Heinrich Takes to Senate Floor to Object Legislation that Erases History of Farm Labor Movement, Silences Survivors of Cesar Chavez’s Violence

WASHINGTON - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, took to the Senate floor to deliver remarks applauding the bravery of the women - including Dolores Huerta, Ana Murguia, and Debra Rojas - who courageously stepped forward to share their stories about the sexual assault and abuse they endured by Cesar Chavez, and to object U.S. Senator John Cornyn's (R-Texas) unanimous consent (UC) request that would effectively erase the history of the farmworker movement and silence the survivors of Chavez's abuse.

In his remarks, Heinrich proposed amending Cornyn's proposal by temporarily closing the Cesar Chavez National Monument and requiring the National Park Service to consult with all who are part of the farm labor movement, including survivors of Chavez's sexual violence, to determine how to reorient the monument to tell the history of the entire farmworker movement. After doing so, the National Park Service would consider what sites and properties are appropriate to include in a farm labor movement monument.

Heinrich also echoed concerns raised by six organizations-Latinos in Heritage Conservation, Hispanic Access Foundation, GreenLatinos, National Parks Conservation Association, API Americans in Historic Preservation, and Little Manila Rising-that Cornyn's bill was drafted without consultation with surviving activists from the historic movement, their descendants, farmworker communities, or the stakeholder groups that led the effort to establish the monument. Heinrich additionally warned that the legislation would not only dismantle a vital National Park Service unit dedicated to Latino and Asian American history, but also erase the nationally significant story of the broader Farmworker Movement-including the leaders, activists, and workers who fought for dignity and fair wages.

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, delivers floor speech applauding the women who stepped forward to share their stories about the abuse they endured by Cesar Chavez, and to object U.S. Senator John Cornyn's (R-Texas) Unanimous Consent (UC) legislation that would erase the history of the farmworker movement and silence the survivors of Chavez's abuse, April 14, 2026.

"The sexual assault and abuse that Ana Murguia, Debra Rojas, and Dolores Huerta have described is horrific. And it necessarily and profoundly changes Cesar Chavez' legacy and how he should be remembered. I am extremely grateful to the women who have courageously stepped forward. Many, like Dolores Huerta, feared that speaking up would enable those who have always opposed the farmworkers movement to erase it, along with Cesar Chavez. I stand here today to ensure that is never the case. The movement Dolores Huerta and so many others fought for was always bigger than only one man," began Heinrich.

"I am concerned that what my colleague from Texas is proposing would do just that: hide the truth about Cesar Chavez, AND the incredible farmworker movement with it. The legislation Senator Cornyn is asking us to approve today would not only abolish the Cesar Chavez National Monument. It would erase the foundational history of the farmworkers' movement entirely. It would follow through on the threat that silenced the survivors of Chavez's abuse," continued Heinrich.

"Let me be clear: I agree, wholeheartedly, that we should no longer have a national monument dedicated to Ceasar Chavez's legacy. But we absolutely should NOT erase this monument's telling of the story of the farm labor movement," Heinrich continued. "That is why I will ask to amend my colleague's proposal to, instead, temporarily close the monument and require the National Park Service to complete a new special resource study for the monument, in consultation with all who are part of the farm labor movement, including survivors of Chavez's sexual violence. The study should consider what sites and properties are appropriate to include in a farm labor movement monument. This is what we need to ensure the monument is focused on honoring and reflecting the full history of the farmworkers' movement."

A video of Heinrich's floor speech can be found here.

Heinrich has continuously fought against Donald Trump and congressional Republicans' efforts to erase history on public lands. Last month, Heinrich led his colleagues in delivering remarks on the Senate floor, condemning and drawing attention to the Trump administration's efforts to erase American history from public lands. Heinrich's remarks followed his letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) demanding answers about its efforts to remove signage referencing the nation's history from National Park Service (NPS) sites.

A transcript of Heinrich's remarks as delivered is below:

The sexual assault, the abuse that Ana Murguia, Debra Rojas, and Dolores Huerta have described is horrific.

And it necessarily and profoundly changes Cesar Chavez's legacy and how he should be remembered.

I am extremely grateful to the women who have courageously stepped forward.

Many, like Dolores Huerta, feared that speaking up would enable those who have always opposed the farmworkers movement to erase it, along with Cesar Chavez.

I stand here today to ensure that is never the case. The movement Dolores Huerta and so many others fought for was bigger than only one man.

And when we learn shocking or terrible things about our history, the right answer is to tell the truth-never to hide it.

I am concerned that what my colleague from Texas is proposing would do just that: hide the truth about Cesar Chavez, AND unfortunately the incredible farmworker movement with it.

The legislation Senator Cornyn is asking us to approve today would not only abolish the Cesar Chavez National Monument.

It could erase the foundational history of the farmworkers' movement in the process.

It would follow through on the threat that silenced the survivors of Chavez's abuse.

Let me be clear: I agree, unequivocally, that we should no longer have a national monument named after Ceasar Chavez's legacy.

But we absolutely should NOT erase this monument's telling of the story of the farm labor movement.

That is a story that belongs to many people-including the survivors of Chavez's violence.

Abolishing the monument would serve only to sweep Chavez's violence under the rug.

And it would sweep the stories of the Americans involved in the farmworkers' movement under the rug with it.

This is a movement that wasn't just founded by a single man. It was a movement because it was propelled by 'the many'.

And among those leading it was Dolores Huerta, a native New Mexican and a hero to an entire generation of Hispanic and Latino women and men, alike.

If we erase this monument, we also erase her work, her legacy, and the countless other leaders in this photo from the monument.

The monument may be named after one man-but we can change that.

And we can change that without erasing the history of tens of thousands of American farmworkers across decades, including the history of his victims.

That's an effort that is, in fact, already underway: expanding the mission and scope of the monument to encompass more of the histories of the farmworkers' themselves.

This includes incorporating the stories of Filipino Americans in California, whose long history of advocacy and activism for farmworkers' rights deserves to be remembered and lifted up.

The rich legacy of farmworkers in building and sustaining this county is proof that a national monument dedicated to their story and their movement for fair labor practices should persist.

The question is, what should happen to this monument?

What should happen to it next should include input from survivors and from other Americans involved in the farmworkers' movement.

I do not know what they will all say, but I do know what I have already heard.

Yesterday, I received a letter from multiple organizations that included the Hispanic Access Fund, and the Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation.

What those groups made clear is that they do not support abolishing this National Monument, saying that it would, quote, "Erase the nationally significant story of the broader Farmworker Movement, including the many leaders, activists, and workers who fought for dignity and fair wages," end-quote.

These groups want a voice in what happens next, and they point out quite clearly that the legislation being considered now was crafted without having that conversation with all the affected communities.

That is why I will ask to amend my colleague's proposal to, instead, temporarily close the monument and require the National Park Service to complete a new special resource study for the monument, in consultation with all of those who are part of the farm labor movement, including survivors of Chavez's violence.

The study should consider what sites and properties are appropriate to include in a farm labor movement monument.

This is what we need to ensure that the monument is focused on honoring and reflecting the full history of the farmworkers' movement, not Cesar Chavez.

So, Mr. President, I would ask unanimous consent that the Senator modify his request to include my amendments at the desk, further that the bill, as amended, be considered read three times and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

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