I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly against releasing the second $350 billion of the Trouble Assets Relief Program, or TARP. The vote was 270-155, with the House leadership on the losing side of the vote.
All three New Mexico congressmen –Democrats Harry Teague, Ben Ray Lujan and Martin Heinrich — were on the winning side of the vote, opposing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Not only that, the New Mexico delegation was also voting against the position of President Barack Obama.
Teague went so far as to issue a press release titled, “Congressman Harry Teague Breaks with Democratic Party Leadership –Votes to Block Release of TARP Funds.”
Teague cited his experience as a businessman as to why he didn’t vote for the bill. “I know that you don’t throw good money after bad,” Teague said in a statement.
Teague also didn’t like the “lack of transparency and oversight” in the release of the funds.
Lujan had similar objections to the bill.
“As a former state regulator, I know the importance of oversight,” the former Public Regulation Commission member said. “We have a responsibility to make sure this release of funds has sound oversight and accountability to protect taxpayers and ensure the effective use of funds. I did support yesterday’s provisions to add oversight, and this was an important step in the right direction.”
The bill that Lujan referenced passed 260-166, with all New Mexico representatives voting for added accountability to the release of TARP funds.
Lujan signaled he would vote for the release if there were some oversight language written into the bill.
“I hope President Obama gives strong consideration to adding oversight provisions to any use of TARP funds as his economic team previously indicated. Despite my great confidence in the Obama Administration, without such protections in place, I did not support the release of these funds.”
Teague has taken a more hard-line stand against the bill, even voting for a Republican motion to block the funds. Teague was one of just 27 Democrats to vote for Wednesday’s Republican motion. He did, like Lujan, hint he could support the bill if accountability measures are put in the bill.
“The people of southern New Mexico elected me to be a good steward of their hard earned tax dollars and that is why I brought my colleagues together to encourage President Obama to adopt the restrictions outlined in the TARP Reform and Accountability Act passed by the House this week,” Teague said.
The National Republican Campaign Committee, in campaigning against Heinrich, used the connection between Heinrich and Pelosi as an attack. “Why would the voters believe he wouldn’t cozy up to her and her out-of-touch agenda once he got to Washington,” NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said in a statement from October.
But it took less than a week for Heinrich — and Teague and Lujan — to go against the wishes of the House leadership.
Maybe this confidence is born out of easier than expected victories for the three new representatives.
