It is the honor of my life to bring your voices and priorities to Congress.

Graphic courtesy of the Union Leader. We can and must do more to address the addiction crisis and save lives – that’s what I’m fighting for.

In 2022, over 100,000 Americans died as a result of a drug-related overdose. At the same time, the number of deaths by suicide increased by 2.6%, averaging a heartbreaking 136 people every day. These losses are devastating and take an immeasurable toll on friends, families, and loved ones year after year. In 2023, Congress took steps to address these twin crises, and in 2024, we must continue this critical work.

Susan Stearns is a critical advocate for dispelling the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide.

In February, I was thrilled to have Susan Stearns, Executive Director of NAMI NH, join me as my guest for the President’s State of the Union address and to highlight the critical importance of mental health for New Hampshire. 

Susan Stearns is an incredible advocate for expanding access to mental health resources and dispelling stigma – it was an honor to have her as my guest for the State of the Union.

My Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force is committed to ending the substance use and overdose epidemics.

Addiction doesn’t care about your politics and neither should our approach to addressing this crisis. That’s why I founded the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force in 2015, a group of over 140 Democratic and Republican lawmakers committed to combating the growing opioid, substance use disorder, and mental health crises. 

Our focus is bridging the partisan divide to tackle this crisis, stopping the flow of 

dangerous drugs into our communities, expanding access to treatment and care, and

helping save lives. In 2023, our Task Force introduced over 70 pieces of legislation to do just that. In 2024, we’ll continue to lead the charge in Congress to tackle this crisis head-on.

You can read our 2023 legislative agenda here.

 Drug deaths nationwide hit a new record in 2022—we can and must do more to save lives.

Although 2023 was a year defined by frustration and confusion for Congress, we did pass my legislation to reauthorize the SUPPORT Act and address the addiction and mental health crisis at the local level. 

The SUPPORT Act is a comprehensive, bipartisan legislative package aimed at mitigating the harmful effects of opioids. When the bill first passed in 2018, it expanded access to recovery programs, invested in the mental health and substance use disorder workforce, supported training for first responders, and required expanded access to FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder. But, funding for this bill expired on September 30th, 2023.

Tackling the overdose crisis requires an all-of-the-above approach.

Thankfully, the House voted overwhelmingly to pass my legislation reauthorizing the SUPPORT Act in December — ensuring communities nationwide will have the tools to address substance use disorder at the local level. I hope this legislation can serve as a building block to strengthen our national approach to this crisis and help save lives.

As we head into 2024, I am more committed than ever to advancing commonsense legislation to address the addiction epidemic, expand access to treatment and recovery services, stop the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities, and save lives.

Together, we can defend freedom and democracy around the world.

Over the last two years, we have witnessed growing threats to democracy and stability at home and abroad. From Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to the vicious attack on Israel carried out by Hamas terrorists and the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, we cannot fail to meet this moment. 

The United States has an important role to play in standing in defense of freedom, democracy, and peace and protecting the safety of innocent civilians around the world.

We cannot falter at this critical moment. That’s why I am urging Congress to pass President Biden’s proposed supplemental security package, which includes funding to deliver aid to our allies and protect the innocent lives impacted by these conflicts without delay. 

We must choose the right path to support our allies, protect innocent lives, and defend freedom and democracy worldwide. It will not be easy, but it can be done. That’s what I am fighting for.

If you have a question or are in need of assistance, please contact my office at (603) 226-1002 or visit Kuster.House.Gov.

One of my most important responsibilities in Congress is to support constituents, provide assistance with federal agencies, and help deliver federal resources to New Hampshire. In 2023, my office was proud to help secure significant investments to improve and invest in our communities across the Second Congressional District.

It would be too long of a list to include every exciting project happening in our state in 2023, but here are a few highlights!

I will continue working to address the health care workforce shortages in New Hampshire.

This year, I was proud to secure $2,000,000 for New England College to help increase its program capacity to educate and prepare more highly trained nursing professionals. 

With these new resources and the school’s new partnership with Elliot Hospital, we will have more well-trained nurses out in the field and serving our communities, ensuring Granite Staters can access the health care they need when they need it, regardless of where they live. 

Concord Monitor: New England College to expand nursing program with grant and third partner hospital

It was great to partner with Concord Coalition to End Homelessness and hear about their plans for new federal funding to expand their services.

