I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Last week, I held a Rural Jobs Roundtable in Plainfield to hear directly from farmers and forestry leaders about how we can help rural New Hampshire communities create jobs. I also held a Campus Sexual Assault Roundtable in Concord with administrators, students, community leaders, and advocates to discuss the work being done to end sexual assault on campus.

Discussing the Rural Economy in Plainfield

I convened a group of local business owners, farmers, and agricultural leaders for a roundtable discussion on how Congress can best support job creation and the region’s rural economy. During the discussion, which took place at Edgewater Farm in Plainfield, I heard directly fromNew Hampshire leaders in agriculture, forestry, and rural-based businesses, who shared their thoughts on how Congress can help stimulate economic growth in New Hampshire’s many rural communities. Representatives from the USDA and the New England Farmers Union joined me in sharing information with roundtable participants about the federal and state resources available to rural businesses to help them grow, and ways to spread information about these programs.

As the first New Hampshire Representative to serve on the Agriculture Committee in 70 years, it was great to hear directly from such a knowledgeable group of farmers and rural leaders about the challenges facing the Granite State’s rural communities. Since I took office, I have made creating jobs and opportunity for Granite Staters my number one priority, and I am committed to doing everything I can to help the agriculture and forestry industries and all of the Granite State’s rural businesses flourish.

A Big Step for Granite State Veterans

I was proud that President Obama signed into law comprehensive legislation to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) last week. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to our veterans, many of whom put themselves in harm’s way to serve our nation and protect our way of life. Now, it is time to repay that debt and ensure that every veteran can access the health care services he or she needs and deserves. This comprehensive legislation will help address the appalling issues of mismanagement, long wait times, and other problems at the VA.  As a Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I helped lead the investigation into the mismanagement at the VA, and have long pushed for the reforms contained in the comprehensive legislation signed into law in order to hold the VA accountable and ensure all veterans can get immediate access to care.

Working to End Sexual Assault on Campus

I brought together a diverse group of college administrators, students, community leaders, and advocates to discuss how best to address and prevent sexual assault on school campuses. We discussed legislative proposals being considered in Congress to address the issue, and I heard directly from roundtable participants about their thoughts on the best approach moving forward.

As we continue to hear extremely alarming stories about an increase in sexual assault on campuses around the nation, I think it’s important to bring together local experts, students, schools and advocates in New Hampshire to discuss the best ways to address this issue, so we can work to end this disturbing epidemic once and for all. As an original cosponsor of legislation to help put a stop to assault on campus, I will continue to fight to hold schools accountable and provide crucial support for survivors. No student should ever fear for her or his safety on the campus they call home, and I was grateful to get an opportunity to hear about what today’s participants are doing to address the issue. I look forward to sharing their experiences and insights with my colleagues in Washington.

At the end of July, I worked across the aisle to help introduce legislation to address the issue of campus sexual assault. The bipartisan Campus Accountability and Safety Act aims to address sexual assaults on college and university campuses by protecting and empowering students, strengthening accountability and transparency for institutions, and establishing stiff penalties for non-compliance with the legislation’s new standards for training, data, and best practices.

Helping Granite Staters

Last week, I was contacted by a constituent on behalf of two Granite Staters whose bagpipes had been confiscated on their way from Canada back into the United States. They were leaving for another bagpipe competition in Scotland last week, so the situation was very time sensitive. My office was able to work with Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Fish and Wildlife to cut through the red tape and get the instruments released in time for their trip!  If my office may ever be of assistance with a problem you are facing, please contact my staff at 603-226-1002 so we may help you resolve your problem or get you the information you need. 

Have a terrific week and thanks for everything you do to make New Hampshire such a special place to live!