico's senator, Udall worked hard to get things done for New Mexicans in Washington.
- A Conservation Champion
- A Climate, Clean Energy and Environmental Leader
- Advancing Priorities for Indian Country
- Working for a Secure Water Future for New Mexico and the West
- Working for Democracy Reform and Voting Rights
- Improving Health Care and Education for Every Family
- Advancing Our Agricultural and Rural Economies
- Supporting New Mexico Jobs and Economic Development
- Advocating for Our Nation's Veterans in Washington
- Defending Our Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
- Bringing Federal Funding to New Mexico
A Conservation Champion
"Conservation is a winner: for the economy, for nature, for the climate, and for our way of life. Human health and prosperity depend on the global ecosystems of wildlife that sustain the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. It has been an honor to work with a diverse array of communities and Tribes in New Mexico and across the United States to build grassroots coalitions and secure long-sought wins that protect our natural treasures for all to enjoy and create jobs for our economy. From New Mexico's two newest National Monuments, to the historic, bipartisan enactment of full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, to setting a new national goal of conserving 30 percent of our land and waters by 2030, I'm proud of what we've done together. With more and more Americans calling for greater action on conservation, we need to build on our success and ensure that everyone has access to the great outdoors, including communities of color and disadvantaged communities. By doing so, we will not only help save our planet but help save ourselves and future generations." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Read more about Senator Udall's conservation accomplishments and efforts to secure a better future.
Photo: La Ventana Arch, El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico, from the Lee Marmon Pictorial Collection at the Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
A Climate, Clean Energy and Environmental Leader
"The science is clear: climate change is an existential threat, and we must mobilize our public policy and our economy to ensure a livable planet for our children. The good news is that tackling the climate crisis will create good clean energy jobs in New Mexico and throughout the country. The clean energy economy will mean more prosperity and less pollution for communities, and the United States can and should be a leader in the industries of the future. Throughout my career, I have been proud to work alongside marginalized communities and communities of color that disproportionately bear the costs of environmental pollution. That's why we worked for many years to successfully reform the Toxic Substantives Control Act, protect farmworkers from toxic pesticides, and defend common-sense methane pollution limits. I'm proud of what we've done together to take concrete steps forward to a cleaner environment and a more prosperous and sustainable economy." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Read more about Senator Udall's achievements to defend our climate and environment.
Photo: National Solar Thermal Test Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, from the Lee Marmon Pictorial Collection at the Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
Advancing Priorities for Indian Country
"It has been my honor to represent New Mexico's 23 Tribes and Pueblos in Congress, and to work alongside leaders and advocates from the United States' 574 federally-recognized Tribes, fighting for a prosperous, healthy, and safe future for Native communities. Together, we have made great strides reinforcing the principles of Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, supporting Native economies and health care, and protecting and sustaining Native cultural resources and languages. The United States has a solemn obligation to uphold its trust and treaty responsibilities, and as the 116th Congress concludes, I will continue to work alongside American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians to ensure that the federal government is living up to its promises to Native communities across the country." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Read about Senator Udall's work advancing priorities for Indian Country.
Photo: Advertisement Sign, from the William J. Lucas Rt. 66 Photo Collection at the Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
Working for a Secure Water Future for New Mexico and the West
"New Mexico is a beautiful place to call home, but it's clear that we face a looming water crisis in the West. I have worked hard to bring people together to pursue smart water security policies so future generations can thrive in New Mexico and the West for generations to come. In arid regions like the Southwest, climate change means more stress on water supplies, so we must work together and use science to guide our path forward. It has been an honor to work alongside New Mexico's Pueblos and Tribes, as well as the traditional acequia and land grant communities that have sustainably managed water for centuries, so that our federal water management policies can better meet the unique needs of all communities. Water is life--agua es vida--and we must make sure that all communities have enough access to this precious resource. Despite all the challenges, I am optimistic that more and more communities and leaders agree that cooperation and science, not conflict and denial, are the keys to a prosperous and sustainable future in the West." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Read more about Senator Udall's work to sustain our water resources.
Photo: Blue Lagoon, from the Historic Preservation Committee Photograph Collection at the University of New Mexico Archives.
Working for Democracy Reform and Voting Rights
"American democracy has reached a crisis point. Too many Americans have every reason to believe that their government no longer answers to them – and most people are either losing faith in the system or have already lost it completely," Udall said. "Voting rights are under assault, foreign adversaries interfere in our elections, special interest money drowns out the voices of regular people, and ethics loopholes allow top government officials to use their offices to help themselves and their friends. The Senate has also descended too far into partisan gridlock instead of conducting the business of the American people. Enough is enough. We must reform the system and take back our democracy – to return it to the hands of its rightful owners, the American people." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Read more about Senator Udall's achievements to return democracy to the American people.
