Genuine and effective bipartisan relationships are invaluable skills necessary help New Mexicans

By Nella Domenici

Editor’s note: Nella Domenici is a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

An influential senator has meaningful, professional relationships with members who belong to the other party in the Senate. An effective senator also has good working relationships with members in the House of Representatives. These relationships enable a really good senator to get things done, cut deals, call in favors, persuade, horse trade—all skills needed to take care of you—the constituents. Martin Heinrich can do none of these things, but he habitually blames others for his own ineffectiveness and failures.

This week he was blaming the expiration of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) on the Speaker of the House. A couple of weeks ago, he was blaming Republicans for other bills’ failure to pass and a few months ago he was blaming others—never taking responsibility himself.

The expiration of RECA is a very serious problem. I have been to Grants, Farmington, and Gallup. I have heard from some of the downwinders in the Tularosa Basin. I visited with some of the people suffering from cancers caused from radiation exposure. They need the benefits made available under RECA. They also need cancer specialists closer to home. If I am elected to replace Martin Heinrich, I will get RECA passed, and I will develop a proposal for a cancer treatment and research center closer to where you live.

Not only has Martin Heinrich failed to get RECA extended, but he also worked closely with Biden and Harris on the excessive federal spending bills that ignited the highest inflation in forty years. Everything costs you more at the grocery store and the gas station because of the policies that Martin Heinrich supported. He supported the extreme environmental policies that closed down the Navajo mine and the San Juan Generating Station that cost many of you, your friends and neighbors your jobs.

We have gangs infiltrating cities and Indian communities because of Martin Heinrich’s open border policies. He blames others for not passing the most recent border bill, but voters should remind him that he voted consistently to kill almost every other border security bill for the last twelve years.

We have missing Indigenous people because Martin Heinrich doesn’t care enough to tackle the policies that make it very difficult for law enforcement to find your missing loved ones and prosecute the guilty. Prosecutors rotate in an out of Indian Country and are not in one office long enough to bring a case to trial. I will change that policy.

Martin Heinrich has had twelve years in the Senate. He has failed New Mexicans. He seldom visits your communities. He doesn’t care. And he doesn’t deserve another term. Voters should vote for the person, not the party. I ask for your vote this election.