Late last week, an amendment proposed by Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D), of New Mexico’s third district, attempting to alter a deal between the U.S. government and a major mining firm was voted down. Luján had been seeking to tweak the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2009, legislation originally introduced by Senators John Kyl and John McCain allowing for an exchange of land between the federal government and the Resolution Copper Co. Lujan had hoped to protect this land, considered sacred and of cultural and historical significance to Native peoples not just in Arizona and New Mexico but throughout the United States.

Luján stood staunchly against the bill in his proposal.“You have heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that their bill offers protection for the sacred, traditional, and cultural sites in the proposed area to be exchanged, but I don’t believe that to be true,” he said. “If it were true, then why is every major tribal organization in the country opposing this bill?”

Luján cited the National Congress of American Indians, the All-Indian Pueblo Council of New Mexico, the San Carlos Apache Tribe (whose 2,400 acres of land on the Tonto National Forest is most affected by the Act), and the Jicarilla and Mescalero Apache tribes of New Mexico, among many other U.S. tribes as having spoken out against the land swap. “We have a Trust responsibility to our tribal brothers and sisters, and those who oppose this responsibility will dismantle it piece by piece with a scalpel and not all at once with an axe,” he said.

Among those who voted against Luján’s proposed amendment were fellow New Mexico Representative Steve Pearce, who, according to MapLight, a website that tracks the voting records and campaign contributions of U.S. Congressmen, received $9,600 from mining interests. Similarly, Representatives Jeff Flake and Ben Quayle of Arizona also voted down the amendment, and received, respectively, $5,000 and $2,500 each from the mining industry.

Rep. Luján sent the New Mexico Independent this statement:

“It was unfortunate that my amendment to protect Native American sacred and cultural sites was not adopted.  Adoption of this simple amendment would have shown respect for the religious and cultural sites that are important to the many tribes in the region, in addition to recognizing that we have a responsibility to work with our tribal brothers and sisters on issues that impact their communities.  Opponents of my amendment will say that tribal consultation is part of the exchange, but frankly what is outlined in the bill is not sufficient to ensure protection of sacred sites.”

Congressman Ben Ray Luján will face attacks from the National Republican Campaign Committee over his vote to raise the debt limit. Luján was one of 97 Democrats voting to raise the debt limit $2 trillion to avoid a default on the debt the United States government owes.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that Luján will face robo-calls from the NRCC on the vote. Luján doesn’t have an announced Republican opponent yet and is considered in a safe Democratic seat.

“The American economy is still in trouble,” the recording says. “We are drowning in government debt, owed to countries like China. The national debt is now $14 trillion, and Congressman Ben Ray Luján just voted for $2 trillion more debt, without any budget cuts.” 

Luján spokesman Andrew Stoddard fired some political ammunition of his own, saying in Luján’s defense that “Republicans had no problem borrowing money to give bigger tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.

No Republicans voted for the legislation.

In addition to Luján, Congressman Martin Heinrich also voted to raise the debt limit. Heinrich is a candidate for U.S. Senate.

David Catanese of Politico noted that the vote was a Catch-22 for Democrats. The NRCC attacked Democrats on both sides of the vote.

If you’re used to the political games in Washington, this isn’t anything that turns heads. Damned if ya do, damned if ya don’t. 

But if you’re a logical person, you might ask: So what did the NRCC really want Democrats to do?

Perhaps they could chalk it up as a victory that so many Democrats crossed the aisle, changed their mind and joined the Republican mantra about the need for spending cuts.

Democrats warn that defaulting on the national debt could hurt the world economy in an already tough time. Republicans say that the high amount of debt shows that governmental spending needs to be drastically cut.

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján has told state Democratic party leaders that he will not run for Senate in 2012, according to a report from Politico on Monday. The strength of Senate candidate, and fellow member of Congress, Martin Heinrich’s candidacy was a factor in Luján’s decision.

New Mexico blogger Joe Monahan said Monday morning that Luján told Farmington Democrats that he would instead run for a third term in the 3rd Congressional District. The seat is considered a safe Democratic seat.

Politico reported:

Heinrich, also in his second term, became the first Democrat to enter the contest on April 2, just after the conclusion of the first fundraising quarter.  Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair Patty Murray heaped praise on Heinrich during a briefing with reporters and the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees endorsed him just last week.

“There was a pretty big message being sent,” said one Democrat familiar with Lujan’s calculation.

Luján first won election to Congress in 2008 in an open seat race and was reelected last year to the district that covers much of northern New Mexico.

There will still be a Democratic primary despite Luján’s decision not to run. State Auditor Hector Balderas is running for the open Senate seat and is considered by many to be a top-tier candidate. He will formally announce his candidacy next week. Activist Andres Valdez has also said that he will run for the seat.

The seat is open after Jeff Bingaman announced earlier this year that he would not run for a sixth-term in office.

