See how Gabe Vasquez's votes line up with your values.
DeepSyte scores Gabe Vasquez's record on the issues you care about — not party, not press releases. Take the 2-minute values quiz to see your personal alignment.
Sign in and take the values quiz to see how Gabe Vasquez's votes line up with your views.
Prediction track record
How often we called Gabe Vasquez's passage votes correctly, from their stated positions on each bill's tagged topics. Excludes “unclear” calls and abstentions.
A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.
To prohibit the disclosure of records by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development of individuals for the purposes of immigration enforcement, and for other purposes.
Based on 1 data point across public statements and recorded votes · AI analysis of public records
119-hconres-64·Mixed signal
To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.
65/100
What they said
Apr 29, 2026
Rep. Vasquez criticizes the Department of Defense for allocating $25 billion to military operations in Iran while failing to invest Pentagon funding in improving quality of life for military families in New Mexico, including housing, schools, and childcare.
Voted Yea on To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.
Rep. Vasquez's statement criticizes Pentagon spending on foreign military operations (specifically Iran) while neglecting domestic military family needs. The bill directs removal of U.S. Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in Venezuela. Both address foreign military spending and congressional authorization of military operations, and the rep's YES vote aligns with the statement's implicit position that unauthorized foreign military commitments should not proceed. However, the statement focuses on budget prioritization (Iran spending vs. domestic investment) while the bill addresses a specific geographic theater (Venezuela) and legal authorization requirement. The shared concern is preventing unauthorized or questionable foreign military commitments, but the statement does not explicitly address Venezuela or the authorization mechanism the bill invokes.
Pairs with ambiguous language and high uncertainty are withheld until more data is available. Procedural, cloture, and amendment votes are excluded — they don't cleanly signal substantive support or opposition.
Pro analysis
AI rep analysis — Pro
Get an AI-narrated read on Gabe Vasquez's full voting record against your stated values — aligned themes, conflicts, notable votes, and what to watch for.
Positions Gabe Vasquez took during their campaign, scored against their subsequent record — public statements cross-checked with related votes. “Kept” means 80%+ of those statement-vs-vote pairs aligned; “Broken” means 30% or fewer.
0 kept0 broken0 mixed0 no action yet
Gabe Vasquez has 12 tracked positions but no scored statement-vs-vote pairs touching them yet. Verdicts will appear here as related statements and votes accumulate.
No action yetSupports
Medicare should be allowed to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.
“ensuring that Medicare can continue to negotiate for lower prescription drug costs”
Access to contraception should be guaranteed by federal law in all states (Right to Contraception Act).
“Gabe has always and will always oppose any attempt by Republicans in Congress to ban access to abortion, birth control, or to prevent women from having the right to choose.”
The VA should cover more veterans and more health conditions.
“improving veterans' medical care, ensuring access to mental health care and education benefits... introduced legislation to expand GI bill benefits, lower barriers to veteran health care”
Passage votes where Gabe Vasquez broke ranks with ≥75% of Democrats. Threshold catches substantively partisan splits; unanimous-ish or close votes are excluded.
18
Cross-aisle votes
119-hres-1490·Sep 1, 2026·96% of D voted NO
Providing for the condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its forms, and for other purposes.
Condemning actors seeking to defraud the United States Government, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that governmentwide fraud and improper payment prevention reforms will meaningfully improve the financial prosperity of the United States, and that Federal program eligibility should be verified before payment.
Position: The release states Vasquez supports guaranteeing paid parental leave to all Americans and has introduced the Careworker Visa Act to lower childcare costs by creating legal pathways for immigrant careworkers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On November 1, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) and his fiancée, Nikki, announced they welcomed their first son to the world.
“Nikki and I are overjoyed to share that our son has arrived, and both Nikki and the baby are happy and healthy,” said Vasquez. “In these precious first few weeks, I will be supporting my family as we begin this new chapter together, and I look forward to bringing my perspective as a new dad to my work on behalf of all New Mexico families.”
