Melanie A. Stansbury · TranslatePolitics.com

House of Representatives

Standing with Ranchers and Farmers

2026-09-03

“I want taxpayers to spend money on farmers and ranchers in my state. We should buy less foreign beef. We should regulate food more. We should spend more money on food programs. This is our tradition. I want it to continue.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand with our farmers and ranchers because in New Mexico, these are not just industries, they are part of our identity, our culture, and our way of life passed down from generation to generation. From our acequias to family farms, they put food on our tables, but right now that way of life is under attack. This administration is flooding our beef supply with foreign beef, failing to protect the safety of our food as Americans face recall after recall, and cutting food programs that keep our children, our seniors, and our people from going hungry. This is not how we protect our people. This is not how we honor the people who feed us, and that is why we are fighting to make sure that New Mexico's producers can make a living, that our families can put food on the table, and that the next generation can continue the traditions that define who we are as a State. That is why I am standing here on the House floor today, to stand with our ranchers and farmers.

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House of Representatives

Giving Voice to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Principles

2026-09-02

“I am complaining about a loss of government spending. I claim that not spending money hurts people. I want the government to spend more money on many programs. My district should get more money from the federal government. This is an important issue for my constituents. I blame the current administration for spending less on these programs. I want to make this a political issue. I want the other party to look bad.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, good evening. I thank Mr. Jackson for yielding. He is not only one of my dear friends, but also a mentor, and I believe one of the greatest fighters in this institution. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight on behalf of the people of New Mexico because in New Mexico, the assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion is not just an assault on our communities but on our identities, our histories, and our ways of life. The consequences go far beyond a slogan or some polling that some political firm has done. They reach into our hospitals and our clinics. They reach our veterans. They reach our military bases. They reach our Tribal nations and our Native communities. They reach the LGBTQ+ community, our small businesses, our nonprofits, and our working families. What this administration is doing is nothing short of an assault on our communities, their identities, their histories, and creating something that no person should ever live with which is fear. In New Mexico, healthcare is not an abstract policy debate. It is whether a patient can see a doctor, whether a rural clinic can keep its doors open, and whether a family can afford care. Every day we are watching as the assaults on DEI are affecting the ability of our communities to access care. It affects our veterans who depend on the VA, not as a political favor but as a promise our Nation made to them, is being impacted by cuts to DEI. It affects our military, which is a part of the culture in service of who we are as New Mexicans, generals being denied promotions, and people in our communities wondering if the military still represents them. It affects our Tribal nations impacted and threatened by cuts to Tribal programs and essential services. These are programs that help our elders, our young people--nutrition, family, housing, their healthcare, their jobs, their opportunity, and our Federal Government's fundamental responsibility under treaty obligations. These are legal responsibilities of the Federal Government. In our LGBTQ+ community, the message coming from Washington is increasingly clear, which is that the government is trying to erase the existence of LGBTQ+ people. That is not equality. That is not equity. That is about targeting our communities. Meanwhile, our nonprofits and small businesses that depend on Federal grants and contracts are being forced to ask whether the programs they have operated for years and generations will be considered politically unacceptable for merely serving the Americans who live in our communities. This administration has gone far beyond just eliminating Federal DEI offices. They have slashed Federal programs. They have targeted Federal contractors. They have taken out hundreds of Americans who have given their life to service to this Nation as Federal employees, as members of the military, as leaders, and they have slashed fundamental programs that make it possible for our communities to survive. Mr. Speaker, diversity, equity, and inclusion are not about giving special treatment. They are about making sure that every American has a fair shot--that those who have been left behind have the opportunity to move forward. They are about honoring the cultures and identities of who we are. I invite you, Mr. Speaker, to come to New Mexico, where we live our culture, where we live our identities, where we live our traditions. Walk in our communities, meet our people, shop in our small businesses, hike on our public lands, pay your respects to our Pueblo and Tribal leaders. Come learn our stories directly from our people, directly from our lands. Come learn about the resilience of our people, who have persisted not just for centuries but millennia, because we live our culture. We live our identity, and we learn from our history. We know that no matter what kind of efforts you take in the coming days, months, or years to try to cut programs, to try to erase history, to try to stop our people from speaking loud and clear, we know that our people are strong. They are resilient, and they will continue. As the congresswoman for New Mexico's First Congressional District, I will continue to lift up their stories every single day and continue this fight, because, Mr. Speaker, we are not going back.

