Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández represents New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District. In Washington, she holds a leadership role with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus as Freshman Representative. Congresswoman Leger Fernández serves as chair of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States for the 117th Congress. She has also been appointed to the House Committee on Education and Labor, the House Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on House Administration and Subcommittee & Elections.
We must invest in what we believe, and I believe our students are the future of New Mexico. I began my life-long love of learning at Head Start. I know that education is one of the most powerful ways to empower our youth and lay the foundation of progress. Our communities thrive when quality education is available to every student, regardless of their zip code.
I strongly supported the early childhood education and child care provisions in the American Rescue Plan. The bill expanded and strengthened investments in childcare centers and Head Start. It also ensured our elementary, middle, and high schools have the resources they need to safely reopen. These investments help ensure that every child has an opportunity to start their education with a great foundation.
As a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, I am committed to making the paths to higher education equitably available across our district. Regardless of a student choosing to go to college, university, or vocational school, quality education must be accessible and affordable to all. Investments we make in our educators and students will help us unlock the overwhelming potential of New Mexico’s future workforce.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a massive toll on our students, educators, and parents. The students that already have the least resources have suffered the greatest learning challenges and losses. We have no time to lose in the effort to strengthen our schools and get our students back on track. That is why I co-led the Learning Recovery Act to extend learning opportunities for children who may be falling behind because of the pandemic.
I remember my mother falling asleep on her typewriter as she studied for her degree, and how she dedicated her life to education after experiencing “the miracle that happens every time a student first learns to read.” My parents were pioneers in bilingual education and I carry their commitment to our students’ future in my heart everytime I come to work for our kids.
All Americans have a right to quality, affordable health care, in the communities they call home. As a cancer survivor, I know how important it is to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions. Everyone should receive the necessary care and medicine they need, regardless of their financial situation, job or zip code. For far too many people, receiving life-saving care often means acquiring crippling debt. That needs to change. It is why I support Medicare for All.
I also strongly support fully funding and strengthening Medicare, Medicaid, and our nation’s network of community health centers. These programs ensure that the most vulnerable Americans, including children, elderly, and low-income families have access to health care. As we move toward universal, single-payer health care, I will tirelessly work to increase access, reduce cost, and invest in new, ground-breaking treatments that will save lives.
In New Mexico, we have felt the pain and suffering of the opioid epidemic for too long. One of the first initiatives I took in Congress was to co-lead the Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act to help ensure doctors inform patients of the risks of opioids before writing a new prescription. In addition to this epidemic, I remain committed to improving access to quality health care services in our rural communities too. We need increased funding for our clinics and improved incentives for doctors to practice in rural areas.
As a member of the Mental Health Caucus, I am working to ensure that access to health care includes access to behavioral and mental health services. To build safer and healthier communities, it’s important that we improve care and treatment options for individuals and families who are suffering, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Immigrants bring invaluable talent and energy to communities in New Mexico and across the United States. Many leave everything they love behind in search of a better life for their families. They care for our elderly, pick and prepare our food, and are incredible entrepreneurs making our economy stronger and more vibrant.
As a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I am working hard to build a humane immigration and asylum system rooted in a deep understanding of the causes of migration and empathy for our fellow people. New Mexicans understand the value of community and we know that all communities are intertwined, and we must take care of one another. One of the first bills the House passed was the American Dream and Promise Act. I voted for this important bill to provide a path to permanent residency and citizenship to Dreamers brought to this country as children.
I am also a cosponsor of the U.S. Citizenship Act which will repair our broken immigration system to protect families and strengthen communities. It will keep loved ones together, protect our immigrant workforce, and effectively and responsibility manage our borders. Immigrants are the heart and soul of our country. Throughout this pandemic, immigrant workers - the same essential workers we have thanked endlessly - have put their lives on the line to keep our country running. It’s time that we turn our words into actions and provide them with a clear pathway to citizenship. Let us repay their patriotism and sacrifice with humanity and love.
The U.S. Citizenship Act will:
Our land, our waters, and our people are intertwined. I represent a beautiful and beautifully diverse district where so much of our culture is tied to the land. When you begin to lose your land, you begin to lose a piece of yourself.
That is why I continue to advocate for historic investments in renewable energy and new technologies to reduce emissions, create good-paying jobs and make our country an energy industry leader. I have voted for and introduced legislation to protect our natural resources, to fund clean water, drought mitigation, and clean up orphaned wells.
On September 30th, 2022 I helped secure $2.5 billion in Aid for New Mexicans impacted by Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fires. My Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act includes $2.5 billion for our ranchers, acequia members, students, and families. For our forests, lands, precious waters, and all we lost in this fire. $2.5 billion begins the long, slow road to healing and recovery.
It’s not enough to thank veterans for their service. We need to provide veterans with the services they have earned. During my time in Congress I have worked to expand access to health care, including mental health and suicide prevention resources.
I have cosponsored legislation like the Honoring our PACT Act to compensate veterans suffering from exposure to toxic burn pits. I also cosponsored the Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act to provide free lifetime passes to enter national parks for veterans and Gold Star Families.
I’ve had the privilege of delivering for veterans in my district. Immediately after the Veterans Affairs Administration announced its recommendation to close veterans health clinics in Espanola, Gallup, Las Vegas, and Raton, I pushed back and fought for veterans in Nuevo Mexico. I visited all the clinics to meet with veterans and listen to their stories. I brought those stories with me to Congress and was able to keep veterans’ clinics open.
The fight is not over. That is why I voted for the American Rescue Plan to increase resources for veterans housing and job training. I am committed to increasing care at the facilities, including by expanding the numbers of doctors and nurses.
