Dear Friend,

During this time of hyper partisanship in Washington it’s so important to find areas of common ground where we can push for our shared goals that will benefit Granite Staters and the American people. That’s why I’ve formed two bipartisan Task Forces, one to tackle the opioid epidemic and the other to address sexual violence. Both these issues pose complicated and difficult challenges, but I believe by having candid conversations and working together, we can make real progress. 

With Director Jane Stapleton after the roundtable discussion

Yesterday, the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence hosted a roundtable discussion in Washington on promoting healthy relationships in K-12 education and preventing and responding to sexual violence on college campuses. I was honored to host Jane Stapleton, the Executive Director of the University of New Hampshire’s Prevention Innovations Research Center, as one of the witnesses. Director Stapleton and UNH have been pursuing groundbreaking research in ways to prevent sexual violence, including the use of technology and bystander intervention techniques. Our Task Force is looking at all solutions to address sexual assault and harassment and I’m grateful to Director Stapleton for sharing her work with our Task Force.

Watch my reaction to the emergency declaration here. 

This week, President Trump announced that his administration is declaring the opioid crisis a public health emergency. We need a comprehensive approach to take on the opioid epidemic that takes into account prevention, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement. This declaration is a welcome step, one that I, and the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force, have been urging for months. The real test now will be if we see concrete action that will improve our response to the opioid crisis and save lives. The Administration should commit to working with Congress to appropriate funding so that we can get the resources necessary to those on the frontlines of this epidemic.

Unfortunately, yesterday Congressional Republicans forced through a partisan budget along party lines that sets the wrong priorities for our country. This new budget makes significant cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, hurts services for our veterans, and cuts skills training funding, all while cutting taxes for those who need it least and blowing up the deficit. With this budget, Congressional Republicans are saying they value the very wealthiest corporations and individuals over hardworking Granite State families and small businesses. I’ve been vocal about the need for real, bipartisan tax reform that will help grow our middle class and expand the American dream. What the Congressional Republicans have done this week is set the table for partisan tax cuts that will benefit the few at the expense of the many.

As always, I want to hear from you! Please don’t hesitate to contact my Concord office at 603-226-1002, and visit Kuster.house.gov to share your thoughts and concerns. 

Sincerely,