Sunday - April 28, 2024
U.S. Congressional Tipoffs Involving New Hampshire Newsletter for Sunday March 24, 2024 ( 21 items )  

After Shaheen Advocacy, 12,000 Additional Special Immigrant Visas for Brave Afghan Allies Included in Funding Package
WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, issued the following statement on a bipartisan agreement to secure an additional 12,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghans who stood with American troops and diplomats during the war in Afghanistan. The provision was included in the final funding agreement for fiscal year (  more

Kuster Applauds Expansion of NBRC J-1 Visa Program She Helped Establish
WASHINGTON, March 18 -- Rep. Ann Kuster, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: Concord, N.H. - Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) applauded the expansion of the Northern Border Regional Commission's (NBRC) J-1 Visa Waiver Program to include physicians practicing specialty medicine. Kuster led a bipartisan letter urging the NBRC to use its authority to begin this program, which the NBRC initially launched in December 2023 as part of a larger effort to address the national he  more

Kuster Helps Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Tackle Ghost Networks, Increase Health Care Transparency
WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Rep. Ann Kuster, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: **This legislation would better protect seniors, disabled individuals, and Americans living with mental health challenges** This week, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) helped introduce bipartisan legislation to empower patients with up-to-date information on health care providers covered by their insurance plans. The Requiring Enhanced and Accurate Lists (REAL) Health Providers Act would require Medi  more

Kuster Honors Ghost Army Veterans with Congressional Gold Medal
WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Rep. Ann Kuster, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined congressional leadership, military leaders, U.S. Veterans, and their families to host an award ceremony at the U.S. Capitol to honor the WWII Ghost Army with the Congressional Gold Medal. The Ghost Army, comprised of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company, was a top-secret U.S. unit tasked with fooling the Nazis and dra  more

Pappas Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prohibit Federal Agencies from Purchasing Products that Contain Harmful PFAS Substances
WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) introduced the PFAS-Free Procurement Act alongside Representatives Mike Lawler (NY-17) Bill Posey (FL-08), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Katie Porter (CA-47), Haley Stevens (MI-11), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03). This bipartisan legislation will prohibit federal agencies from the procurement of items containing perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) or perfluorooc  more

Pappas Slams House GOP Plan to Cut Social Security and Medicare, Increase Prescription Drug Costs
WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) strongly opposes the Republican-led budget proposal released yesterday, which would raise the Social Security retirement age, cut Social Security and Medicare benefits, roll back savings on prescription drugs, and repeal $35 insulin for those on Medicare. "Granite State seniors who have paid into Social Security and Medicare need to know that their earned benefits wi  more

Pappas Votes to Fund Key Defense, Family, Border, Small Business Priorities for NH
WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) voted to pass bipartisan legislation to fund the government, avoid a shutdown, and fund critical priorities. The bill provides for the largest military pay raise in twenty years, as well as support to lower childcare costs, resources for our southern border, including a record 22,000 border agents, aid to small businesses, and help for our allies. The legislatio  more

Pappas, Shaheen Urge USDA to Support Income Tax Exclusion for NH's PFAS Rebate Program
WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (NH-01) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging the Department to support the State of New Hampshire's request to exclude payments from the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Rebate Program from income taxes, ensuringGranite Staters do not have to pay more out-of-pocket costs to address drinking   more

Sen. Hassan Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Fentanyl Trafficking
WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: President Joe Biden signed into law the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act, which U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), and their colleagues introduced to crack down on fentanyl trafficking at the border. This bill requires the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update its policies at least once every three years to ensure that its guidance to stop and interd  more

Sen. Hassan Bipartisan Bill to Recognize Role of Direct Support Professionals
WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to help address the critical need for more Direct Support Professionals in the workforce by improving the data collected on workforce trends. Direct Support Professionals assist with communication, provide on-the-job coaching, and help with daily living needs for individuals   more

