New Mexico

Outgoing NMOGA chief Ryan Flynn leaves behind a record of failure for the oil and gas industry

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Last week, Ryan Flynn, the executive director of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA), announced his departure from the organization, citing personal reasons and that he’s “exploring new opportunities in the private sector,” despite his current contract going through 2024. 

Flynn, a former cabinet secretary under the Susana Martinez administration, joined NMOGA in 2016. Since his ascension to the top of the organization, it has led to crippling defeats in New Mexico for oil producers.

Under Flynn’s leadership, the association took a “neutral” stance on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “mini” Green New Deal in 2019, a bill that solely seeks to destroy the oil and gas industry in New Mexico under the guise of “environmentalism” and reaching a “net-zero” carbon emissions standard. 

Flynn touts how NMOGA prides itself on its “nonpartisanship.” However, under his leadership, it has almost exclusively given monetary donations to Democrats, including $25,000 to Democrat Speaker Brian Egolf’s PAC in the 2020 cycle, which helped pick off moderate pro-energy Democrats and schlong the GOP in many competitive seats. 

In 2018, NMOGA funneled $5,500 to rabidly anti-energy then-U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s gubernatorial race, helping her reach the governor’s mansion, directly helping the hostile woman take the reins and ram through the Green New Deal.

In October of 2019, after Lujan Grisham’s win, NMOGA had her speak at their annual meeting, where she claimed to support the industry that the same year she worked to undermine and attempt to destroy. 

NMOGA directly funded a party hostile to pro-energy Republicans, and to make matters worse, it defended Democrat former U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small in her fight against current U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell in the 2020 2nd Congressional District race. 

Torres Small endorsed Gov. Lujan Grisham’s “mini” Green New Deal, while Herrell has been nothing but a champion for oil and gas during her time in the state Legislature and on the campaign trail. Under Flynn’s leadership, the association also donated $1,500 to Torres Small’s husband, state Rep. Nathan Small (D-Doña Ana).

Flynn’s defense of Torres Small led to Republican leaders sending a letter lambasting his use of NMOGA as a Democrat political machine, writing, “So, what is Flynn’s motive? We aren’t exactly sure, but this pattern of lies has effectively destroyed any trust we had in him to be a fair advocate for NMOGA.” 

“While we cannot dictate to NMOGA who should be running its organization, we would suggest the association consider putting a person in its leadership who does not spread misinformation and puts personal political preferences ahead of the interests of the oil and gas industry and the workers it supports,” the letter continued.

In January, Flynn praised Joe Biden as he began to dismantle energy producers, cut off the Keystone XL Pipeline project, and cut off federal permits for drilling on federal land. Flynn said he was “encouraged” by these moves.

In this legislative session, Flynn’s NMOGA once again took “neutral” stances on rabidly anti-energy proposals, such as S.B. 11, which would have forced through “clean fuel standards,” ultimately driving up the price of gas on consumers by over 20 cents per gallon. New Mexicans heard crickets from Flynn… 

These costly anti-oil proposals, which big national oil companies can afford to take on for a PR stunt to seem more “environmentally friendly,” will not fare well for smaller producers in our state, as they barely hold on as it is.

After this massive record of failure, not to mention Flynn disgracing the association by getting a DWI while driving under the influence with Susana Martinez’s fundraiser, Jessica Perez, it is a travesty he was not removed years ago.

It is unclear who will now take the reins at the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, but one can only hope it will be an actual champion for New Mexicans and the critical oil and gas industry.

Gov. MLG’s dreams of New Mexico getting hooked on drug money

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Opinion, Politics / By

On Monday. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sent out a tweet reaffirming her plan to transform New Mexico’s economy from a fuel and energy-based economy with our booming oil, gas, and coal sectors to heavily reliant on drug money from overtaxed marijuana. 

The Governor failed to ram through her proposed legal weed bill in the 2021 Legislative Session, so in a desperate move to “not take no for an answer,” she will force the Legislature to reconvene in a “special session” to pass recreational weed legislation.

“I believe legalization of adult-use cannabis will be one of the largest job-creation programs in New Mexico history, driving entrepreneurial opportunities statewide for decades to come. It’s clear that New Mexicans are ready – let’s get it done,” the Governor wrote on Twitter. 