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House of Representatives

Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to Require That the Supreme Court of the United States Be Composed of Nine Justices

2026-09-02

“You want to change the constitution. I don't like that. I think you are wrong. I want more changes to the court. I don't like what the court has done. I think your changes are bad. I want equity and fairness. Why do you want this? I think you just want to look good. I think you have no real plan. I think you caused our problems. I am against this. I will vote no.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, today, the GOP is proposing a constitutional amendment to lock in the current conservative Supreme Court. In fact, it would take away the power of this Congress to reform the Court. The question is why? Who asked them to do this? Where did this proposal come from? Why are Republicans arguing that they have to protect the Court from reform? This is a Court that has, under this conservative majority, undermined democracy, undermined our rights, and undermined the system of checks and balances that make this country great. These reforms would bring equity, fairness, and ethics to the Court. Why are my colleagues across the aisle bringing this constitutional amendment? It is clear in the debate here on the floor itself that they don't even know how many Justices are currently sitting. In fact, my colleague across the aisle just claimed that there are currently 13 Justices sitting on the Court. What is this? Political theater? Is this what you plan to run on because you don't actually have an agenda to run on this election cycle? Because you have decimated the economy, because you have an unending war in the Middle East, and because Americans can't afford their healthcare, their housing, and putting food on the table and a roof over their head, I am a hell no on this resolution, and I will vote ``no.''

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House of Representatives

Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1501, Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025; Providing for Consideration of H.R. 9436, Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026; Providing for Consideration...

2026-09-01

“I'm upset we are debating a mining and lobster bill. I don't like these bills. They would hurt the environment. I went to the beach and saw whales. Now I want to protect the whales. There are not many whales left. I think protecting whales is more important than passing other bills. I want the government to help people. But this bill will not help. I will vote no on this bill. I want the government to do other things to help people. I want people to have better lives. I think this bill is bad. It will not help people. It will only help some businesses. I want the government to protect the environment and help people. That is why I am here. I want people to know I care about the environment and whales. I will vote against this bill.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, welcome back. It has been a wild ride this Congress. After 5 weeks of being out for the August district work period, a war is raging in the Middle East; the economy is in shambles; working people of this country cannot afford food, housing, and healthcare; the President is raiding the Venezuelan oil reserves and lining his own pockets; and what are we doing on the House floor after 5 weeks of break? We are hearing bills to basically gut environmental protections, including protections for one of the most endangered species on planet Earth. Just a few years ago before my mother passed away, I had the extraordinary opportunity to visit the Cape Cod National Seashore, and on that day, which was an unusually warm day, we went down to the beach, and there were literally hundreds of right whales right off the shore. Today there are 380 right whales still in existence on planet Earth. Only 70 are considered able to breed. What is before us today is a decision about whether or not to let one of God's great creatures continue to exist on planet Earth. With all of the things that are happening in this world and in this country, this body under this Republican majority is choosing to advance a bill on the first day we come back in the middle of global turmoil and economic chaos to decide whether or not a species that has existed on this planet longer than the United States has even been an idea should be able to continue. It is disgraceful. The American people did not send us here to gut environmental laws. The American people sent us here to save our democracy, to defend our institutions, and to ensure that they can get a fair shake. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this bill, and I will vote it down on the floor today.

