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Although lawmakers wanted information on what is wrong with New England's aging electric power grid, they heard from a Connecticut utility Thursday about what that utility is doing right. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he called for the hearing because of the electricity outages in New England last year caused by bad weather and an emerging pattern in the United States of more frequent and stronger storms. "We know that there will be another storm that will knock down our power lines," Bingaman said. Introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., to...

But why does the chairman of Energy and Natural Resources own substantial stock in General Electric, Arch Coal, and oil companies like Occidental, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Concho Resources, among others? And mining giants Freeport McMoran, and Barrick Gold? And why does a Finance Committee member own stock in Citigroup, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and many more? And why does a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee own stock in pharmaceuticals like Merck, Abbott Laboratories, startup research labs and many more?

Text of email sent to supporters this p.m. (not yet on website): Friends, Like everyone else, I was surprised by Senator Bingaman's decision to retire. He served us well and we need to thank him for his service. The retirement of a Senator causes a huge political vacuum in any state and is magnified in less densely populated states like New Mexico. The selection of a candidate needs to be a well thought out decision that is the culmination of much input from family, various leaders and organizations around the state. During the last two days I have talked to...

ALBUQUERQUE — As Senator Jeff Bingaman shook hands of those congratulating him on his years of service, he turned to the crowd and said: “Sure seems like a wake in here, doesn’t it?’’ The 67-year-old Democrat announced yesterday that he would retire after the end of his current term, which ends in two years. The decision was the latest in a string of departures to hit congressional Democrats as they head to the 2012 elections.....

First, the bad news for Democrats. Another seat that they hoped to defend with a relatively moderate incumbent will instead go open in a state that has grown more Republican. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) will end his Senate career at four terms: Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, announced Friday he will not seek a fifth term. The New Mexico Democrat’s announcement complicates the efforts of Democrats to hold the Senate’s majority in 2012. In 2008, Democrats won the other New Mexico Senate seat when Tom Udall won the open seat from retiring Republican incumbent...

New Mexico Democratic Senator Jeff Bingaman will announce his retirement today, Democratic sources confirmed. Bingaman, who is serving his fifth term, is among the most senior Democrats in the Senate. He also serves as chair of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Former Republican Rep. Heather Wilson has shown interest in running for the New Mexico Senate seat in 2012, and some reports suggest her candidacy would be contingent on Bingaman's decision. Wilson lost a Republican Senate primary in 2008 to Congressman Steve Pearce. Pearce subsequently lost the race to now Democratic Sen. Tom Udall and has since returned...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic officials say Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico intends to retire next year rather than seek a new term. Bingaman would be the latest in a string of departures to hit Democrats as they look ahead to the 2012 election season.

New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman generally cruises to re-election, and if he chooses to go for a sixth term, he would start off as a heavy favorite. But there has been some speculation he will instead retire. In his stead, Democrats should still be in strong shape to hold his seat unless popular former Governor Gary Johnson declines a run for president to make a bid for Congress’ upper chamber instead. With a 56-27 approval-disapproval margin, Bingaman is more popular at home than all but four of the 77 colleagues which PPP has measured in the last year or so....

Sen. Jeff Bingaman is being called our worst border security threat. Angry Dona Ana County residents have branded the New Mexico Democrat's Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Wilderness Act as "Bingaman's Bandit Boulevard" for proposing a 50-mile-long safe haven for Mexican drug runners -- and worse. John Hummer, former chairman of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, reminded his community of the no-motorized-vehicle clause in wilderness laws. The Border Patrol can't patrol.... A U.S. Border Patrol document obtained by The Examiner shows the nationality and number of OTMs arrested last year. A few samples: Afghanistan (12); Indonesia (95); Iran (42); Iraq...

Jeff Bingaman (D NM) plans to require employers to set up automatic IRAs for their employees — who would be required to "opt out" if they don't want to participate Snip which targets businesses with 10 or more full-time employees that don't already offer a 401(k) or other qualified retirement program Snip Under Bingaman's plan, prompted by the Obama administration, employees would be automatically enrolled in an Individual Retirement Account, with at least 3 percent of their wages going into it. They could opt out. Their employer would get a tax break equal to the cost of administering the program.