As Vasquez spends time supporting his family and fulfilling his duties as a new dad, in the coming weeks, he will dedicate the majority of his time to his newborn. Vasquez will return to vote on the House floor as soon as possible, and his offices in Washington, Las Cruces, and Albuquerque will remain open and fully staffed to serve constituents across the district.
“Thank you to all of the New Mexicans and my colleagues in Congress who have shared their well wishes and kind words with Nikki and me. It means the world to our family and brings a renewed sense of public service to create a better future for all of our kids,” Vasquez added.
Vasquez supports policies to guarantee paid parental leave to all Americans and has introduced the Careworker Visa Act, a bill to bring down the cost of childcare for hardworking American families by creating commonsense legal pathways for immigrant careworkers.
###
Rep. Gabe Vasquez Introduces Bill to Establish a Vet Center in Socorro
Position: Introduces the Socorro Vet Center Act directing the VA Secretary to establish a vet center in Socorro, NM to provide social and psychological support to veterans, service members, and families. The release also describes support for prior measures on TRICARE travel reimbursement, VISN 22 realignment, student veteran stipends, veteran food security, and concurrent military retirement and VA disability pay.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) introduced the Socorro Vet Center Act, which would establish a new vet center in Socorro, NM. The bill would direct the Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs to establish a facility in Socorro to provide free, confidential social and psychological support to veterans, service members and their families, following on the work of veterans in the community who have come together to do the job themselves.
Across southern New Mexico, many veterans live in rural communities. In Socorro and surrounding counties, the veteran and military population struggles to access services, or get basic assistance with their benefits because the nearest vet clinic, vet center or VA Medical Center can be hours away. This bill would ensure that veterans and our military community across the middle of New Mexico have another closer location to access their hard earned benefits, creating a hub across Socorro, Sierra, Catron, and Lincoln counties.
“Our veterans make a great sacrifice to protect our way of life – when they return home, they deserve easy access to the care they need,” said Vasquez. “In my district, many veterans return home to rural areas where they would need to drive hours just to access a VA medical center. That’s unacceptable – I’m proud to introduce this bill to build a new facility and ease the burden of those veterans in and around Socorro where there is a gap of VA facilities.”
Rep. Vasquez continues to lead the charge to support and expand benefits for New Mexican veterans and our military servicemembers, including:
Spearheading the TRICARE Travel Improvement Act, which Vasquez led and got passed into law with bipartisan support through the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act. The bill lowers the mileage requirement for TRICARE travel reimbursement from 100 miles to 75 miles — helping military families in rural communities more easily access medical care.
Leading the New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act, a bill to add Otero and Eddy county to the Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) 22, so that New Mexico veterans can more easily access care at other facilities far closer to them.
Introducing the Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act, bipartisan legislation to increase the yearly book and supply stipend for student veterans which hasn’t been updated since 2008. If passed, it would increase the stipend from $1,000 to $1,400 and adjust for inflation.
The Feed Our Veterans Act, legislation Vasquez introduced and fought for during the most recent Farm Bill markup, to combat food insecurity among veterans and protect them from new burdensome SNAP work requirements introduced under the Republican tax law last summer.
Signed a bipartisan discharge petition to require a House vote on the Major Richard Star Act, legislation that would allow combat-injured veterans to receive both their full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation.
###
Issues:Supporting Our Veterans
Rep. Gabe Vasquez Demands Immediate Passage of Aid to New Mexico Farmers Following Devastating Flooding
Position: Urges immediate House passage of the CHILE Act, which would provide $5 billion in direct assistance to specialty crop farmers facing natural disasters and economic hardship, and would create a permanent USDA disaster assistance program for these producers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 22, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to House leadership urging immediate passage of his CHILE Act, which would provide $5 billion in direct assistance to specialty crop farmers facing natural disasters and economic hardship. Following floods that wiped out chile crops in Southern New Mexico, this bill is more important than ever to provide necessary assistance before farmers are forced out of business.