Photo: Voting, Laguna Pueblo, NM, from the Lee Marmon Pictorial Collection at the Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
Improving Health Care and Education for Every Family
"The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the simple truth that the health of each person in our communities affects us all, and that access to quality and affordable health care is not only a human right, but a national and economic priority. I have been proud to work with communities across New Mexico to reduce health disparities, lift up our state's innovative health care strategies like Project ECHO as a national model, and defend the groundbreaking health care gains we made in the Affordable Care Act. All New Mexico communities, including rural, Hispanic, and Tribal communities, deserve culturally-appropriate, quality, and affordable health care.
"I am also proud to have fought for educational resources for students and families. Every child in New Mexico and across the country deserves a world-class education and we must invest more as a nation to prepare students as our future leaders. That's why I've worked on a bipartisan basis to improve funding for early childhood education and fight for our kids' access to modern facilities, high-speed internet, and opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles. All communities should have the resources they need to serve their children, which is why I have worked alongside Tribal leaders to secure dedicated school funding and other resources that meet the unique needs of Native communities. Access to quality health care and education programs make up the foundations of strong families and communities, and investing in our communities should be our first priority to help us recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Photo: Peace Corps -- immunization -- man giving shot, from the University of New Mexico Archives.
Advancing Our Agricultural and Rural Economies
"Farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers not only contribute immensely to our economy and communities—they feed families across the country. In New Mexico, farmers and ranchers are an economic engine for our communities. They also have strong and deeply-rooted cultural and family traditions of growing unique crops like green chile and pecans. I have been proud to work with farmers and ranchers in New Mexico and throughout the nation to help secure the support they need from Washington, including the resource management funding and strategies necessary to successfully adapt to climate change. I have learned from New Mexico traditional acequia farmers and land grant communities, and from Native farmers, who have a lot to teach our nation about agricultural practices that renew and restore our land and water, and the importance of advancing food sovereignty for the health and cultural well-being of Native communities. All communities should have access to healthy and affordable food sources – and our children need nutritious food to build a bright future, which is why I have been proud to work hard to increase food security for families in New Mexico and across the country." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Photo: Peace Corps -- construction training -- men on tractor, from the University of New Mexico Archives.
Supporting New Mexico Jobs and Economic Development
"Together, we have worked to build an economy that works for all New Mexico families – a New Mexico where our children can stay in their home state, have every opportunity to succeed, and raise families of their own. I've worked hard throughout my career to tackle income inequality, support our national laboratories while diversifying New Mexico's economy, invest in our communities, and help create good-paying jobs by promoting the creative economy, tourism, trade, small businesses, and infrastructure." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Read more about Senator Udall's work to strengthen economic opportunity in New Mexico.
Photo: Acequias, Limpia, Desmontes, from the José A. Rivera Pictorial Collection at the Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
Advocating for Our Nation's Veterans in Washington
"As the son of a World War II veteran, working to support and advocate for New Mexico veterans is a cause that is close to my heart. We can never fully repay the debt we owe to veterans and military families for the sacrifices they have made for our grateful nation. But we must work to uphold our promises – to ensure veterans have the care and the support they need to lead healthy, successful lives upon returning home. It's been my privilege to work alongside our veterans – to get them the benefits they have earned, and to help make sure their stories are told and preserved." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Read more about Senator Udall's work to live up to our obligations to our nation's veterans.
Photo: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, from the Margaret Randall Photograph Collection at the Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
Defending Our Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
"I have always rejected the false choice between our security and our fundamental Constitutional rights. We can protect our safety while at the same time protecting every American's right to privacy and free expression. Our liberties define us as nation. And so too must we stand up to ensure that every American is treated with the same dignity, respect, and rights under the law. We must take on the systemic racial injustices that are embedded in our justice system to build a nation that achieves our founding ideals." -U.S. Senator Tom Udall
Read more about Senator Udall's fight to protect American civil liberties and advance civil rights.
Photo: Poor People's Campaign Gathering at the Lincoln Memorial, from the Karl Kernberger Pictorial Collection at the Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
Bringing Federal Funding to New Mexico
New Mexicans elected Senator Udall to the U.S. Senate in 2008. Since assuming office in January 2009, nearly $90 billion in federal outlays have reached New Mexico communities. Serving on the Senate Appropriations Committee since 2012, Udall made sure his appointment to the committee invested in New Mexico jobs and communities while benefiting the entire nation. This was a team effort, working with the entire New Mexico congressional delegation over that time on a bipartisan basis, including U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Harry Teague, Steve Pearce, Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small. The following federal outlays were awarded to New Mexico with Senator Udall's help and support during his time in office, including formula, block, and competitive grants, as well as direct payments to constituents.
Read more about federal funding to New Mexico during Senator Udall's career in office.
Photo: President Kennedy Signing Ceremony, from the Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
** Note ** this is a scrape from the original tomudall.senate.gov website press-release from December 18, 2020; the page is no longer available, but may still be found on the wayback machine. The links have been updated to use the downloads from this site.
