Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, U.S. representative for New Mexico’s 3rd district, joins “Conversations Different” to discuss what went down during the passage of congressional Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill and how it will impact New Mexicans now that the bill is law.  

Leger Fernández expressed deep concern over the bill’s cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits, citing New Mexico’s reliance on federal dollars for those programs to be effective. As a result, she said people could die by not getting the care and resources they need from the programs and rural hospitals could close.  

Leger Fernández also recounts her exchange with a Republican colleague during a committee hearing over a provision in the bill which would’ve repealed a tax on tanning services. That provision was taken out of the final bill after her comments made during the meeting went viral on social media.