I hope you stayed safe and warm during this week’s winter storm! Over the last few days, I have been proud to meet with and advocate for Granite Staters in both Washington and New Hampshire. From fighting to end human trafficking, to attending hearings of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, to meeting with students at NHTI, I have worked to address a range of issues facing people across the district.

Working Across the Aisle to End Human Trafficking

Every year, thousands of women, children, and men are trafficked around the world – even right here in our own backyard. This week I joined with Representative Ann Wagner (R-MO) on the House Floor to stress the importance of passing legislation to help put a stop to the practice of human trafficking. I applaud House efforts to support the legislation, which passed the House this week, and I urge the Senate to act immediately to pass this package of bills into law.

Advocating for New Hampshire Veterans in Washington

I was thrilled to attend hearings in both the full House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the VA Subcommittee on Health this week. Our veterans sacrificed so much to protect our freedom and way of life, and now it is imperative that we serve those who served us. Helping to ensure veterans have access to the resources and services they need is one of my top priorities this legislative session, and I look forward to continuing to serve on behalf of our nation’s veterans on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Last week, I was honored to be chosen by my colleagues to serve as Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation (O&I). I helped lead the investigation into last year’s scandal at the Phoenix VA and other VA medical centers around the country to help ensure that nothing like that could ever happen again. Now, as Ranking Member of the O&I Subcommittee, I’ll be able to continue to provide oversight at the VA and ensure our veterans are getting the services they need and deserve in a timely manner.

Honoring Two U.S. Skiers Who Lost Their Lives

I had the opportunity to speak on the House Floor in honor of Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle, two members of the U.S. Ski Team who tragically lost their lives in an avalanche in early January. Ronnie grew up in Franconia, NH, and the two friends loved to compete and worked hard to represent our nation. My thoughts are with their family, friends, and the skiing community during this difficult time. (Watch the speech here)

Hearing from Students about the Importance of Community College

I was excited to meet with students, administrators, and business leaders at my open roundtable forum at NHTI in Concord last week to discuss President Obama’s community college plan and workforce development. Ensuring that our young people have access to community college is vital for the 21st century economy and the strength of our middle class. We must work together to ensure Granite Staters get the skills they need to enter the workforce in the high-tech sector and other growing fields.

Thanks for everything you do to make the Granite State such a wonderful place to live!