Rep. Stansbury Solicits Tribal Economic Development Input
Natural Resources Committee logo WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Stansbury (NM-01), a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, cited Sandia Pueblo and Mescalero Apache Tribes as an example of tribal nations that are “economic powerhouses” in New Mexico and across the country. Rep. Stansbury participated in the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs hearing, where she asked tribal witnesses to outline their priorities for Congress to support economic development in Indian Country.
The 23 federally recognized tribes and Pueblos in New Mexico generate over $600 million in revenue annually and employ over 11,000 New Mexicans. In addition to helping drive state and local economies, tribally run enterprises serve as major revenue sources for tribes and Pueblos to administer social services, build critical infrastructure, and provide resources for their communities.
Rep. Stansbury began by highlighting the economic contributions of Sandia Pueblo and Mescalero Apache Nation. “Sandia Pueblo, which is just north of Albuquerque, which is my hometown, employs thousands of residents living in the Albuquerque area and has quite a diversified economic portfolio,” said Stansbury. “And Mescalero Apache operates an amazing set of enterprises around the hospitality and ski businesses, as well as a number of other major enterprises in southern New Mexico.”
Rep. Stansbury cited progress in the 117 th Congress to support tribal economic development through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, but noted Congress must take further action to support tribal economies. “I was struck by the number of barriers that still obviously are presented to so […]