It is clear that even the most “progressive” far-left plan for the Governor to ram through legalized pot wouldn’t even make the tiniest dent in New Mexico’s revenues with the current budget sitting at a bloated $7.4 billion — yes, BILLION.

According to that leftist legal recreational pot plan’s fiscal impact report, New Mexico would take in at most $15.1 million in revenue after years of losses to implement the program. 

For context, the MOST such a revenue plan would generate in revenue wold be 0.204% of the needed funds to plug the gaping hole in Gov. Lujan Grisham’s budget. 

The oil and gas industry, in contrast, generated $2.8 billion directly to the state general fund in fiscal year 2020. That is approximately 37% of the state’s budget coming from oil and gas.

In states that have already legalized adult-use marijuana, the largest of them being California, the state only brought in a total of $1.5 billion since 2018. The state’s budget is approximately $202 billion.

Gov. Lujan Grisham’s push for weed comes as she and her allies in the Democrat-dominated Legislature have pushed the most aggressive anti-energy policies aimed at driving the oil and gas industry out of the state in its entirety. 

Weed, no matter if it passes or not, won’t make the slightest difference in the state’s budget, but Gov. Lujan Grisham sure wants to make New Mexico dependent on drug money–either by 20% taxed dope through her plan–or on the streets through contraband merchants of the product.

READ NEXT: Deep-pocketed marijuana lobby banking on Legislature’s proposals to legalize weed

Every single anti-gun bill died this legislative session

3 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Saturday, the 2021 Legislature adjourned without a single anti-gun bill moving forward, meaning a big victory for New Mexicans. 

There were many extreme proposals introduced this legislative session, including an update to the previously passed and unenforceable “Red Flag” gun-grabbing law, a ban on homemade firearm components, mandatory storage legislation (which included provisions barring parents from teaching their kids how to shoot), and a revamp of the New Mexico Game and Fish Department, among others. 

“I want to thank everyone who attended committee meetings over Zoom and made the emails and calls to their elected officials. The odds were very much stacked against us, but we did a great job showing that New Mexicans care about our Second-Amendment rights and will fight for them,” wrote New Mexico Shooting Sports Association president Zachary Fort in an email thanking supporters.

Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Santa Fe), who sponsored multiple pro-gun bills, wrote to her supporters, “On a positive note, we stopped all the gun bills, and I got one pro-gun bill through CPAC. Unfortunately, it died in Judiciary.”

The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) wrote, “The following gun control measures were defeated this session, which was especially challenging with the Capitol closed to the public and committee hearings held via Zoom instead of in-person.  NRA-ILA appreciates all of you who participated in these meetings to voice your concerns about these bills, and who contacted your lawmakers in opposition to them.  Warning: we expect to see many of these again in future legislative sessions!” 

Here are the anti-gun bills that died this legislative session, according to NRA-ILA:

  • HB 102 (creating a taxpayer-funded “firearm death review panel” to recommend future gun control measures) passed House Judiciary Committee and was tabled in House Appropriations Committee;  
  • HB 166 (ban on home-built firearms and 3D-printed gun components) passed House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee and was left pending in House Judiciary Committee;
  • HB 193 (expansion of current red flag law) passed House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee, passed House Judiciary Committee, was pulled from the House Calendar and referred to House Rules Committee;
  • HB 353 (requiring stolen gun checks by anyone receiving a firearm) was taken off House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee agenda and never heard;
  • SB 224 (mandatory storage legislation) passed the Senate Health & Public Affairs Committee and was left pending in Senate Judiciary Committee; and
  • SB 312 (“re-imagining” the mission of the NM Game & Fish Department) was tabled in Senate Conservation Committee.  

Thanks to readers of the Piñon Post, we made Democrats’ extreme gun control bills go national, with many national outlets, including the Daily Wire, The Western Journal, The Blaze, The Post Millennial, among dozens of gun and hunting-focused publications. These efforts would not be possible without support from our loyal readers.

The Second Amendment victories this session come despite massive opposition from radical out-of-state gun-grabbing groups, such as the billionaire Mike Bloomberg-funded dark money group “Everytown.” Despite the anti-Second Amendment propaganda spun by these dark forces, every single anti-gun bill fell flat on its face.

Keep our impactful reporting online by making a donation to the Piñon Post.  

