By Sen. Martin Heinrich
LOS LUNAS, N.M. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., spoke at the Central New Mexico Manufacturing and Innovation Expo on March 6, highlighting how his work to pass the Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, helped create the foundation for exponential economic growth in the region.
“Today is kind of a full circle moment for me, because six years ago, Congress hadn’t fully touched industrial policy in probably 50 years, and domestic manufacturing was declining all across the country, as a result,” Heinrich said. “We had the job losses to prove it. Since then, we have begun to reverse that trend, and it turns out that industrial policy really does matter.
“Five years ago, a group of us came together and passed the Infrastructure Law and the CHIPS Act, two major investments, both in basic infrastructure that supports all of our business development, as well as the manufacturing that we had started to hemorrhage to other parts of the world,” he said. “A year later, I was deeply involved in championing the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Because of projects like Pacific Fusion, Arcosa, [and] Kairos, New Mexico is becoming one of the best places in our country to build our clean energy future. The truth is that the future of American manufacturing is being built right here in places like Los Lunas, in places like Valencia County and in Central New Mexico as a whole,” he said. “And rural communities across New Mexico and across the country are proving that innovation doesn’t just live in big cities. Innovation thrives where hard work, advanced technology, and strong local partnerships come together.”
In 2021 and 2022, Heinrich helped pass the Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which helped bring manufacturing to Central New Mexico, including companies like Arcosa Wind Towers. Later in 2022, Heinrich also helped pass the CHIPS and Science Act, bipartisan legislation to lower costs, boost domestic manufacturing, strengthen domestic supply chains, and invest in skilled trades and workforce training programs.
In February 2025, Heinrich introduced his Apprenticeship Pathways Act, legislation to create pathways to high-demand careers for high school students by expanding access to apprenticeships and technical education.
