Education & Family Support
Investing in students means investing in our future. Rep. Vasquez believes that education boosts New Mexico's competitiveness by equipping the next generation with essential skills to strengthen our workforce. That's why prioritizing early childhood education, family support, and post-graduation opportunities ensures a solid foundation for the future.
Here are some ways Vasquez has been working to make this a reality:
Supporting Working Families
- Introduced his Lower Costs Plan, which includes several bills to help cut costs from the grocery store to the gas station.
- Voted to expand the Child Tax Credit, benefiting more than 59K children in the district, and continues to work on expanding the credit to its full potential through the American Families Act.
- Voted to slash prescription costs and ensure price transparency by passing the bipartisan Lower Costs, More Transparency Act.
Student Education & Well-Being
- Helped pass the bipartisan Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 to restore $9 million in annual federal support for rural New Mexico counties to fund essential infrastructure like roads and schools.
- Introduced the Parity for Tribal Educators Act to give every child in New Mexico a fair shot at success by keeping Tribal schools staffed with quality educators.
- Advocated for mental health services in schools through the Mental Health Services for Students Act, ensuring students' well-being.
- Enhanced school safety measures and promoted bullying prevention efforts with the Safe Schools Improvement Act.
- Championed cleaner school buses with the Community Facilities Program for Rural Clean School Bus Infrastructure Act, providing safer transportation for rural students.
More on Education & Family Support
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 26, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) announced that his office had successfully returned over $5 million to constituents in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District this Congress through casework services. Rep. Vasquez’s casework team helps constituents cut past red tape and resolve issues with federal agencies, including the IRS, Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, and more.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 20, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) released the following statement in response to the one-year anniversary of the tragic Young Park shooting in Las Cruces that took the lives of three teenagers and injured 15 others on March 21, 2025.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 4, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) announced the re-introduction of his bipartisan Parity for Tribal Educators Act to address teacher shortages in Indian Country. The legislation would provide teachers at Tribally-controlled schools the same federal retirement benefits that teachers at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools receive, ensuring Tribal students have equal access to educational opportunity.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On January 27, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) co-sponsored two bills to address New Mexico’s housing affordability crisis by cracking down on greedy, corporate landlords to ensure hardworking New Mexicans have a fair shot at homeownership.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On January 15, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) announced that he had secured federal grants totaling $3.7 million from the Department of Justice for the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Department of Transportation to improve road safety in Albuquerque, Ramah, and Truth or Consequences.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On December 9, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) delivered a major bipartisan victory for rural New Mexico with the passage of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025. Now enacted, the law restores $9 million in annual federal support for rural New Mexico counties to fund essential infrastructure like roads and schools, and it requires missed payments from 2024 and 2025 to be issued to counties within 45 days.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 24, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) visited his alma mater, New Mexico State University, to focus on growing New Mexico’s local economy by bolstering pathways for young New Mexicans to start small businesses and pursue careers in STEM.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On August 19, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) launched a nearly 400-mile tour, visiting communities across the western part of his district to discuss the urgent needs facing rural New Mexico today. The Congressman made stops at Ramah Navajo Chapter, Fence Lake, and Quemado to discuss local residents’ and leaders’ top concerns, including funding for infrastructure, public safety, schools, and health care.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) alongside the New Mexico Delegation sent a letter to President Donald Trump demanding the immediate release of nearly $5.6 billion in federal education funding withheld from New Mexico’s students, educators, and schools.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to the Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) urging the administration to release $6.9 billion in congressionally approved federal education funds currently being unlawfully withheld from states and local school districts.