Does Udall Hope Nobody Remembers What He Says?

Yet another vote to raise the debt ceiling and keep the government running was killed yesterday. It was done with the help of four of the five members of the New Mexico congressional delegation. Only Congressman Steve Pearce cast a compromise vote to keep the government running. A bill, which passed in the U.S. House, was linked to the cutting and capping of spending, and also sending a balanced budget amendment to the states for approval. Let's analyze what these ominous NO votes by Ben Ray Lujan, Martin Heinrich, Jeff Bingaman, and Tom Udall could mean to New Mexico citizens? Below is a list of three possible consequences.

1. More than 360,000 New Mexicans could be in danger of not receiving Social Security checks depending on what the Obama administration decides to spend social security tax revenue on.

2. Over 300,000 Medicare recipients and service providers could be left in the lurch depending on what President Obama decides to spend Medicate taxes on.
3. Over 174,000 New Mexico veterans would face the prospects that their benefits disrupted depending on which government projects President Obama chooses to fund instead.

Just a few days after NM Senator Tom Udall had gone on the record to suggest the problem was a partisan one, he chose to vote along party lines and only with fellow Senate Democrats, to move the New Mexicans he represents much closer to the three consequences listed above. In doing so he said NO to keeping the government running and NO to restructuring the runaway spending nightmare in Washington. Udall also suggested recently that it was time to do.......“What is right for New Mexicans. We must increase the debt ceiling, and we must do it by Aug. 2.” Yesterday Udall had the opportunity to do just that. And instead he voted to prolong the crisis. Does he hope nobody is listening to what he says before he votes?