Latest news with #GabeVasquez
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration withholding $44M in education funding from New Mexico
The federal Office of Management and Budget said federal school funds were withheld after officials found some districts across the country had allegedly misused the money 'to subsidize a radical left-wing agenda.' (Photo by Getty Images) One of New Mexico's representatives in Congress says the Trump administration's refusal to release education funding is harming both children and adult students, especially those who are falling behind in reading and mathematics. All three of New Mexico's representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 10 joined approximately 145 other federal lawmakers in a letter asking the Trump administration to immediately lift a freeze on $7 billion meant for student learning and achievement; after-school programs; teacher training; and adult education and literacy. 'There is no legitimate reason why any review of these programs should prevent the Administration from fulfilling its responsibility to the American people on time,' they wrote. 'No more excuses — follow the law and release the funding meant for our schools, teachers and families.' Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) told Source NM the administration is withholding $44 million from K-12 schools and adult education programs in New Mexico. That includes $21.6 million in his congressional district; $12 million for Albuquerque Public Schools; and approximately $3 million Las Cruces Public Schools, he said. 'I was an English learner in the public schools system in this country, and I got to where I was because these programs existed,' Vasquez said in an interview. 'We are selling our kids short by eliminating these programs, and most importantly all of those kids who are falling behind in math and reading.' He said school administrators are digging into their budget reserves in an attempt to find solutions. Withholding the money could result in dropped programs, hiring freezes and the loss of essential student supports, Stateline reports. 'What I got from the Las Cruces superintendent was, if they want to continue these programs, which are extremely valuable to the community, to the families and students alike, that they're going to essentially have to figure out where to make cuts elsewhere within the total budget,' Vasquez said in an interview. 'So they're in a rough place right now.' Melanie Blea, executive director of federal and state programs at Albuquerque Public Schools, told Source that while district leaders have been planning various scenarios for funding cuts, the timing of the administration's funding freeze is a challenge given school starts in one month. The district started planning its budget in December; received approval from their school board in March and April; and received approval from the state in June, she said. 'We're doing everything possible to make sure that schools are safe from these cuts, that they don't necessarily feel them,' Blea said. 'We're trying to fill holes. We're trying to cover as much as we possibly can with other funds.' The funding freeze affects continuing education for teachers at all 143 APS schools, Blea said, and ancillary staff like nurses and counselors. 'We probably can't do this for much longer, as far as insulating schools,' she added. Martin Salazar, communications director for APS, told Source NM that the district is committed to keeping all of its 55 staff who are paid out of the frozen funds employed for the rest of the school year. 'If this goes on, and it's the same situation next school year or the following school year, that's going to pose a problem for us,' he said. A voicemail for a spokesperson at Las Cruces Public Schools was not returned as of Monday morning. The Trump administration told state governments it would hold back the funds on June 30, to ensure that public money is 'spent in accordance with the President's priorities and the Department's statutory responsibilities.' The lawmakers' letter is addressed to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought New Mexico and 15 other states this month sued McMahon's agency over its decision in April to also freeze $1 billion in grant funding, including school-based mental health programs. A spokesperson for Vought's office told the Rhode Island Current that federal school funds were withheld after officials found some districts across the country had allegedly misused the money 'to subsidize a radical left-wing agenda,' including English language instruction for immigrant students, scholarships for undocumented students and a seminar about 'queer resistance in the arts.' Vasquez told Source that Trump and other Republicans have been saying their goal in withholding the funding has been to 'end free education to undocumented children,' which Vasquez called xenophobic and 'a blatant lie' after reviewing the Las Cruces Public Schools budget with Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz. 