Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a terrific weekend. This week, I attended two ceremonies for Staff Sergeant Ryan Pitts, who received the Medal of Honor for heroism from President Obama. I also helped introduce a bill to cut wasteful programs in the federal government and increase efficiency. And I cosponsored a package of bills to help bring human trafficking to an end around the world.

A NH Veteran Receives the Medal of Honor

I was so proud to honor Staff Sergeant Ryan Pitts at the White House on Monday, where he received the Medal of Honor for demonstrating extreme courage and bravery while serving in Afghanistan. Even though he was suffering injuries of his own, Staff Sergeant Pitts, of Nashua, was able to take heroic actions during the Battle of Wanat that allowed his unit to hold their position, turn the tide of the battle, and prevent additional American casualties. Staff Sergeant Pitts joins an extremely small number of his fellow service members who have received this highest military honor, and we are all inspired by his incredible service and sacrifice. On behalf of every Granite Stater, I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his devotion to his fellow soldiers and to our great country.

Cutting Government Waste

I was pleased to help introduce the Save III Act to eliminate duplicative and wasteful government programs, and I was proud to work with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to put forward this common sense legislation. Congress must work together to reduce our nation’s deficit and debt so we can make smart investments that help our economy. The SAVE III Act will cut unnecessary spending, improve government efficiency, and save taxpayers approximately $102 billion over ten years. I call on my colleagues in Congress to swiftly pass this responsible piece of legislation.

Fighting Human Trafficking

On Wednesday, I proudly cosponsored a package of bills to help put an end to human trafficking across the globe. Earlier this year, I held a roundtable discussion in Concord to hear from trafficking victims and advocates about their experiences. I was deeply moved by their stories, and I was horrified to hear about the ordeals trafficking victims are forced to undergo. We must put stronger laws into place to protect trafficking victims and successfully find and prosecute their traffickers. I urge Congress to immediately pass this bipartisan package of bills, which takes a number of steps to curtail this unspeakably terrible practice.

Have a great week and thanks for everything you do to make New Hampshire such a special place to live!