“In New Mexico, these growers are the backbone of our agricultural communities, supporting generations of family farms and businesses. When these farmers lose their crops, the impacts ripple through the entire food supply chain, hurting farmworkers, local businesses, and families who depend on a reliable supply of American-grown food,” wrote Vasquez. “Without meaningful federal assistance, we risk losing family farms, weakening domestic food production, and becoming more dependent on foreign growers. Protecting our specialty crop farmers is not just an agricultural priority – it is a matter of food security and economic stability for the entire country.”
Read the full letter HERE.
The letter comes after devastating floods swept through southern New Mexico, destroying crops, damaging critical agricultural infrastructure, and threatening the livelihoods of family farmers. The flooding dealt another blow to New Mexico's chile, onion, and pecan growers, who were already grappling with extreme heat, prolonged drought, crop disease, shrinking market access, and rising production costs.
Despite these threats facing specialty crop farmers nationwide, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lacks a permanent, dedicated disaster assistance framework for these producers. In addition to providing much needed assistance, the CHILE Act would create a dedicated program and protect our farmers from increasingly common extreme weather events and economic instability.
On October 4th, Rep. Vasquez hosted a meeting in Doña Ana County with local elected officials and visited families and farms impacted by the recent flooding. He visited Hatch, the McLeod/Garfield Dam, and surrounding areas to assess the impact of the flooding and what the community and farmers needed for recovery firsthand.
The CHILE is supported by the New Mexico Chile Association and Western Growers Association. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM).
This legislation builds on Rep. Vasquez’s long record of fighting for farmers and delivering real wins for New Mexico agriculture:
Rep. Vasquez secured several bipartisan wins in the process of passing this year’s Farm Bill through the House, including preventing the imposition of new red tape that would hinder growers’ access to the Specialty Crop Block Grant program.
Rep. Vasquez has held the USDA accountable countless times, including introducing his Honor Farmer Contracts Act, which ensures the USDA pays farmers what they’re owed.
He’s taken concerns directly from New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers to Washington and turned them into action through his Agriculture Advisory Group.
In January, Rep. Vasquez introduced the Farm and Family Relief Act to help farmers recover from chaos caused by the Administration’s reckless tariff policy.
###
Issues:Agriculture
Rep. Vasquez Demands Social Media CEOs do More to Stop Illegal Gun Trafficking, Protect Children
Position: Rep. Vasquez sent a letter to the CEOs of Meta, Telegram, and Snapchat urging them to take additional action to prevent youth from illegally buying, selling, and trading firearms and to address youth violence and illegal activity on their platforms. He also cites his cosponsorship of the Combating Cartels on Social Media Act, the No More Narcos Act, and Sammy's Law.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 21, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to the CEOs of Meta, Telegram, and Snapchat urging them to do more to stop New Mexican youth from being able to buy, sell, and trade weapons illegally over social media platforms and messaging apps. The letter also demands that these companies do more to address youth violence and illegal activities on their platforms.
“From Las Cruces to Albuquerque, I work directly with law enforcement agencies in New Mexico that continue to raise concerns about this issue and the link between social media and increasing juvenile crime,” wrote Vasquez. “In my district, I continue to hear how your platforms, including Snapchat, are utilized to traffic firearms and deadly drugs, promote theft and criminal activity, facilitate cartel operations, and fuel a dangerous cycle of youth violence. Your failures have deadly consequences for my constituents.”
Recent reporting has raised concern about social media companies allowing interactions that fuel youth violence and weapon and drug trafficking across the Southwest and New Mexico communities.
Read the full letter HERE.
This letter builds on Rep. Vasquez’s work to hold social media companies accountable, combat cartels and prevent youth violence across New Mexico:
Sending a letter to social media CEOs demanding that they take action to curb illegal gun sales and cyber bullying on their platforms. This letter was sent after local law enforcement officers flagged illegal gun sales and bullying on these platforms as a driver of youth violence in New Mexico communities.
