Dear Friend,

A Fake National Emergency

On Tuesday, I voted in favor of legislation to terminate President Trump’s recently declared national emergency at the southern border. This unnecessary and misguided emergency declaration taps into critical resources for our military, National Guard, and the Pentagon’s anti-drug trafficking efforts to fulfill a failed campaign promise to build a medieval wall. I urge the Senate to pass this legislation to bring this fake national emergency to an end so we can work to enact bipartisan, comprehensive reforms to address the most pressing challenges faced by our immigration system.

Protecting Our Natural Resources

I was pleased the House passed the Natural Resources Management Act on Tuesday, which includes legislation I championed to protect natural resources and promote tourism in New Hampshire. The bill includes legislation I introduced to redesignate the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site as a “National Historical Park,” which would change the name of the site to more accurately illustrate the size and complexity of the location. In addition, the bill includes the Nashua River Wild and Scenic River Act to designate portions of the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Rivers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire as scenic rivers under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The package also permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which helps fund the conservation of national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, and state and local parks, among many other sites. In the Granite State, our identity is closely tied to the natural beauty of our landscape, and I’m proud to fight to protect the resources that make New Hampshire such a wonderful place to live and visit.

Fighting for Clean Drinking Water

On Tuesday, I also questioned Susan Bodine, the Assistant Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) about the EPA’s action plan to address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water. In New Hampshire, we’ve seen the damaging consequences of groundwater pollution, and I’m deeply concerned that the EPA’s failure to hold polluters and bad actors responsible will send a message to others that they can disregard environmental regulations. EPA’s enforcement penalties last year declined to their lowest level since 1994. This sends a message that our laws and the safety of our communities are not a priority. This is an unacceptable, dangerous precedent to set, and I will continue my efforts to pursue policies that protect communities in New Hampshire and across the country.

Keeping Guns Out of Dangerous Hands

I voted in favor of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 on Wednesday. This legislation would require a federal background check for all gun sales, which is an important part of keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of dangerous criminals. Right now, an MS13 gang member or an individual with a history of violent domestic abuse can go online or to a gun show and easily buy a gun without a background check. That just doesn’t make sense. The bipartisan legislation we passed in the House would expand background checks while respecting the Second Amendment rights of lawful, responsible gun owners. I urge the Senate to keep our communities safe and act on this legislation on behalf of the American people.

Breaking the Stigma of Addiction 

On Monday, the Bipartisan Heroin and Opioid Task Force hosted a roundtable to discuss the Congressional response to the opioid epidemic and the outlook for the 116th Congress. One of the participants was Vicky Cornell, who gave a powerful testimony about the devastating impact of substance use disorder and courageously shared the story of her husband Chris Cornell’s struggle with addiction. I applaud Vicky for helping to break the stigma of this disease and combat the opioid epidemic. 

Ensuring an Effective Public Health System

On Wednesday, I questioned Nancy Messonnier, MD, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, about immunization rates and combating the spread of infectious diseases. Ensuring an effective public health system is crucial to the well-being of the American people, and vaccinations have played an indispensable role in building and maintaining a healthy general public. However, growing distrust in medical providers and concerns about contracting other ailments from vaccinations could turn the current Hepatitis A outbreak in New Hampshire into a public health crisis. It is critical the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services give the American people the information they deserve and invest in educating the public about the realities of immunization in order to help prevent outbreaks of Hepatitis A and other preventable diseases like Measles.

Here For You

As your Representative, my most important responsibility is supporting Granite Staters when they need help with federal agencies. I was contacted by a constituent from Temple, who had an issue of concern regarding a visa application through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). My staff worked with the USCIS and helped resolve the constituent’s issue. If my office may be of assistance with a problem you are experiencing, please reach out to my staff at 603-226-1002 so we can learn how we may help. 

Thank you for everything you do to make New Hampshire such a wonderful place to live. I hope you have a great weekend! 

Sincerely,