Senator Hassan Co-Leads Hearing on State and Local Cybersecurity Threats Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan today organized and co-led a hearing on the importance of bolstering cybersecurity for state and local governments and other entities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senator, the Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management, heard from a range of witnesses, including Brandon Wales, Acting Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Denis Goulet, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Information Technology, on how Congress and the federal government can better assist state and local governments in preventing and responding to cyberattacks.

Senators Hassan, Cornyn, Smith Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Group of Lawmakers in Calling for Final Passage of Child Welfare Bills This Year

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Tina Smith (D-MN) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of their colleagues in calling for the House to pass two pieces of legislation, which unanimously passed the Senate earlier this year, to help prevent child abuse and improve mental health support for at-risk children.

Senators Hassan, Shaheen and Bipartisan Group of Colleagues Push to Include Tax Relief Measure for Craft Breweries in End-of-Year Package

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and a bipartisan group of their colleagues are pushing to include a bipartisan proposal to provide tax relief for craft breweries in an end-of-year legislative package.

Senator Hassan Cosponsors Bipartisan Resolution to Create Fellowship Program for Gold Star Family Members

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan cosponsored a bipartisan resolution to establish a 12-month fellowship program in the Senate for Gold Star children, spouses, and siblings. The fellowship program aims to bring the unique perspective of Gold Star family members to Senate offices. The bipartisan resolution was introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Gary Peters (D-MI).

Shaheen, Hassan, Manchin, Collins, Warner, Cassidy, Murkowski, King & Romney Announce Bipartisan, Bicameral COVID-19 Emergency Relief Framework

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen – a senior member of the Senate Appropriations and Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committees – announced a new, bipartisan framework to provide emergency relief to communities impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, along with U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Angus King (I-ME) and Mitt Romney (R-UT). The Senators were also joined by Representatives Gottheimer (D-NJ-5) and Tom Reed (R-NY-23) of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which supports the new proposal that would help American students, families, businesses, workers, and health care providers during this crisis. A breakdown of the COVID-19 emergency relief framework can be found here.

Senator Hassan Statement on President-Elect Biden’s Announcement to Nominate Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement after President-elect Joe Biden announced today that he will nominate Janet Yellen to be the next Secretary for the United States Department of the Treasury.

Senator Hassan Leads NH Congressional Delegation in Calling for Additional COVID-19 Relief Package

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen and Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas are calling on Congressional leadership to move forward on an additional, comprehensive COVID-19 relief package that meets the needs that they have heard from Granite Staters.

Senator Hassan Cosponsors Bipartisan Bill to Support Veterans' Health Care by Assessing Link Between Service Members' Toxic Exposure in Uzbekistan and Cancer

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) cosponsored a bipartisan bill, led by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), to direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to assess possible health conditions linked to service members' exposure to toxic substances at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base (K2) in Uzbekistan.

Senator Hassan Statement on President-Elect Biden's Announcement to Nominate Alejandro Mayorkas as DHS Secretary

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after President-elect Joe Biden announced today that he will nominate Alejandro Mayorkas to be the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security:

Senators Hassan, Shaheen Join Colleagues in Urging Robust Funding for State and Local Governments to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and other colleagues in urging Congressional leaders to provide robust funding to ensure the swift distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as a part of any upcoming legislation to address the pandemic.

Hassan Joins NH Delegation in Call to Trump Administration to Authorize Extension & Full Funding for National Guard’s COVID-19 Response

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter this week with U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) to Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller requesting he extend the authorization and cover 100 percent of the costs for the New Hampshire National Guard (NHNG) to serve, activated under 502(f) authority. The extension and 100 percent reimbursement would enable the New Hampshire National Guard to continue its support of the fight against COVID-19 through March 31, 2021. Funding is currently authorized through December 31, 2020.

NH Delegation Meets with New Hampshire Hospital Association, Discusses Ongoing COVID-19 Response

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representative Chris Pappas (NH-01) met virtually with the New Hampshire Hospital Association (NHHA) and hospital CEOs. The delegation heard updates from the Association’s leadership and its members about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, fall surge and current outbreaks, discussed continued efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and plans to equitably distribute an effective vaccine.