Cosponsoring the bipartisan Combating Cartels on Social Media Act to require DHS to develop and implement a national strategy to combat illicit recruitment of American citizens through social media.
Introducing the No More Narcos Act to create a coordinated educational campaign led by the Department of Justice to teach middle and high school students within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border about the dangers of working with cartels.
Cosponsoring Sammy’s Law, a bipartisan bill to give parents more tools and protect kids on social media platforms.
###
Issues:Keeping Our Communities Safe
Rep. Vasquez Demands Answers From Forest Service on Trail Maintenance and Wildfire Preparedness
Position: Rep. Vasquez and 12 colleagues called on the U.S. Forest Service to explain its trail maintenance efforts and wildfire preparedness, citing staffing and budget cuts. The release also expresses support for the Fix Our Forests Act and opposes the Administration's plans to close Forest Service research stations and reduce the agency's workforce.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), joined by 12 colleagues, sent a letter to U.S. Forest Service (USFS) leadership demanding answers on the agency’s efforts to maintain trails on public lands, which would ensure access to recreation and protect local communities from heightened fire risk. The letter follows up on an earlier letter raising concerns that USFS actions dramatically reduced the agency’s ability to adequately maintain public trails. That request followed a concerning report detailing a “trail maintenance crisis” with “impassable trails” and “unsafe bridges” due to staffing and budget cuts implemented by the Administration, leading to heightened wildfire risk.
“In April, I demanded answers from the Forest Service after concerning reports of our trails falling into disarray,” said Vasquez. “This is an urgent issue – my constituents know that overgrown brush increases wildfire risk, and the more there is this season, the more dangerous it becomes next season. This is a completely unnecessary risk – we have the tools to protect our communities, and I am calling on the Forest Service to use them.”
Read the full letter HERE.
Vasquez has fought to promote outdoor recreation, protect New Mexico’s public lands and reduce wildfire risks for rural communities throughout his time in Congress, including:
Supporting the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act: Vasquez cosponsored and voted to pass legislation to improve forest management, reduce hazardous vegetation that fuels catastrophic wildfires, strengthen wildfire prevention and protect communities from devastating fires.
Holding USDA Accountable for Forest Service Staffing Cuts: Vasquez pressed USDA Secretary Rollins on how cuts to USFS personnel threaten wildfire preparedness, trail maintenance and public safety, emphasizing the critical role Forest Service crews play in maintaining trails, supporting firefighters and protecting rural communities.
Opposing the Administration’s USFS Restructuring: Vasquez pushed back against the Administration’s plans to close 57 Forest Service research stations and slash the agency’s workforce, warning that these cuts would undermine wildfire prevention, weaken forest management and threaten outdoor recreation opportunities across New Mexico.
The letter asks USFS to respond by October 30 and to provide updated information on the following:
Seasonal hiring: How many of the “up to 2,000” promised non-fire seasonal employees were hired and onboarded before the field season, where they were assigned, how many were primarily focused on trail work, and how many miles of trail they maintained.
Staff vacancies: How many trail maintenance positions are currently vacant, how the agency addressed the “critical field level vacancies” it identified, and which forests and ranger districts are most affected, following a 2025 internal report indicating some forest units had lost their entire trails staff.
Funding: Whether the agency can determine what it spends on staff and expenses for its trail program, and how that level has changed over the last two decades in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Volunteers and partners: How many people participated in the adopt-a-trail program this season, how many miles they maintained, how administrative burdens were reduced for partners, and how the agency is ensuring volunteers are trained and operating safely.
The backlog: How many miles of trail are in the maintenance backlog, and what federal funding would be needed to address it.
The proposed cut: Why the Forest Service’s budget justification proposes cutting the Capital Improvement and Maintenance, Trails line from $22 million in the FY26 enacted level to $8 million in the White House’s FY27 budget, a reduction of roughly two-thirds.