Nearly 18K New Mexicans sign petition urging Gov. MLG to veto trapping ban bill: ‘Not science-based’

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

During this legislative session, one bill, S.B. 32 by Sen. Bobby Gonzales (D-Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, and Taos) has gained much fury from New Mexicans. S.B. 32 is a bill banning trapping on public lands, which passed both the Senate and the House before being sent to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk.

The bill squeaked by its last chamber, with the House of Representatives narrowly passing the measure by a vote of 35-34. 

During this session, many rural residents and wildlife conservation officers say trapping remains critical for managing wildlife and protecting livestock. 

The bill, which many Republicans and Democrats vehemently oppose, has garnered formidable opposition, with one Change.org petition named “Support science based wildlife management” gaining nearly 18,000 names of those opposed to the bill.

The petition reads:

 This bill is not based on science, data or wildlife [biologists’] input.  It is not based on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and the Public Trust Doctrine, which define fish and wildlife resources as the property of the people to be managed by the state and federal agencies entrusted with their stewardship.  This model should be used as the foundation of science-based fish and wildlife management and hunting, fishing and trapping are appropriate management tools.

…

The [S]enate should be committed to sound stewardship policies that are guided by science over politics, emotion and conjecture.

The passing of S.B. 32 hurts all wildlife in New Mexico, it signals an unbalance and sets a precedent for what could end up listing many animals as endangered or threatened in the future.  Furthermore, the economic impact of an out of balance ecosystem will cost jobs and millions of dollars, if not more.  S.B. 32 represents the destruction of wildlife. There is no science based reason to start this trend.

The bill, which sits on the Governor’s desk, has a shot at being vetoed if enough people oppose the measure by calling Gov. Lujan Grisham’s office. 

The organizers write:

This is the last chance.  View this bill as a ban on all hunting because that’s what their goal is.  

Do work!  Share this and make it a point on how important it is.  This is a ban on hunting.  

Call Gov. Grisham here – (505) 476-2200 – we were never given the opportunity to voice, never given the opportunity for expert opinion, the opposition had an unqualified anti-hunting activist as their expert witness?  Not a biologist, not a scientist, not a qualified individual to make a science-based wildlife management decision. (505) 476-2200

PHOTOS: New Mexicans from across the state hold ‘No More Lockdown!’ rallies

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Saturday, New Mexicans from across the state gathered en masse to protest Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s lockdowns and the stringent mask mandates imposed on citizens. The rally with the most protesters was organized by Albuquerque residents Karen Larré and Caleb Gluck and took place at the corner of Academy and Wyoming in Albuquerque. 

“Participation in other rallies around the state included 100 people in Las Cruces, 75 in Roswell (with participants from Clovis, Artesia, Cloudcroft, Carrizozo, Ruidoso, and Capitan), 50 in Rio Rancho, 50 in Santa Fe, and an [h]as yet to be determined number of people in Edgewood, Moriarty, Silver City, and Deming,” according to the organizers.

Sarah Smith, one of the statewide coordinators for the March 20 events and an organizer of the Las Cruces rally, said, “It’s time to re-open all New Mexico businesses.  This is a non-partisan issue. New Mexicans are suffering. The New Mexico lockdown does not make sense or follow the science, given the numbers and the COVID trajectory. The Red-to-Green re-opening criteria is fatally flawed and does not take into account any real indicators of the severity of COVID-19 impacts in our community.” 

She added, “States with severe lockdown have fared no better than states with much less tyrannical measures. Our economy and small businesses have been devastated. We need to get our people back to work, and let our communities connect and heal. All the states around us are much more open, and there have been no negative repercussions of that. Reopen New Mexico now.” 

According to a press release from the rally organizers, “The New Mexico rallies were planned in solidarity with rallies to end lockdown in 40 countries around the world, including Canada, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Denmark, Australia, Lithuania, Ireland, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Norway.” 

The organizer of the Roswell rally, Jesse James, said, “People can’t take this any longer – and they shouldn’t have to. The Governor’s illegal and immoral abuse of power in New Mexico cannot be tolerated. Whatever party you identify with, it’s time to raise our voices and say, ‘No more!'”