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House of Representatives

Celebrating Disability Pride Month

2026-07-23

“I want people with disabilities to vote for me. I want everyone to know that I want people with disabilities to vote for me. I want them to think I'm on their side. I like celebrating them because it isn't controversial.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, happy Disability Pride Month, which originated in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This month and every month, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and leadership of New Mexicans living with disabilities in our State and across the country. They have fought for accessible schools, reliable transportation, inclusive workplaces, and the freedom to live with dignity, self- determination, and joy. I thank our leaders, advocates, and communities for their work. To every New Mexican living with a disability, their voice, their advocacy, and their leadership matter. They belong in every classroom, every workplace, every community, and at every seat at every table. We will continue to fight and celebrate alongside them, not just this month but every month, to build a New Mexico and a world where every person can live with dignity, independence, and pride.

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House of Representatives

Fight Against Assault on Public Lands

2026-07-16

“I want to stop the government from allowing drilling and mining on public lands. I want to praise tribes and say that they agree with me. I want the rules we had before to stay the same. I think this issue helps my side. I want to keep this issue in the news. I want to say this will keep going on for a while.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, this week the administration has continued its assault on our public and sacred lands, repealing critical protections for Chaco Canyon and Bears Ears, two of our most sacred cultural landscapes. For New Mexico's Tribes and pueblos, these are not relics of the past. They are living, sacred places where history, culture, religion, and identity endure. They hold thousands of ancestral sites that are central to ceremonies, traditions, the stories, and the people who have cared for these lands since time immemorial. These repeals disregard years of Tribal consultation and open the door to oil, gas, and mining, threatening sacred sites that are irreplaceable. Let me be clear, though. This fight is not over. We will stand with our Tribal Nations, our communities, and everyone fighting on the front lines. We will fight back in the courts, in Congress, and alongside our Tribal Nations and the American people because our sacred sites are not for sale.

