in Luna County

Three major laws, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the American Rescue Plan, passed during President Biden’s first two years in office, make game-changing investments in our community, tackle the pressing challenges that New Mexicans face, and build economic prosperity for all. 

Watch this space for more local news about the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

AIRPORTS

New Mexico’s 46 airports are key economic drivers for our state,”
~ Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM)

Deming Municipal Airport

• ’21-’22 funding = $223,000
• Funding to improve runways, taxiways, and other projects

BROADBAND

​Internet Connectivity in Southern Luna County
 
Federal funds combined with state funds will provide $5.7 million for rural broadband expansion, connecting southern Luna County with high-speed Internet service. Some of the funds come from the American Rescue Plan (see below).
 
The aim is to reach 822 households or other sites with 49 miles of fiber optic cable to surpass the aging DSL infrastructure currently serving border-village Columbus, New Mexico. Columbus sits three miles north of a 24-hour port of entry with Puerto Palomas, Mexico.
 
Steven Metts, CEO of Valley TeleCom, that will lay the necessary fiberoptic cable for high speed Internet, said connecting rural communities with reliable and affordable Internet meant “opening doors to education, health care and economic growth that were previously closed.”

​You may be eligible to receive a monthly discount on an internet service plan. Sign up here: Affordable Connectivity Program.

ROADS & BRIDGES

I-10 Roadway Rehabilitation, almost $19 million. See more here.

​Other road projects in Luna County funded through the Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration include:

• US 180 Capacity Study
• NM 26 from Nutt to Hatch
• NM 26 Pavement and Bridge Rehabilitation

It really is our infrastructure moment for a generation.
– Sen. Martin Heinrich

You can save $$ by electrifying at home thanks to the
​Inflation Reduction Act 
​Learn more here!  

MEDICARE RECIPIENTS BENEFIT

• Caps on out-of-pocket annual prescription costs,
• Expanded eligibility for premium subsidies,
• For the first time Medicare will be able to begin negotiating pricing for some drugs.
• A $35 monthly cap for insulin!

RURAL RESIDENTS BENEFIT

• An improved rural electrical grid, to make sure it remains strong and resilient for decades and to avoid the kind of blackouts we’ve seen in Texas.
• Climate-smart agricultural funding that supports farmers while reducing pollution and emissions.
• Support for rural electrical co-ops and renewable energy projects, USDA conservation programs, and debt relief for distressed farmers.
• New Mexico tribes will receive expanded broadband, guaranteed loans, money to mitigate drought, and funding for projects such as fish hatcheries

BUSINESSES BENEFIT

• Tax credits for 159,000 small businesses in New Mexico to improve energy efficiency, install solar power and buy clean trucks and vans for commercial fleets
• Businesses can “stack” credits. For instance, on top of a 30% tax credit, a developer can earn more credits by paying the prevailing wage for labor, using apprenticeship labor, or using U.S.-made steel and aluminum.
• For every federal dollar ($2.3 billion available for NM), the public and private sector will spend $2-$3, making it a $10 billion deal.
• Between now and 2030, $15 billion will be invested in new and existing businesses that will generate and store clean power in New Mexico.
• 8,000 small businesses and self-employed adults in New Mexico now qualify for lower premiums through the Affordable Care Act.

ALL OF US BENEFIT

• Wildfire prevention and protection of water sources.
• A rebate program to help make our homes safer and greener with insulation and windows, solar panels, heat pumps, and by replacing old fossil-fuel appliances.
• Restoring fairness to our tax code: attending to the backlog of paperwork that’s allowed the ultra-rich to avoid paying what they owe. Plus a 15% corporate minimum tax rate that will allow us to plan for our country’s future and build an economy that works for all Americans.

The Inflation Reduction Act will provide a historic investment in a clean energy economy.
​–Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) 

You lived through the fastest recovery in three decades!
All because of the 
​​American Rescue Plan

THE ECONOMY RESCUED

The U.S. had the fastest recovery of any nation in the world.

• New Mexico’s unemployment rate fell to 3.5% in December 2022 from 8.2% in January 2021
• New Mexico added ​70,000 jobs due to the American Rescue Plan
• New Mexicans applied for 51,000 new Small Business Applications, the highest 2-year total on record.
• Hispanic unemployment saw its fastest 1-year drop and reached its lowest annual rate ever in 2022 nationwide.
• Restaurants rescued. 602 New Mexico restaurants received vital relief through the American Rescue Plan’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund

FAMILIES & YOUNG PEOPLE RESCUED

• 19 child care programs in Luna County received money to help keep their doors open
• Working families got tax relief: 252,000 families with 420,000 children In New Mexico benefited from the ARP’s Child Tax Credit.
• 56,000 New Mexico students received 145,000 Internet-connected devices (including hotspots) to close the homework gap
• Emergency Rental Assistance was provided to thousands of hard-pressed renters in New Mexico
  • 73,000 payments to help families meet their ongoing rent and utility costs
  • 60,000 payments to help families address past due rent and utility bills
• 93,000 New Mexico college students received direct financial relief through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Program in 2021 to help them stay enrolled and cover their bills in 2021.

PEOPLE RESCUED

• An expanded Earned Income Tax Credit provided up to $1,500 of tax relief to an estimated 134,000 New Mexico workers without dependent children
• 41,000 more New Mexico homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the American Rescue Plan's Capital Project Fund
• Over 230 million Americans are fully vaccinated, up from 3.5 million when President Biden took office.
• 46,000 New Mexicans saved hundreds of dollars on their health premiums from the American Rescue Plan. With the Inflation Reduction Act's extension of these savings, 41,000 New Mexicans signed up for quality, affordable care in the 2023 ACA open enrollment period.

COUNTIES, CITIES AND TRIBES RESCUED

Direct pandemic recovery funds were provided to the county, cities, municipalities, and tribes to avoid cuts and to invest in public safety, housing and the workforce, e.g., 

• Luna County, $5 million
• Deming, $3 million
• Columbus, $403,000

SCHOOL DISTRICTS RESCUED

Deming Public Schools and other school systems received recovery funds for academic recovery, student mental health and to reopen schools safely.

More jobs have been created in one year than in our nation’s history.
​– Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-NM

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