Gabe Vasquez: “on behalf New Mexico's Second District, I rise to highlight the dire financial situation many rural communities face…”

“on behalf New Mexico's Second District, I rise to highlight the dire financial situation many rural communities face because of the lapse in Secure Rural Schools funding. For over 20 years, Congress has used SRS to support rural areas where national forests limit the local tax revenue. This funding has been a vital lifeline, helping rural communities pay for essential services like schools and roads. Since SRS funding expired in 2024, these areas now face impossible choices like laying off beloved teachers, cutting back to 4-day school weeks, and deferring critical road maintenance that emergency responders rely on. Last year, New Mexico lost $9 million alone. I just met with a bipartisan group of county officials and educators back home. Their message was clear. Without this funding, rural communities are in crisis. We must act now. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act so that rural communities in New Mexico and across the country are not forgotten and left behind without access to basic needs.”