New Mexico’s two U.S. senators want to expand the zone within New Mexico in which Mexican nationals who hold Border Crossing Cards, or “laser cards,” can travel inside. The current limit is 25 miles from the border, and Democratic Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall want to expand that to 75 miles so that urban areas not immediately on the border can take advantage of Mexican consumers.

“Currently, Border Crossing Card holders can travel to cities like El Paso, but not nearby Las Cruces, Deming or Lordsburg,” said Udall in a statement. “This legislation makes a simple modification to boost commerce in important New Mexico communities with respect to our border security.”

Border Crossing Cards  are biometric cards which Mexican nationals can receive after passing a security and background check. They allow travel within the border zone for up to 30 days, although prior to August 2004 it was only 72 hours. Millions of the cards have been issued since the program first began in the late 1980s.

The Pew Hispanic Center (PDF) estimated in 2006 that the card was, at the time, a common method of entry for unauthorized immigrants, who would overstay the 30 day limit or work a job when the card does not authorize them to do so. However, many New Mexican border residents depend on temporary legal traffic from Mexico for their business.

The increase could be done either through an act of Congress or by a Department of Homeland Security rule change. In 1999, Arizona was allowed to increase the zone to 75 miles in order to benefit Tucson. Bingaman and Udall want the same change for New Mexico.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) is cosponsoring legislation with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that would preserve existing funding support for counties containing National Forest System lands. The bill would maintain Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) given to counties in compensation for containing federal land, as well as funding for rural schools, forest management, and other county government initiatives. KTVZ reports:

Sen. Bingaman said: “Over the past few years, Secure Rural Schools and PILT have been lifelines for financially-strapped rural counties and the thousands of Americans they employ and contract with. While we all have different perspectives on the county payments programs, we recognize how critical they are to our communities and the necessity of bringing together a broad, bipartisan coalition to support this plan if we are to have any chance of successfully securing funding.”

Sen. Murkowski said: “Until Congress can return federal land management to a system where our forests generate the jobs and economic activity they once did, Secure Rural Schools provides crucial funding to keep whole some of our most remote communities. I support this legislation as a temporary fix, fully aware that the only permanent solution is for the Forest Service to reinstate regular timber sales to provide some economic benefit to the communities within the national forest system.

“The PILT program was put in place to compensate communities with federal lands within their jurisdictions for lost tax revenue. Since I don’t expect Congress to grant local municipalities the right to tax federal lands, I see no reason why we should not continue funding this program for the foreseeable future.”

New Mexico would receive $56 million in county payments over the next five years. In addition, Bingaman estimates that New Mexico gets about $35 million in lieu of taxes each year, although that figure could vary depending on the distribution of federal land.

PILT would not be subject to the normal appropriations process, but would be reduced by five percent each year for the next five years, with the hope that it will eventually be phased out.

The federal government receives $13 billion annually from commercial activities on federal lands. As Murkowski’s comments indicate, some in Congress wish to expand logging, livestock grazing, and oil and gas leasing operations within federal lands, and allow states to have a larger stake in this economic activity. But conservationists caution against excessively exploiting national forest lands.

Current funding for PILT was provided in the emergency stimulus act passed under the Bush administration in 2008.

Rep. Ben Luján (D-N.M.) and other Democratic members of the New Mexico congressional delegation are asking the Obama administration to open a regional United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in central New Mexico. Unlike his fellow Democrats, Luján voted against the America Invents Act, the patent reform law that establishes the new USPTO branches that he wants to bring to the state. The law was backed by the House Republican leadership, but opposed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), as well as other progressive Democrats. They were joined with some conservative or “Tea Party Caucus” Republicans like Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and Rep. Steve King (Iowa).

Last week, Luján joined Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), and Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) in sending a letter that cited low property costs, a skilled population, and the potential for job creation as reasons to locate a new USPTO branch in central New Mexico.

Currently the only other regional patent office is located in Detroit, Mich. The Act preserves this office and requires that two more offices be created in order to reduce the massive backlog of patent applications.

Luján proposed an amendment to the bill while it was being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives that requires officials to take into consideration the economic impact of the new patent offices, as well as the need for local skilled personnel, when determining its location. Here’s Luján defending his amendment:

John Sanchez

Lt. Gov. John Sanchez will announce Tuesday that he is seeking the Republican nomination for the open U.S. Senate seat. Sanchez will join former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson and two other Republican candidates in the race.

Sanchez filed his statement of candidacy Monday, according to a tweet by Bloomberg reporter Greg Giroux. The National Journal confirmed the report on Monday.

Sanchez had previously been coy about his intentions on a Senate run despite chatter among pundits and political observers that he was considering a bid. At a tea party rally in March, Sanchez appeared to inch towards a Senate run, but it has not been made official until now. Sanchez was elected lieutenant governor in November.

Sanchez was the Republican nominee for governor in 2002, but lost to Democrat Bill Richardson. Richardson went on to win a second term in office as well.

Last year, Sanchez won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor and took the office when Susana Martinez won the election for governor in November.

The other two announced Republican candidates are businessman Greg Sowards and columnist William English.

On the Democratic side, Rep. Martin Heinrich, state Auditor Hector Balderas and activist Andres Valdez have all announced they are running for the open seat.

