Ben Ray Luján has represented New Mexico in the United States Senate since January 2021. He previously served as U.S. Representative for New Mexico’s Third Congressional District and House Assistant Speaker in the 116th Congress.
Senator Luján sits on the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the Committee on Indian Affairs; and the Committee on the Budget.
Senator Luján grew up in Nambé, a small farming community north of Santa Fe, bordered by the Nambé and Pojoaque Pueblos. It was there that he learned New Mexico values, including hard work, dedication, and perseverance, from his family and community.
As member of the Commerce Committee, Ben has acted to hold online tech platforms and corporations accountable. Ben is working to enhance protections for everyday Americans’ privacy and personal data. Tech companies have become engrained in everyone’s day to day life, and Ben believes that these corporations shouldn’t profit from creating harmful online environments for their customers.
Since being sworn-in, Ben has made great strides forward in expanding access to broadband in New Mexico and across the country. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill included several key amendments that will provide affordable broadband for over 700,000 New Mexicans, and construct essential broadband infrastructure in rural and Tribal areas in the state. He has long fought for funding to connect more of our students to the internet, helping better prepare them for the future. A strong champion for 100% broadband connectivity, Ben was named chair of the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. This Congress, he has introduced legislation to help close the homework gap by equipping school buses with Wi-Fi technology and improve financing options for broadband deployment. While there is still a lot of work to be done, Ben will continue to advocate for expanding broadband until everyone in New Mexico and across the nation has access to affordable, resilient, and secure broadband.