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U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury held a town hall Monday to address the ongoing government shutdown and visited a Social Security office in Rio Rancho amid the fourth week of a federal funding lapse.
“Now more than ever, it’s important that elected officials show up for our communities,” Stansbury said in a statement. “I will be spending the week in the heart of NM-01 doing everything I can for those impacted by the shutdown.”
The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, became the third-longest full government shutdown in U.S. history as of Monday, according to Stansbury’s office. Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending bill after New Mexico Democrats said they would not advance legislation unless Republicans agreed to extend tax credits for people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
During the town hall event, which drew a big crowd to the Sandoval County Commission Chambers, Stansbury told the attendees that federal workers are experiencing financial hardship as paychecks lapse.
Town hall attendees raised questions about potential impacts to federal retiree benefits, government mistrust and the Trump administration’s plan to send $40 billion to Argentina. Constituents also expressed concerns about the federal deficit and the country’s credit rating.
Stansbury said mass firings of federal workers are illegal and noted that a court injunction has already restrained such actions during the current shutdown. She also said a USDA notice instructing states to stop Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program distributions in November is illegal and that New Mexico is preparing litigation.
“If the Speaker of the House wanted to pass a budget today, he could literally, literally call us back right this minute,” Stansbury said.
The congresswoman credited New Mexico state lawmakers for passing legislation during a two-day special session Oct. 1 to address federal impacts. She urged affected residents to contact her office for assistance and said her staff was conducting outreach and resource fairs.
Stansbury plans to hold a virtual town hall on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and another in-person town hall on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque.
The Monday event followed Saturday’s No Kings protests, in which organizers said millions of Americans demonstrated against President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies. Stansbury, who attended the Albuquerque rally, called the protests “one of the best tools to increase political pressure.”
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