Representative's Message to Area Veterans
US Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM-1) conducted an event for veterans at Manzano High School in Albuquerque on June 17, 2025, at which Stansbury was joined by State Representative Debra Sariñana (HD-21), Harold Pope (SD-23), Frank Smith, a legislative advocate with the Military and Veterans Caucus (Smith unsuccessfully rant for HD-23), and State Representative Tara Lujan (HD-48). Stansbury also held a virtual town hall on June 18, 2025, that focused on immigration matters.
Representative Sariñana, an Air Force Veteran and military spouse, began the veterans’ forum by encouraging the veterans in the audience to run for office, noting that she was the only veteran in the New Mexico House of Representatives. Sariñana stated that the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services offers programs to assist rural veterans, including medical transportation, homelessness programs, and suicide prevention initiatives designed to fill gaps left by cuts to VA programs. She noted that the state would be offering veterans a lifetime pass to state parks. Sariñana also discussed a mobile veterans' services office that will conduct rural outreach to veterans across the state.
US Representative Stansbury introduced herself as a member of a US Marine Corps family and stressed that her office was there to help, given the changes in the federal government.
“Whether you’re a veteran, if you work for the military, [if you’re] a federal worker, or [if] you’re just having an issue with a federal agency, one of the things that a congressional office does is act as an advocate, and so if you’re having issues with a veteran’s claim, you’re having issues with your disability, you’re having issues with the VA, please contact my office.” -- Rep. Melanie Stansbury
Stansbury said she had signed up to be in a leadership role on the Department of Government Efficiency Subcommittee to fight back against the intended cuts to federal services.
“ Certainly, there are a number of workers, doctors, nurses and administrators at the VA here in Albuquerque that were fired as part of the mass firings. [Republicans] are trying to claim that that did not happen, but thousands of veterans lost their jobs in those mass firings. [Democrats are] fighting back in the courts and in Congress, and we're winning. And so the courts have now ordered the rehiring of all VA staff who were fired in the mass firing and they they're working to try to get everyone back.” -- Rep. Melanie Stansbury
Stansbury expressed concerns regarding the activities of the Trump Administration. She acknowledged that, as a legislator in the minority party, her ability to undo the activities of the Trump Administration was limited.
“And so we're working in our role in Congress as the minority party to fight back and to support the court efforts by the states to stop that dismantling. Now, I know a lot of people ask, ‘Well, why isn't it happening faster? Why isn't it more aggressive?’ And part of the challenge right now is that the tools that you have in Congress to provide that oversight and accountability require that you have the votes, and right now, we do not have the votes to hold this president and this administration accountable the way that they should be held accountable....” -- Rep. Melanie Stansbury
Senator Pope, also an Air Force veteran and the chairperson of the State senate Military and Veterans Affairs Interim Committee, began by advising veterans that the state legislature needed to hear concerns from veterans before the start of the legislative session (the regular session typically begins in the end of January), as budgets are already set by the time the legislature meets. Pope explained to the audience that only one household member could get the 100% disabled tax exemption (in the amount of $10,000) on a household’s primary residence.
Smith explained that the caucus he served as a legislative advocate primarily focused on getting veteran-oriented legislation passed by the New Mexico Legislature. Smith addressed repeated concerns from veterans in the audience regarding medical providers who had stopped working with Tricare due to changes in the insurance program enacted by the current administration.