Dear Friend, One of my favorite parts of this job is spending time in our communities. I just finished a marathon two weeks in the district, including a trip to the southern part of NM-01. Here’s a recap of this time: Protecting Your Social Security
President Trump's policies are not laser-focused on the cost-of-living crisis, and these policies are making it worse. His policies are also attacking Social Security to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. We need the government to fight for the middle-class, the working-class, and the vulnerable. House Democrats are fighting for just that. Reminder: DOGE head Elon Musk said, "Social Security is the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.” This is not fearmongering; it is a real threat. Consider what the Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced on its own website: “The agency plans to reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure, with a significant focus on functions and employees who do not directly provide mission-critical services. Social Security recently set a staffing target of 50,000, down from the current level of approximately 57,000 employees.” At least 40 Field Offices across the country report that these staffing reductions result in the loss of more than a quarter of their staff. This means longer wait times for appointments and longer lines once people arrive. That’s why I visited the Social Security office in Albuquerque to conduct oversight and find out more about what is going on. We were denied entry past the waiting room and instead given a generic phone number in another state to schedule a meeting. Folks, this was AFTER our already scheduled meeting was cancelled last minute for no good reason. Here’s what I was able to uncover: staffing is down by over half, computer systems have been crashing, call times have more than doubled, it is taking days for members of our communities to reach anyone who can answer questions, and people are now being forced to come in person and can’t get appointments for months out to get their issues resolved around the country. These impacts are hurting real people, including our seniors, people living with disabilities, and survivors. As the Ranking Member of the DOGE Subcommittee on Oversight, it is my job to get to the bottom of this. Hands off Social Security! | Listening to the Stories of Our Communities
When I visited the southern part of the district, I made it a priority to meet with New Mexicans and hear their stories. My first stop was the Village of Lincoln, where we spent time with the State Cultural Affairs office to learn more about the history of the area. Did you know Billy the Kid lived in New Mexico? Or that there are Indigenous artifacts in the area dating back to the 1400s? There is so much amazing history in our state! My next stop was at Healing America’s Heroes, a veteran and first responder PTSD and mental health retreat located at Fort Stanton. Eddie, the founder, told us about the program and how they use equine therapy and fly fishing as tools to help our heroes. Lastly, I stopped at the Mescalero Apache Reservation, where I met with the Tribal Council and President Thora Padilla. She told me her story of her time as a forester and even gave me a quick lesson on how the tribe thins their forests to help prevent wildfires! Every day, I am so grateful to the people of this wonderful state who share their stories and histories with me. | Holding Town Halls to Hear from You
Most of my time in the district these past couple of weeks was spent hosting town halls. I’m very proud to have held 15 townhalls in 2025. I am grateful to everyone who showed up and shared their concerns, questions, hopes, and dreams for New Mexico and the country. I want you to know that everyone’s thoughts were heard—loud and clear—and I will always fight for the people of New Mexico. If you attended one of my town halls and would like to provide feedback, you can do so here. | I am honored to represent New Mexico and our communities in Congress, and I do not take a single moment for granted. I will continue to fight to ensure that your voices and concerns are heard because New Mexicans matter. As always, if I can assist you or your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to our District Office at (505) 346–6781! If you’d like to keep up to date on what I am working on in Washington, D.C., you can subscribe to our newsletter here and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and TikTok. | Rep. Melanie Stansbury Member of Congress | Sign up for my newsletter to get updates on this issue and others! | Washington, D.C. Office 1421 Longworth House Office Building (202) 225-6316 | Albuquerque Office
6301 Indian School Rd NE Suite 420
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 346-6781 | |
