Veterans Committee Passes Senator Hassan’s Bipartisan Legislation to Support Veterans During Their Transition to Civilian Life

WASHINGTON – The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs voted unanimously to pass Senator Maggie Hassan’s bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Solid Start program, which was created by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2019 to contact every veteran three times by phone in the first year after they leave active duty service to check in and help connect them to VA programs and benefits.

Senators Hassan, Shaheen Applaud Senate Passage of the Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act

WASHINGTON  – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen applauded Senate passage of bipartisan legislation that they cosponsored to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Willie O’Ree, a former hockey player for the Boston Bruins who was the first Black player to compete in the National Hockey League (NHL). This bill was introduced by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Tim Scott (R-SC) and now moves to the House of Representatives.

Senator Hassan Presses DHS Secretary on Vetting and Drug Interdiction Efforts, and the Need to Re-open the Canadian Border

WASHINGTON – At a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan questioned Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the agency’s vetting and visa security programs, its counternarcotics efforts, and its decision to keep the U.S.-Canadian border closed to vaccinated Canadian travelers.

NH Delegation Announces Nearly $1 Million to NH Nonprofits, Including Houses of Worship, to Increase Safety

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chair of the Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today announced with Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) that New Hampshire nonprofits, including houses of worship, will receive $951,951 under the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. The full list of New Hampshire nonprofits to receive funding this year is included below.

Senator Hassan, Colleagues Oppose Purdue Pharma’s Request for Bonuses to Top Executives & Employees Amid Ongoing Opioid Epidemic

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined her colleagues in urging the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to reject Purdue Pharma’s recent motion requesting $34.7 million in employee bonuses, including $5.4 million for its top executives, as part of Purdue’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan.

Senator Hassan Goes to Bat for the Fisher Cats & Minor League Baseball Teams Across the Country

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined her colleagues in stepping up to the plate by cosponsoring legislation to help independent professional baseball and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams, including the Fisher Cats, that have struggled economically after the COVID-19 crisis threw a curveball into their 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Minor League Baseball Relief Act would provide up to $550 million in federal relief funding for independent and MiLB teams. This would also strengthen local economies, since game attendees patronize small businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and other attractions across New England.

Hassan, Shaheen, and Kuster Announces $2.76 Million in Federal Funds for Dartmouth College Quantum Genome Mapping Project

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has granted Dartmouth College $2,760,000 in federal funding to support its quantum genome mapping project. This is one of 29 projects that the Department of Energy is funding to study the materials and chemical processes needed to develop the next generation of quantum smart devices and quantum computing technology.

NH Delegation Announces $450,000 for Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to Bolster Marketing of New Spirit Airlines Routes

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced that the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) will award Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) $450,000 to support marketing for new routes available through Spirit Airlines, which will start in the fall. Spirit Airlines is the first airline added to the MHT hub since 2004.

NH Delegation Announces Nearly $2 Million Heading to NH for COVID Detection & Mitigation for Vulnerable Populations

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced that New Hampshire will receive nearly $2 million to support COVID-19 testing and mitigation efforts. Specifically, $1.47 million will go towards COVID detection and mitigation in prison facilities and $449,760 will go towards populations experiencing homelessness.  

Senator Hassan Visits Somersworth Middle School to Discuss Their New HVAC Project

SOMERSWORTH – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan today visited Somersworth Middle School to see the progress on the construction of the school’s new HVAC system. The project is funded by federal COVID-19 relief that Senator Hassan helped passed into law, and comes after Senator Hassan successfully called on the U.S. Department of Education to clarify guidance so that New Hampshire schools could move forward with air quality improvement projects. Following Senator Hassan’s advocacy, the U.S. Department of Education put further guidance out today to ensure that more schools can use relief funding  to improve indoor air quality in their classrooms.

Senators Hassan, Boozman Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Care for Veterans by Requiring Mandatory Whistleblower Training for VA Employees

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and John Boozman (R-AR), both members of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced the bipartisan VA OIG Training Act of 2021 to require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide training to employees on reporting waste, fraud, and abuse. This training would be in coordination with the VA Office of the Inspector General (VA OIG), which serves veterans and the public by conducting meaningful independent oversight of the VA.

President Signs into Law Bipartisan Bill Cosponsored by Senator Hassan to Strengthen Support to Survivors of Violent Crimes

WASHINGTON – The President signed into law today bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Maggie Hassan that will prevent deep cuts to programs that provide critical support and compensation to survivors of violent crimes, including survivors of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). The Crime Victims Fund, which was established under VOCA, has faced a steep loss in revenue over the last four years, which threatens the program’s survival and future support for victims of crimes.

Senate Passes Senator Hassan’s Bills to Support Veterans’ Job Opportunities & Benefits

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed three bipartisan bills that Senator Hassan worked to advance as a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee: the Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act, the Veterans’ Disability Compensation COLA Act, and the Ensuring Survivor Benefits During COVID-19 Act.

Senator Hassan Joins Bipartisan Arctic Security Initiative Act to Address Emerging National Security Threats

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight, joined Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in supporting the Arctic Security Initiative Act of 2021, bipartisan legislation requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct a security assessment of the Arctic region and establish an Arctic Security Initiative with a five-year plan to fully resource the DOD and individual service-specific strategies for the Arctic that have been released over the past several years. U.S. Northern Command would lead the independent assessment in coordination with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. European Command. 

Senate Passes Bipartisan Bill Cosponsored by Senator Hassan to Strengthen Support to Survivors of Violent Crimes

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today passed bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Maggie Hassan that would prevent deep cuts to programs that provide critical support and compensation to survivors of violent crimes, including survivors of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). The Crime Victims Fund, which was established under VOCA, has faced a steep loss in revenue over the last four years, which threatens the program’s survival and future support for victims of crimes.

Senator Hassan Presses Top Administration Officials on the Substance Use Disorder Crisis

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan participated in a Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control hearing on addressing the substance use disorder crisis. It is the first hearing Senator Hassan participated in as a member of this caucus.

With Paralympic Athlete Becca Meyers Forced to Withdraw from Team USA, Senator Hassan Calls on U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to Address Inequities

WASHINGTON - Following the news that Becca Meyers, a six-time Paralympic medalist and member of the U.S.A.’s Paralympics team, withdrew from the team after being denied a reasonable accommodation, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) called on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee as well as the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to take action and ensure that all athletes are able to compete safely and with the necessary accommodations. 

Senator Hassan Questions Dr. Fauci During Committee Hearing, Discusses Vaccinations for Children and Improvements to National Stockpile

WASHINGTON -- At a Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) questioned three top administration officials helping lead the federal COVID-19 response - Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Senator Hassan Discusses Importance of Broadening Access to Substance Use Disorder Treatment

NEW HAMPSHIRE - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined People’s Action and End Substance Use Disorder for a virtual event yesterday on the importance of medication assisted treatment and the need to pass the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act. Senator Hassan introduced the bipartisan MAT Act, legislation that would vastly increase access to life-saving addiction medicine by eliminating a duplicative bureaucratic hurdle—colloquially known as the “x-waiver”—currently blocking millions of highly trained health professionals from prescribing buprenorphine to their patients.

Senators Hassan, Rubio Introduce Bill to Protect Low-Wage Workers from Non-Compete Agreements

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) reintroduced legislation to protect entry-level, low-wage workers from non-compete agreements that limit their employment opportunities and restrict their ability to negotiate higher wages and benefits. Specifically, the Freedom to Compete Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to prevent employers from using non-compete agreements in employment contracts for certain non-exempt employees.