The ten-year goal: Whether the agency is on track to meet the objectives of its Ten-Year Trail Stewardship Challenge by 2030, and what barriers stand in the way.
###
BREAKING: Vasquez Releases New Report Illustrating How Trump Administration Has Cost New Mexico Families Over $3,400
Position: The release argues that prices and energy costs have risen under the Trump Administration, costing New Mexico families an average of $3,400, and promotes the Congressman's Affordability Agenda, including tax credits, prescription drug cost caps, housing protections, food assistance restoration, and energy bill relief.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 16, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) released a new report detailing how much prices have spiked under the Trump Administration, costing New Mexicans $3,400 on average.
"This report confirms what New Mexicans already know: this Administration is squeezing them for everything they’ve got,” said Vasquez. "New Mexicans can’t afford the consequences of Trump’s economy – while the rich get richer, New Mexicans struggle more and more, and it’s only getting worse. My Affordability Agenda would help get us out of this mess and focus the work of Congress on supporting our working families – not billionaires.”
Read the full report HERE.
In addition to this report, Rep. Vasquez released a report in April detailing how much energy prices have spiked since the Administration took control in January 2025:
Annual energy bills went up by an average of $70 per New Mexico family in 2025 compared to 2024.
New Mexico has consistently ranked among the top states nationally for highest gas price jumps since the war started.
Since introducing his Affordability Agenda to lower the high cost of living in New Mexico, the Congressman has:
Introduced the Tax Relief from Tariffs and High Costs Act to offer a fully refundable 10% tax credit to households making under $100,000 to offset rising prices — under this bill, a New Mexican making $70,000 could expect around $700 back in their pocket to offset higher prices caused by tariffs.
Cosponsored the Capping Prescription Costs Act, which caps annual prescription drug costs at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families with private health insurance plans.
Cosponsored two bills — the Bipartisan Families First Housing Act and the Stop Wall Street Landlords Act — to address New Mexico’s housing affordability crisis by cracking down on greedy, corporate landlords to ensure hardworking New Mexicans have a fair shot at homeownership.
Has introduced legislation to roll back harmful cuts to food assistance enacted under the Republican tax law, fighting to feed our veterans, seniors, children, and hardworking families.
Introduced the Energy Bills Relief Act to bring down utility bills for hardworking New Mexicans by cutting red tape, speeding up permitting processes to get more energy projects online, expanding the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and more.
Supported the Tipped Income Protection and Support (TIPS) Act to permanently end tax on tips for those making under $112,500.
Introduced the Boost the Middle Class Act to increase eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit, allowing more working New Mexican families to receive higher tax refunds each year.
Pushed for the passage of his Keep Mobile Homes Affordable Act, which would crack down on rent price gouging and utilities neglect by predatory investors who have purchased 2,500 or more manufactured housing units since 2015.
###
Issues:Lower Costs, More Jobs
Rep. Gabe Vasquez Statement on EPA Promoting Methane Emissions
Position: Opposes the EPA's rollback of federal methane emission rules for oil and gas operations, arguing that strengthened protections should be maintained to protect workers and communities while supporting energy production.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 8, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the rollback of key regulations restricting harmful methane gas emissions:
"Energy production drives our state's economy and provides good-paying jobs, and we can continue to do it while strengthening, not weakening, protections for clean air for the workers and families who work in and near the industry,” said Vasquez. “Excess methane emissions are known to cause respiratory disease and other ailments, and many producers in the Permian Basin have implemented new technology to prevent leaks and capture more methane, and that work must continue. This harmful rollback is the wrong choice for the health of our workers, communities, and companies that have responsibly worked toward reducing excess emissions."