The rally comes on the same day that the 2021 Legislative Session concluded as many radical proposals were rammed through upon the request of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Here are some photos from rallies across the state:

Democrats just revealed that GOP could flip NM House in 2022

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Last week, the Democrat Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), the sole Democrat campaign committee charged with electing Democrat state legislatures, released a strategy memo listing the New Mexico House of Representatives as a “battleground,” signaling that Republicans have a shot at flipping the chamber in 2022.

The strategy memo notes how Democrats lost seats nationwide in state legislatures, writing, “Democrats cannot count on national momentum to have a decisive impact on state legislative elections.” 

“The most important lesson may be the need for Democrats to adopt a more sophisticated giving strategy that better aligns with the outsized impact state legislatures have on the policy that affects Americans’ day-to-day lives,” writes DLCC President Jessica Post.

“An unexpected surge of Trump voters led to sufficient Republican overperformance to overwhelm many Democratic candidates in already difficult districts,” the memo reads.

“State legislative races cannot continue to take a back seat to federal offices. It’s more difficult to win a majority of districts in a swing state than it is to win statewide. Unlike statewide races, entities focused on winning legislative power cannot just rely on bolstering turnout in Democratic areas. Our funding strategy should match that reality”

“Democrats must invest early. Despite talented staff, caucus campaign organizations and state legislative campaigns are often under-resourced. They need money for staff for recruitment, candidate support, and to build winning infrastructures. None of that is possible if we do not send them the money to do it.” 

Also, the memo notes how it will try to pick off moderate Republicans who are less inclined to like President Trump by spinning them “moderate lies.” The DLCC writes, “The rise of Trumpism opens a door for engaging moderate suburban voters in the coming cycle. We will convey that this is not your grandfather’s Republican Party, making GOP candidates toxic to moderate voters.” 

The DLCC conceded that in 2020, Democrats lost a seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives, flipped by now-Rep. Luiz Terrazas (R-Doña Ana, Grant & Sierra). The memo also noted how the Governor’s race will be “competitive” and will drive Republican turnout for GOP candidates. The committee looks to hang onto majorities in similar legislatures like New Mexico’s including chambers in Maine and Nevada.

Here’s what the memo says regarding New Mexico:

Republicans flipped a seat in the House in the 2020 elections and, while they have a long way to go to take either majority, there will be a competitive governor’s race to drive turnout on either side. The DLCC will prioritize protecting this critical chamber. 

This insight from the DLCC should give Republicans hope for flipping the House to the Republican column, and that means Republicans must start organizing and fundraising now. The DLCC notes how it is already getting an early start in fundraising, and that means it is more critical than ever for Republicans to put their money where their mouth is and start backing GOP candidates to win in 2022.

Gov. Lujan Grisham announces special session after 2021 Legislature closes

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Saturday, the 2021 Legislative Session finally came to a close as many pieces of radical bills were fast-tracked through. But despite the Democrats’ best efforts, many bills that they were counting on passing, such as anti-gun measures, recreational pot legalization, “clean fuel standards” better known as the gas tax on the poor, overhaul of the New Mexico Game, and Fish Department, institution of racism in state agencies, gender identity harvesting by state agencies, and others died. 

But there were many bills that did make it through, including H.B. 4, which will line Democrat Speaker Brian Egolf’s pockets with frivolous civil litigation lawsuits against local communities, crippling local budgets. Other proposals that made it through including abortion up-to-birth and infanticide S.B. 10, assisted suicide via lethal drugs H.B. 47, forcing small businesses to give all employees–no matter if they are contractors or not–paid sick leave, among other proposals.

The bloodbath of a session is unlike any that New Mexico has ever experienced, as there has been a wall erected outside of the Capitol with chainlink fence, barricades, and officers with the public barred from stepping foot near the People’s House.

“I think we have burdened the middle class with some taxes and regulatory burdens in a time that many of them are stressed,” Republican Leader Jim Townsend (R-Artesia) said in his closing speech on the House floor.

Any legislation pending died immediately after 12:00 noon, per the New Mexico Constitution.

After the session ended, groups that fought against radical bills rejoiced in the end of the session.

The New Mexico Shooting Sports Association wrote, “With the end of the 2021 NM Legislative Session, every anti-gun bill proposed this year has died. Thank you to everyone who spoke out against the terrible bills introduced this year.” 

“Sine die 2021 Legislative session. We hear @GovMLG is planning to call a special because @NMHouseDems & @NMSenateDems would not carry her political agenda. We shall see if they will return at taxpayer expense to work for #ThePeople or their special interest groups,” wrote the New Mexico House Republicans. 

