Heinrich Expresses Optimism, Readiness To Rebuild, Create Opportunities For New Mexico In Talk To Albq. Chamber
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) addressed the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Thursday as part of its virtual “Business Beat” Speaker Series.
Sen. Heinrich discussed making smart investments in the long-term success of New Mexico’s diverse, creative and resilient communities and in the assets that make the state unique.
Heinrich called for investing in early childhood education, saying that it was the single greatest investment New Mexico can make in the future of the state’s economic health and one that will pay off for generations to come.
A climate-action executive order signed by President Joe Biden on Wednesday was cheered by conservationists and top Colorado Democratic political officeholders while being met by an immediate legal challenge over a provision suspending oil and gas leasing involving federal lands and waters pending a review.
The wide-ranging executive order also includes measures such as making climate considerations an essential element of U.S. foreign policy and national security, seeking to conserve 30% of lands and oceans by 2030, creating a White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy and a National Climate Task Force, and directing federal agencies to procure carbon-free electricity and zero-emission vehicles, eliminate fossil fuel subsidies and work to spur clean-energy technologies and infrastructure.
27 Jan 2021
The Western Energy Alliance, a trade group representing 200 companies engaged in oil and natural gas exploration and production in the western United States, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday challenging President Joe Biden’s executive order to halt drilling leases on federal land.
The Alliance said the order conflicts with existing law and would result in a loss of $33.5 billion in lost Gross Domestic Product (GDP) across eight western states over the course of Biden’s first term. It noted that the majority of companies it represents are small businesses with an average of 14 employees.
The order also contradicts Biden’s claim it will fight climate change, citing that the decision also will cost over $8.8 billion annually in conservation funding.