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House of Representatives

Farewell to Doge

2026-07-15

“I want to blame Elon Musk and the President for all the bad things. They fired government workers. They made bad changes. Their agency cost a lot of money. It was bad. We will keep looking into what they did wrong. The other side is bad and mean. They let the President do bad things with money. We will stop them. We will make the government bigger and give it more money. That will be good.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, there are so many things to be said about DOGE and the waste of money and lives that happened over the course of the year and a half that it was officially on the books. Mr. Speaker, I also want to take a moment to talk about our country at a crossroads. Do we continue to use American taxpayer dollars to fund the killing of civilians, children, and families abroad, or do we finally say, enough? Today, I took a vote for the children, for peace, and for the future of this country, by voting ``yes'' on an amendment to block $3.3 billion in offensive military aid. This is money that should be used to build roads, to build housing, and to lower the cost of food and childcare for families who are struggling right here in the United States. I did not come to Congress to write blank checks to the military. I did not come to Congress to write blank checks to foreign militaries to bomb civilians, and I did not come here to support an unending and illegal war in the Middle East. That is why I chose today to block offensive military aid. Today, I choose our people over weapons. I choose peace over war. I choose accountability over silence, and I will continue to choose that every single time. Now, Mr. Speaker, as we close out this debate and the broken promises of DOGE and this administration, let us be reminded that when President Trump and Elon Musk first created DOGE, the American people were promised that it would cut waste, fight fraud and abuse, and save the taxpayers $2 trillion across the government. Many of us hoped that was actually true because cutting waste, fraud, and abuse is not a partisan issue. It is just good government. All of us want a government that actually works for the people of this country. Actions speak louder than words. When it comes to the legacy of DOGE and this administration, its actions speak for themselves. Instead of cutting waste, they cut over 100,000 jobs of veterans across the Federal Government, veterans in my district who worked at the VA and across our Federal agencies, who wanted nothing more than to continue their service to this country. They cut workers in charge of maintaining our nuclear stockpile, only to scramble to rehire them. They fired some of our Nation's top scientists, who were responsible for making sure our national security is taken care of. They attacked Social Security. They fired thousands of workers across the Social Security Administration, including in my district where people were struggling just to get access to their basic needs being met. DOGE cut back hours and fired hundreds across New Mexico. It pushed seniors, children, and veterans to the brink. Instead of saving taxpayers money, DOGE cost taxpayers billions of dollars in lost productivity, lost revenue, and the cost to hire essential civil servants they fired. Instead of fighting abuse, DOGE gave the richest man on planet Earth direct influence over government decisionmaking and access to our personal and financial data. We will never know the true damage that DOGE did because the administration won't even release the final information or final report explaining what they did. This is not okay. Let me say this to this administration: You better bet we will be investigating every inch of what you did through DOGE and your behavior in the administration. The American people deserve transparency. The American people deserve a government that works for them. The American people deserve a government and leaders who tell the truth. The American people deserve accountability for their taxpayer dollars. The American people deserve respect, especially those who have served this great Nation. Even though DOGE's disaster is officially over on the books, we already have another agency whose job is to find waste, fraud, and abuse. We will continue to investigate what happened through DOGE. We will continue to do the work of improving our government, and we will continue to investigate what has happened. Our question is: After all that has been said and done, will the Republicans of this body continue to support the lies that this administration has put forward through DOGE? Will they continue to support the dismantling of our Federal agencies, as is happening right now at the Department of Education, as we stand here, and the Education Committee? Will they continue to raid agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and steal money from the taxpayers? Will they continue to allow this administration to steal your taxpayer dollars and give it to the military to bomb civilians overseas? Will they continue to allow an out-of-control President to make billions of dollars in self-dealing while lining his pockets and demolishing the White House or will they actually stand up for the American people? That is the real waste, fraud, and abuse, and that is the real corruption, a President who is wasting our taxpayer dollars on an unending and illegal war, painting a pool filled with algae, a golden ballroom, and trying to put his name on the Kennedy Center, spending millions of dollars, taxpayer dollars litigating over illegal actions he has taken since taking office, all while giving private contracts to his own family members and the very man who started DOGE in the first place. While DOGE may be over, let the lesson be that when we take back the House, we will hold them accountable. We will build a government that works for the American people, that is stronger. We will stop billionaires from coming in and using their money to achieve their own political ends and line their own pockets. We will stop the self-dealing not only in the White House, but that happens in this Chamber. We will work to get big money out of politics, to end Citizens United, and to ensure that we have a system that actually represents the people of this country. We will rebuild better the agencies that were dismantled. We will create a whole new generation of public servants who want to serve this great Nation, and we will bring a new deal for this country that is about results, that is about dignity, that puts people and services ahead of profits and not empty promises. That is why, Mr. Speaker, we are here today to celebrate the end of this dark chapter and bring DOGE to a conclusion. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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“I don't like the person the President hired to run a government department. I think the changes he made were bad. Some people lost their jobs. I want to blame the President's friend for everything that went wrong.