New Mexico is getting hotter. Our droughts and wildfire seasons are getting longer, and we are seeing the effects of climate change become increasingly more damaging. We know that if our families want to continue to call this beautiful place home, we have an obligation to address these issues.
The largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history began in April of 2022 and devastated our communities. The U.S. Forest Service started this fire. It never should have happened. That's why I'm pushing the U.S. Forest Service to fix their policies. I secured an independent federal investigation into the Forest Service’s use of prescribed burns.
I began to advocate for the compensation of survivors right away. I led the effort to pass the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act through the House and co-sponsored fire- and disaster-related legislation including the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act, Wildfire Recovery Act, and Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act. I also helped secure an increase in federal firefighter pay and am advocating for additional funding to prepare for and respond to wildfires.
On September 30th, 2022 I secured $2.5 billion in Aid for New Mexicans impacted by Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fires. My Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act includes $2.5 billion for our ranchers, acequia members, students, and families. For our forests, lands, precious waters, and all we lost in this fire. $2.5 billion begins the long, slow road to healing and recovery.
As a former acequia commissioner in New Mexico I took on a large developer to protect our water systems because I know that when water flows we all thrive. Agua es vida. Water is life.
As a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources I work tirelessly to ensure the spaces we share are taken care of so that generations after us can keep breathing clean air and drinking clean water. That’s why I introduced the Orphaned Wells Cleanup and Jobs Act of 2021 to clean up over 56,000 known “orphaned” oil and gas wells across the country currently leaking methane, contaminating groundwater, and creating a safety risk for communities. The infrastructure funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law incorporated aspects of my bill and made $560 million available in funding to clean up orphaned wells and create jobs for New Mexico and other states.
We also secured $190 million for the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project to bring water to Navajo Nation, the Jicarilla Apache Nation, Gallup, and nearby communities. For Eastern New Mexico we secured $177.4 million for the Eastern New Mexico Water Supply Project to bring clean water across the region.
We must protect sacred land, uplift Native voices, and celebrate Indigenous cultures. In New Mexico, we recognize the sacred lands and customs of our Pueblos. Indigenous peoples have taken care of the land and water since time immemorial. Leading by example, they have conserved and treasured precious resources for generations.
As Chair of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States, I helped secure the largest investments in Tribal communities in history as part of the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Congress passed my bipartisan STOP Act, which will crack down on the trafficking of tribal cultural items. Indigenous communities and their cultures continue to thrive despite what my district has seen first-hand- for too long the U.S. has failed to meet its trust responsibilities to Native Americans. I am honored to act as a bridge for the indigenous peoples of my district and across the country. I believe in a true, diverse democracy where everybody’s voices are included.
During my time in Congress, I have introduced and supported legislation that will help indigenous communities. I introduced the Tribal Nutrition Improvement Act to make sure students have access to healthy and culturally relevant meals. I also introduced the Historic Preservation Enhancement Act to secure funds to preserve indigenous heritage. In addition, I introduced the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness Establishment Act to protect the sacred area.
We must protect sacred land, uplift Native voices, and celebrate Indigenous cultures. In New Mexico, we recognize the sacred lands and customs of our Pueblos. Indigenous peoples have taken care of the land and water since time immemorial. Leading by example, they have conserved and treasured precious resources for generations.
As Chair of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States, I helped secure the largest investments in Tribal communities in history as part of the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Congress passed my bipartisan STOP Act, which will crack down on the trafficking of tribal cultural items. Indigenous communities and their cultures continue to thrive despite what my district has seen first-hand- for too long the U.S. has failed to meet its trust responsibilities to Native Americans. I am honored to act as a bridge for the indigenous peoples of my district and across the country. I believe in a true, diverse democracy where everybody’s voices are included.
During my time in Congress, I have introduced and supported legislation that will help indigenous communities. I introduced the Tribal Nutrition Improvement Act to make sure students have access to healthy and culturally relevant meals. I also introduced the Historic Preservation Enhancement Act to secure funds to preserve indigenous heritage. In addition, I introduced the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness Establishment Act to protect the sacred area.
I was raised in a household that truly believed in democracy. I often tell the story of my grandmother, who when she was literally in hospice, she’d call up people in Spanish and say, "You need to make sure you get to vote." Voting should be a celebration. It’s an opportunity to use your voice. That’s why I am committed to protect this right for every American.
During my time in Congress, I have advocated for laws that safeguard this simple—yet sacred– pillar of our democracy. That’s why I cosponsored the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. That’s also why I voted for the Presidential Election Reform Act, a historic piece of legislation that protects free and fair elections. It ensures that the candidate who wins the election takes office. I want to make sure political violence, threats, intimidation, and lies don’t undermine over two hundred years of democratic tradition in this country.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our country was not prepared. We have lost so many Americans to this virus. I listened to the stories of need across my district, from our eastern borders, to our northwest quadrant, from our beautiful northern mountain villages to our larger cities of Santa Fe and Rio Rancho. That’s why, when our nation needed it the most, I voted for the American Rescue Plan.
This bill responds to the stories of thousands of constituents and local governments with action. For example, since the pandemic began, we’ve seen increased reports of abuse of women and children. This bill helps fund shelters, refuge and mental health services. It also ensures that our health clinics have the funding to care for our communities.
Our comunidades continue to be resilient in the face of adversity. Not only did the COVID pandemic bring grief and mourning to our communities, but the creative economy took a big hit. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, 63% of creative workers experienced unemployment, translating to over 2 million Americans. One in ten paychecks in New Mexico is tied to the arts. That’s why I introduced the Creative Economy Revitalization Act, to create a workforce grants program to employ artists and writers to create publicly available art.
The work doesn’t stop here. We will continue to listen to our communities and ensure funds get to those most in need.