Dear Friend,

Supporting Granite Staters During the Ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic 

I am in Washington to vote on another coronavirus relief bill as part of our continued efforts to mitigate the health and economic consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The HEROES Act includes many important policies that I outlined and advocated for in my ‘Roadmap to Recovery’ -- these provisions include:

• Comprehensive Testing Strategy, Contact Tracing, and Quarantine Support: Provides more than $75 billion in funding to state and local governments to bolster testing, contact tracing, and isolation
• Access to Vaccines and Health Care Coverage for All Americans: Expands funding for the vaccines and therapies to combat COVID-19 and eliminates cost-sharing for Medicaid beneficiaries
• Additional Economic Payments to Taxpayers: Provides additional $1,200 payments to qualified taxpayers, similar to the Economic Impact Payments in the CARES Act, and expands eligibility for dependents to ensure they receive financial support during this pandemic. 
• Continued Support for Unemployment Insurance: This bill provides expanded and augmented Unemployment Insurance to Americans in need and extends the $600 weekly supplemental benefit through January 31, 2021
• Critical Fiscal Relief to State and Local Governments: Provides over $2.74 billion in funding to New Hampshire state and local governments to support critical services to combat COVID-19

Donating Blood in Light of the National Blood Shortage Caused by COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching consequences, and efforts to slow the spread of the virus have caused a serious shortage in our nation’s blood supply.

On Tuesday, I donated blood at a mobile blood drive in Concord organized by the American Red Cross of Northern New England. Whether someone is undergoing heart surgery, going through cancer treatment, or injured in an accident, blood donations save lives each and every day. If you are healthy and able, I encourage you to consider signing up to donate blood or platelets by visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-733-2767.

Donating blood. Watch here.

Ensuring that the Administration is Prepared for the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

Yesterday, I questioned Dr. Richard Bright, the former federal vaccine chief who filed a whistleblower complaint last week after being removed from his position as Director of the Biomedical Advance Research and Development Authority (BARDA). I asked Dr. Bright about his role as director of BARDA, the Trump Administration’s plans to distribute vaccines once available, and our nation’s preparedness for the ongoing pandemic including the availability of critical medical equipment and supplies. You can watch my questioning of Dr. Bright here.

Questioning Dr. Bright. Watch here.

Increasing Testing & Contact Tracing

I was proud to join the New Hampshire delegation this week in announcing that our state will receive over $61 million in funding through the CARES Act for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing.

We cannot effectively respond to the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic without increasing the availability of testing and bolstering contact tracing efforts in New Hampshire. I will continue my work to expand testing and contact tracing so that we can take steps towards responsibly reopening our economy.

Our 10th Telephone Town Hall on Coronavirus 

On Wednesday, Congressman Chris Pappas and I held our tenth telephone town hall to discuss COVID-19 and take questions from Granite Staters. Families across New Hampshire are dealing with a wide array of health, financial, and personal challenges, and I am committed to ensuring that our state receives the federal funding necessary to get through this crisis.

As this health emergency continues, we will keep working to keep you informed. 

Thanking Our Granite State Essential Workers

Join me in thanking New Hampshire's essential workers, who continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe and healthy. Share a video or a picture message here to be added to a video for health care providers and other essential organizations as we give thanks to these amazing Granite Staters. 

Updates and News You Can Use

If you are in need of a coronavirus test, visit https://www.nh.gov/covid19/ and click "COVID Testing Registration Form." For those who live in the Concord area, a new testing site has been opened on Stickney Ave. 

Cloth face masks can help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, and our frontline workers safe. Cloth masks will be available free-of-charge at Nashua High School South on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drivers and passengers should remain in their vehicles and wait to be directed by volunteers to pull up. This masks-for-everyone campaign is called “Mask Up NH!” and additional information is available at www.maskupnh.com.

Earlier this week, I wrote an op-ed for the Valley News about preventing hunger and food insecurity and supporting our agriculture industry. You can read it here.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) are the best resources to turn to during this public health emergency.

Remember: Keep calm and wash your hands. If you are sick, stay home and call your health care provider. If you live in NH and have questions about coronavirus, dial 2-1-1. Visit CDC.gov for more information.

Sincerely,