Now, New Mexicans will stand on-notice for Gov. Lujan Grisham’s special session and what bills, other than recreational pot, she plans to ram through during the costly $50,000+ per day proceedings. 

A new video released by the Sandoval County Democrats on Saturday shows Lujan Grisham yelling, “I AM NOT GOING TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR” for marijuana legalization. 

Gov. Lujan Grisham has announced a news conference:

During the press conference, Gov. Lujan Grisham announced her intention to focus on recreational weed in a special session beginning approximately on March 31.

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) said, “We are close” on marijuana, blaming the Republicans for stopping the bill. He said a GOP senator had “a shopping cart full of amendments.”

Speaker of the House Brian Egolf (D-Santa Fe) claimed H.B. 4, which will enrich him was a step in the right direction and that the $7.4 billion budget “expresses true New Mexican values.”

“We’re close and I’m confident” in the cannabis bill’s passage, said Lieutenant Gov. Howie Morales. 

Gov. MLG threatens special session as early as Wednesday to ram through recreational pot bill

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

Legislators worked into the wee hours of the morning on Saturday debating legislation, with many bills still bottlenecked on the House and Senate floor calendars as the end of the legislative session comes at 12:00 noon.

Much of the debate was on HJR 1, which seeks to raid the land grant permanent fund for “early childhood education,” better known as taxpayer-funded daycare.

Right after midnight, the House of Representatives voted on a proposal, S.B. 304, relating to voting district geographic data, which was amended on the floor to create an independent redistricting commission. The amended compromise bill between a bipartisan and Democrat-led proposal takes the power of redistricting away from the dark rooms of the Roundhouse and opens it up to the public in a fair, less partisan way. After a lively debate, the bill passed 64-2 with Rep. Eliseo Alcon (D-Cibola & McKinley) and Majority Leader Sheryl Stapleton (D-Bernalillo) voting against the bill. 

In a previous committee, Alcon complained about an independent commission taking away representatives’ “rights” to redraw their own districts, saying, “I don’t think it’s our duty to give up our rights.” He did not like the idea of a seven-member commission making the decisions, not him. “If these seven people really want to be part of the redistricting, then they should run for our spots,” he said, adding, “I will be a solid no matter how you look at it,” despite the majority of people in the committee hearing in support of giving more power to the people. 

Due to the bottleneck of radical Democrat legislation, it was revealed in the wee hours of the morning that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham intends to call a special session as early as Wednesday to ram through her extreme recreational marijuana bill, according to one representative.

The Albuquerque Journal confirmed this, with the Governor’s communications director Tripp Stelnicki saying that a special session could be called “sooner rather than later,” adding “there was a largely-agreed upon framework in place between the Governor’s Office and lawmakers.” 

“Nobody wants to wait another year — it’s too close to being done,” said Stelnicki.

However, it doesn’t look like the Wagyu steak-eating Governor cares much about the political ramifications of her actions, despite a special session being “politically risky,” with a daily cost of around $50,000 per day, according to the Journal.

After it was revealed the Governor intends to call a special session, the New Mexico House Republicans wrote, “UNBELIEVABLE. After spending $2 million on a fence blocking YOU from the Roundhouse for a year- Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has FAILED to get her showpiece marijuana bill across the line. She now says she will call us back next week. Taxpayers, the Gov’s agenda is on your dime.”

Other bills are still stuck on the House and Senate calendars, including S.B. 11, the gas tax on the poor, S.B. 316 to harvest “gender” and “sexual identity” data from New Mexicans, and S.B. 230 instituting racism in state agencies and many other proposals, which as the clock ticks on look dead in the water.

Read more about New Mexico legislators bankrolled by the big marijuana lobby. 

Science-denying NM teachers union refusing to follow updated CDC guidelines

2 Comments / New Mexico, News, Opinion, Politics / By

On Friday, the New Mexico “American Federation of Teachers” of AFT sent out a statement denying the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) updated guidelines announcing that it had shortened its science-based recommended social distance from six feet to three feet, opening the doors for more students to get back to school.

But the anti-science, anti-student teachers union, AFT, couldn’t handle the news from the CDC, which means a green light for children to get back to school after nearly a year of lockdown and a loss of time in the classroom. The CDC is currently headed by Rochelle Walensky, a Joe Biden appointee.

