WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 4, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District voted today against the Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 that locks in the spending cuts of the sequester that have negatively impacted New Mexico. The legislation also shortchanges investments in renewable energy that are important to New Mexico’s growing clean energy sector.
“Over the past few years, New Mexico’s economy has felt the impact of the sequester’s arbitrary cuts. It led to cutbacks and reductions at Los Alamos National Lab that weakened our economy and took a toll on New Mexico families,” Congressman Luján said. “The sequester is bad for New Mexico and we must eliminate it. However, today’s spending bill locks in the sequester, paving the way for future spending cuts at New Mexico’s national labs. In addition, it includes a cut for environmental cleanup at a time when this must remain a top priority. Funding scientific research and development at the labs is critical to our nation’s economic competitiveness and I will continue to fight for the investments we need to ensure our labs remain on the cutting edge.”
The Republican spending bill includes $1.1 billion in cuts below the President’s request for renewable energy and energy efficiency as well an $82 million cut to efforts to modernize the nation’s electricity grid.
“New Mexico’s renewable energy sector has the potential to grow our economy and create good jobs in our community that can’t be shipped overseas,” Luján added. “We have seen important growth in solar and wind energy across New Mexico, and it is vital that we continue to support efforts to strengthen this industry that is good for our economy. Unfortunately, this spending bill takes New Mexico and our nation in the wrong direction.”
