[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 16, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H5905-H5906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FOCUSING ON REAL RESULTS

  (Mr. Vasquez of New Mexico was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. VASQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with deep gratitude--gratitude 
to the people of New Mexico who have placed their trust in me and 
gratitude for all of those who have worked with me this past year, both 
Democrats and Republicans, who have helped me deliver real results for 
folks back home.
  My district is one of the largest districts in the country, larger 
than the State of Pennsylvania, and includes major cities, border 
towns, Tribal communities, and rural counties that often feel forgotten 
by Washington.
  New Mexico's Second District embodies the American spirit. We are a 
diverse people who get up every day, work a hard day's job, and take 
pride in our families and the work that we do.
  This year, I set out with one simple goal: focus on the people in our 
district and do good by the families who call New Mexico home, 
regardless of their party affiliation. That is why, at a time when 
Washington has been paralyzed by partisan gridlock and way too much 
drama, my focus has remained on common sense and delivering real 
results.
  The good people of New Mexico elected me to do a job, and I intend to 
do it; not with red or blue solutions, but practical solutions that are 
rooted in the real lives of the people who I represent.
  Across southern New Mexico, we have seen that wildfire season is no 
longer seasonal. It is a constant threat. We have seen the State's two 
largest wildfires ravage communities and displace generations of folks 
from their homes.
  I worked with my colleagues on both sides to pass a bipartisan bill 
that strengthens our ability to fight fires in remote and rural areas. 
My Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act ensures that our communities and 
firefighters have more resources to protect lives, homes, and 
livelihoods when it counts most.
  Mr. Speaker, when we talk about feeling forgotten, sometimes it is 
our rural communities that feel the most left out--places where Federal 
support can make the difference between a school being able to stay 
open, between having a graded road or one that is washboarded and 
crumbling, and between having lifesaving care that can reach your home 
in time.
  That is why I successfully led a bipartisan push to restore $9 
million and secure rural school funding for New Mexico's rural schools 
and our infrastructure, delivering much-needed resources to places like 
Catron, Grant, Sierra, and Cibola Counties.
  Staying focused on common sense also meant listening to our military 
families at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base. When 
they told me they were going without care because of the enormously 
long distances that it took to get to a hospital or to a clinic, I 
worked on a bipartisan bill that is now law, which expands travel 
reimbursement under TRICARE so that servicemembers and their loved ones 
aren't forced to shoulder the unnecessary costs just to get the care 
that they need.
  Serving in New Mexico isn't just about passing bills here. It is 
about showing up when people need you. This year, my team and I 
resolved over 650 constituent cases, cutting through red tape, standing 
up to bureaucracy, and returning nearly $4.5 million to our taxpayers 
who were rightfully owed that money. For families waiting on Social 
Security, veterans navigating the VA, or seniors dealing with the IRS, 
that help was immediate and personal.
  I have traveled over 5,000 miles on the road in my district this 
year. From talking to students in Deming, meeting with Tribal leaders 
in Zuni Pueblo, hosting a carne asada with oil workers in Carlsbad, and 
convening roundtables with police departments in Albuquerque, this is a 
big district with many needs, and advocacy doesn't just start at the 
Capitol steps.
  Mr. Speaker, 2025 was also a big year in the fight to protect our 
public lands. When extreme proposals threatened to sell off millions of 
acres of our public lands, I founded the first-ever Bipartisan Public 
Lands Caucus to keep those lands public for hunters, ranchers, 
families, and future generations who deserve to keep this unique 
American birthright. Public lands are one of our Nation's best ideas, 
and I intend to keep it that way.
  I have also worked hard to secure Federal investments across New 
Mexico, from addressing homelessness to investing in workplace 
training, to launching a new express bus service connecting Las Cruces 
to El Paso. I showed up, listened to what folks needed, and we got to 
work. These are smart investments that strengthen local economies and 
improve the daily lives of New Mexicans.
  Lastly, my focus on bringing common sense to Washington is why I 
recently introduced the new plan for immigration this year. As someone 
who was raised on both sides of the border and represents 180 miles of 
that border today, I know that border security is more complex than 
just building a wall. I know that both parties have often gotten it 
wrong.
  We need an immigration system that reflects our American values, and 
that makes smart investments in security and more legal pathways that 
strengthen our economy rather than undermine it.
  I want to be clear about something: I don't work for either party. I 
work for the people of New Mexico, every single one of them, whether 
they voted for me or not. I am proud of what we have accomplished this 
year, but more than that, I am proud of how we accomplished it: by 
choosing collaboration over conflict.
  Mr. Speaker, ``thank you''; ``gracias'' to the people of New Mexico 
for sending me here. I will continue showing up, fighting for them, and 
doing the work they sent me here to do.

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