'These funding cuts are going to have impacts that will be felt by everybody, by all the students,' Vasquez said. 'Squeezing every dollar from programs that benefit the public good to pay for these tax cuts for the rich is the real reason this administration is doing this.' This story has been updated with comments from Albuquerque Public Schools. This story has been corrected to accurately reflect the amount of federal education funding that is frozen. Source regrets the error. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Solve the daily Crossword
Business Insider
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
'I don't trust it, I don't like it': Lawmakers sound off on why they don't use AI
AI has become a big topic on Capitol Hill, and some lawmakers are finding ways to use it in their daily lives. But while some are using Grok to come up with one-liners, asking ChatGPT to punch up speeches, or deploying AI to scrutinize their own records, plenty of their colleagues still haven't gotten into it. "I haven't had the chance to really explore the tools," Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico told BI. "I'm a little behind the times in that sense." There's no single reason why. Some remain skeptical about the technology's ability to provide reliable information. Others fear that if they use it, they'll erode their own faculties. At least one has publicly fought with an AI chatbot on X. And often, it simply comes down to a lack of interest. For Sen. Tim Kaine, it's a combination of several of those things. "I feel like I'm so comfortable with my ability to access information that I don't really need it," the Virginia Democrat said, explaining that he's never used AI chatbots "voluntarily." He does, however, encounter artificial intelligence involuntarily: Recently, his email client began furnishing him with AI-generated summaries of his email. "It's like, first, I didn't ask for it. Second, it's got a high error rate," Kaine said. "Third, to do an AI summary of emails I can read myself is a use of energy, somewhere, that I have to feel like is kind of an excess." 'I still like to compose original thoughts' BI spoke to roughly a dozen lawmakers in June about their use, or lack thereof, of AI chatbots like Grok and ChatGPT. Polling has shown that a growing number of Americans are using AI in the workplace, with a recent Gallup poll finding that 40% of employees use it a few times per year and 27% use it frequently or daily. Republican Rep. Greg Murphy of North Carolina, who remains a practicing urologist in additional to his congressional duties, says he's "dabbled" with AI, primarily for medical questions. He says he doesn't use it for his official work, and he doesn't want his staff to do so either. "I don't want people writing speeches for me, or doing letters to constituents with that," Murphy said, adding that if his constituents "wanted something from ChatGPT, they could have Googled it themselves." Sen. Josh Hawley, a fellow Republican, takes an even harder line against AI — he doesn't use AI chatbots out of principle. "I don't trust it, I don't like it, I don't want it being trained on any of the information I might give it," the Missouri senator, a frequent critic of Big Tech, told BI. Some lawmakers' reservations are rooted in their hesitance to rely on technology for something they already do themselves. "I've just never felt the need, and I like being creative," Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told BI. "Writing is a use-it-or-lose-it skill, and I don't want to lose it." "I still like to compose original thoughts, and not rely on technology to help state what I feel," Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts said. Large language models are also known to confidently deliver faulty information — known as "hallucination." For Sen. Elizabeth Warren, that's enough to discourage her from using it. "I might as well go out on the street and ask a random person a question and see what words they come up with," the Massachusetts Democrat told BI. "Maybe they're right, but then again, maybe they're not, and the only way to know that is to do the research yourself."
