New Mexico congressional delegates are facing a bit of a scheduling conflict next week.
The 47th presidential inauguration is set for Monday, Jan. 20, which also is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Both events are traditionally filled with politicos and lawmakers, but they don’t often happen on the same day.
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury is opting to skip the inauguration and will attend a commemorative Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event in the Land of Enchantment instead.
“We have a long standing tradition in my office of joining our leaders across New Mexico who are commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. King and his work on social justice, and being in community, especially with New Mexico’s black community,” Stansbury said during a press call on Jan. 6.
Sen. Ben Ray Luján is planning to attend the inauguration as he has done in the past for presidents of both parties, Luján spokesman Adán Serna told NM Political Report.
Sen. Heinrich will not attend the inauguration due to other Senate-related obligations, a Heinrich spokesman said.
Other congressional delegates did not respond to NM Political Report’s inquiries.
The presidential inauguration day always falls on Jan. 20 unless it’s a Sunday — then it is held the next day.
The birthday of civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a national holiday, commemorated on the third Monday of January since 1986 after having been signed into law by then-President Ronald Reagan in 1983.
Other news from the Hill:
- Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat representing the 2nd Congressional District, honored the late Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janeway during a floor speech on Jan. 7. Janeway served as Carlsbad mayor for 13 years and died Dec. 30.
- U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat, commended the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus’s decision to block medical debt from inclusion on credit reports.
“No American should have their economic future thrown into chaos because they got sick or are faced with high medical costs,” Luján said in a Jan. 8 press release. “CFPB’s final rule will change the lives of millions and help ensure that Americans aren’t denied access to credit because of the burden of medical debt. In some cases, some of these medical bills do not even reflect what people actually owe. This is a positive step forward, and I am committed to helping New Mexicans live with dignity.”
Former President Jimmy Carter was laid to rest in Plains, Georgia Thursday following his state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral. He died on Dec. 29 at age 100.
The Electoral College Vote was certified by a joint session of Congress without issue on Jan. 6.
Shame on Rep. Stansbury, wheather she likes it or not she’s going to have to work with Trump and he is going to be the POUS!