Whenever I can, I travel the state to hear from New Mexicans firsthand. Over the last month, as Congress held its annual state work period, I had the opportunity to visit with constituents and community leaders throughout the state. We talked about ways I can help New Mexico through my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and we followed up on many projects that are helping create jobs and grow our economy.
During our visit to the Eastside, I met with constituents, local officials, military leaders, veterans and rural economic development supporters to talk about the work we are doing in Roosevelt, Curry, De Baca and Guadalupe counties.
I first toured a lab at the Eastern New Mexico University Agriculture Department with Dr. Darron Smith, to follow up on research for which I helped secure funding. Dr. Smith and his students are researching renewable algae-based feed for cattle, which could have economic benefits for New Mexico's rancher and dairy communities.
Following the meeting, I was proud to officially cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of my new Eastside office - my fifth field office in New Mexico, serving residents in Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Harding, Quay, Roosevelt and Union counties. We had a great turnout at the event in the Roosevelt County Enterprise Center, and I look forward to serving residents of the Eastside through this new office.
The next day, we drove up to Clovis for a tour of the veterans' community based outpatient clinic (CBOC) to discuss veterans' care and telehealth technology. I watched a live demonstration showing how veterans in Clovis can get care from doctors and nurses at the VA center in Amarillo, TX. I have been a strong supporter of using telehealth technology to serve rural veterans. It's a revolutionary way to ensure residents of our rural communities can get the care they need without having to travel long distances.
From the VA clinic, we headed over to Cannon Air Force Base, where I met with Cannon's new commander, Colonel Tony Bauernfeind, and visited with military servicemen and women there. I also got to see first-hand the construction taking place to support military families, and talk about how I can further support the mission of the 27th Special Operations Wing through my seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The remainder of our Eastside trip took place in sunny De Baca and Guadalupe Counties. I met with Fort Sumner Irrigation District leaders about my legislation to transfer the title for water works on the Pecos River from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to the Fort Sumner Irrigation District. Water and drought are some of the most important issues we are facing in New Mexico, and meetings like this will help me make sure local communities get the resources they need from the federal government.
In Santa Rosa, we celebrated the opening of a the long-awaited Guadalupe Family Practice, a dental clinic serving residents in Guadalupe County. In 2010, the community received a federal block grant from the USDA Rural Development program, which I have long supported to provide economic opportunity and critical services to New Mexico's rural communities.
We are making progress on the Eastside, but we have work ahead to create more good-paying jobs and grow our economy. I want to thank everyone for their hard work and hospitality in each community I visited, and look forward to working even harder for your priorities in Washington.
