president visit new mexico

Live blog: President Biden visits ABQ for one last midterm push

[anvplayer video=”5146109″ station=”998122″]

President Joe Biden visited Albuquerque Thursday, making one last midterm push before Election Day. For a few hours, his visit put a national spotlight on New Mexico’s local elections, the heated battle brewing at the polls, and the saga involving his student loan debt plan. Click on the video above for a breakdown of his visit.

Update: 6 p.m.

President Biden is already on the way to San Diego, where he has another political event planned.

Update: 4:10 p.m.

President Biden is speaking now at the Gallegos Community Center on Albuquerque’s West Side.

Update: 2:18 p.m.

The president exits the stage and meets with crowd members. He will travel in the motorcade to a rally organized by New Mexico Democrats.

Update: 1:55 p.m.

President Biden takes to the stage at CNM , speaking on higher education and his student loan forgiveness program.

Buzzy vibe in and outside of the Biden event. We’ll see how chipper everyone is after standing in a gym/outside for a couple hours. #nmpol #nmgov pic.twitter.com/8RpLirDiKx — Matt Grubs (@MattGrubs) November 3, 2022

Update: 1:30 p.m.

Local elected officials took to the stage, speaking on higher education at CNM. Officials include U.S. Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez and Melanie Stansbury, Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, and CNM President Tracy Hartzler.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also spoke. The governor and the president will also appear together at a rally organized by the Democratic Party.

Update: 12:45-1:02 p.m.

The presidential motorcade travels from Kirtland AFB to CNM.

@POTUS has arrived at CNM. Full coverage on his visit tonight on @KOB4 pic.twitter.com/Bt6TqcEANc — Tamara Lopez (@tamcam_tv) November 3, 2022

Update: 12:41 p.m.

President Biden steps off Air Force One and greets local politicians and military members, with Secretary Haaland accompanying him.

Update: 12:23 p.m.

Air Force One arrives at Kirtland Air Force Base.

Statement from Steve Pearce, chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, on Biden’s visit:

“President Biden’s visit is obvious political theater. It’s a desperate attempt by Democrats to get a big name in at the last minute to salvage their losing election effort. Democrats know they’re in trouble, and Biden’s visit is a way to try to change the national and local narrative away from the real issues that matter to New Mexicans and others: inflation, crime, education, border security and the economy. Biden’s visit is a simple act of desperation by the Democrats.”

Republican candidate for governor, Mark Ronchetti, told KOB 4:

“There are real issues that people are concerned about, and unfortunately, I don’t think this president’s in touch with that, and I think this governor brought the president in for political purposes, but unfortunately, it was a missed opportunity.”

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Biden to visit New Mexico in wake of historic wildfire season

NEW MEXICO – President Joe Biden will be traveling to New Mexico this week in the wake of multiple record-breaking wildfires scorching hundreds of thousands of acres of the state’s forest land this year.

Biden will meet with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, first responders and emergency personnel on Saturday at the New Mexico State Emergency Operation Center in Santa Fe.

Biden is making the visit following the Summit of the Americas held in Los Angeles from Wednesday to Friday .

New Mexico is battling two of the largest wildfires in its history – the Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire in the Santa Fe National Forest and the Black Fire in the Gila National Forest. They are burning over 605,000 acres collectively and are the largest and third-largest wildfires in the recorded history of the state.

The Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire started out as two separate fires and merged in mid-May. The Hermits Peak Fire started as the Las Dispensas prescribed burn in the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District. Strong winds caused the fire to jump containment lines and then grew exponentially.   The Calf Canyon Fire was traced back to a pile burn holdover from January. The collective fire is still showing moderate fire behavior, though containment has increased to 65%.

Lujan Grisham has been critical of the federal government , calling on the Biden administration to take responsibility for initiating a natural disaster that has destroyed at least 330 homes and left a financial toll in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Biden administration announced in January a $50 billion plan to stave off catastrophic wildfires that would more than double the use of planned fires and logging to reduce trees and other vegetation that serve as tinder in the most at-risk areas. Prescribed burns often are used in wildland areas that are too vast to thin by hand or machine.

