I hope you are all having an excellent week! Last week, I continued my series of constituent events around the Granite State. I appreciated the chance to meet with veterans in Concord, students in New London, women business leaders in Nashua, and with members of the agriculture community in North Haverhill. 

Working to Improve Mental Health Services for NH Veterans

Mental health issues and homelessness are two of the most urgent problems facing our courageous veterans during the transition back to civilian life and in the years that follow. I was excited to host a roundtable discussion with local veterans, as well as mental health and housing advocates, to hear about ways that Congress can ensure Granite State veterans have access to the services and benefits they deserve. I also had the chance to highlight legislation I recently helped pass into law to expand mental health services at the VA. I look forward to sharing their concerns with my colleagues on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, so we can keep fighting for the men and women who wore the uniform of the United States.

Hearing from NH Farmers at my Agriculture Town Hall

As a Member of the House Agriculture Committee, I’m committed to fighting for the success of our small family farms and every Granite Stater working in the agriculture industry. On Friday, I held a town hall forum on agriculture issues at the Grafton County Farm in North Haverhill. The town hall provided me with a great opportunity to hear directly from local residents about the programs that are and aren’t working for them, and ways Congress can continue to help our state agriculture industry grow and create more jobs. The feedback I got during the event will be extremely helpful as I continue to fight for the best interests of our farmers in Washington.

Meeting with Women Leaders in the Tech Sector

The tech industry is a rapidly expanding field, and is particularly important to Southern Tier residents like those who were present at my Women in Tech forum last week. I was joined at the event by students, business leaders, and local advocacy groups to discuss the role of women in this growing industry.  

Women currently represent only a small portion of the workforce in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers. We must ensure Granite State women have the resources and support they need to enter these jobs, and I was proud not only to hear from women business leaders about the challenges women face breaking into the industry, but also to hold a networking reception to connect eager students looking to join the workforce with business leaders who can provide guidance.

Discussing College Affordability at my Student Town Hall

As part of my Congress in Your Corner series, I was delighted to hold a town hall forum for students at Colby-Sawyer College in New London. We must increase college affordability for students across America, and I was proud to help introduce a bill to lower loan interest rates for students and their families. Many students cannot access higher education without student loans and substantial outside assistance, and the town hall participants shared their thoughts on why Congress must continue to work to increase college affordability and expand educational opportunities. I will never stop fighting on their behalf to increase access to higher education for every aspiring student in New Hampshire.

Thank you for everything you do to make the Granite State such a great place to live.