The lockdown has prompted many children into depression, leading the suicide rate among adolescents to skyroket by 88% in New Mexico. In July, it was reported that New Mexico had the highest rate of suicide over every state in the union. We now have the fourth-highest unemployment rate.

However, the callous and self-serving teachers unions, who collectively throughout the country made a whopping $122 billion off of the last round of pork-filled “COVID-19 relief,” don’t want their teachers (who are forced to pay union dues in New Mexico) to go back to teaching, no matter how many children kill themselves or how many teachers leave the profession.

AFT New Mexico sent out the following statement denying the CDC’s science as “lacking” in the “totality” of the “safety strategy,” whatever that means. The union also denid the efficacy of the vaccine, claiming it is “not a silver bullet.” : 

“We, like all New Mexicans, want to see students and educators return to classrooms as soon as possible, but today’s physical distancing guideline revisions by the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) should give all students, parents, and educators pause.

“While positive progress has been made regarding access and administration of vaccines for educational staff, a vaccine alone is not a silver bullet for making our places of learning safe. Vaccines are only one piece, among many, of the strategy for safely re-entering our buildings and classrooms. 

“We also question abandoning the pandemic’s most enduring safety strategy, namely ensuring a 6-foot distance between individuals, as rapid changes in health and safety guidance not only cause confusion but can undermine public trust in science-based guidance. We, like many education professionals and organizations across the country, urge the CDC to continue their research and understanding of the impact of reduced distancing by expanding their research to broader, more representative sampling of our communities. Additionally, we hope future CDC guidance decisions will more fully consider a totality of other factors which impact safety in schools, including the extent of aerosol spread of COVID-19 through substandard or outdated ventilation. 

You read that right–the AFT teachers union is actually questioning the Centers for Disease Control so it can hold hostage full reopening of schools. Parents in New Mexico are sure not likely to be pleased with this news, as children have been waiting over a year to get back to school and make up for lost time.

Heinrich exposed as a ‘fraud’ for suddenly wanting to abolish filibuster after using it 350+ times

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By

On Friday, Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich was roasted on Twitter for his massive flip-flop on the filibuster. He recently released a statement claiming he wants to abolish it to push through radical Democrat bills due to the 50-50 split Senate between Republicans and Democrats.

Heinrich wrote the following:

The filibuster should be abolished or, at the very least, reformed to force senators to physically hold the floor to extend debate. Too often the filibuster has been used to block our country’s continued march toward equality. We must change this. Georgia legislators are attempting to take Sunday voting away. They want to prevent Black voters from participating in our elections. Let’s call this what it is: A racist attempt to steal future elections.

We have the legislation to stop this. The For the People Act would restore voting rights to Americans targeted by efforts like those in Georgia. We can’t let the filibuster continue to shield structural racism in our country. I cannot support the continued abuse of the filibuster in the United States Senate.

But Charles Cook of the National Review called out Heinrich for this blatant hypocrisy on the Filibuster, pointing out that he has used it over 350 times since 2014, calling Heinrich “a fraud.” He also noted how Heinrich “declined to abolish it when in the majority; and has published a letter supporting it that, just four years ago, you signed.” 

The text of the letter signed by Heinrich supporting the filibuster in 2017 is below:

We are writing you to support our efforts to preserve existing rules, practices, and traditions as they pertain to the rights of Members to engage in extended debate on legislation before the United States Senate. Senators have expressed a variety of opinions about the appropriateness of limiting debate when we are considering judicial and executive branch nominations. Regardless of our past disagreements on that issue, we are united in our determination to preserve the ability of Members to engage in extended debate when bills are on the Senate floor.

We are mindful of the unique role the Senate plays in the legislative process, and we are steadfastly committed to ensuring that this great American institution continues to serve as the world’s greatest deliberative body. Therefore, we are asking you to join us in opposing any effort to curtail the existing rights and prerogatives of Senators to engage in full. Robust, and extended debate as we consider legislation before this body in the future.

Heinrich is proving how much of a fraud he is now that he has made a complete 180 with his stance on the filibuster, one of the crown jewels of the United States Senate for hundreds of years that he’s used countless times himself.

1 … 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 … 209

Stay Updated

Scroll to Top