The 2023 methane rule established stronger nationwide standards to reduce methane pollution from oil and gas operations, including requirements for companies to regularly monitor equipment for leaks, quickly repair breaks, limit routine flaring, and reduce emissions from wells, storage tanks, compressors, and other equipment. The rule also required states to develop plans to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas facilities. The Administration’s rollback would weaken these protections, reducing requirements on oil and gas producers to detect and address methane pollution and potentially allowing more wasted natural gas and harmful emissions into New Mexico communities.
###
Issues:Environment & Conservation
Rep. Vasquez Leads Effort with State and Local Officials to Push for Federal Coordination in Response to Recent Flooding
Position: Rep. Vasquez urges federal agencies to visit flood-affected communities in southern New Mexico, cut red tape, and coordinate with state and local leaders on short-term recovery and long-term mitigation.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 8, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) led a delegation of federal, state, and local leaders in a letter to federal agencies urging them to tour the damage and provide all available resources to those affected by the recent flooding across southern New Mexico.
The letter asks the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to visit affected communities, work with local leaders, and provide assistance to homes, communities, farms and businesses impacted by the flooding.
“It is imperative that your agencies act now to cut red tape, reduce bureaucratic barriers, increase communication and responsiveness, and act as a partner in this recovery,” wrote Vasquez. “Due to the nature of this area, the complex patchwork of federal land, critical agricultural areas, and proximity to the border, this response will require your agencies to work hand-in-hand with state, county, and local leaders on both short-term recovery and long-term mitigation efforts.”
The letter is joined by State Senator Jeff Steinborn, State Representative Nathan P. Small, Hatch Mayor Dennis Torres, and Caballo Soil and Water Conservation District Chairman Harvey Morrow.
On October 4th, Rep. Vasquez hosted a meeting in Doña Ana County with local elected officials and visited families and farms impacted by the recent flooding. He visited Hatch, the McLeod/Garfield Dam, and surrounding areas to assess the impact of the flooding and what the community needed for recovery firsthand. During this visit, Rep. Vasquez also discussed Hatch’s immediate recovery needs, available state and federal resources, and opportunities for continued coordination to support the community’s recovery and infrastructure needs.
Read the full letter HERE.
###
Issues:Keeping Our Communities Safe
Rep. Vasquez Urges Administration to Halt Rule Change Expanding Vehicle Access and Increasing Risks on Public Lands
Position: Representative Vasquez opposes a proposed USDA rule that would expand motorized vehicle access to public lands and trails, and urges retention of the 2005 Travel Management Rule with its core protections.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 6, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary Michael Boren and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Tom Schultz strongly opposing the Administration’s proposed rule expanding vehicle access to public lands and trails that are already facing maintenance backlogs. Vasquez was joined by 28 of his House and Senate colleagues in his call to keep the 2005 Travel Management Rule in place.
“New Mexicans deserve public lands that are safe and well-managed. Ending the long-established Travel Management Rule would put public safety at risk and open the door to damage that will take generations to undo,” said Vasquez. “Hikers, hunters, and ranchers alike shouldn’t have to worry about more folks driving through the spaces they use for recreation and grazing. Instead of opening more of our public lands to vehicle access in places where access already exists, the Forest Service should focus on maintaining existing trails and roads. This broad reversal is unnecessary."
The USFS and the Bureau of Land Management have separate but similar rules requiring our public land agencies to provide clear, consistent guidance for how public lands are used, including where motorized vehicles, including cars and ATVs, can travel. For those who enjoy our public lands, whether on foot or on wheels, these rules help keep trails open, accessible, and responsibly managed. They also require public input before designating routes, produce Motor Vehicle Use Maps that show visitors where they can go, give rangers clear standards to enforce, and allow exceptions for emergency, military, and law enforcement vehicles.
Changing the 2005 rule, as proposed by USDA, could endanger public safety, reduce quality access to our public lands, and degrade the quality of trails, lands and waters that support our nation’s wildlife and outdoor recreation economy.
