Rep. Gabe Vasquez’s Bill to Protect Rural Jobs Signed into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (N.M.-02)’s Rural Installation Job Protection Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden after passing the Senate and House with bipartisan support. The bill protects jobs on rural military installations and ensures that the Department of Defense (DoD) will be transparent with Congress before making decisions that could hurt local economies, safeguarding the future of workers and families who rely on these installations.

“Folks who are hired to supplement training programs at military installations such as Holloman Force Base contribute to our national security. That’s why my bill ensures that their jobs—and the local economies that depend on them—will be protected,” said Vasquez. “The Department of Defense must be transparent with Congress when making decisions that impact rural installations. We must ensure that folks who choose to live in rural communities can continue to contribute to a strong defense infrastructure, and it is needed now more than ever. My bill, included in the NDAA, will ensure transparency and accountability and even the playing field for communities like Alamogordo and Las Cruces.”

Rural communities like Alamogordo rely on the thousands of good paying contractor jobs at Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range. The Rural Installation Job Protection Act protects jobs by requiring the DoD to notify Congress before canceling civilian contracts that impact 50 or more jobs at rural military installations. This law will ensure that rural communities that rely on military installations are not left behind.

Vasquez’s bill was passed in the final bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which was signed into law on December 23. 

As the only Member of the New Mexico delegation to serve on an Armed Services Committee, Vasquez has worked to support New Mexico’s service members, families and installations to ensure New Mexico remains at the forefront of our national defense. 

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