The Black Fire started in mid-May due to human causes, though the specifics are still under investigation. When this wildfire started, the northern New Mexico fire was already reaching historic acreage. However, the Black Fire, in a mostly uninhabited part of the Gila National Forest, grew at an even faster rate than the Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire.

By the time Biden visits, the Black Fire will likely be the second largest in state's history. Though its growth has slowed, it's possible the Black Fire will have burned more acreage than its northern New Mexico counterpart. As of Monday, 49% of the Black Fire's perimeter was contained.

Growth has slowed some, but it is still possible this fire will outgrow its northern New Mexico counterpart. Between the two, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced due to fire danger and smoke. Numerous homes have also been lost in the northern portion of the state – homes that have never been threatened by seasonal wildfires before.

Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, [email protected]  or  @rromero_leah  on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Joe Biden will travel to New Mexico amid historic wildfire season

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President Biden faces criticism from oil and gas, environmentalist after New Mexico visit

P resident Joe Biden addressed New Mexico Wednesday from a wind turbine plant in Valencia County, touting his economic policies known as “Bidenomics” and support of renewable energy as a job creator and economic boon for the state and nation.

New Mexico’s economy is presently led by fossil fuels, making up about half of State General Fund revenue, according to the latest state finance projections.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham during the event said the Biden administration was aligned with New Mexico’s in shifting to a “clean energy economy,” through support of the state’s growing renewable energy industries as an alternative to oil and gas.

“You need a federal government that has the same vision as ours,” she said in her speech. “That New Mexico families will and can deliver the kind of economy and more importantly than that, the kind of clean energy economy this country needs and deserves.”

Biden's visit was the second in a three-state tour where he also created a national monument in Arizona, and in Utah promoted legislation to increase veteran health care.

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Critics of the president asserted he made little mention of the oil and gas industry during his speech from the Acrosa Wind Towers Facility in Belen, or its environmental impact and climate change, opting instead to promote what he said was the growing renewable energy industry and its financial benefits.

That drew concerns from oil and gas supporters who argued the federal government should work to support the industry, while environmentalists argued more action should be taken to phase out fossil fuels.

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Biden did discuss a transition from fossil fuels during his speech, an effort bolstered, the president said, by developing new technologies in the renewable sector making the U.S. “poised to be the leader in the wind industry.”

“So we passed significant climate legislation that not only moves away from fossil fuels to cleaner technologies like wind, but it means we’re going make things and new technology here in America,” the president said during his speech.

In a statement from the Republican Party of New Mexico following the speech, spokesperson Ash Soular said the president was “out-of-touch” with New Mexico for a lack of oil and gas mentions, among other issues.

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Soular said Biden’s policies resulted in higher fuel and other costs for New Mexico and consumers nationwide.

“He didn't address our oil and gas workers, who produce the largest source of revenue in our state and whose jobs are threatened by his administration,” Soular said. “Instead, the President came to brag about his 'Bidenomics' which has only resulted in higher prices at the pump, escalating food costs and less money in the pockets of hard-working New Mexicans.”

Biden policy received mixed reaction from New Mexico environmentalists

Biden made energy policy a key issue during his 2020 campaign for President, vowing to end the use of hydraulic fracturing during debates.

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And in January 2021, upon taking office, Biden’s administration placed a moratorium on new federal oil and gas leases while the Interior Department retooled its fossil fuel program, resulting in higher royalty and lease rates oil companies pay to operate on public land.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a signature piece of legislation Biden signed into law last year that did increase restrictions on air pollution emission from oil and gas facilities, but also required lands be used drilling in exchange for new renewable energy leases.

Alejandra Lyons of New Mexico environmental group No False Solutions, criticized the Biden administration for approving oil and gas leases and permits, after the moratorium was lifted in 2022, largely in the Permian Basin of southeast New Mexico.

