A pair of Democratic senators is touting tens of millions of dollars in federal funding they “secured” for local projects in their home state despite voting against the legislation.
Roughly half of Senate Democrats, including Heinrich and Luján, voted against the measure Friday as the party demands policy changes to Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda before providing more funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Heinrich denied the notion that his statement, which said he was “extremely proud” of the $67 million “I secured for our communities,” and his vote, were contradictory.
“I’m always going to advocate for the people of my state,” Heinrich told the Washington Examiner.
Luján did not respond to a request for comment and has not cast a vote in the Senate since Friday. He was absent for votes held in the chamber on Monday and Tuesday. Luján’s initial statement said he was “proud to deliver over $50 million in federal funding to support critical projects that expand housing, strengthen health services, and boost infrastructure across our state.”
Negotiating earmarks, often viewed in Washington as a dirty word associated with pork barrel spending to fund lawmakers’ pet projects, into funding measures and then opposing them is not a new phenomenon for lawmakers from either party. Some even take credit for touting funding projects they played zero role in crafting, such as certain Republicans did with Biden-era money after voting against the Inflation Reduction Act or the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act.
But there is an emerging pattern for Heinrich and Luján.
It’s the second time in recent months they’ve cast “no” votes on spending bills, followed by statements taking credit for their earmarks. Both opposed the government funding measure last November to end the longest-ever shutdown in U.S. history, yet each still claimed recognition for securing more than $200 million for New Mexico projects.
At the time, Heinrich said he was “deeply frustrated” by the process that did not include an extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies that led to the shutdown and expired at the end of 2025. Luján said at the time it was “deeply frustrating.” Still, Heinrich took credit for having “secured” upwards of $207 million in federal funds for New Mexico, and Luján said he “successfully secured” north of $202 million.
HOUSE VOTES TO END PARTIAL SHUTDOWN BUT HOMELAND SECURITY NEGOTIATIONS ON THIN ICE
In his remarks to the Washington Examiner, Heinrich echoed other Democrats in opposing the latest funding bill over demands to curb Trump’s sweeping deportation agenda in the wake of deadly shootings of citizens in Minnesota by federal immigration agents. The legislation funded the remaining of the federal government but only provided two weeks’ worth for DHS, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as bipartisan negotiations play out.
“ICE is out of control,” Heinrich said. “They are doing things that are patently wrong, and illegal, and inflicting chaos on American residential communities. I’m not going to stand for that.”
