Gabe Vasquez

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to expand the provision of farmer-led technical assistance, and for other purposes.

in committee

Downwinder Commemoration Act of 2025

in committee

Parity for Tribal Educators Act

in committee

“Mr. VASQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Kiwanis Club of Las Cruces, New Mexico, on their 100th anniversary. For 100 years, this group has dedicated its time and effort to the betterment of the local community and its youth. Originally chartered in 1926 as the 19th club in the Southwest District, the Las Cruces Club has maintained an active status through a rapidly advancing and changing society. Their work reflects the Kiwanis Club's defining statement, ``Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.'' Supporting children and youth is an integral part of Kiwanis, and in 1957, the Las Cruces Kiwanis Club established the first Key Club at Las Cruces High School. Over time, they expanded Key Clubs to Centennial, Mayfield, and Organ Mountain High Schools. They maintain active partnerships with each school, hosting quarterly meetings with advisors to discuss new service opportunities and recognize the clubs for their work. They have also sponsored service leadership clubs in other schools in the community, including K-Kids for elementary school students at the Explore Academy and the Builder's Club for middle school students at Camino Real, Lynn, and Zia Middle Schools. The Club also has a Signature Project, the Kiwanis Housing Insecure Students Support, or ``KHISS,'' through which they work with the McKinney-Vento Project Link operating in the Las Cruces Public Schools. To support this project, they have held several fundraisers in recent years, such as Restaurant Day, a Halloween Fish Fry, a Chile Ristra Paint Party, and selling ``rat on a stick'' at the Renaissance Arts Faire. In addition to their Signature Project, the Club has a long history of service to the community They help purchase school supplies for kids in the Las Cruces School District, provide free books to children through interactive games, and host several other events to get youth involved in the community. Additionally, in the 1940s the Club began providing free milk to underprivileged children in Tortugas and other local communities. The Club is constantly looking for ways to support their community and is always ready to lend a helping hand. In 2018, the Club provided $1000 to Jardin de los Ninos, and in 2021, they donated to the Mesilla Valley CASA to help make up for a loss suffered from a break-in. In one of their biggest projects to date, the Club assisted the youth center in 2020 by constructing fencing around the recreation area. Supporting their community to this extent is no small feat and requires a lot of organization, dedication, and local involvement, which is displayed in the success of their fundraisers. From 1958 to 1990, they hosted a [[Page E483]] Pancake Day fundraiser that allowed the Club to fund and continue their community service. The tradition continues today through pancake breakfast fundraisers for school youth groups and other local charities. Additionally, from 1999 to 2019, they held the Kars for Kids Car Show annual fundraiser, which was enjoyed by both participants and the community. On behalf of the people of New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, I would like to thank the Las Cruces Kiwanis Club for their service to the Las Cruces community and its youth and congratulate them on their centennial anniversary. We are grateful for the Club's astounding contributions to New Mexicans, and we wish them continued success for years to come. ____________________”

2026-05-21 · Government Reform

“Mr. VASQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Pete Benavidez for his outstanding contributions to New Mexico's veteran community and his service to our country. Pete is a veteran who devotes his free time to advocating for and helping other veterans in his community. Pete is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and he now lives in Belen. For over twenty years, Pete served and protected our country in both the Army and the New Mexico National Guard. During his service, he worked as a Track Vehicle Repairer and was deployed to combat. While conducting a recovery operation for a vehicle, Pete was injured by an Improvised Explosive Device, which caused severe brain damage and resulted in him being medically discharged from the military. Pete attempted to work several jobs after his discharge but could not maintain employment because of his combat-related disability. As Pete faced health challenges, he sought help from his local Department of Veterans Affairs and the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center. There he received treatment that improved his health, allowed him to continue working towards being a family man, and pushed him to serve his community. To this day, Pete remains an active force in New Mexico's veteran community and shares his story to bring awareness to the greatest issues impacting veterans. During my time in Congress, he has worked closely with my office to advocate for the Major Richard Star Act and other measures to improve veterans' lives. In his free time, he supports other veterans in his community by helping them apply for VA benefits, educating them on services available to them, and even driving veterans to their appointments and veteran group meetings. Pete's commitment to service continues through his son, who is now serving in the New Mexico National Guard. On behalf of the people of New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, I would like to thank Pete for his service to our country and his commitment to ensuring our brave men and women receive the care and support they deserve. ____________________”

2026-03-27 · Veterans

“Mr. VASQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Terri Judah for her outstanding contributions to Carlsbad, New Mexico. Terri is a community leader who has devoted her time and effort to feeding New Mexico's families and working for New Mexico's children for over two decades. Terri gets a profound sense of joy from helping those in need and has organized an annual Thanksgiving food drive for over twenty years. The food drive started two decades ago when Terri partnered with her daughters' Girl Scout troop to create 19 food baskets to deliver to families in need. Driven by Terri's enthusiasm and hard work, the food drive blossomed over time to include help from hundreds of volunteers in the community, including Girl Scout troops, sports teams, students, and local businesses. The Thanksgiving food drive now feeds hundreds of families each year and fed over 300 families last year. The continued success of this food drive requires extensive dedication, compassion, and community support. In the weeks and months leading up to Thanksgiving, Terri starts setting up donation sites throughout town, storing donations, and coordinating volunteers to assemble baskets and deliveries. The entire community truly rallies around Terri and steps up to ensure families will not go hungry in the holiday season. Terri also created Operation Hope--a project where she collects and restores used items such as furniture, clothes, and toys, to give to any family that reaches out for assistance. Terri began this effort when she learned that one of her former students was living hand to mouth, and she decided she could not sit idly by. She jumped into action, collecting items that could help her student's family live a little more comfortably and continues to offer support to any family that asks for help. Above all her impactful work, Terri is a proud wife, mom, grandma, and friend to all. She has also taught kindergarten in Carlsbad Public Schools for the past twenty-five years. She is a beloved teacher, and her students are forever known as ``Judah's Jaguars''. She truly does it all. On behalf of the people of New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, I would like to thank Terri for her commitment to helping those less fortunate and ensuring her neighbors are fed during the holiday season. She exemplifies the best that New Mexico has to offer, and we are extremely proud of her incredible work. ____________________”

2026-02-11 · Housing