Congresswoman Kuster this week joined all Granite Staters in mourning the loss of Executive Councilor Ray Burton, a staple of governance in the North Country and one of New Hampshire’s most respected and compassionate public servants. Kuster said that while there is no replacing Ray Burton, his memory will live on in the enormous good he did, in the countless lives he touched, and in the spirit of service he embodied.
Kuster also called on Congress to extend vital unemployment insurance benefits for the long-term unemployed and focus like a laser on job creation. She unveiled a new report which found that if Congress fails to act soon, 1.3 million Americans – including 1,300 Granite Staters – will be cut off from unemployment insurance just days after Christmas. Kuster said that losing these vital benefits will be a painful blow to Granite Staters who are already struggling to find work and make ends meet.
For more on these updates and others, please continue reading below.
Kuster calls for extension of unemployment insurance benefits for Granite State families
With critical unemployment insurance for the long-term unemployed set to expire just days after Christmas, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) today called on Congress to immediately extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program and take aggressive steps to help boost job creation in New Hampshire and across the country. Kuster highlighted a new House Ways and Means Committee report which estimates that without Congressional action, 1.3 million Americans – including 1,300 Granite Staters – will immediately be cut off from unemployment insurance on December 28 if Congress does not reauthorize the program. “Losing these vital benefits will be a body-blow to New Hampshire families who are already struggling to find work and make ends meet.” (11/12/2013)
NH’s Kuster asks for more time on food safety
New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster wants the Food and Drug Administration to extend the comment period for sweeping food safety rules that farmers say could drive them out of business. Earlier this year, farmers attended FDA sessions on the rules, which would require them to take new precautions against contamination, including ensuring workers' hands are washed, irrigation water is clean and that animals stay out of fields. New England farmers say many aspects of the rules were derived from large-scale farming practices that don't apply to the region's smaller farms. Kuster says technical problems with Regulations.gov, the website where public comments are submitted, have prevented people from submitting comments in advance of Friday's deadline. She and other New England delegation members want at least a one-week extension. (Associated Press, 11/14/2013)
FDA acts on Kuster’s Request to Extend Comment Period for Food Safety Rules
In response to a request from Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) and other New England lawmakers, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) today announced that it will extend the public comment period for two proposed food safety regulations by an additional week. The announcement came in response to a direct request from Kuster and other lawmakers, who urged the FDA to extend the comment period in light of technical problems with Regulations.gov that prevented constituents from submitting feedback. The new submissions deadline is now Friday, November 22. (11/15/2013)
Kuster leads NE lawmakers in supporting National Blueways Program
Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) are leading a coalition of New England lawmakers in support of a federal program designed to encourage collaborative stewardship of our nation’s rivers and watersheds. The National Blueways System (NBS) recognizes large river systems that are being protected and restored through stakeholder partnerships and aims to increase conservation of the watershed system through locally-driven voluntary collaboration. The Connecticut River is the first and currently only designated National Blueway in the country. (11/15/2013)
Kuster hosts 21st century workforce roundtable with students, business owners, and education leaders
The Nashua student was one of the dozeon or so attendees at Thursday’s 21st Century Workforce Roundtable event at Omni Components in Hudson. U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, who led the informal forum, said her goal is to keep abreast of local efforts to train and secure the next generation of New Hampshire workers. Earlier this year, Kuster introduced legislation to provide tax credits to companies partnering with local educational institutions. (Union Leader, 11/10/2013)
Partnerships between students and employers discussed at roundtable with Kuster
Matching the need for skilled workers by the state’s manufacturers with job seekers was the topic of conversation for a panel discussion with Congresswoman Annie Kuster on Thursday at Omni Components in Hudson. The event, billed as a 21st Century Workforce Roundtable, featured representatives from New Hampshire companies who spoke about techniques that were working for their firms and shared how those techniques could be improved. Representatives included officials from Nashua Community College and UltraSource, of Hollis, among others. (Nashua Telegraph, 11/9/2013)
Legislation would boost local brewers
Nearly half the cost of brewing at the fledgling Henniker Brewing Co. goes toward state and federal taxes, founder Dave Currier said. But Rep. Annie Kuster has recently been touring local breweries like Currier’s and touting legislation that could cut federal excise taxes in half for small breweries in their first years of business. “What I hope to do is create jobs and economic development by giving these small brewers the opportunity to compete,” Kuster said in a phone interview. The Small BREW Act would drop the federal excise tax from $7 to $3.50 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels for small breweries that produce less than 6 million barrels per year. (Concord Monitor, 11/11/2013)
Kuster cosponsors bill to lower beer taxes
U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster is co-sponsoring legislation aimed at boosting business for New Hampshire’s 26 craft beer brewers. The bill would drop the federal excise tax from $7 to $3.50 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels of beer for breweries that produce fewer than 6 million barrels per year. Dave Currier of Henniker Brewing Co. told the Concord Monitor (https://bit.ly/1bk959e) that the bill would be a big help, given that nearly half his costs go to state and federal taxes. He says the savings would help start canning his beer in addition to bottling it. Kuster says her goal is to create jobs and economic development by helping small breweries compete. (Associated Press, 11/11/2013)
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