Feisty Female Friday: Melanie Stansbury
The FFF this week is Melanie Stansbury.
Melanie is a Democratic politician and former ecology instructor who is now serving in the US House representing NM. She was born and raised in NM and earned degrees in human ecology, natural science, and development sociology.
Melanie began her career as an ecology/STEM instructor at the NM Museum of Natural History and Science and also worked as a policy advisor on the Council on Environmental Quality during the Obama administration. She also worked on the staff of the US Senate Committee on ENR, as an aide to Senator Cantrell, and as a consultant and senior advisor at the UTRC of NM. Melanie served in the NM House where she introduced legislation to improve the energy conservation, water resource management, and served as the vice chair of the Energy, Environment, & Natural Resources Committee.
She won the NM 1st congressional district special election in the US House. When President Donald Trump entered the House chamber for the Joint Session of Congress, Melanie held a sign that said "this is not normal" to protest the mass firing of federal workers. She serves on two committees: Natural Resources and Oversight and Government Reform. Melanie is also a member of Congressional Progressive, LGBTQ+ Equality, Congressional Wildlife Refuge, Democratic Women’s, and Rare Disease caucuses.
She is also a supporter of Medicare for All legislation, a federal assault weapons ban, the D.C. statehood movement, canceling student loan debt, federal marijuana legalization, and endorsed abortion rights. Melanie supports Animal Humane NM, food security, water, land conservation, and clean energy initiatives, education initiatives, and ending the war in Iran. She is also a vocal proponent for the full release of the Epstein files and investigation of Epstein Ranch in NM. She has established a Truth Commission in NM to fully investigate the failures that allowed the Epstein operations to continue and feels that all parties involved should be prosecuted and jailed.
She appeared on television today after hearings that yielded no new information to advocate for the survivors and to prosecute the abusers.
She lives in Albuquerque and is resolved to always get into “good trouble” as she works for justice for all people of NM and the US.