Dear Friend,

I hope you had a fantastic 4th of July! It was wonderful to gather with friends and family and enjoy the great weather in the Granite State and I hope you were able to do the same! 

Yesterday, I met with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officials to learn about the challenges and dangers posed by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. It is clear that our state is under attack from this new drug and I’ll continue working to address this and all aspects of the opioid crisis. Here is the link to WMUR's coverage of the meeting in case you missed it.  

I also visited Riverbend Community Mental Health with Senator Maggie Hassan, where we discussed the impact of the proposed Senate healthcare bill and how it would affect access to mental health and substance misuse services in New Hampshire. In its current form, the Senate's proposal would be devastating to hardworking Granite Staters. It would roll back essential support and protections for those suffering with mental illness and opioid misuse, and jeopardize access to healthcare for thousands of our friends and neighbors.

Visiting Riverbend Community Mental Health with Senator Maggie Hassan on Thursday. 

While we see so much intense political debate over healthcare, we cannot lose sight of the fact that this is about real people. We need to foster a system that allows Granite Staters to access comprehensive healthcare that will improve health outcomes and ultimately lower costs by helping people stay healthier. It has recently been reported that Senate Republican Leadership is attempting to use insufficient, one-time opioid funding to distract from the massive Medicaid cuts included in the Republican healthcare bill, which would devastate efforts to combat the opioid crisis. Pulling a bait and switch like this on the American people doesn't pass the smell test. I spoke about this inadequate funding and cuts to Medicaid on WMUR's CloseUP last week. 

We know there are improvements that need to be made to our current healthcare system, but we can't allow decisions to be made at the expense of those who need care the most. I'll continue working with my colleagues across the aisle to make sure that we come up with a plan that will benefit people across the Granite State and all around the country.

I know how personal the issue of healthcare is because I've heard from so many of you. I encourage you to reach out to share your story, and to talk with your family, friends and neighbors as well. Ask them to describe how access to affordable, quality healthcare has impacted their lives, and tell them why it's so important that everyone gets involved in the fight. You can call my Washington, DC office at 202-225-5206, or my Concord office at 603-226-1002. 

Thank you so much for joining me in this important effort, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,