The letter demands that any revisions to the 2005 Travel Management Rule preserve the following core principles:
Maintain the current default of keeping routes and areas closed to motorized use unless expressly designated as open.
Carry forward criteria that guide local land management decisions and protect critical public land values, including soil, watersheds, vegetation, and wildlife habitat, as well as reduce conflicts between public land uses such as camping, hiking, hunting, and grazing.
Travel management decisions should continue to be informed by robust public engagement and local input.
The agencies must retain the ability to protect fish and wildlife habitat, riparian areas, water quality, and cultural resources.
The agencies should continue to clearly identify where motorized travel is permitted.
The agencies should consider the long-term cost of properly maintaining, staffing, and administering their transportation system before adding new routes or expanding access.
“This is yet another egregious attack in the systematic dismantling of public lands management of our national forests,” said Paul Sanford, director for equitable access policy advocacy at The Wilderness Society. “Travel management provides the basic guardrails that let hikers, hunters, anglers, and riders share the same forest without chaos; removing those guardrails threatens the freedom of all public lands users to safely enjoy our national forests the way they choose. Paired with the proposed repeal of the Roadless Rule, this destructive agenda sells out future generations’ enjoyment of our forests in order to hand them over for corporate profits.”
“We’re grateful to see Congressional Leaders pushing back on federal agency proposals to gut travel management regulations and prioritize off-road vehicles at the expense of wildlife, cultural sites, desert waterways and other recreationists, proposals that will make visiting Utah’s canyon country worse for everyone,” said Laura Peterson, Senior Attorney at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). “The Trump Administration’s vision for public lands is not about balance or reasonable access, it is about blanketing landscapes with off-road vehicle routes, transforming quiet, wild places into motorized playgrounds.”
"We stand with Rep. Vasquez and his urgent request to keep the Travel Management Rule intact,” said Taylor Rush, government relations representative at Defenders of Wildlife. "For more than two decades, this rule has protected our cherished wildlife, outdoor recreationists, clean water supply and local communities from the harmful impacts of unmanaged motorized vehicle use. Weakening the framework used to reduce habitat damage and social conflict would result in dangerous degradation of our wild places and wildlife."
###
Issues:Environment & Conservation
Rep. Gabe Vasquez Sends Letter to FAA Demanding Reversal of Decommissioning of Critical Air Safety Technology
Position: Rep. Vasquez, joined by Reps. Stansbury and Leger Fernández, urges the FAA not to decommission the Instrument Landing System at Double Eagle Airport II in Albuquerque and requests a briefing on airspace safety before any decision is made.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) partnered with Rep. Stansbury and Rep. Leger Fernández to urge the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to not decommission critical air safety technology used by the Double Eagle Airport II (DEII) in Albuquerque. The FAA recently initiated a study to decommission the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the Double Eagle Airport without providing answers regarding the recent airspace closure and plane crash incidents in and around New Mexico airspace. Pilots in New Mexico use both ILS and GPS to land due to the unique challenges posed by flying commercial aircraft near military bases.
“We respectfully urge the FAA to maintain use of this critical technology given the unique demands of New Mexico that require aviation redundancy to maintain public safety and to provide our office with a briefing on airspace safety,” wrote the members. “In light of this change, the recent crash outside Ruidoso and other recent aviation incidents involving navigation technology issues, more information is needed before moving forward.”
The FAA recently began a study to determine whether ILS technology should be decommissioned at the DEII, which conducts tens of thousands of flights annually. ILS is a ground based guidance system for aircrafts typically used when pilots are unable to find the runway. It complements modern GPS-enabled navigation that only provides lateral guidance to the runway. While GPS-enabled navigation works in most conditions, New Mexico has its own set of unique airspace challenges due to nearby military bases that force a need for both ILS and GPS.
“The FAA has still not provided sufficient answers regarding the recent airspace closure in El Paso and plane crash in Ruidoso – and has still not shown that it is improving coordination with other agencies or ensuring that my constituents’ are safe,” said Vasquez. “In light of their recent failures, the public must have a lot more information before the FAA orders decommissioning any navigation safety tools or resources for our pilots.”
