Dear Friend,

Last Friday, I had the chance to meet with healthcare and community leaders at Cheshire Medical Center to discuss the employment landscape in the Monadnock Region. We also spoke about how my Jobs and Opportunity Agenda can support New Hampshire’s healthcare workforce and help advance and improve already successful and ongoing workforce development efforts across the state. We need to expand economic opportunity so that people in the Granite State are able to get successful careers and give their families the future they want and deserve.

Improving access to healthy drinking water

On Wednesday, I announced with Senator Shaheen, Senator Hassan, and Congresswoman Shea-Porter that New Hampshire has received an $11,107,000 grant through the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Although I’m pleased this funding has been awarded, I’m outraged that House Republicans voted last week to push through $150 million in cuts to this critical program. Access to clean, safe drinking water is essential to public health for communities throughout New Hampshire, and these resources are important for helping communities with aging water infrastructure make the necessary upgrades to ensure access to safe drinking water. I urge my Republican colleagues to rethink these irresponsible cuts, and I will continue fighting for the right of every Granite Stater to have access to healthy drinking water. 

We need to do more for our farmers

The Department of Agriculture’s announcement that it will provide $12 billion in “short-term” support for U.S. farmers who are struggling because of President Trump’s reckless trade policies is merely a band-aid for a wound created by the President. Short term financial support is no substitute for a healthy agriculture sector. I’ve heard from dairy farmers in New Hampshire who have already been struggling due to low commodity prices and are now being threatened by an increasingly hostile trade relationship with our allies. The Administration should immediately pursue a coherent trade policy that doesn’t devolve into a bitter trade war. This situation underscores the need for Congress to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that delivers for smaller producers and supports family farms.

Looking after our veterans

I’m glad the House continues to come together across the aisle to advance legislation that will benefit our servicemembers and their families. The five bipartisan bills that were passed on Tuesday address some specific challenges we’ve identified for veterans and their families and seek to remedy those issues while also enhancing healthcare at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and promoting greater efficiency. I’m proud of the work we’ve done on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to get 22 bills signed into law this Congress for the benefit of our men and women who have served our nation and I hope we can add these pieces of legislation to that list in the near future.

Keeping students safe on campus

No student should ever fear for their safety on the school campus they call home. I was proud to come together with Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Congressman Ted Poe, and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick on Monday to introduce the bipartisan Hold Accountable and Lend Transparency (HALT) Campus Sexual Violence Act, which will strengthen prevention and enforcement efforts on college campuses and improve coordination and public awareness. This legislation is a step in the right direction, and I will continue working to combat sexual violence on campuses in New Hampshire and across the country. 

Helping you with a federal agency

As your Representative, my most important job is supporting Granite Staters when they need help with federal agencies. I was recently contacted by Nathan MacDonald of Milford, who was having difficulty obtaining his tax refund. My staff worked with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and helped resolve Nathan’s situation. 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 call home, and I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Sincerely,