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Partisan politics is failing NM; it’s time for independent leadership

In vitro fertilization, IVF, is a deeply personal issue for so many families across the country. There is no disappointment greater than learning that one is not able to have a baby.

IVF provides hope and options. It provides opportunity for a successful pregnancy and healthy baby for women who would otherwise be unable have a child. It provides others with flexibility about when to start a family.

By Nella Domenici, Candidate for U.S. Senate

Week of Sept. 15, the U.S. Senate failed to do the people’s business. Partisanship prevailed. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat, and Ted Cruz, a Republican, both had bills to protect access to IVF. Neither the Democratic nor Republican versions were perfect, but then legislation never is. There were two party-line votes, followed by press conferences and finger-pointing when neither bill had enough votes to proceed.


When my father served in the Senate, failing to pass a bill on an important issue was not an option, was not acceptable and would seldom happen. The Senate leaders would call both senators and others into the leader’s office to sit at the big table. Either leader would have told them to work out their differences.


Senators who had ideas were told to prepare amendments and they would be given time to offer and debate their ideas. Then the Senate would vote on the merits. That is the way “the world’s greatest deliberative body” is supposed to work. Now, it’s little more than a battleground for partisan warfare.


We cannot let partisan politics block something so universally supported and grounded in human kindness and common sense. I am committed to protecting IVF. I have heard from countless parents across our state who were able to start a family because of it. This is a core part of my platform for the U.S. Senate, and I will fight to advance the cause once elected.


But the fact is, this issue shouldn’t wait until next year. It should be resolved now. Unfortunately, politicians like Sen. Martin Heinrich, who consistently votes with the Democratic National Committee’s bosses, refuse to reach across the aisle for solutions to everyday problems. After the IVF vote, Heinrich didn’t seek compromise, he pointed fingers and deflected responsibility.


And the problem isn’t just limited to critical issues like IVF.


The skyrocketing cost of living today is also the result of party-line politics. Instead of seeking bipartisan solutions to improve the economy, Democrats pushed through billions in wasteful spending, driving inflation through the roof.


Now, families are struggling to afford everyday essentials, from groceries to gas. Heinrich has cast blame on everyone except himself, yet he voted in lockstep with his party’s radical agenda. And New Mexican families are the ones paying the price.


Time and again, Heinrich fails to stand up to his party — and fails to stand up for New Mexicans. Instead, he supports policies that hurt New Mexico’s people and our economy. His war on New Mexico’s oil and gas industry is an example. Heinrich supports burdensome, extreme policies that threaten to crush this vital sector, all to stay in line with party politics.


That’s putting Washington’s agenda ahead of individual New Mexican’s needs.


There was a time when Republicans and Democrats could work together on big issues. My father, former Sen. Pete Domenici, was able to find common ground with both parties, whether the issue was mental health reform or energy policy or raising the minimum wage. He worked across the aisle with senators as liberal as Ted Kennedy because it was the right thing to do for New Mexico and for the country. He welcomed healthy debate and respected differing viewpoints. Today, too few in Washington are willing to do the same.


I’m running for the U.S. Senate because New Mexico is at a crossroads. The partisan politics that killed commonsense measures like IVF protections are leading our state down a dangerous path. We need independent leadership that can bring people together, find middle ground, and put New Mexico back on track. Our state deserves better. This November, we have a chance to make that change, not just for New Mexico, but for the country.

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