These 5 New Mexicans are headed to the State of the Union to highlight local education, women’s health and downwinder issues in DC

Tonight, President Joe Biden will give one of the most important speeches of his political career in front of a joint session of Congress. The annual speech gives the president the chance to highlight his accomplishments from the last year and lay out his vision for the next.

This year, however, Biden will also take the dais facing a tough reelection environment exacerbated by questions about his age and public perceptions about rising inflation in an otherwise booming economy. This week, former President Donald Trump won several major Republican primary victories which prompted his final major opponent, Nikki Haley, to end her campaign. That now all but guarantees a rematch of the 2020 election.

For members of Congress, the State of the Union gives them the chance to invite a special guest to their own agendas in Congress for the coming year.

This year, guests of New Mexico’s two US senators and three US Representatives, all Democrats, come from a local community school, provide healthcare to women and advocate for compensation for communities impacted by New Mexico’s Manhattan Project-era mining and atomic programs.

US Senator Martin Heinrich (D)

Sen. Martin Heinrich’s guest will be Tatiana Del Toro-Frank, Community School Coordinator at MacArthur Elementary School in Las Cruces.

Senator Heinrich says he selected Del Toro-Frank to recognize her work to bolster New Mexico students’ education, health, and well-being, and also underscore the work that still lies ahead to expand access to early childhood education and increase funding for full-service community schools.

“New Mexico’s kids deserve a future as bright as they are, and champions committed to delivering exactly that. Tatiana Del Toro-Frank is one of those champions. Her complete dedication to the families of her community deserves to be celebrated,” said Heinrich. “I look forward to having Tatiana as my State of the Union guest and working in tandem with her to fight for working families in New Mexico.”

US Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D)

Sen. Lujan’s guest is a frequent New Mexico voice in Washington. Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, as his guest for President Biden’s State of the Union address.

Last year, Senator Luján led a bipartisan coalition of Senators to pass RECA as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – the most significant Congressional action in decades to strengthen the program.

“Last year, Tina Cordova was with me when President Biden voiced his strong support for passing RECA into law and providing justice for New Mexicans. Generations of New Mexicans, including Tina and her family, have been impacted by the lasting impacts of the Trinity Test. It’s far past time to do right by these families who sacrificed for our national security,” said Luján. “Last week, Leaders Schumer and McConnell committed to holding another vote on RECA. I am hopeful that this will pass with a bipartisan coalition of Senators just as it did last year. I’m honored that Tina will join me for President Biden’s State of the Union address and as the Senate prepares to once again vote on RECA.”

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM01)
Rep. Stansbury’s guest is Roswell physician Dr. Destinie Marquez. According to Stansbury’s office, Marquez’s work focuses on antepartum and postpartum maternal health, addressing social disparities affecting patient health, and advocating for her patients at a legislative level for better healthcare.

“I am honored to have Dr. Destinie Marquez as my guest during President Biden’s State of the Union address this year,” said Rep. Stansbury. “Dr. Marquez is a passionate advocate for women’s reproductive rights, particularly in underserved communities. Her dedication to ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare for all women makes her a crucial voice in addressing critical issues facing women today. 

Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM02)
Rep. Vasquez’s guest is Treva Riley, an educator at Laguna Elementary School. According to Vasquez’s office, Riley has taught at Laguna Elementary School for ten years and would directly benefit from Vasquez’s Parity for Tribal Educators Act that provides teachers and staff at Tribally-controlled schools the same federal retirement benefits as teachers at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools.

Rep. Teresa Ledger Fernandez (D-NM03)

Rep. Ledger Fernandez’s guest is Navajo Nation member Phil Harrison, a former uranium mine worker. Harrison is now an advocate for the federal legislation compensate New Mexicans affected by the Trinity Test as well as those who worked in the mines or mills after 1971.

“The movie Oppenheimer is expected to win multiple academy Oscars this weekend, but the story that remains untold and the injustice that remains unresolved is the explosion’s impact on people like Phil. We’re going to tell some of that story at the State of the Union,” said Ledger Fernandez.