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, we rise tonight to acknowledge that DOGE is, indeed, dead. Mr. Speaker, the scandals, the gossip--when New Mexicans tune in to see what is happening here in Washington, it feels like they are tuning into an episode of a reality TV show rather than another day in the people's House, but the messiest House isn't an overseas villa. It is the White House. The President has a lot of messy friends and a lot of messy breakups, but the biggest breakup of all was the breakup between President Trump and Elon Musk 1 year ago. One day, Elon is sending a love letter of hundreds of millions in campaign donations to the President's campaign, and the next, he is wondering where it all went wrong. After all the insults, all of the public arguing, and a very public divorce, today, we are here to say to Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency: I am so sorry, but you have not been chosen, and you will be dumped from the villa. Now that the season of DOGE is over, it is time to look back and have a reunion episode and answer the question on everyone's mind: Where did it all go wrong? Was it all talk, or did Elon actually deliver on his promises because when DOGE was created and Americans heard what they were up to, there were some very big promises. He said that he could save $2 trillion by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse across the Federal Government. Well, the honeymoon is over, and I think the numbers say it all. He didn't even save a fraction of that amount. In fact, what we know is that due to disruptions in government services and firings and litigation, he may have actually cost the Federal Government more money than he saved. In fact, here is what we know about DOGE's impacts: Large-scale loss of experienced Federal employees. Our agencies lost tens of thousands of employees through layoffs, deferred resignations, early retirements and hiring freezes. They reduced the institutional knowledge of generations across our agencies and made it impossible to do basic functions that our communities needed: Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and our nuclear agencies who protect the nuclear and national security of this country. They disrupted government services. Agencies were unable to process basic functions. They attacked Social Security. They laid off thousands of veterans across our Federal Government who had served this great country and given their sacrifice in service, only to find themselves eliminated by a cheap date in the West Wing. Legal challenges--we don't even know how many lawsuits there have been in the wake of DOGE--personnel actions, agency restructuring, illegal orders, withholding of funds, and many, many more that are still awaiting to be adjudicated by the courts. Let us not forget that they stole your data. That is right. They came in talking a big talk, saying that they were going to digitize our Federal Government and modernize it and help us actually make the government work for the people. It was a front for stealing your personal data--your IRS data, your Social Security data, your bank account data. They not only went into the most private systems of the Federal Government and stole your data, but they exported it and gave it to private companies. This is not just a run-of-the-mill exercise of modernizing the government. They stole your data for a profit, for campaign advancement, and to ensure that they would be able to continue to access your data for power. In addition to that, they broke key aspects of our Federal Government. They disrupted contracts. They gave themselves private contracts. They gave away billions of dollars in Federal taxpayer dollars for defense contracts to their friends, for NASA contracts for their friends, for weather service contracts for their friends. They disbanded decades of scientific research on every single continent across this planet. The reductions in workforce not just impacted the functioning of the Federal Government but disrupted local economies across the country, especially in our rural communities. Let us not forget the most consequential impacts that we know came as a result of Elon Musk's dangerous date with the White House, and that is the dismantling of the USAID. We know that, as a direct result of the dismantling of public health programs that have been in place across the world for decades, that literally thousands of children across the world died as a direct result. Medicine, food--they came in claiming that they were trying to cut waste, and they left food for starving children to sit in warehouses and rot while children did not have anything to eat. They let medicine expire in warehouses and actually threw it away rather than give it to people for whom it would save their lives. What do they have to answer for it as they have come here to testify before Congress? Is there any remorse for the lives that were lost? Is there any remorse for the thousands of children whose lives were taken because they could not access medicine? Is there any remorse for the thousands of nonprofit organizations who serve our communities every day who have been impacted? Is there any remorse for the hundreds of thousands of Federal workers who they fired and whose lives they disrupted? No. There is no remorse. And let me tell you this: This has been one toxic relationship since the very beginning. So here is what we know. DOGE, you are voted off the island, and we do not want to ever see you back here again. The American people want efficiency. The American people want a government that serves them. The American people want to make sure that their leaders care for the communities that they live in and will care for them. The American people do not want toxic billionaires trying to steal their taxpayer dollars and dismantling the basic services that keep them well. So we bid good-bye to DOGE. We say farewell. We won't miss you. We won't miss you as you leave the island and take your big exit. What we will say is that we will continue to fight every single day for the American people. We will continue to actually work to make this government work for the American people, to actually cut real waste and real fraud and real abuse and the real abusers who are sitting in the White House and committing waste, fraud, and abuse on the American people every single day. We will commit that when we take back this House, when we take back the White House, that we will fight for a nation that fights for our people. We will bring a new deal to this country that serves the working people of this country, that invests in housing and healthcare and food, that protects the environment, that fights for climate action, and that cares for the human dignity of our people. That is our promise. We don't want any more toxic relationships. We just say this: The American people deserve better, girl, and we are here for you. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oregon.

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House of Representatives

We Must Choose Better

2026-07-14

“Many people died in detention centers. I want the government to admit it is their fault. I want you to stop funding ICE. I want to blame the President.”