Sen. Tom Udall
Udall spoke to more than 130 juniors and seniors from around the state who sat in state representatives’ seats in the House chamber at the Roundhouse.
Udall told one student the ongoing attempt to undo the Affordable Care Act is the most pressing issue being debated on a national level. Annakarel Portillo, a 17-year-old senior from Santa Fe’s Academy for Technology and the Classics, said the issue is particularly meaningful to her as a Medicaid recipient who fears losing coverage if the Graham-Cassidy bill is passed to replace the Obama-era ACA.
Later, Udall told the Journal he’s encouraged by Sen. John McCain’s announced opposition of the bill Friday morning, calling the Arizona Republican a “particularly principled senator” who wants the bill to go through regular congressional committee and amendment processes.
He also told the students the fate of the bill remains uncertain. “It’s a very close vote, and we don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.
Udall condemned threats and name-calling by Trump directed at North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and his country at the United Nations General Assembly. Trump called Kim “Rocket Man” and said the U.S. may have to “totally destroy North Korea.” Kim responded by saying Trump would “pay dearly” and called the president a “dotard.”
Trump “sees something or somebody attacks him, and immediately he’s attacking back,” Udall told the students. “We saw that play out at the United Nations, which to me is extremely unfortunate.” He said the back-and-forth between leaders is “very worrisome and very scary,” but that he hopes it doesn’t keep North Korea from following U.N. resolutions intended to avoid a nuclear conflict.
Several students had concerns about Trump’s rescission of DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, earlier this month. Felipe Garcia III, 17, of Albuquerque’s Atrisco Heritage Academy, said he’s seeing friends and their parents being affected by the decision.
Udall said he has hopes a replacement proposal that Trump, Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., discussed last week will become formalized because a chance for a bipartisan resolution is constructive. He later told the Journal that he expects an outpouring of support for DACA recipients to influence Congress. “You’re seeing people step up at the state level and county level to show support for the DACA participants,” he said. “That can make a difference at the national level. The more that support grows, the more Congress is going to be wary to engage in a situation where DACA participants are deported.”
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