**Kuster’s efforts delivered $28.6 billion for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund through the American Rescue Plan**
**Later in Bethlehem, Kuster met with New Hampshire Detox leadership and staff about addiction and substance abuse**

Woodstock, N.H. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) kicked off her three-day Build Back Better Tour with stops across the North Country to hear from Granite Staters – including business leaders, health care providers, local officials, and educators – about the ongoing needs of their communities and how the American Rescue Plan and other federal resources are bolstering the region’s recovery.

This morning, Rep. Kuster met with local town officials and business leaders at the Woodstock Inn and Brewery to hear about business and tourism during COVID-19, and trends in 2021 from local attractions, businesses, and restaurants. Last year, Rep. Kuster cosponsored and helped to pass the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act to ensure Granite State businesses had the flexibility needed to keep employees on staff and services running during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This afternoon, Rep. Kuster visited New Hampshire Detox – formerly known as Friendship House – in Bethlehem to discuss addiction and substance use treatment, recovery, and support programs. There was a significant rise in overdose deaths across the nation in 2020, and the stress of the pandemic led to an increase in mental health issues and addiction. Kuster is the founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force, where she works across the aisle to identify and implement solutions to address the substance abuse crisis.

“Our Granite State tourism and hospitality industry has done an incredible job adapting during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Kuster. “In Congress, I was proud to help deliver much-needed support to our Granite State businesses and towns to ensure they had the resources needed to keep employees and customers safe while allowing people to enjoy all that New Hampshire has to offer. I look forward to bringing the perspectives shared today back to Washington to ensure no one is left behind as we recover and rebuild.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic created additional challenges for those who were already struggling with addiction, and the stress of the health and economic crises contributed to an increase in mental health issues for countless Americans,” Rep. Kuster continued. “I appreciated the opportunity to hear from providers at New Hampshire Detox today, and I will continue working in Congress on the Energy and Commerce Committee and my Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force to expand access to care, bolster prevention efforts, and address the evolving substance abuse crisis.”

Rep. Kuster has been a strong supporter and advocate for Granite State businesses in Congress, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Already in 2021, Rep. Kuster has helped deliver 15,766 loans for New Hampshire through the Paycheck Protection Program, totaling over $1,125,851,000. Kuster has also been a resounding voice to reopen the U.S.-Canada border, leading a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the safe re-opening of the U.S.-Canadian border.

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