Among Republicans, former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, businessman Greg Sowards and columnist Bill English are in the race. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and Lt. Gov. John Sanchez are also considering runs at the seat but have made no announcements yet.

Update 5:30 pm:

“I appreciate the outpouring of support I have received while traveling around New Mexico these past few months, and my focus will continue to remain on serving the hard-working men and women of New Mexico – fighting to turn our economy around, put people back to work, and move our state forward,” Lujan said in a statement. “After careful consideration, I have decided that I will not seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate race. ”

Lujan went on to say that he will continue to chair the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ BOLD political action committee and work on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s recruiting committee.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to pass a budget on almost uniformly partisan lines. The budget created by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., with all but six Republicans voting yes and no Democratic votes.

The New Mexico delegation, two Democrats and one Republican, split on the vote. Overall, four Republicans voted against the bill while two did not vote on the bill.

Rep. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate, said the proposed budget would end Medicare.

“Republicans voted today to end Medicare—using our nation’s seniors as a human shield for the ultra-rich,” Heinrich said in an e-mail statement to The Independent. “How we fund our government is a reflection of who we are as a nation and what we stand for. I’ll continue working to reduce the deficit but not on the backs of New Mexico seniors or the middle class.”

Rep. Steve Pearce, the lone Republican member of the New Mexico congressional delegation, called the vote a step in the right direction, praising Ryan and his colleagues “for recognizing the severity of our nation’s looming debt crisis.”

“But with deficits in the trillions, cuts alone will not close our budget gap,” Pearce said in a statement. “Washington needs to reverse decades of burdensome regulations and oppressive taxes that are destroying our small businesses and killing jobs. It is only through job growth that we can hope to put America back on the path to financial recovery and fiscal responsibility.”

Rep. Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat, criticized portions of the budget that he said would hurt Medicare. Luján said Friday that the vote “balances the budget on the backs of working families and seniors by ending Medicare as we know it, dismantling Medicaid, and giving tax cuts to millionaires.”

“While it is critical that we tighten our belts and make important spending choices, the Republican budget focuses on the wrong priorities at a time when we should be investing in areas that will put people back to work and strengthen our economy,” Luján continued.

The legislation now heads to the Senate where it is very unlikely to pass. The Senate has a Democratic majority.

Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., announced today they are leading efforts to expand compensation for those exposed to radiation.

The two introduced the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) in their respective chambers of Congress. The amendment to existing RECA legislation would widen the qualification needed for compensation to radiation exposure.

The two introduced RECA legislation last year. Among other things, the legislation would qualify post-1971 uranium workers for compensation, equalize compensation for all claimants to $150,000, expand the downwind exposure area to include New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho and Montana and any county in Arizona, Nevada or Utah that has been proven to be impacted by downwind contamination, and fund an epidemiological study of the health impacts on uranium workers, their families and uranium development communities.

“As the U.S. government built up its Cold War nuclear arsenal during the mid-20th century, many Americans paid the price with their health – and all the while, the government was slow to implement federal protections,” Udall said. “With this legislation, we honor a generation of hardworking Americans who sacrificed their lives and health by working or living near the uranium mines.”

Udall said the legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Mark Udall, D-Colo., James Rishc, R-Idaho and Michael Bennett, D-Colo.

“This legislation recognizes the sacrifices of the workers and miners whose efforts contributed to our victory during the Cold War, and the downwinders who have been forgotten for too long,” Luján said in a statement. “These patriotic Americans have waited long enough for the compensation they deserve.”

Rep. Ben Ray Luján was critical of the budget plan put forward by Republicans and unveiled by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., Tuesday, saying on the House floor that the budget “makes the wrong choices for hard-working families.”

Luján, who represents New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District, also said the proposed Republican budget “ends Medicare and Medicaid as we know it by privatizing Medicare. Millions of seniors who rely on this program will be left out in the cold.”

Video of Luján’s remarks on the House floor are embedded below:

Though Jeff Bingaman’s decision not to run for a sixth term in the United States Senate was just announced hours ago, already people are discussing who will run to replace New Mexico’s senior senator.

The Cook Political Report has listed the race as a tossup following the news of Bingaman’s impending retirement.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce told Politico that it is too soon to talk about a potential run for Senate.

“When we go home, we’ll sit down with staff and look at it,” he said. “But we’re not in any rush.”

Pearce previously left his 2nd Congressional District seat to run for Senate in 2008. He defeated then-U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson in the Republican primary then lost to Tom Udall in the general election.

So far neither of the Democratic U.S. Reps., Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich, have confirmed or ruled out a Senate run.

Other Democratic names being mentioned as potential candidates are former Bingaman state director and current USDA official Terry Brunner and former gubernatorial candidate and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, according to Politico. State Auditor Hector Balderas has also been named as a potential candidate.

