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. They have been holding regular telephone town halls since early March, and tonight’s tele-town hall was their 12th.  Kuster and Pappas were joined on the call by Dr. Michael Calderwood, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Epidemiologist and Infectious Disease Expert; Kevin McKeon, IRS Congressional Representative; and Jeff Behler, Regional Director at the U.S. Census Bureau. 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, Dr. Calderwood, and Kevin McKeon 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. Topics included funding for food banks; COVID-19 testing in New Hampshire; the status of economic stimulus payments; the development of a COVID-19 vaccine; assessing the risk of different activities; re-opening businesses and summer camps; legislation to improve the Paycheck Protection Program; and future efforts in Congress to support Americans through the COVID-19 public health crisis.

“As we wrap up another telephone town hall, I remain grateful for the ability to hear directly from Granite Staters and respond to their questions,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “These forums are an important opportunity for me to stay in touch with the challenges New Hampshire families, workers, business owners and health providers are dealing with during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Since our last town hall, the death toll of this virus surpassed a grim milestone - we mourn the loss of more than 100,000 Americans as a result of complications from COVID-19. As we grieve this enormous loss, we must continue to do everything we can to prevent the spread of coronavirus and save lives. Physical distancing, frequent handwashing, and wearing masks are effective, simple ways to keep each other safe. I thank Dr. Calderwood, Kevin McKeon, and Jeff Behler for joining this week’s call. As always, those 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.”

“Congresswoman Kuster and I remain committed to being accessible to our constituents as we continue working to address the impacts of this pandemic and the new challenge of re-opening our state safely,” said Congressman Pappas. “I am glad these town halls have given us the opportunity to hear directly from those we serve, while also elevating the voices of local leaders to ensure Granite Staters have the information and resources they need. If anyone is in need of additional assistance navigating our federal agencies during these difficult times, 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 12 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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