Alamogordo NM
3-11-2025 11:45pm

Commentary: Rep John Block Spectacle and He Fails, Yet Again, Turning His Back on Native American Constituents

House Memorial 37 is a resolution affirming the State of New Mexico's commitment to protecting Mount Taylor as a traditional cultural property and opposing uranium mining projects that threaten its cultural and environmental integrity. The memorial highlights the significance of Mount Taylor to indigenous peoples, noting its designation as a traditional cultural property in 2009 and the Supreme Court's affirmation of this designation in 2014. It outlines the potential threats posed by proposed uranium mining, including environmental degradation, contamination of vital water sources, and risks to public health, particularly for the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna ans the Navajo Nation. 

As usual District 51, Representative John Block chose to the side of his donor base, versus his constituents, and snubbed his own alleged heritage (Block is openly gay,[6]  and is of Hispanic and Native American descent,) to score points with his uranium industry funders.

The Memorial Passed in the House of Representatives Yea with 39 votes, Nay with 23.

    Mount Taylor as Cultural Property is of great honor and cultural significance particularly to New Mexico's Indigenous communities.

    The memorial from Rep. Michelle Abeyta (D-To’hajilee) reads, in part: “Whereas, uranium mining operations create environmental hazards through the transport and storage of uranium ore, increasing the risk of contamination of land, air and water resources and exacerbating the health threats already faced by Indian and non-Indian communities alike.”

    Rep. John Block, Otero County, sought to strike that language from the memorial, which he said stigmatized the uranium industry, noting that it was written in the present tense. The industry is much safer now, he said, and could serve a vital source of energy for America and revenue for the state.

    “I find it to be offensive to the great people of this state because we’re speaking on behalf of them, and what we’re saying is we don’t want these kinds of industries,” Block said.

    John Block's naive and ill informed stance, turning his back on downwinders in his own Otero county, who suffered from the ill effects of the atomic industry claimed he "is unaware of any pending mining activity on the mountain", which is one of four sacred to Navajo people., as reported by Source One. 

    FACT: two long-stalled mine proposals in the area are now “priority projects,” the Cibola National Forest Supervisor told staff in a meeting last month, according to a recordings obtained by Source New Mexico.

    John Block’s typical theatrical performance to amend drew more than an hour of debate, but in the end his theatrical performance turned out to be another ploy for attention yet failed. 

    As one would expect with Block’s track record of failure, his amendment failed by a vote of 38-23, by 6 p.m., the House passed the memorial overwhelmingly. 

    A similar Senate memorial passed the Senate earlier Tuesday. Senate Memorial 14 expressing New Mexico’s opposition to new uranium projects at Mount Taylor that would threaten its cultural and environmental integrity.

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