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That shale region, which New Mexico shares with West Texas, is one of the U.S.’ busiest, forecast to produce more than 5.7 million barrels per day in August, according to the Energy Information Administration.

“President Biden has approved more oil and gas drilling permits than President (Donald) Trump, and more than half of those have been in New Mexico’s Permian Basin,” Lyons said. “The fracking explosion in southeastern New Mexico is leading to a surge in oil and gas pollution that is devastating our climate and putting frontline communities at risk.”

Environmental groups were also critical of the administration for promoting hydrogen production as a “clean” energy source.

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The Department of Energy offered funds to states looking to develop “hydrogen hubs” where such production would center, and New Mexico with support from Lujan Grisahm along with a group of western states applied for the program as the Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub

There are several ways to produce hydrogen for energy, involving either the use extracted natural gas or renewable energy, and critics of the idea worried most would still use fossil fuels despite being promoted as a less-pollutive alternative.

Ennedith Lopez with New Mexico-based Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA) said renewable energy like wind and solar power should be targeted as “real solutions” to generate energy without worsening pollution.

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“Investing in hydrogen at this late hour of the climate emergency is a catastrophically bad idea,” Lopez said. “Hydrogen distracts from real solutions, like wind and solar, which are proven technologies, do not release greenhouse gas emissions or pollute communities, are cheaper to make, and create jobs without sacrificing our communities.”

Other environmental groups gave a sunnier take on Biden’s policies in the wake of his visit to New Mexico, arguing the IRA did provide some regulatory progress toward a “transition” to cleaner forms of energy.

The bill did provide funds for renewable energy projects, like the Acrosa plant which planned to invest up to $60 million in federal dollars, along with money earmarked to plug abandoned oil wells throughout the state and for a statewide electric vehicle charging system along New Mexico’s interstates.

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“The Inflation Reduction Act is helping New Mexicans mitigate and adapt to climate change in significant and practical ways - from flood-proofing and storm resistance, to rebates and tax credits for energy efficiency and clean energy projects,” said Mark Allison, executive director at the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance.

But Daniel Turner with oil and gas trade group Power the Future said the IRA and other Biden-led policies caused gasoline prices to rise by 30 percent in recent months, calling on Congress to take action to support the industry.

“It is time for the Congress to step in and proactively pass legislation which reins in the Biden Administration’s war on American energy and empowers our workers to do what they do best and produce energy for the nation,” Turner said Wednesday.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, [email protected] or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: President Biden faces criticism from oil and gas, environmentalist after New Mexico visit

A brief history of times when U.S. presidents visited New Mexico

Barack Obama took his family on a tour of Carlsbad Caverns in the last visit by a U.S. president to New Mexico in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Parks System.

That was three years ago. He also visited oil country, held a town hall meeting in Albuquerque and paid a visit to a neighborhood in the South Valley during his presidency.

Presidential visits aren't that rare in New Mexico . George W. Bush visited the Land of Enchantment several times, including visiting the state at least four times in 2004 when New Mexico was a battleground in his re-election bid. Ronald Reagan made a few stops in the state, including campaign swings for Republican candidates.

MORE: In Rio Rancho, President Trump will bid to make New Mexico red again

John F. Kennedy, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were among the presidents who promoted scientific research during their visits to New Mexico.

Here are highlights of some of the visits.

Barack Obama

Andy and Etta Cavalier hosted Barack Obama and about two dozen neighbors at their South Valley residence during the president's visit to Albuquerque on Sept. 28, 2010.

It was one of a series of "backyard chats" the White House scheduled throughout the summer and into the fall in the midst of a critical midterm election year.

Obama spoke about the importance of education in ensuring America's industrial and economic future, then took questions from the group on issues ranging from immigration reform and veterans issues to why he is a Christian.

One woman even offered chiles to the president.

But Obama got a quick reminder from his audience of about 40 in Albuquerque that education was not at the top of the agenda for some recession-weary voters.

"If we don't have homes to go to, what good is education?" one man asked.

In March 2012, Obama stopped in Maljimar, a small community in the southeast corner of the state, where he spoke about access to public lands for the extraction of natural resources.

