Vote ‘no’ but take the dough: Senate Democrats claim credit for bill they opposed

Published February 4, 2026 7:00am ET



A pair of Democratic senators is touting tens of millions of dollars in federal funding they “secured” for local projects in their home state despite voting against the legislation.

Opposing a White House-brokered funding deal that cleared Congress on Tuesday and was signed into law by President Donald Trump didn’t stop Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) from each claiming credit for more than $50 million in earmarks for New Mexico.

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