Catching Up with Annie
Putting Forth Solutions to Combat the Opioid Epidemic
Washington, D.C.,
February 28, 2020
Dear Friend, Yesterday, I joined Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, my Republican co-chair of the Bipartisan Opioid Task Force, and additional Task Force members to unveil our 2020 legislative agenda as part of our work to fight an epidemic that has impacted so many families in New Hampshire and nationwide. The agenda outlines commonsense, bipartisan legislation that would address the opioid epidemic by bolstering prevention, treatment and recovery, and law enforcement efforts. Our agenda also tackles underlying challenges in our criminal justice and economic systems that have contributed to this crisis. I look forward to my continued work to curb this ongoing crisis and ensure communities have the tools they need to move past addiction.
Investing in Rail Expansion On Monday, I held a roundtable discussion in Nashua to highlight the importance of rail initiatives in New Hampshire and unveil my bipartisan legislation, the Invest in American Railroads Act. This legislation will make it easier for New Hampshire to finance a commuter rail line between Manchester and Nashua to Boston. Rail expansion means job creation, increased investment in our communities, providing relief to commuters, and so much more. This bill is a win for New Hampshire workers and could make a real difference for economic growth in the Granite State.
Supporting Our Aviation Workforce Our nation’s aviation specialists work tirelessly to maintain high levels of safety and reliability for the 700 million air travelers that fly throughout our country every year. It was great to visit the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) team in Nashua on Monday to discuss how we can work together to ensure our aviation workforce has the tools it needs to succeed. I look forward to our continued work together!
Discussing Issues Important to New Hampshire The Rotary Club of Nashua hosted me on Monday to discuss issues important to Nashua and the state. I appreciate the opportunity to share my work in Congress to combat climate change, lower the costs of prescription drugs, and expand economic opportunity. Rotarians have such a positive impact in our communities, and I am grateful for all they do to make New Hampshire such a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
Protecting Americans from Coronavirus On Wednesday, I joined my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health for a hearing to examine President Trump’s fiscal year 2021 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and to discuss the developing outbreak of the coronavirus and HHS’s response. I am concerned that the chain of command must be made clear to the American people and we must get consistent information from this administration. We also want to ensure that we have adequate testing – it is urgent that testing kits are made available throughout the country. While research is being done to develop a vaccine, that will not be available for the public for some time. It’s important that we are prepared, but I want to reassure the American people that with basic precautions including handwashing and avoiding contact with those who are sick, most people are not likely to be affected by coronavirus. For information on how to keep you and your family healthy, visit CDC.gov. You can watch my interview with the BBC about coronavirus here.
Ensuring Veterans Have Access to the Services they Need I’m glad the House passed my bipartisan legislation, the Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2019, on Wednesday. This bill will help ensure fairness and support veteran-owned small businesses in the federal contracting process. I will continue to work across the aisle to support our veterans and ensure they have access to the services they deserve. Meeting with Granite Staters in the Nation’s Capital I enjoyed speaking with Granite Staters about the issues most important to them over coffee with my colleague Congressman Chris Pappas in my Washington, DC office on Wednesday morning. It is always a pleasure to see folks from New Hampshire in our nation’s capital. Thank you to all who joined - I look forward to our next constituent coffee!
Here for You As always, I encourage you to continue reaching out to my office with questions, concerns or ideas - I love hearing from Granite Staters! You can reach my Concord office at 603-226-1002 or my Washington, DC office at 202-225-5206. Thank you for everything you do to make New Hampshire such a wonderful place to call home. Have a great weekend! |