George W. Bush

President George W. Bush hopscotched across New Mexico on Aug. 26, 2004, echoing economic and national security themes of his reelection campaign and recycling a Western wisecrack or two.

MORE: From JFK to Obama and Trump, here are some memorable presidential visits to New Mexico

At campaign stops in a basketball arena in Las Cruces, a baseball field in Farmington and the Convention Center in Albuquerque, the president told tens of thousands of supporters he was happy to be in the West — "where the boots outnumber the suits" and "the cowboy hats outnumber the ties."

It was his fourth visit to New Mexico that year in a determined contest with Democrat John Kerry for the state's five electoral votes. (Bush won the state.)

In Albuquerque, he recalled memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks to draw attention to his leadership as a war president.

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton visited New Mexico on Feb. 2, 1998, to trumpet the 21st Century Fund, which totaled $170 billion for civilian research over the next five years.

The president toured Los Alamos National Laboratory and saw a demonstration of a supercomputer involved in imagery testing done in place of actually detonating test nuclear weapons. The president announced that $4.5 billion had been earmarked in the budget for the technology, which officials said enabled the U.S. to lead the world in supporting the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

It was the president's second visit to Los Alamos in five years. Clinton also addressed Albuquerque residents, restating a theme he highlighted in his State of the Union address on the importance of investment in science and technology.

George H.W. Bush

President George H.W. Bush visited Sandia National Laboratories several times during his presidency. That included a stop at the labs during his bid for reelection on Sept. 15, 1992. During his visit, he announced major additional funding for nuclear non-proliferation programs. He toured the robotics laboratory at Sandia and attended a Victory '92 supporters meeting at Cutter Aviation.

Ronald Reagan

President Ronald Reagan made a campaign stop at the airport in Roswell for then-U.S. Sen. Harrison Schmitt on Oct. 29, 1982.

"He's in trouble but may pull it out," the president wrote in his diary. "It was an airport rally — big crowd and lots of military. What a thrill it is to see them and the esprit de corps they have."

The former Apollo astronaut, however, was unable to win one for the Gipper. Schmitt was defeated by Democrat Jeff Bingaman in the general election a few days later.

John F. Kennedy

President John F. Kennedy visited Santa Fe and Los Alamos on Dec. 7, 1962. He highlighted the scientific research in the state as Clinton would do 36 years later.

"We have come down to Santa Fe and then to go to Los Alamos to see some of the things which the people of this state, the scientists, the engineers and the workers, are making to keep this country strong and in outer space," the president said in his remarks. Kennedy also talked about his friendship with then-New Mexico Sen. Clinton Anderson. He also visited Sandia National Laboratories that same year.

Theodore Roosevelt

In October 1916, President Theodore Roosevelt stopped in Albuquerque to campaign for his for fellow Republican Charles Hughes. The president traveled via train, where he was met by thousands of members of the public.

Jessica Onsurez, news director of the Carlsbad Current-Argus, contributed to this story.

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FACT SHEET: President   Biden Takes Action to Protect American Workers and Businesses from China’s Unfair Trade   Practices