Senators Hassan, Shaheen Join in Introducing Legislation to Help Protect Children From Home Lead Hazards

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), along with a group of their colleagues, in introducing legislation to help families cover the cost of eliminating lead from their homes. With lead hazards lurking in an estimated 3.6 million homes of families with young children nationwide, the Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act of 2020 would significantly broaden the national response to this public health challenge by providing refundable tax credits for homeowners, landlords, and tenants to remove lead from homes.

Shaheen & Hassan Join VA Secretary Wilkie, Dean Kamen & State and Local Officials to Welcome New Shipment of Emergency PPE for VA Facilities

(Londonderry, NH) – Today at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert Wilkie, DEKA Founder Dean Kamen and New Hampshire officials in welcoming a plane carrying a large emergency shipment of personal protective equipment that will be distributed to VA health care facilities. The shipment included 11 million pairs of gloves and will help protect veterans and health care providers from the spread of COVID-19. This delivery is part of a larger order of PPE that was spearheaded by Dean Kamen. At the event, the VA also announced a new VA New England Center for Innovation Excellence (VA NECIE), which will unite industry partners and the VA to develop innovative medical treatments and devices to assist veterans. Shaheen has welcomed previous deliveries of PPE to New Hampshire, and Shaheen and Hassan continue to call for federal relief to support New Hampshire communities on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Senate Passes Bipartisan Bill Cosponsored by Senator Hassan to Improve VA Caregiver Program

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) caregiver program following reports that caregivers and veterans were arbitrarily discharged or downgraded from the program. The bipartisan Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for (TEAM) Veteran Caregivers Act, introduced by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), would strengthen transparency and communication for veterans and caregivers participating in the program.

Bipartisan Bill Cosponsored by Senators Hassan, Shaheen to Protect Seniors from Fraud Passes Senate

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen to protect seniors from fraud. The Seniors Fraud Prevention Act will help fight scams designed to rob seniors of their assets by directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create an office to educate seniors about fraud schemes and improve the agency's monitoring and response to fraud complaints. The legislation is led in the Senate by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

Senators Hassan and Hawley Introduce Bipartisan Federal Disaster Responder Act

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), the lead Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management, and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), who also serves on the Subcommittee, introduced bipartisan legislation that will help strengthen federal disaster response. The bill ensures that when the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sends federal workers for disaster response, there is not an arbitrary cap of one year for their deployment to a disaster zone.

Portman, Hassan Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize Federal Government’s Use of Latest Technology Heads to President’s Desk for a Signature

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) applauded the Senate for passing their bipartisan Information Technology Modernization Centers of Excellence Program Act that will accelerate the adoption of the latest technologies by government agencies. This legislation expands upon Senator Portman’s bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Government Act, which codifies the AI Center of Excellence (CoE) within the General Services Administration (GSA) to provide technical expertise to relevant government agencies; advise agencies on the procurement of AI technology; and promote U.S. competitiveness through agency and industry cooperation. Inspired by Senator Portman’s legislation, GSA created the AI CoE last year. The Information Technology Modernization Centers of Excellence Program Act lays out the responsibilities that all of GSA’s CoEs should have and harmonizes their roles to strengthen the government’s technology expertise beyond just AI. The legislation now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

Senate Passes Bipartisan Legislation Cosponsored by Senator Hassan to Secure Internet-Connected Devices

WASHINGTON – The Senate passed bipartisan legislation yesterday, introduced by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Steve Daines (R-MT), to require baseline security requirements for Internet of Things (IoT) devices purchased by the federal government. Their bipartisan legislation would leverage the purchasing power of the federal government to help move the wider market for IoT devices towards greater cybersecurity. The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in September and now heads to the President’s desk for signature.

NH Delegation Calls on HHS to Change Formula for CARES Act Provider Relief Fund that Unfairly Penalizes Granite State Nursing & Long-Term Care Facilities

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, calling on the Department to update the methodology for distributing the next round of awards from the CARES Act’s $175 billion Provider Relief Fund to prioritize nursing homes and long-term care facilities in states like New Hampshire that have lower COVID-19 infection rates, but face serious issues with the spread of COVID-19 and mortality rates among residents of nursing facilities.