Sen. Hassan Highlights Dover, NH Business Leader Testifying Today at Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release on March 20, 2024: Today, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan introduced Theresa McKenney, Director of Sustainability and Government Affairs at NEMO Equipment, when she testified at a Senate Budget Committee hearing on the impact of climate change on outdoor recreation. NEMO Equipment is an innovative outdoor equipment manufacturer in Dover, New Hampshire. "NEMO's camping and outdoor gear makes it easier to e  more

Sen. Hassan Leads Hearing on Fentanyl Trafficking From China, Mexico to U.S.
WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chair of the Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee, led a bipartisan U.S. Senate hearing yesterday focused on how the U.S. government can continue pushing China and Mexico to stop fentanyl trafficking stemming from their countries, as well as how to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation. The hearing built on Senator Hassan's bipartisan   more

Sen. Hassan Secures Relief From UnitedHealth for Doctors, Hospitals in NH & Nationwide Following Cybersecurity Attack; Pledges to Continue Oversight
WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release on March 20, 2024: Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) announced today that she has secured relief from UnitedHealth Group for hospitals in New Hampshire who have been unable to receive payments for the majority of their services for nearly four weeks, when a cyberattack took down a payment platform offered by Change Healthcare, which is owned by UnitedHealth Group. Providers across the country should now al  more

Sen. Hassan, AARP Discuss Efforts to Lower Costs for Seniors
WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan led a discussion earlier this week about lowering costs for seniors, including efforts to lower prescription drug prices and support caregivers, at Easterseals New Hampshire in Manchester. "It's just unconscionable that seniors in the United States - people in the United States - pay more for their prescription drugs than in any other developed country in the world," said   more

Senate Small Business Committee Chairman Shaheen Congratulates New Hampshire 2024 Small Business Persons of the Year, Recognizes Awardees Across Country
WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Maryland, chairman of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today congratulated the SBA's recently announced 2024 Small Business Persons of the Year Awardees, including the Granite State's Counseling Associates, co-founded by Susan Borchert and Betsy Harrison, which   more

Shaheen Marks Fourteenth Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, Celebrates Record-Breaking Enrollment in New Hampshire
WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement ahead of the fourteenth anniversary of the landmark Affordable Care Act:  "In the 14 years since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, thousands of Granite Staters have found coverage on the ACA Marketplace, including a record-breaking 65,000 enrollees this year. I'm proud of how far we've come, but there's more w  more

Shaheen Sends Bipartisan Letter Urging State Department to Prioritize Participation of Sudanese Women in Conflict Resolution
WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the State Department to prioritize the participation of Sudanese women in U.S. government efforts to end the war in Sudan. The letter specifically urges the S  more

Shaheen, Pappas Urge USDA to Support Income Tax Exclusion for New Hampshire's PFAS Rebate Program, Helping Granite Staters Save Money and Keep Drinking Water Safe
WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (NH-01) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging the Department to support the State of New Hampshire's request to exclude payments from the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Rebate Program from income taxes, ensuring Granite Staters do not have to pay more out-of-pocket costs to address drinki  more

Shaheen, Ricketts Respond to Sham Elections in Russia
WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, released the following joint statement in response to the sham elections in Russia over the weekend: "Unsurprisingly the elections in Russia this weekend were clearly neither free not fair. The Organiz  more

U.S. Senator Shaheen Joins U.S. Senate Colleagues in Push to Secure Funding for Affordable Connectivity Program in Forthcoming Appropriations Package
WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead negotiator of broadband provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobst Act (IIJA), recently joined a group of 33 U.S. Senators, led by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), in a letter urging Senate leadership to include funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) as part of future must-pass legislation, including the next government funding p  more

U.S. Senators Shaheen, Collins Lead Bipartisan Group of U.S. Senators to Urge Department of Education's Timely Execution of 2025 TRIO Student Support Services Grant Competition
WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) led a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators in sending a letter urging the Department of Education to ensure the timely execution of the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) grant competition. The Federal TRIO SSS Program is the only national program providing college retention and completion resources for low-inc  more