Lujan Grisham: Work Together

SANTA FE – In her return to the state Capitol, Michelle Lujan Grisham urged New Mexico lawmakers to find solutions to the state’s economic woes by steering clear of the partisan politics at work in Washington, D.C.

A former state Cabinet secretary who served under three governors, Lujan Grisham told lawmakers to focus on job growth and health care access in her first address to the Legislature as a U.S. representative.

“The decisions you make over the next 60 days will either provide those opportunities for the future or will stall New Mexico and the rest of the country even further,” she said.

The only woman in the New Mexico delegation, Lujan Grisham was elected to represent the Albuquerque-based 1st Congressional District in November.

The first-term Democrat vowed Monday to fight for women’s health care and reproductive rights on Capitol Hill, saying those issues should not distract from the debate about jobs and the economy.

“There’s no reason to roll back the clock on anybody’s individual or civil rights,” she said. “It’s time to move forward on the things that really make a difference.”

Lujan Grisham also predicted Congress will pass comprehensive immigration reform within the next six months.

While discussing the federal government’s effectiveness, Lujan Grisham touted the model of New Mexico’s state government, where she said both Republicans and Democrats have more built more personal relationships.

“I believe that it’s only collectively that we can get the things done that we all care about,” Lujan Grisham said.

She also touted her appointment to the powerful House Budget Committee, which helps set federal spending levels. After years of asking legislators for money while she was a state government official, she noted that lawmakers were now badgering her to bring home federal dollars.

“I never thought I would see that day,” Lujan Grisham quipped.
— This article appeared on page A3 of the Albuquerque Journal