Everyone needs a safe place to live and call home, and the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness is an essential partner in making that a reality. Earlier this year, I was proud to advocate for $850,000 to help fund a brand new Resource Center expansion to connect our neighbors with the resources and services they need to get back on their feet.

Together, we’ll keep working to ensure everyone in New Hampshire has a roof over their head, and I look forward to getting this funding over the finish line!

WMUR: Preliminary statistics show 52% increase in New Hampshire homelessness since last year

From expanding primary care services to supporting our rural communities, Mid-State Health is a key partner and resource for New Hampshire.

Community health centers play a huge role in New Hampshire’s health care system – when we invest in them, our entire state feels the benefits. From expanding access to quality, affordable child care to providing our neighbors with the substance use disorder treatment they need, Mid-State represents the positive impact that community health centers can have on our state’s health and well-being. 

This year, I was proud to help secure $750,000 in federal funding for Mid-State Health Center to drastically expand its scope of practice to include lactation support, physical and behavioral therapy, pre- and post-natal care, and more.

Nashua Telegraph: Kuster tours Mid-State Health Center, discusses funding to expand services

This comprehensive legislation took an all-of-the-above approach to lower costs and strengthen our economy.

This year, we celebrated the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, historic legislation that is helping to lower health care costs for Granite Staters, combat climate change, and strengthen our economy while reducing the deficit and ensuring the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share in taxes.

I was proud to help make the Inflation Reduction Act possible to lower costs for New Hampshire families!

The Inflation Reduction Act represents a truly transformative investment that has delivered relief and reform to millions of Americans by:

• Lowering prescription drug prices for millions of hard-working families and allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, as well as capping the price of insulin at $35 per month;
• Eliminating out-of-pocket vaccine costs for seniors on Medicare Part D thanks to my bill included in the package;
• Lowering health care costs by extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, locking in lower health care premiums, and saving over 13 million Americans an average of $800 a year;
• Lowering energy costs and tackling the climate crisis through investments in domestic energy production and manufacturing while reducing carbon emissions by roughly 40% by 2030 with historic investments in energy security; and
• Lowering the deficit and fighting inflation through a historic down payment on deficit reduction of approximately $300 billion to combat rising prices.

Here’s to building on this progress in 2024!

It was an honor for New Hampshire to receive some of the first funding from this package in 2021!

Also this year, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package celebrated its second anniversary!

From bolstering broadband access to repairing our roads and bridges, this bipartisan legislation represents a critical investment in rebuilding America’s infrastructure and delivering historic investments in rural communities that will create good-paying jobs for years to come.

I will continue fighting to ensure New Hampshire benefits from this legislation for years to come.

New Hampshire is set to receive over $1.4 billion in critical investments over the next 5 years from this game-changing bill, with over 56 specific projects identified for funding, and more than 31,000 households across the state are receiving affordable high-speed internet.

Whether for the Woodstock Bridge or the Mechanic Street Sidewalk, game-changing projects are happening for our communities across our state and will make New Hampshire a better place to live, work, and raise a family for generations to come!

Congress does best when Republicans and Democrats work together to get things done.

2023 was a year like no other for Congress. From the historic 15-round House Speaker election in January to the debt ceiling crisis in the spring to a last-minute government funding deal in the fall, we have seen it all this Congress.

But, through the challenges, I was proud to bring our New Hampshire values to Washington and urge my colleagues to be the adults in the room. 

From addressing the addiction and mental health epidemic to tackling our workforce issues, lowering costs, and strengthening our economy, Democrats extended the hand of bipartisanship time and again and made real progress in lowering costs and expanding opportunities for families. Read more about my work reaching across the aisle this year:

Roll Call: New Dems Chair Kuster seeks to bridge the congressional divide

Bloomberg Government: Centrist Democrats Haven’t Given Up Hope for Deals With GOP

Axios: House centrist groups eye bipartisan policy partnership

Washington Post: Centrists push back against fringes in debt deal

Our government works best when Republicans and Democrats come together to solve the problems facing our country, and there is so much more that unites us than divides us. I’ll continue pushing for common-sense, bipartisan solutions to better the lives of Granite Staters and Americans across the country. 

Here’s to 2024 – may you have a safe and happy new year!