Congress has just passed one of the most significant pro-family reforms in decades. The legislation delivers practical help to parents, women, and children—yet every single member of New Mexico’s congressional delegation voted against it.
Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, along with Representatives Melanie Stansbury, Teresa Leger Fernandez, and Gabe Vasquez, all stood in opposition to policies that will directly benefit the very families they claim to represent.
What did they vote against? Let’s take a look.
They voted against expanded tax credits for businesses that provide childcare. These reforms raise the maximum credit from $150,000 to $500,000—$600,000 for small businesses—making childcare benefits more accessible for working parents. With childcare costs crushing families across New Mexico, why would our representatives vote against relief for parents?
They voted against the creation of new child savings accounts—$1,000 investments for every baby born between 2024 and 2028. Families will be able to grow these accounts with up to $5,000 per year, and when a child turns 18, those funds can be used for education, marriage, or a first home. Imagine what that could mean for New Mexico’s children, who already face some of the toughest economic challenges in the country. Our delegation said no.
They voted against permanently increasing the child tax credit to $2,200 per child, keeping more money in the hands of parents. Families are struggling to make ends meet as inflation drives up the cost of living. This provision provides real, direct help. But our delegation said no.
They voted against directing federal funding to women’s health resource centers that provide broader, life-affirming care for mothers and children. These centers offer real services—prenatal care, parenting support, and essential healthcare—that women in New Mexico need and deserve. By voting no, our delegation disregarded resources that will expand access to genuine care for women and families across our state.
They voted against making adoption more affordable. Beginning next year, up to $5,000 of the federal adoption tax credit will be refundable, helping families overcome one of the biggest financial barriers to welcoming children into loving homes. In a state with many vulnerable children and babies, how could anyone oppose this?
And they voted against permanent tax credits for businesses that provide paid family and medical leave. This provision makes it easier for both small and large employers to offer benefits that allow moms and dads to be present during some of life’s most important moments—welcoming a newborn, finalizing an adoption, or caring for a sick family member. Paid family leave is a policy Democrats in New Mexico have championed for years at the state level, often calling it essential for family stability and workplace fairness. Yet when it came time to support a federal measure that would make paid leave more accessible and affordable for New Mexico families, our entire delegation voted no. Their rejection exposes a troubling hypocrisy: they promote paid leave in their rhetoric, but opposed the very reforms that would have delivered it in practice.
Every one of these provisions puts families, women, and children first. They ease financial burdens, affirm the value of children, and empower parents. This is what real family policy looks like. Yet every Democrat representing New Mexico chose ideology over families—while Republicans were the ones who made it a reality.
We need to call this what it is: a betrayal. When our leaders vote against policies that directly help mothers, fathers, and children in their own state, they are voting against New Mexico families. And that is unacceptable.
New Mexico families deserve better.
Jodi Hendricks is the Executive Director of the New Mexico Family Action Movement
