Jeff Bingaman

Biography
Jeff Bingaman grew up in Silver City in a family with deep New Mexico small town roots. His father was a science professor at Western New Mexico University, and his mother taught in the public schools. He graduated from high school in Silver City. After graduating from Harvard University, he earned a law degree at Stanford. There he met fellow law student Anne Kovacovich. After graduation, they married and returned to New Mexico, where they both practiced law, and their son, John, was born.

Border
During his time in the Senate, he has advocated for a comprehensive approach to maintaining border security which focuses on implementing a forward thinking strategy that anticipates future threats and allocates sufficient resources to address those threats. To this end, he has consistently sought to secure funding for additional Border Patrol agents, surveillance cameras, and vehicle barriers, in an effort to stem the flow of illegal immigration and drugs and to prevent against potential terrorist activity.

Crime and Justice
He has consistently supported efforts to provide local, state, and federal law enforcement with the tools they need to combat crime. To keep our communities safe, we must not only be tough on crime, but also look for ways to address the root causes of illegal behavior. He has led efforts to provide additional resources for youth drop-out prevention programs, drug courts, and rehabilitation and treatment services. He has also constantly fought to uphold the rights enshrined in our Constitution and to protect the civil liberties that are the foundation of our democracy.

Economy
He has always considered economic development – encouraging individual entrepreneurship and high wage jobs in particular – to be a priority in New Mexico. In this age of rapid technological change and international competition, we must keep looking forward so that we do not fall behind.

Education
He is committed to building a world-class education system that challenges students with high academic standards and sets clear, attainable goals for student achievement. In addition, he is working to give local communities the flexibility to revamp schools to better address the needs of students at risk of dropping out.

Energy and Natural Resources
As Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, he is one of the Senate's leading advocates for protecting the vast natural resources of our country and for promoting sound energy policy.

Environment
Our public lands provide us with many benefits, from domestic energy, recreational activities, hunting, and even the chance to get away from our busy lives. He supports the protection of our valuable natural resources, including wildlife and plant life, and will continue to do all that he can to ensure these resources remain for future generations.

Foreign Affairs
He believes that the United States has a unique opportunity to positively influence the rule of law, economic development, human rights, and trade of other countries. We must maintain relations with the international community so we can fight terrorism in a coordinated fashion. In doing so, we not only can make the world more stable, but we can also learn from other countries’ experiences to improve our domestic policy.

Health Care
Many of his efforts in the Senate focus on improving health care for New Mexicans. He is the only member of the majority to sit on both the Health Education and Labor (HELP) Committee and Finance Committee, which together have primary jurisdiction over the U.S. healthcare system. His efforts on the HELP committee focus on improving healthcare workforce to attract qualified doctors, nurses, and other professionals to New Mexico.

National Security
Our nation must provide for a strong and competent military that is appropriately prepared for a variety of threats to our national security. In particular, the threat of terrorist attacks against Americans at home and abroad remains a grave concern. Beyond using our conventional military, he believes we also need to address the roots of terrorism and change the context within which terror develops and evolves.

Science & Technology
He strongly believes that sustained investment in science and technology is essential in order to ensure future American innovation and to maintain a competitive economy for high-wage job creation. Just as in the case of our national security, our economic future depends on us remaining the world leader in science and technology.