“The Senate went ahead anyway,” Council Chairman Joey Sanchez said on Tuesday, following a U.S. Senate vote that advanced a major federal permitting reform bill despite intense opposition from New Mexico tribal leaders.
The All Pueblo Council of Governors, which represents 19 New Mexico Pueblos, issued a statement Tuesday reiterating their stance against the legislation. Members of the council traveled to Washington, D.C., to watch the vote unfold in person on Monday evening, according to reports from kanw.org and yahoo.com.
The 494-page bill, known as the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, moved closer to a full Senate floor vote after the chamber voted 73 to 25 to open additional amendments. This procedural step sets the stage for a potential floor vote in the coming days.
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The primary friction point for the Pueblos involves provisions that they claim will strip tribal governments of their ability to provide input on energy and other development projects located on sacred lands. While sponsors of the bill have attempted to address these concerns, the Council maintains that the core issue remains unresolved.
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) has championed the bill as a mechanism to accelerate renewable energy projects and reduce carbon emissions. However, opponents argue the legislation’s environmental benefits are offset by its potential to fast-track fossil fuel projects and the construction of data centers.
Photo: yahoo.com
“That is a government-to-government relationship running in one direction. Nobody consulted the Pueblos before this bill was written, and the changes made since don’t fix that,” Council Chairman Joey Sanchez said in a statement.
Sanchez noted that the Pueblos had delivered formal statements of opposition directly to senators before the Monday night vote took place. Despite these direct communications, the Senate proceeded with the vote to advance the bill.
Tequesue Pueblo Gov. Mark Mitchell, who serves as the Council’s vice chairman, expressed the emotional weight of the proceedings. kanw.org reported that Mitchell described it as “hard to sit in that gallery watching this unfold.”
“We are not giving up because we are doing this for our children and the entire world,” Mitchell said.
The bill faces an uncertain path as it moves toward the U.S. House of Representatives. While the Senate vote showed broad bipartisan support for advancing the bill, several New Mexico representatives have signaled they will not support the current version of the text.
U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández and Melanie Stansbury, both Democrats from New Mexico, have stated they oppose the bill as it is currently written. Additionally, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján cast a vote against advancing the bill during Monday night’s session.
The legislative battle highlights a growing tension between federal efforts to streamline infrastructure and the sovereign rights of tribal nations to oversee land use. The outcome of the upcoming House vote will determine if the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act becomes law or remains stalled in the legislative process.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 — Tribes united against controversial permitting reform bill
