Ben Ray Luján Shares Constituent Story Of Couple Who Utilized State Federal Aid Programs

During a town hall on Tuesday, Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) spoke about a constituent couple who utilized federal aid programs.

Transcript

00:00His name is Steve, and Steve was sharing his story, reflecting on all of these important

00:10programs. He's now over 65. He just survived a heart attack. He sadly lost his spouse at

00:26the beginning of 2025, who had been diagnosed with an aggressive case of dementia. They moved

00:39to Mexico in 2006 from Oklahoma. They wanted to go into the mountains. They moved down

00:45and they found a place in Rio de Janeiro. But after they moved there a few years in, he

00:52noticed that there was something wrong with his maps. So they went to get a check and

00:58I'll be gone in early stages, right, of dementia. And so they made a decision and moved from

01:04Rio de Janeiro to get closer to the city because they believed that they were going to need

01:09care. They said, we're not going to find it in a rural health clinic, we're going to find

01:13a facility that we can get to, whether it be El Paso or in Las Cruces. So they made that

01:19there. They then discovered nonprofits that provided care and support for families. Because

01:28after she was diagnosed with dementia, he asked her, well, what are your wishes? Help me understand

01:34what you want to do over the long term. She said, I want you to take care of me. And I want

01:40to live at home. He said, absolutely. Whatever I can do, we're going to do. So they discovered

01:47nonprofits that supported families that took care of loved ones. They gave them that support.

01:52And any one of you here that has cared for a loved one that may have been diagnosed with

01:59loved ones. But for loved ones around that individual as well. So Steve and his wife, they found this

02:20seniors and said, we will go because we can get home. Whenever things got bad at home, they

02:29signed us up for meals on wheels and we didn't have to worry about going to the grocery store

02:33or having to cook because I was caring for her. And they became a support group. Well, about

02:42a year before she passed away for a hard time. And Steve said.

03:03Because here was a senior that was on both Medicare and Medicaid. A lot of people are surprised

03:10they're rising around both programs to learn that both programs matter to so many families.

03:17After she passed away, Steve said, I still come to the Senate. Not because it helps me emotionally,

03:30but because I want to give back. I want to help other families that were in that face like me.

03:37Some of you know my mom, Carmen. Some of you also know that three years ago.

03:44You are told me, I'mO.

03:51Oh, I don't know. I feel right.

03:55There we go.

03:57No, I feel right.

04:00No, I feel right.

04:04No, I'm sure.

04:07No.

04:09No, no, no.