Wilson said in January that she is considering a Senate run. She said this after heading Gov. Susana Martinez’s transition team.

Former 3rd Congressional District candidate Tom Mullins, a Republican, told reporter Gwyneth Doland that he is not ruling out a run for Senate. Mullins lost to Luján in the general election in 2010.

Two other prominent Republicans have ruled out runs. Former Gov. Gary Johnson has ruled out a run, telling Slate reporter Dave Weigel that he is not interested. Gov. Susana Martinez told Doland that she will not run.

The Washington Post is reporting that Sen. Jeff Bingaman will announce his retirement today. Earlier this month, Public Policy Polling found the New Mexico Democrat to be a “near lock” for re-election, with an approval rating of 56 percent.

The Post’s Chris Cillizza cites an unnamed “source close to the decision,” adding that Bingaman has been pondering for months whether to run for a sixth term. After the November election, the New Mexico Independent reported that he said he was then “weighing retirment.” Bingaman has served in the Senate since 1983.

Cillizza writes that the likely decision is part of a Democratic strategy to get incumbents to declare their intentions about running early.

Reps. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján as well as former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish are sure to be mentioned as Democrats who could vie to replace Bingaman.

Update: Bingaman’s office confirms his retirement plans.

Reps. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich, both Democrats, took to the floor of the House Wednesday to voice their opposition to the Republican spending bill. Both opposed cuts to the national labs that they say are key to the country’s defense.

Rep. Steve Pearce, the sole Republican in New Mexico’s congressional delegation, said he is proposing amendments for further cuts.

“My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are focused on defunding the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery program instead of protecting critically important jobs at the National Nuclear Security Administration,” Heinrich said in his floor speech.

Heinrich said that last year Sandia National Laboratories, a major employer in his district, “hired a little over 700 people, 203 of these new hires graduated from a New Mexico university.”

“Arbitrary cuts to New Mexico’s national labs that are contained in this bill will hinder their ability to promote U.S. competitiveness and job creation,” Luján said in his speech. “We are ending our ability to win the race before we can even begin.”

Both Democratic second-term representatives also voiced concern over proposed cuts to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

“Only a fraction of the annual receipts deposited in the LWCF account are appropriated, despite a surplus of over $17 billion,” Luján said.

Heinrich said the LWCF is “a proven economic multiplier that has yielded four dollars in economic activity around national parks for every dollar in federal investment.”

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, who has not yet announced his decision on whether to run for re-election, leads major potential Republican candidates in a poll released by the Democratic polling firm Public Policy Polling. PPP showed that Bingaman had an extremely high approval rating: 56 percent approved of his job performance while just 27 percent disapproved, the fourth highest among senators polled in the last year by PPP.

The poll shows that Bingaman would lead former Gov. Gary Johnson 51 percent to 40 percent, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce 54 percent to 37 percent and former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson 56 percent to 37 percent. The poll showed that Democratic U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich would be in strong positions against Pearce and Wilson though would narrowly be behind Johnson in such a race.

“Jeff Bingaman is a near lock for reelection,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Gary Johnson could be competitive in an open seat situation but whether some of his unorthodox views would allow him to get the Republican nomination is a different question.”

Johnson looks like he is more interested in a potential presidential run, making numerous trips to New Hampshire and traveling around the country speaking to tea party groups. Rep. Steve Pearce just won re-election to the House of Representatives after losing in a Senate bid to now-Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., in 2008. Heather Wilson lost in the Republican Senate primary to Pearce in 2008 and most recently headed Gov. Susana Martinez’s transition team.

Wilson has since said that she is considering a Senate run.

Heinrich would lead Pearce 53 percent to 38 percent and Wilson 50 percent to 39 percent while Luján would lead Pearce 49 percent to 37 percent and lead Wilson 48 percent to 40 percent.

Johnson would lead Heinrich 44 percent to 43 percent, well within the poll’s 4.2 percent margin of error, and would lead Luján 45 percent to 40 percent.

Bingaman’s lead can be attributed to the “decline to state,” or independent, voters. Bingaman leads among independents by 7 points over Jonson, 28 over Wilson and 30 over Pearce.

Bingaman has served in the U.S. Senate since 1983 and chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The poll shows a more Democratic electorate than in 2008. The poll finds that 55 percent of those polled supported Barack Obama and 39 percent who supported John McCain. The official returns showed that Obama defeated McCain 56 percent to 42 percent.

This election will also feature a presidential ballot at the top of the ticket.

In Bingaman’s last re-election campaign, he defeated doctor Allen McCulloch 70 percent to 30 percent in 2006.

The poll did not mention the names of two Republican candidates already in the race. Former congressional candidate Greg Sowards and activist William S. English have already announced candidacies for Senate but are not considered to be top tier.

PPP polled 545 New Mexican voters from February 4 to the 6. The margin of error is +/- 4.2 percent.