President Biden’s economic plan is supporting investments and creating good jobs in key sectors that are vital for America’s economic future and national security. China’s unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports. In response to China’s unfair trade practices and to counteract the resulting harms, today, President Biden is directing his Trade Representative to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on $18 billion of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses.   The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has already catalyzed more than $860 billion in business investments through smart, public incentives in industries of the future like electric vehicles (EVs), clean energy, and semiconductors. With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, these investments are creating new American jobs in manufacturing and clean energy and helping communities that have been left behind make a comeback.   As President Biden says, American workers and businesses can outcompete anyone—as long as they have fair competition. But for too long, China’s government has used unfair, non-market practices. China’s forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft have contributed to its control of 70, 80, and even 90 percent of global production for the critical inputs necessary for our technologies, infrastructure, energy, and health care—creating unacceptable risks to America’s supply chains and economic security. Furthermore, these same non-market policies and practices contribute to China’s growing overcapacity and export surges that threaten to significantly harm American workers, businesses, and communities.   Today’s actions to counter China’s unfair trade practices are carefully targeted at strategic sectors—the same sectors where the United States is making historic investments under President Biden to create and sustain good-paying jobs—unlike recent proposals by Congressional Republicans that would threaten jobs and raise costs across the board. The previous administration’s trade deal with China  failed  to increase American exports or boost American manufacturing as it had promised. Under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs have been created and new factory construction has doubled after both fell under the previous administration, and the trade deficit with China is the lowest in a decade—lower than any year under the last administration.   We will continue to work with our partners around the world to strengthen cooperation to address shared concerns about China’s unfair practices—rather than undermining our alliances or applying indiscriminate 10 percent tariffs that raise prices on all imports from all countries, regardless whether they are engaged in unfair trade. The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the benefits for our workers and businesses from strong alliances and a rules-based international trade system based on fair competition.   Following an in-depth review by the United States Trade Representative, President Biden is taking action to protect American workers and American companies from China’s unfair trade practices. To encourage China to eliminate its unfair trade practices regarding technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation, the President is directing increases in tariffs across strategic sectors such as steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes, and medical products.   Steel and Aluminum   The tariff rate on certain steel and aluminum products under Section 301 will increase from 0–7.5% to 25% in 2024.   Steel is a vital sector for the American economy, and American companies are leading the future of clean steel. Recently, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $6 billion for 33 clean manufacturing projects including for steel and aluminum, including the first new primary aluminum smelter in four decades, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments will make the United States one of the first nations in the world to convert clean hydrogen into clean steel, bolstering the U.S. steel industry’s competitiveness as the world’s cleanest major steel producer.   American workers continue to face unfair competition from China’s non-market overcapacity in steel and aluminum, which are among the world’s most carbon intensive. China’s policies and subsidies for their domestic steel and aluminum industries mean high-quality, low-emissions U.S. products are undercut by artificially low-priced Chinese alternatives produced with higher emissions. Today’s actions will shield the U.S. steel and aluminum industries from China’s unfair trade practices.   Semiconductors   The tariff rate on semiconductors will increase from 25% to 50% by 2025.   China’s policies in the legacy semiconductor sector have led to growing market share and rapid capacity expansion that risks driving out investment by market-driven firms. Over the next three to five years, China is expected to account for almost half of all new capacity coming online to manufacture certain legacy semiconductor wafers. During the pandemic, disruptions to the supply chain, including legacy chips, led to price spikes in a wide variety of products, including automobiles, consumer appliances, and medical devices, underscoring the risks of overreliance on a few markets.   Through the CHIPS and Science Act, President Biden is making a nearly $53 billion investment in American semiconductor manufacturing capacity, research, innovation, and workforce. This will help counteract decades of disinvestment and offshoring that has reduced the United States’ capacity to manufacture semiconductors domestically. The CHIPS and Science Act includes $39 billion in direct incentives to build, modernize, and expand semiconductor manufacturing fabrication facilities as well as a 25% investment tax credit for semiconductor companies. Raising the tariff rate on semiconductors is an important initial step to promote the sustainability of these investments.   Electric Vehicles (EVs)   The tariff rate on electric vehicles under Section 301 will increase from 25% to 100% in 2024.   With extensive subsidies and non-market practices leading to substantial risks of overcapacity, China’s exports of EVs grew by 70% from 2022 to 2023—jeopardizing productive investments elsewhere. A 100% tariff rate on EVs will protect American manufacturers from China’s unfair trade practices.   