Dear Friend,

On Monday, three days into the government shutdown, I voted to re-open the government. We have critical issues we need to address, but as we negotiate the American people deserve to have the government open. I will take Republican leadership at their word that they will work with us in good faith for long-term funding for our military and essential services, and in the meantime, I’ll continue to fight for emergency opioid funding, community health centers, veterans, seniors, and to protect young Dreamers. You can see my remarks on voting to re-open the government here. 

On Tuesday, I was excited to meet with the leadership of Rivier University’s Center for Behavioral Health Professions and Workforce Development. It was great to hear about how this program is preparing students for fulfilling careers in the healthcare sector and helping to combat the opioid crisis by training people to work in treatment and recovery. The program is truly a win-win as we look to expand our workforce and improve access to services critical in taking on the opioid epidemic.

It was wonderful to meet with such promising Granite Staters at my Service Academies Reception on Tuesday evening. I am honored to nominate these young men and women to our nation’s prestigious Service Academies, as they all have demonstrated a strong commitment to public service and I know they will make our country proud. 

On Wednesday, I toured the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Addiction Treatment Program in Lebanon to learn more about the hospital’s “Moms in Recovery” program and discuss my work on the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force to support efforts to treat babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome. The “Moms in Recovery” program is critical not only to getting mothers with substance use disorder the treatment and recovery services they need but also to setting up their babies and families for long term success. 

I continued to discuss the opioid epidemic and other important issues like supporting veterans and growing our economy in my address to the New England Council breakfast on Thursday. The New England Council has been at the forefront of these and so many other pressing issues facing our state, and I’ll continue to work with advocates like them to help make New Hampshire an even better place to live.

I also visited Aware Recovery Care center in Bedford on Thursday to meet with patients and learn more about Aware’s innovative home-based recovery model for substance misuse disorder. Aware views addiction as a chronic illness and comes into patients’ homes to connect them with medical professionals and other support services. Their approach costs significantly less than inpatient treatment, and I look forward to sharing the stories and insights I heard during this visit with my colleagues in Washington.

While New Hampshire has been hard hit by the opioid epidemic, we’ve also seen inspiring resolve from Granite Staters committed to taking on this challenge. The innovative programs I saw this week are part of a larger effort that will not only bring New Hampshire out of this crisis but will serve as a model for communities across the country. 

Today I had the opportunity to speak with 7th and 8th grade students at Hopkinton Middle High School, which my sons graduated from. I described what being a congresswoman is like and what my responsibilities are, as well as the issue areas I have a particular interest in. It was great to hear all of their questions, and I look forward to seeing all the great things they do over the next several years.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me to share your thoughts. You can reach my Concord office at 603-226-1002. Thank you and I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Sincerely,