Dear Friend,

Expanding Access to Substance Misuse Treatment 

Last week, I joined Senators Shaheen and Hassan, local elected officials, healthcare professionals and area residents to give remarks at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House for the recently completed Friendship House treatment facility in Bethlehem. I was proud to write in support of funding through the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) for the construction of the new 32-bed facility to help expand services at Friendship House, the North Country’s only short-term residential and outpatient treatment program. I will continue my work to help ensure everyone struggling with addiction can get the care they need.

At the Friendship House Ribbon Cutting

Investing in Our Rural Communities 

I also heard from staff, board members, and officials from White Mountain Science Institute, Littleton Industrial Development Corporation, and White Mountain Community College about their respective work and their plans to utilize the NBRC funds they received this year, which I fought to secure. Since it was enacted in 2008, the NBRC has promoted economic development, created jobs, and supported rural communities in New Hampshire and across the Northern Border region. Granite Staters deserve to know NBRC will be around in the years to come, and that’s why I am committed to fighting for and securing the funds this critical partnership needs to continue helping North Country communities grow and thrive.  

At the White Mountain Science Institute

Keeping Students Safe  

I joined Congresswomen Lois Frankel, Brenda Lawrence, and Jackie Speier in calling on Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to swiftly arrange meetings and fully engage with survivors of campus sexual violence before formally proposing new regulations governing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. I’ve heard firsthand from survivors about the devastation and isolation they felt after experiencing campus sexual violence, and I am deeply concerned by the fact that many survivors have yet to be consulted about new regulations that will directly impact survivors’ ability to pursue an education free from sexual violence. Everyone deserves to feel safe at school, and it is imperative that the Department of Education actively seek feedback from those who know what it is like to feel unsafe. 

Protecting Loan Forgiveness for Public Servants 

Senators Shaheen and Hassan, along with Congresswoman Shea-Porter and I, wrote to Secretary DeVos, urging her to turn over more information and swiftly act to fix the Department of Education’s flawed handling of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. In addition to ignoring the mounting warning signs about the Department’s handling of PSLF, the Trump administration has also actively reduced oversight of student loan servicers, thereby contributing to the current problems in student loan servicing. It is imperative that the Department act quickly to correct these implementation issues so that millions of dedicated public servants can obtain the loan forgiveness they deserve.

Looking Out for the Health of Granite State Kids 

I also joined the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation insending a letter to the National Institute of Environmental Health Services (NIEHS), calling on the agency to focus research efforts on the potential connection between per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and pediatric cancer. New Hampshire parents are extremely concerned about what exposure to PFAS chemicals means for the health and safety of their children, and NIEHS must work to determine whether environmental contamination from this family of chemicals is a contributing factor to incidences of pediatric cancer found in the Granite State and across the nation.

I Want to Hear From You 

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to my Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-5206 or my Concord office at 603-226-1002 with any questions, concerns or idea you have—I love hearing from you! Thank you for everything you do to make our state such a wonderful place to live. Enjoy your week!

Sincerely,