This action advances President Biden’s vision of ensuring the future of the auto industry will be made in America by American workers. As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Administration is incentivizing the development of a robust EV market through business tax credits for manufacturing of batteries and production of critical minerals, consumer tax credits for EV adoption, smart standards, federal investments in EV charging infrastructure, and grants to supply EV and battery manufacturing. The increase in the tariff rate on electric vehicles will protect these investments and jobs from unfairly priced Chinese imports.   Batteries, Battery Components and Parts, and Critical Minerals   The tariff rate on lithium-ion EV batteries will increase from 7.5%% to 25% in 2024, while the tariff rate on lithium-ion non-EV batteries will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2026. The tariff rate on battery parts will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2024.   The tariff rate on natural graphite and permanent magnets will increase from zero to 25% in 2026. The tariff rate for certain other critical minerals will increase from zero to 25% in 2024.   Despite rapid and recent progress in U.S. onshoring, China currently controls over 80 percent of certain segments of the EV battery supply chain, particularly upstream nodes such as critical minerals mining, processing, and refining. Concentration of critical minerals mining and refining capacity in China leaves our supply chains vulnerable and our national security and clean energy goals at risk. In order to improve U.S. and global resiliency in these supply chains, President Biden has invested across the U.S. battery supply chain to build a sufficient domestic industrial base. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Defense Production Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested nearly $20 billion in grants and loans to expand domestic production capacity of advanced batteries and battery materials. The Inflation Reduction Act also contains manufacturing tax credits to incentivize investment in battery and battery material production in the United States. The President has also established the American Battery Materials Initiative, which will mobilize an all-of-government approach to secure a dependable, robust supply chain for batteries and their inputs.   Solar Cells   The tariff rate on solar cells (whether or not assembled into modules) will increase from 25% to 50% in 2024.   The tariff increase will protect against China’s policy-driven overcapacity that depresses prices and inhibits the development of solar capacity outside of China. China has used unfair practices to dominate upwards of 80 to 90% of certain parts of the global solar supply chain, and is trying to maintain that status quo. Chinese policies and nonmarket practices are flooding global markets with artificially cheap solar modules and panels, undermining investment in solar manufacturing outside of China.   The Biden-Harris Administration has made historic investments in the U.S. solar supply chain, building on early U.S. government-enabled research and development that helped create solar cell technologies. The Inflation Reduction Act provides supply-side tax incentives for solar components, including polysilicon, wafers, cells, modules, and backsheet material, as well as tax credits and grant and loan programs supporting deployment of utility-scale and residential solar energy projects. As a result of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, solar manufacturers have already announced nearly $17 billion in planned investment under his Administration—an 8-fold increase in U.S. manufacturing capacity, enough to supply panels for millions of homes each year by 2030.   Ship-to-Shore Cranes   The tariff rate on ship-to-shore cranes will increase from 0% to 25% in 2024.   The Administration continues to deliver for the American people by rebuilding the United States’ industrial capacity to produce port cranes with trusted partners. A 25% tariff rate on ship-to-shore cranes will help protect U.S. manufacturers from China’s unfair trade practices that have led to excessive concentration in the market. Port cranes are essential pieces of infrastructure that enable the continuous movement and flow of critical goods to, from, and within the United States, and the Administration is taking action to mitigate risks that could disrupt American supply chains. This action also builds off of ongoing work to invest in U.S. port infrastructure through the President’s Investing in America Agenda. This port security initiative includes bringing port crane manufacturing capabilities back to the United States to support U.S. supply chain security and encourages ports across the country and around the world to use trusted vendors when sourcing cranes or other heavy equipment.   Medical Products   The tariff rates on syringes and needles will increase from 0% to 50% in 2024. For certain personal protective equipment (PPE), including certain respirators and face masks, the tariff rates will increase from 0–7.5% to 25% in 2024. Tariffs on rubber medical and surgical gloves will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2026.   These tariff rate increases will help support and sustain a strong domestic industrial base for medical supplies that were essential to the COVID-19 pandemic response, and continue to be used daily in every hospital across the country to deliver essential care. The federal government and the private sector have made substantial investments to build domestic manufacturing for these and other medical products to ensure American health care workers and patients have access to critical medical products when they need them. American businesses are now struggling to compete with underpriced Chinese-made supplies dumped on the market, sometimes of such poor quality that they may raise safety concerns for health care workers and patients.   Today’s announcement reflects President Biden’s commitment to always have the back of American workers. When faced with anticompetitive, unfair practices from abroad, the President will deploy any and all tools necessary to protect American workers and industry.  