The Doña Ana County wilderness bill that New Mexico’s U.S. senators and local activists are trying to push through Congress before the end of the year puts U.S. Rep. Harry Teague in a very tough political spot. The Democratic is in a difficult re-election battle against former GOP U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce. It’s a Republican-leaning district in a Republican leaning year, and Pearce already has an advantage.

The sudden crash in oil prices might be the smoking gun that shows speculation, rather than supply and demand, drove the huge run-up in oil futures last year.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – A leading US senator blamed "a cascade of failures" Tuesday for a disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill and likened the crisis to the sinking of the Titanic and space shuttle Challenger explosion. Democratic Senator Jeff Bingaman, leading the US Congress' first hearing into the catastrophe, also warned against "snap judgments" like ceasing all offshore drilling or shrugging off the crisis and pursuing business as usual. "If this is like other catastrophic failures of technological systems in modern history -- whether it was the sinking of the Titanic, Three Mile Island, or the loss of the Challenger...

Senate Finance Committee Democrats rejected a proposed a requirement that immigrants prove their identity with photo identification when signing up for federal healthcare programs. Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that current law and the healthcare bill under consideration are too lax and leave the door open to illegal immigrants defrauding the government using false or stolen identities to obtain benefits. Grassley's amendment was beaten back 10-13 on a party-line vote. The bill, authored by committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), would require applicants to verify their names, places of birth and Social Security numbers. In addition, legal immigrants...

Sen. Jeff Bingaman said Monday that he would support using a controversial budget maneuver called reconciliation to pass a major overhaul of health care policy this year if the Senate can't reach a bipartisan deal. The New Mexico Democrat, speaking to an audience of about 200 at a forum in Albuquerque, said he would prefer to pass a bill supported by both Democrats and Republicans. But he said he would vote to use the annual budget reconciliation bill — which requires only 51 votes in the Senate and is not subject to a filibuster — if that is the only...

Here is video of New Mexico citizens letting their voices be heard on Government Health Care to New Mexico Democrat Sen. Jeff Bingaman. Those who spoke were almost uniformly against the ObamaCare legislation being proposed by Democrats. One man told Bingaman that the Federal Government is "broke." "Why should we turn over another 6.5% of our GDP to you?" . . . . (Watch Video)

Notes: The following text is a quote: THE BRIEFING ROOM THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ________________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release July 15, 2009 Statement by the President on the Health Care Reform Legislation Passed Today by the Senate HELP Committee "Today, thanks to the unyielding passion and inspiration provided by Senator Edward Kennedy, the HELP committee he chairs has produced a proposal that will finally lower health care costs, provide better care for patients, and ensure fair treatment of consumers by the insurance industry. Like the legislation produced by the House of Representatives, this proposal would offer Americans...

US Sen Bingaman Outlines Climate Change Energy Legislation WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Influential Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., has set the stage for a congressional battle with the Obama Administration over upcoming climate legislation. Bingaman, who heads the Senate Energy committee, outlined Thursday a package that would give a major boost to the renewable energy, efficiency and transmission sectors and reveals that, despite their censure of the oil industry, Democrats acknowledge that crude oil will play a vital role in the nation's energy mix for years to come. Speaking to reporters at a Platts Energy Forum, Bingaman said his energy...

March 3rd event will bring leading experts from U.S. and abroad to Capitol Hill.Embargoed: February 18, 2009, 6:00 a.m. EST Contact: Ben Edwards Email:Bedwards@cgdev.org, Tel: +1 202 416 0740 Further information available at www.usclimatesymposium.comWASHINGTON, February 17, 2009 - U.S. legislators and business leaders will meet with experts on climate change economics and policy at the Capitol building in March to discuss the challenges and opportunities for U.S. leadership on climate change, it was announced today. U.S. and international policymakers will join climate experts for the one day bipartisan and bicameral event. The cosponsoring Senators to date are Senators Bingaman (D-NM),...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) today renewed their push to enact legislation to reduce drug-related violence in the border region by cracking down on organizations smuggling weapons illegally from the United States into Mexico.  Senators Richard Durbin, Dianne Feinstein, Jon Kyl, and John McCain are also cosponsors of the legislation. Ongoing violence in Mexico is having a devastating impact on Mexico and is raising concerns for border communities on both sides of the border.  In 2008, more than 5,300 people were killed in Mexico -- double the number in the previous year.  More...