Hello Friends,

As you may know, my time in the United States Senate is coming to an end. And I want you to know that serving New Mexico in Congress has been the highest honor of my life.

I recently spoke to the Senate in a farewell speech, but I wanted to tell you personally how grateful I am to every New Mexican who stayed engaged and informed during my term, for the many letters you sent and calls you made to my office. New Mexico is my home state and the state that I love, and that’s because of the people who make up the Land of Enchantment.

It’s been a privilege to serve you, from doing work to protect our public lands, advocate for our state’s agriculture & water, fight climate change and grow clean energy, protect the health and educational opportunities of New Mexicans, work for our veterans, promote economic development, advocate for a smart foreign policy, and protect our civil liberties. While I may be leaving the Senate, let me assure you that I am not leaving public service. I intend to keep working hard on behalf of New Mexico to make sure our state and our nation can thrive.

One of the things I’ve cherished most during my time in the Senate is that I had the chance to serve as Vice-Chair on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Some of my proudest achievements have been the result of working with Tribal leaders to further the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations and support New Mexico’s 23 Tribes.

In the coming years, I hope to see the changes I proposed in the For the People and Democracy For All Acts put into place, because it’s no secret that our democracy is broken. I have seen how secret money floods campaigns to buy influence and widen divisions, instead of letting the voters speak clearly. Voting rights are under attack, and we must act boldly to reform the system to make it easier, not harder, to vote. That’s the only way we’ll make the progress we need to make.

We have the power—and the obligation—to solve the crises of the pandemic, of climate change, and the threats to our democracy. All it takes are clear eyes and political will, and remembering that we may disagree in politics – but not in the future that we want for our children.

When I was a young man, I spent the summer of 1969 in the mountains of Colorado teaching students wilderness skills. Each night, we’d look up and open our eyes to the moon. It seemed impossibly far away. When we emerged from the wilderness, we learned what Apollo 11 achieved. We had landed on the moon – the moon that seemed so impossibly far away.

We should never forget that we can do the impossible when we open our eyes to the challenge – and work together to meet it. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the chance to serve you.

Best Wishes,

Tom Udall

United States Senator










CONNECT WITH TOM





CONTACT TOM

UNSUBSCRIBE


tomudall.senate.gov

Photo of poppies in New Mexico's bootheel

by DiAnn Matteson from Rodeo