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.
Congressman Steve Pearce issued a statement Friday blaming the Senate for failing to provide for paying the troops during a likely government shutdown.
“It is unacceptable that Senate Democrats are using our military as political pawns,” Pearce, an Air Force veteran, said. “Yesterday, the House passed a strong bill, which I supported, to provide funding for our men and women in the armed forces, as well as the Department of Defense, through the end of the fiscal year.”
The bill that Pearce is referencing was a continuing resolution that would have continued to fund the government for another week and fund the Department of Defense for an entire year. The bill would cut federal spending by $12 billion in one week.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said today that spending negotiations between himself, Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, and President Barack Obama were settled on cutting $38 billion from current spending, but a sticking point was federal funding for family planning and health services for women provided by Planned Parenthood and other women’s health providers.
There is currently a proposal in the House to fund military salaries during any government shutdown. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, is sponsoring the bills and earlier today he responded to questions from Dave Weigel about the status of that bill.
Gohmert replied:
I relayed to the Speaker and all of the conference that I had just spoken to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison concerning the companion bill in the Senate. She has stated there are 70 Senators ready to vote for the bill immediately in order to ensure our military is paid on time.However, a bill like this is normally required to pass the House first. The Speaker is very sensitive to that fact and is considering bringing it to the floor today if an agreement to fund the entire military budget for the year is not reached soon. The pressure is fortunately mounting now on both sides to take care of those who are fighting for us.
New Mexico Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, both Democrats, support similar legislation in the Senate.
Yesterday, Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., criticized Republicans for using Department of Defense funding and funding for the troops “as a bargaining chip.”
“For forty-eight days, the Senate has failed to respond to the long-term spending plan proposed by the House,” Pearce said. “Our nation faces a looming debt crisis. The Senate and the President must stop playing games with the futures of our children and with the livelihoods of our soldiers.”
Pearce had earlier voted against a continuing resolution.
“As a former small business owner, I know that you can’t run any organization week-to-week,” Pearce said of the mid-March continuing resolution when explaining his vote against the resolution. “As an American, I know legislation is needed that takes seriously the looming debt crisis, and the economic problems faced in homes across the country.”
