Democrats assail Pearce, Wilson

U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson, both New Mexico Republicans, are under fire today from Democratic groups.

Pearce, who is in Hobbs today holding a town-hall meeting about combating the use of methamphetamine, voted in July against a bill that included $975,000 to help combat meth in rural New Mexico – money he helped get included in the bill, the Democratic Party of New Mexico pointed out in a news release.

The funds were part of the larger Commerce and Justice and Science Appropriations bill that passed the House and has been referred to the Senate.

“Rep. Pearce voted against state and local law enforcement’s battle against meth – pure and simple,” said state Democratic Party chair Brian Colón in the release. “While Pearce may talk the talk about fighting meth, he doesn’t walk the walk. We need a representative in Washington who puts what New Mexico needs to fight the meth epidemic before his loyalty to President Bush and the Republican Party.”

The money for the anti-meth program, according to the Democratic Party, was requested by all three of the state’s representatives in Washington. Wilson also voted against the bill.

It’s the second time in recent weeks that Pearce has voted against a bill that included funding to combat the spread of meth in New Mexico. He voted against the Farm Bill last month, though it included $15 million to encourage farmers to use fertilizers that don’t contain ammonia. A component of meth, ammonia is often stored in large tanks on farms and stolen by meth producers.

Pearce said at the time that he voted against the bill because it “enacts enormous tax increases and will cost New Mexicans thousands of jobs.” He said the good provisions in the bill are “combined with fiscally irresponsible tax hikes that would damage the New Mexico economy, put people out of work and reduce our ability to become energy independent.”

It wasn’t just state Democrats who had their eyes on the newest vote. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called me today to make sure I was aware of it.

Speaking of the DCCC, the fundraising arm of House Democrats began airing a radio ad in the Albuquerque area today attacking Wilson for “her continued lockstep support of President Bush’s failed Iraq policy,” according to a news release. The ad calls on Wilson to support “a new direction in Iraq.”

You can listen to the ad by clicking here. It follows television ads the DCCC ran in Albuquerque and other markets last week highlighting the accomplishments of the Democrats this year. Fernando Cuevas, a spokesman for the DCCC, said the current campaign, designed to pressure more Republicans to quit supporting Bush’s Iraq policy, will continue through the end of August.

The radio ads are running in the districts of 12 congressional Republicans.

Pearce and Wilson are both up for re-election next year. Each district currently has three Democrats vying for the right to take on the representatives.