Dear Friend, 

The opioid epidemic is more than a public health crisis, it’s also impacting our economy and workforce. This week, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $5 million to the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs to help address this challenge. This funding is a critical resource to encourage training in the fields that will help us tackle the opioid epidemic and put individuals impacted by substance use disorder back to work. I’m pleased that this grant will allow the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs to spearhead innovative and creative solutions that will have the greatest impact on communities here in the Granite State.

As the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I was proud our committee passed legislation yesterday to enhance and improve the Transition Assistance Program, expanding support for veterans and ensuring they receive more comprehensive wrap around services when they return home from duty. I was also thrilled that Easterseals New Hampshire will receive more than $200,000 to bolster their programs to help end veterans’ homelessness. We ask so much of our men and women in uniform and making sure they have the support they need in their civilian lives is critical. I’m hopeful we can make reforms so that every veteran has access to important services and care.

It was wonderful to tour the new Concord Community Center and the Concord YMCA’s newly renovated Child Development Center on Monday to see firsthand all they have to offer to the Concord community. To continue growing New Hampshire’s economy, we must invest in our communities and provide families with the quality child care, educational materials, programming and recreational opportunities they want, deserve, and need in order to put down roots in the Granite State. As a state with an aging population, it’s also critical that we have support for Granite Staters as they grow older. I’m grateful for the important services provided by the Concord Community Center and the YMCA’s Child Development Center, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to make our state an even better place to call home.

I’m encouraged that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has approved New Hampshire’s request for more flexibility in how Medicaid funding can be used to treat individuals struggling with substance use disorders. This increased flexibility will allow Medicaid recipients in New Hampshire who are suffering from addiction to receive treatment from larger inpatient substance use disorder and mental health treatment facilities for short term stays. Those on the frontlines of the opioid crisis in New Hampshire have been doing incredible work to expand access to treatment through innovative techniques, and I’m hopeful that we can serve as an example around the country for how to overcome the opioid epidemic.

I rely on your opinions and ideas to help guide my work in Washington. Please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-5206 or my Concord office at 603-226-1002 to share your thoughts or concerns.

Sincerely,