The seat is open because five-term Sen. Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat, announced earlier this year that he would not seek a sixth term in office.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said that a bill to end tax subsidies for large oil companies will likely fail next week. Bingaman is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The bill would end all tax subsidies for the five largest oil companies, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., says it would shave $21 billion over 10 years from the budget.

Bingaman, who is retiring this year, said he isn’t sure how he will vote on the bill or a likely Republican counterproposal.

“I’ve voted in some cases to remove and reduce tax breaks for the oil industry in other cases I’ve voted not to because I felt that the proposals covered too much,” he said in an interview with C-SPAN which will air this weekend.

On Thursday, heads of the five biggest oil companies argued that cutting the tax breaks would hurt job and economic growth.

“By undermining U.S. competitiveness, they would discourage future investment in energy projects in the United States and therefore undercut job creation and economic growth,” Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson said at a hearing on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., is the sponsor of the legislation, titled the “Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act.”

The bill is likely to not have much, if any, Republican support. The bill would need some Republican votes and all Democratic votes to clear a Republican filibuster.

Just a day after President Obama’s speech at the U.S./Mexico border on immigration reform, Sen. Jeff Bingaman helped introduce legislation that would provide college students who entered the country before the age of 15 with a path to citizenship.

“I do not believe children should be punished for their parents’ actions,” Bingaman said in a statement. “It doesn’t make sense to deny children who grew up in our country an opportunity to earn a college degree, join the military and to contribute to our economy as productive members of society.”

Bingaman joined Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and 29 other senators in sponsoring the legislation.

To qualify for the DREAM Act, the immigrant must have come to the United States under the age of 15, graduate from high school or earn a GED, complete two years of college or military service and have good moral character to legalize their immigration status.

In a speech on immigration in El Paso Tuesday, Obama called for the DREAM Act to be passed.

“We should stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents,” Obama said. “We should stop denying them the chance to earn an education or serve in the military. And that’s why we need to pass the DREAM Act.”

President Barack Obama called for immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, in a speech in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday. It was Obama’s first trip to the border as president.

Obama said the lack of progress on immigration reform occurred despite work from people on both sides of the aisle.

“We’ve seen leaders of both parties who try to work on this issue, but then their efforts fell prey to the usual Washington games,” Obama said. “And all the while, we’ve seen the mounting consequences of decades of inaction.”

Obama said that Republicans have been looking to “move the goal posts” on securing the border.

“They wanted a fence,” Obama said. “Well the fence is now basically complete.”

“We’re here at the border because we also recognize that being a nation of laws goes hand in hand with being a nation of immigrants,” Obama said in his address at Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso.

Rep. Steve Pearce, the lone Republican in the New Mexico delegation, said before Obama’s speech that the president should have met with constituents in border communities in New Mexico.

“We cannot possibly address immigration without first facing our border security problems,” Pearce said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that the President missed an opportunity to hear from my constituents about the need for serious measures.”

Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat, said that he supported former President George W. Bush’s call for immigration reform and praised Obama for bringing it up again.

“Comprehensive immigration legislation is necessary to fix our broken borders and advance the educational and economic progress of the country,” Udall said in a statement. “I hope that the president’s speech is just the beginning of a bipartisan effort to pass real reform.”

Sen. Jeff Bingaman also called for immigration reform.

“Obviously, we must make security a centerpiece of comprehensive immigration reform,” Bingaman said. “But I do believe Congress needs to finally find a way to create a more thoughtful immigration system that works for our economy.”

After being “encouraged” by Obama’s speech, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico Regional Center for Border Rights called for Obama to change its focus “on a costly, enforcement-only model.”

“Our national security, while critical, should never come at the expense of civil and human rights,” said Vicki Gaubeca, director of the ACLU-NM Regional Center for Border Rights. “At the very least, we need more transparency, accountability and oversight to prevent the border region from becoming a Constitution-free zone.”

Any sort of immigration reform seems unlikely over the next two years. The House of Representatives is controlled by a Republican majority, while the Senate has a Democratic majority. The two chambers have been unable to agree on a number of high-profile issues.

Watch the speech:

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.

Balderas filed statements of candidacy and organization with the FEC.

Politico reports that a formal announcement will come next week, following the Easter holiday.

Balderas was first elected to be state auditor in 2006 and was re-elected in 2010. Before that, Balderas served in the New Mexico House representing Wagon Mound.

A report Wednesday said that Balderas would make his decision within a matter of days.

The race will be for the seat being vacated by current U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., who announced earlier this year that he would not run for a sixth term.

The seat has already drawn a top-tier Republican candidate in former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson. Wilson previously ran for Senate in 2008, when she lost in the primary to Steve Pearce. Pearce, who like Wilson left his U.S. House seat to run for Senate, went on to lose to Tom Udall in the general election.

Wilson will face businessman Greg Sowards and columnist Bill English in the Republican primary. Pearce and Lt. Gov. John Sanchez are also named as potential Republican candidates for the position.

Other potential Democratic candidates for the Senate seat include USDA rural development state director and former Bingaman state director Terry Brunner and U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján. Activist Andres Valdes is also currently in the race.

Heinrich has received the backing of two major labor groups which could have a large impact in the Democratic primary.