3-23-2024 12:20pm

Gabe Vasquez secured $14 Million in Direct Project Funding for District

Chris Edwards Editor

On Friday, March 22, 2025 U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.-02) voted in favor of the final funding bill for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) to deliver historic investments in the district, support critical public safety, education and national security efforts across the country and prevent extremists from partially shutting down the government.

“I am proud to have secured funding for essential initiatives that address the pressing needs of our district, from public safety to job creation and infrastructure improvement, including funding for Sierra County’s emergency operations center,” said Vasquez. “By prioritizing critical initiatives such as increased support for service members, border security technology, and education, we are laying the foundation for a safer, more prosperous future for New Mexico. I remain dedicated to putting the needs of New Mexicans first and will continue to work tirelessly to deliver tangible results for our state.”

In the funding bill, Vasquez secured for New Mexico:

The largest pay raise for service members in decades,
Increased funding for border security to combat fentanyl and human trafficking, including for non-intrusive inspection technology that Vasquez has advocated for,
Humanitarian aid for emergency food for Gaza,
Increased funding for Head Start, childcare programs and high-poverty K-12 schools,
Increased funding to combat climate change for the Department of Defense,
And prevented harmful provisions that would have limited reproductive access and discriminated against LGBTQ+ communities.

Earlier this month, Vasquez voted in favor of the first appropriation bill that fully funded the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), child nutrition programs, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and many other critical programs.

In New Mexico’s second congressional district, one in four children live in poverty and families rely heavily on programs such as SNAP and WIC to put food on the table. Additionally, almost a quarter of New Mexicans are enrolled in SNAP, one of the largest shares in the nation. By keeping these lifelines fully funded, Vasquez is ensuring families have a pathway to prosperity.

In the first funding bill, Vasquez secured:

Increased resources to support homeless veterans and to provide mental health care,
Avoided the pay cliff for firefighters and invested in combating wildfires,
Invested in programs to address climate change on military installations,
Funding for Native American housing programs,
Increased funding for the Indian Health Service,
Delivered funding for border communities in New Mexico,
And removed harmful policies that would impact access to reproductive care.

With the latest funding bill, Vasquez also successfully secured funding for all 15 of the community projects he requested, bringing the total Community Project Funding (CPF) for New Mexico’s second district to almost $14 million. The projects prioritize public safety, bringing good-paying jobs and increasing access to clean water and improved wastewater systems. The projects specifically funded within New Mexico include:

Atrisco Vista Boulevard Improvement Project in Albuquerque,
Bayard for Wastewater Systems Improvement Project in Bayard,
Boys and Girls Club of Las Cruces Renovation Project in Las Cruces,
Columbus Wastewater Improvement Project in Columbus,
Double Eagle Waterline Replacement Project in Carlsbad,
Fire Protection Vehicle Acquisition Project in Isleta Pueblo,
Gila Community Center Improvement Project in Silver City,
Grant County I-10 Improvement Project in Grant County,
Hatch Food Pantry Project in Hatch,
Lift Up Las Cruces Project in Las Cruces,
Lordsburg Community Center in Lordsburg,
Luna Mobile Command Unit in Luna County,
New Mexico Department of Public Safety’s Communication Improvement Project across New Mexico,
Sierra County Emergency Operations Center in Sierra County, and
South Valley Economic Development Center Expansion Project in Albuquerque.