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Congressional vote to overturn California clean car rules could kill New Mexico mandates
A congressional vote to pass three measures overturning California's strict vehicle pollution standards could spell the end of New Mexico's ability to enforce similar regulations. The U.S. Senate voted mostly along party lines Thursday to pass the resolutions blocking the coastal state's efforts to push the sale of electric vehicles. The House passed the resolutions a few weeks ago, with a handful of Democrats, including New Mexico's Gabe Vasquez, breaking with the caucus to support the rollback. In 2022, California adopted its "Advanced Clean Cars II" regulation, which mandates that by 2035 all new passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state produce zero emissions. A handful of other Democratic-controlled states, including New Mexico, have followed suit, adopting similar regulations to phase in more zero-emission vehicles in an effort to combat climate change. Thursday's votes overturned three waivers provided to California by the Biden administration that allowed the state to set more rigorous standards than those on the federal level. Other states cannot set their own standards but they are allowed to follow California's, NPR reported a few weeks ago. President Donald Trump is expected to sign off on the measures. Assuming the action is held up in court — Democrats are arguing Congress didn't have the authority to overturn the regulations — the reversals will have an impact on New Mexico's own clean vehicle standards adopted in 2022 and 2023, Environment Department spokesperson Jorge Armando Estrada wrote in an email. For New Mexico, starting next year, 43% of passenger cars and light-duty trucks and 15% of commercial heavy-duty trucks shipped to local dealerships were supposed to produce zero emissions. "This is the same authority that underpins New Mexico's rules," Estrada wrote. The department did not respond Friday evening to follow-up questions about how it plans to proceed. In a news release Thursday, Western Resource Advocates said the votes "undermine nearly 50 years of precedent under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency." "Prior to [the] vote, other states could either rely on the weaker federal standard or adopt these more ambitious emissions standards, so these three rules were the nation's most robust path to decarbonize the transportation sector and protect people from dangerous air pollution," the organization's release said. The vote comes after the Environment Department announced a proposed clean transportation fuels rule earlier this week, which would create a carbon intensity standard for fuel used in transportation and a credit system for companies making or importing fuels. Stay below the standard, you earn credits; exceed it, and be required to buy credits. Hybrid market In the third quarter of 2024, full electric vehicle, hybrid and plug-in hybrid sales hit an all-time high nationally, making up around 21% of the market, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But adoption isn't even across states. In 2023, less than 1% of vehicle registrations in New Mexico were for full electric vehicles, according to data reported by the Department of Energy. And at least two states delayed implementation of their own clean vehicle rules in recent weeks — voluntarily. In a late April executive order, Vermont Gov. Philip Scott, a Republican, said charging infrastructure and technology hasn't kept up with the regulatory schedule. Some manufacturers are requiring that car dealers sell zero-emission vehicles before internal combustion engine vehicles, reducing the overall supply, Scott wrote. Tariffs are also increasing costs and disrupting the supply chain for the industry, he added. 'I continue to believe we should be incentivizing Vermonters to transition to cleaner energy options like electric vehicles," Scott said in a news release. "However, we have to be realistic about a pace that's achievable. It's clear we don't have anywhere near enough charging infrastructure and insufficient technological advances in heavy-duty vehicles to meet current goals." A memo sent by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Director Leah Feldon last week, meanwhile, stated some manufacturers are limiting the sales of internal combustion engine trucks to remain in compliance with the clean trucks requirements, reducing overall vehicle availability for drivers in the state. 'While manufacturers were involved in developing the [Advanced Clean Trucks] framework, they now indicate that ACT requirements are too difficult to meet,' Feldon wrote. In the memo, Feldon indicated that the department wouldn't be enforcing the regulations or fining manufacturers right away, so long as they kept selling internal combustion engine vehicles to Oregonians without limitations, took 'good faith' efforts to reduce emissions, and continued to follow reporting requirements. Although the stick is gone, the carrot remains: a credit program for zero-emission vehicles sent to the state remains in effect. 'The current federal administration has created significant uncertainty around [zero-emission vehicle] incentives, electric vehicle charging investments, manufacturing and tariffs, each of which threaten a smooth transition to medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs,' Feldon wrote. Governors push back A group of governors, including New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Oregon's Tina Kotek and Colorado's Jared Polis, reaffirmed their support for the programs. The U.S. Climate Alliance, of which the 11 governors are members, announced the launch of the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition on Friday. "The federal government and Congress are putting polluters over people and creating needless chaos for consumers and the market," read a statement from the governors. "But our commitment to safeguarding Americans' fundamental right to clean air is resolute. We will continue collaborating as states and leveraging our longstanding authority under the Clean Air Act, including through state programs..." They added, "As we consider next steps for our clean vehicle programs, our states will engage stakeholders and industry to provide the regulatory certainty needed while redoubling our efforts to build a cleaner and healthier future."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A huge victory': Vasquez touts nixing of public lands sell-off in Congressional bill
