WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced that he will join the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The subcommittee holds jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community, and is responsible for producing one of 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the federal government's programs and responsibilities. Udall will also continue to serve on four other subcommittees that allocate key funding for programs important to New Mexico: the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration; the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development; the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; and the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, on which he assumed the role of lead Democrat earlier this month.

Udall issued the following statement after the Appropriations Committee Chairman and Vice Chairwoman announced the subcommittee assignments:

"I'm very pleased to join the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee this year. New Mexico's three Air Force bases, White Sands Missile Range, and Fort Bliss play a vital role in our national defense and our state's economy. Combined with my position on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations subcommittee, this new assignment gives me an even stronger platform to ensure that New Mexico's service men and women have the facilities and equipment they need to succeed and to support our national security. I'll also continue to serve on the subcommittees on Energy and Water, which oversees a significant part of the budget for the national labs; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the budget for nutrition programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and many other farm programs important in New Mexico; and as the top Democrat on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, which oversees energy permitting, public lands and wildfire funding."