Wednesday, May 6, 2020 - 7:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Concord, NH  – Today, Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) held a telephone town hall to discuss COVID-19 and take questions from Granite Staters. Kuster and Pappas were joined on the call by George N. Copadis, Commissioner of New Hampshire Employment Security; Richard Lavers, Deputy Commissioner of New Hampshire Employment Security; Kenneth Norton, Executive Director of the New Hampshire chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); and Dr. Michael Calderwood, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Epidemiologist and Infectious Disease Expert. During the tele-town hall, New Hampshire residents had the opportunity to speak directly with the Representatives and officials about their concerns over the coronavirus outbreak in New Hampshire.

The Representatives and officials discussed New Hampshire’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the steps that Congress is taking to provide economic assistance to Granite State workers, families, and small businesses. They answered questions from callers about unemployment benefits eligibility; how the virus could change over time; how we can better respond to public health crisis in the future; access to reliable broadband internet; and the possibility of future economic stimulus payments. 

“As we continue to practice physical distancing and take measures to slow the spread of coronavirus, these regular telephone town halls allow me to stay connected with Granite Staters to hear about the issues that matter most to them and the impact that this virus is having on their lives,” said Kuster. “Last week, I was pleased to roll out my Roadmap to Recovery, which outlines some specific policies to help address our continued efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and bolster our economic recovery. I sincerely appreciate Ken Norton with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, George Copadis and Richard Lavers with the office of New Hampshire Employment Security, and Dr. Calderwood Epidemiologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock for taking time out of their busy schedules to share their expertise on today’s call. As always, people who have questions or are in need of assistance can contact my team by giving our Concord office a call at (603) 226-1002 or visiting my website at Kuster.house.gov.”

“With Granite Staters continuing to navigate these challenging times, Congresswoman Kuster and I remain committed to being open and accessible to our constituents,” said Congressman Pappas. “In this time of social distancing, these telephone town halls have allowed us to stay in touch with our constituents, connect them with vital resources, and raise up the voices of our local experts to share their knowledge. If there are individuals facing hardship as a result of this pandemic who are in need of assistance from our federal agencies, I strongly encourage them to reach out to my office for help by calling (603) 285-4300 or going to https://pappas.house.gov/.”

Kuster and Pappas have held nine telephone town halls since March 10th. The Representatives will continue to keep communities updated on federal efforts to support and protect people in New Hampshire and across the country. This tele-town hall was conducted remotely, as both Reps. Kuster and Pappas are working from home when possible to practice physical distancing.

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