“DEII plays a critical role in our region’s aviation system as a reliever airport for the Sunport and an important facility for flight training and public safety operations. Maintaining ILS capability is essential to ensuring the airport can continue to serve these functions safely and effectively, particularly when reliable navigation is needed most,” said Manny Manriquez, Director of Aviation, City of Albuquerque.
Read the full letter HERE.
Rep. Vasquez continues to lead Congressional oversight efforts following multiple aviation incidents affecting southern New Mexico, including:
Demanding answers from the Department of Defense and Department of Transportation on their coordination with each other to keep our skies safe.
Securing an NTSB briefing on July 14 after demanding greater transparency and answers about the deadly Ruidoso plane crash.
Pressing the FAA and Department of Defense for accountability following the February closure of El Paso airspace.
Successfully secured passage of an amendment to the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Department of Defense to improve coordination with the FAA before testing military technologies that could impact civilian aviation.
###
Issues:Keeping Our Communities Safe
Source: GDELT 2.0 GKG, filtered to a curated list of national outlets. Inclusion is not endorsement; opinion pieces and reported news are mixed.
Recent stock activity
Periodic transaction reports filed under the STOCK Act — disclosed by the rep, sourced from public filings.
No disclosed trades on record.
Source: open-data mirrors of the Senate eFD and House Clerk financial-disclosure systems. Disclosure within 30 days of trade is required by law (45 for spouse/dependent trades).
Top PAC donors · 2026 cycle
Political action committees that gave the most to this rep's principal campaign committee this cycle. PAC giving is direct organizational support — industry, ideological, or leadership.
1.AMERICAN PISTACHIO GROWERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE2 contributions$10,000
2.ENGINEERS POLITICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE2 contributions$10,000
3.LOBO PAC2 contributions$10,000
4.NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE2 contributions$10,000
5.AMERIPAC: THE FUND FOR A GREATER AMERICAIdeological2 contributionsIdeological PAC with a nationalist or patriotic framing — specific policy positions not clearly signaled by the name.AI · low$10,000
6.NATIONAL PECAN FEDERATION INC. PAC (PECAN PAC)2 contributions$10,000
7.FAIR SHOT PACIdeological2 contributionsProgressive-aligned PAC — backs candidates and causes focused on economic opportunity and reducing inequality.AI$10,000
8.PAC TO THE FUTURELeadership2 contributionsMember-of-Congress leadership PAC — specific affiliations and policy positions not inferable from the name.AI · low$10,000
9.THE NEXT 50 PAC2 contributions$10,000
10.IBEW PAC VOLUNTARY FUNDLabor2 contributionsTrade-union PAC for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers — backs candidates supporting union organizing, prevailing wages, and infrastructure investment.AI$10,000
Source: OpenFEC (api.open.fec.gov) Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “committee.” Aggregated by contributing committee. Self-transfers from joint-fundraising / victory committees are excluded.
Top individual contributors · 2026 cycle
Itemized individual contributions over $200 to this rep's campaign committee, aggregated by donor employer. PAC giving is shown above; this section is people, not organizations.
1.SINGLETON SCHREIBER LLP$22,250
2.MCGINN MONTOYA LOVE CURRY & SIEVERS PA$11,750
3.SINGLETON SCHREIBER$10,950
4.ANDURIL INDUSTRIES$10,500
5.UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO$8,715
6.NMSU$7,500
7.FIVE & DIME GENERAL STORES$7,200
8.ENGLISH, MUNGER & RICE$7,000
9.MEDLEY PARTNERS LLC$7,000
10.MADISON DEARBORN PARTNERS$7,000
Source: OpenFEC Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “individual,” aggregated by the donor's self-reported employer. This is a geographic / industry correlation, not a corporate endorsement.