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New Mexico governor seeks hydrogen investment with trip to Netherlands

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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The governor of New Mexico has announced plans to court new investments in hydrogen fuel development at a business summit in the Netherlands over the coming week.

In a news release Friday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she’ll lead a delegation to an industry summit exhibition in the port city of Rotterdam seeking the “opportunity to sell New Mexico as a dynamic and thriving place for hydrogen industry investment.” She led a similar mission last year to Australia to talk with hydrogen entrepreneurs .

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, has been a vocal proponent of investments in hydrogen as a transition fuel that can replace fossil fuels with cleaner-burning hydrogen as an energy source for vehicles, manufacturing and generating electricity.

Some environmentalists call hydrogen a false solution because it frequently relies on natural gas as a fuel source. Several New Mexico-based groups have resisted proposed state incentives for hydrogen development, citing concerns that it would prolong natural gas development and increase demand for scarce water supplies.

Hydrogen also can be produced through electrolysis — splitting water molecules using renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, as well as nuclear power.

New Mexico is a major energy producing state with extensive natural gas reserves and broad recent investments in electrical transmission lines aimed expanding renewable energy production from sources including wind and solar.

The Biden administration last year passed over a four-state bid by New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming for a share of $7 billion aimed at kickstarting development and production of hydrogen fuel. It chose instead projects based in California, Washington, Minnesota, Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Illinois.

The hydrogen summit in Rotterdam has an array of public an private sponsors. Lujan Grisham is traveling with office staff, New Mexico cabinet secretaries for the environment and transportation, and husband Manny Cordova. The New Mexico delegation also includes Rob Black, president of a statewide chamber of commerce.

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Gov. michelle lujan grisham on biden's visit to new mexico.

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New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was in attendance for President Joe Biden’s visit to the Land of Enchantment on Wednesday.

Action 7 News Reporter John Cardinale had the opportunity to interview the governor one-on-one after the visit.

“So you're here to talk to us about the president's visit. What specifically would you like to address?” Cardinale asked.

“Well, John, look, he came to a rural, small community and county. He didn't make political decisions about the bluest community in the state. He's really advancing a nonpartisan economic agenda,” Lujan Grisham said.

The governor said part of that agenda includes the Inflation Reduction Act.

The act, which passed in 2022, has three main focuses; there's a clean energy portion, reform on health care costs, and additional taxes for corporations and stock buybacks.

An estimated $15 billion will be funneled into New Mexico.

In addition, the act gives numerous tax credits to individuals and businesses aiming to reduce their energy.

“You mentioned the Inflation Reduction Act. How is that specifically going to impact New Mexicans,” Cardinale asked.

“Well, a couple of reasons. Almost $70 billion in renewable energy, climate change investments. It's the biggest in the world. New Mexico's an energy state. And we have long been identified not just as an oil and gas industry state, but as a wind, solar and now geothermal. It's incredible. And I'm hoping very soon to have the opportunity to announce that we're going to be a hydrogen state adding to that energy portfolio,” Lujan Grisham replied.

Lujan Grisham said there is one key takeaway from the president’s visit that New Mexicans should know about.

“This isn't a one-off, and a one-time announcement in Belen. This is decades of opportunity. Almost $4 billion in investments from the infrastructure law and the inflation reduction act, more is coming. And that's what I need as a governor,” Lujan Grisham said.

The Inflation Reduction Act was passed in 2022 and went into effect in January.

President Joe Biden to visit Boston next week

President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Boston next week, though the exact travel plans have not been disclosed yet, according to Wicked Local media partner WCVB Channel 5.

WCVB stated today, Friday, May 17, that President " Biden will head to Boston next week after visiting New Hampshire. The president is expected to hold an official White House event on Tuesday in Merrimack (NH)."

President Biden last visited Boston in December, 2023 for a campaign reception featuring musician James Taylor, according to The White House.