U.S. Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana, on May 7, 2025 announced a new bipartisan public lands caucus. (Photo courtesy U.S. Rep. Vasquez's office) The Republican reconciliation bill that cleared the United States House of Representatives by a narrow margin this week no longer authorizes the sale of thousands acres of public land in Utah and Nevada. U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), who co-founded the Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus earlier this year, said the removal of that provision represents a 'huge victory' for all Americans concerned about public lands being sold to the highest bidder. Vasquez said in a statement he started the caucus with U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican, to beat back these attacks on public lands. 'We committed to working across party lines to sit down and ensure the integrity of our land management system. We've worked together across the aisle to prevent this unprecedented public lands sell-off,' Vasquez said. 'We will continue to work together to ensure our lands are public, accessible and well managed.' U.S. Reps. Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Zinke (R-MT) launch new bipartisan public lands caucus The provision would have gutted protections for 500,000 acres of land near Zion National Park, along with critical habitat for threatened desert tortoises and other areas designated by Congress for conservation, according to New Mexico Wild, a conservation advocacy group. That could have meant the lands were turned into 'golf courses, luxury resorts or strip malls,' the group said in a statement Thursday. Environmental groups nationally have applauded the removal of the provision, which Reps. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) and Mark Amodei (R-Nevada) sponsored. New Mexico Wild's executive director Mark Allison said the bipartisan pushback was a factor in maintaining the land's protections, but he warned that this is the first of many fights in coming days to stave off efforts to privatize public lands. 'The fact that House Republicans were forced to retreat shows that when we unite to defend our birthright, politicians listen,' he said in a statement. 'But make no mistake — this fight is far from over. The same forces that tried to sneak this land grab through would love nothing more than to come after New Mexico's public lands next time.' The reconciliation bill now heads to the Senate.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Report alleges abuse, rights violations at El Paso processing center
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A new 31-page report by Amnesty International is raising alarms about alleged human rights violations at the El Paso Service Processing Center, citing disturbing accounts of mistreatment, poor conditions, and limited access to legal representation for migrants in U.S. custody. According to the report released this month, Amnesty International conducted a site visit to the facility in April. The organization said it interviewed more than a dozen detainees and reviewed public records, facility policies, and legal filings to support its findings. Among the most serious allegations in the report are claims of physical abuse by guards, spoiled food, inadequate medical care, and a systemic lack of legal aid. Amnesty describes the conditions as 'an environment and system designed to dehumanize the population within.' One testimony included in the report is of a Venezuelan migrant who alleges that a guard mocked detainees for refusing to play a game of football, using slurs, then allegedly attacked three of the men in the unit. 'The guard slammed him onto the floor. His knees were on his head, they were kicking him repeatedly,' the report states. In response to the claims, KTSM reached out to the El Paso County Republican Party, which questioned the credibility of that account. 'I want to see the video on that. It just does not sound like normal human behavior here in the U.S.,' said Michael Aboud, chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party. The report also highlights a reduction in legal resources available to detainees after the local organization Estrella del Paso lost federal funding. The group previously provided 'know your rights' materials to migrants held in the facility. Without that support, many are navigating the complex immigration system with little guidance, Amnesty said. Amnesty is now urging the federal government to open an investigation into the allegations, review immigration enforcement practices, and restore legal support for those in detention. The report arrives as federal lawmakers push for increased transparency inside immigration detention centers. U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-NM, who represents parts of Southern New Mexico, recently announced an updated version of his previously introduced legislation aimed at bolstering oversight. 'This bill mandates reporting on conditions in immigration detention centers for things like assaults, abuse, hospitalization and death, complaints from inmates or detainees about legal access, retaliation, and lack of resources,' Vasquez said during a press conference this week. When asked about the broader issue of legal representation for detainees, the El Paso GOP responded: 'They came here illegally, and now they want us to pay for lawyers so they can stay as long as possible — and they're still going to get some back.' Amnesty International is calling on the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to launch a formal inquiry into the conditions at the El Paso Service Processing Center and other facilities nationwide. The full report is available by clicking on this link Dehumanized by Design: Human Rights Violations in El Paso | Amnesty International USA Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
