This week, Congresswoman Kuster continued to focus on helping create jobs and opportunity for middle class New Hampshire families. Throughout the week, she toured a West Lebanon brewery to discuss legislation that would cut taxes on New Hampshire’s small brewers, visited a Salem company to highlight the importance of boosting small business exports, and hosted a 21st century workforce roundtable in Hudson with students, business owners, and education leaders.
Kuster also signed onto new bipartisan legislation that would make meaningful, comprehensive reforms to the NSA to help rein in the agency’s worst excesses. During a visit to the Upper Valley, Kuster said that the USA FREEDOM Act, introduced by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and endorsed by the ACLU, would help restore a more responsible balance between protecting our national security and preserving our constitutionally-protected right to privacy. Last week, Kuster called on President Obama to lead a top-to-bottom review of the entire NSA and all of its activities.
For more on these updates and others, please continue reading below.
Kuster promotes export bill at Salem firm
For two decades, a local company has made its mark around the world by capturing goofy, memorable images of people on film. Couples, teenagers and families in 30 countries have hammed it up and posed for photographs in Innovative FOTO’s specially designed booths. So when Congresswoman Ann Kuster, D-N.H., visited the small company on Industrial Way yesterday, she couldn’t resist posing as well… Kuster stopped off at the 55-employee, research, design and manufacturing facility to tout legislation she has sponsored that would extend and expand the State Trade and Export Promotion program, known as STEP. (Eagle-Tribune, 11/4/2013)
Salem-based company flash-forwards with photo booths
On Monday morning, Congresswoman Annie Kuster visited the Innovative FOTO headquarters to tout the success of and push for the renewal of the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) program that helps small businesses expand internationally. The Salem company used the grant to help pay for a trip to Chile, where company leaders are looking to expand their photo booths. Innovative FOTO is the largest designer, manufacturer and operator of photo booths and digital kiosks in the United States and operates more than 3,000 booths in 50 states and in 30 countries, according to company president and CEO Dale Valvo. "The STEP grant has been extremely beneficial," Valvo said. "We are a small company, and travel is expensive." (Union Leader, 11/4/2013)
Kuster touts bill to boost small business exports during stop at Innovative FOTO in Salem
As part of her commitment to helping create jobs and opportunity for middle class families, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) today continued her “Congress at Your Company” series with a visit to Innovative FOTO in Salem, where she highlighted legislation she recently introduced that would help boost small business exports in the Granite State. Kuster’s bill, the Small Business Growth Through Exports Act, would extend and expand the State Trade and Export Promotion program (STEP), a successful grant program that has helped dozens of Granite State companies like Innovative FOTO expand their exports, create jobs, and grow New Hampshire’s economy. (11/4/2013)
Kuster highlights bill to cut taxes on NH small brewers
At an event in West Lebanon, N.H. Wednesday, Congresswoman Annie Kuster suggested the federal government could do more to help craft breweries grow. The first-term Democrat toured the Seven Barrel Brewery, talking about legislation she signed onto that would cut in half the current $7 per barrel federal excise tax small brewers pay. A craft producer's first 60,000 barrels a year, which is more than many brands turn out, would qualify for the savings. "This is money that they can reinvest back into the brewery; they can invest in hiring," said Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H. "For the brewers I've talked to, this will make a difference for them." (NECN, 11/7/2013)
Kuster hosts 21st century workforce roundtable discussion
As part of her commitment to helping create jobs and opportunity for middle class families, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) today convened a diverse group of students, business owners, and education leaders for a roundtable discussion focused on local efforts to train and secure a highly-skilled, 21st century workforce in the Granite State. During the roundtable at Omni Components in Hudson, Kuster highlighted her efforts in Congress to strengthen workforce development, and heard directly from local stakeholders who are on the frontlines of ensuring that Granite State students and workers have the skills they need to compete for well-paying, middle class jobs. (11/7/2013)
Kuster calls for curbs on NSA
Kuster has called on President Obama to lead “rigorous, top-to-bottom review” of the NSA, and this week, she swung her support behind a bill to overhaul the intelligence agency and curb its “worst excesses.” The so-called USA Freedom Act, which has bipartisan support and is being co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., would end the bulk collection of Americans’ communications records, require the government to more aggressively filter and discard information accidentally collected by the NSA, and create a special office to promote privacy interests before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, among other changes. (Valley News, 11/7/2013)
Kuster signs onto comprehensive, bipartisan NSA reform bill
After calling on the Obama Administration to launch a rigorous, top-to-bottom review of the entire National Security Agency (NSA) and all of its programs, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) this week signed onto bipartisan legislation that would reign in some of the NSA’s worst excesses and deliver meaningful reform to the Agency’s surveillance activities. The bipartisan United and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet Collection, and Online Monitoring (USA FREEDOM) Act would put an end to the NSA’s bulk collection of phone records and institute rigorous, meaningful oversight over the government’s surveillance programs. (11/5/2013)
Kuster celebrates Senate passage of ENDA, calls on House to follow suit
With the bill headed to the Republican-controlled House, New Hampshire’s two Democratic House members called for passage there…Rep. Annie Kuster said, “Now that the Senate has passed ENDA with bipartisan support, the House should immediately follow suit and do the same. No one should ever fear being fired from their job or harassed in the workplace because of who they are or who they love — period.” (Union Leader, 11/7/2013)
Kuster calls for action to crack down on improper Medicare payments
In the wake of a troubling new Inspector General (IG) report detailing thousands of improper Medicare payments that have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) today called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to take immediate and aggressive actions to crack down on fraud and wasteful improper payments. A recent report by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) IG found that in 2011 alone, CMS made over 17,000 improper payments on behalf of deceased individuals to providers, suppliers, Medicare Advantage organizations, and prescription drug plan sponsors at a cost of $23 million to taxpayers. According to the Government Accountability Office, Medicare made a total of more than $44 billion in improper payments in 2012. (11/7/2013)
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