Shaheen, Hassan Call For Local Government Emergency Funding

 (Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and colleagues called for local governments to receive dedicated, flexible funding in the next COVID-19 emergency funding bill. While New Hampshire is receiving $1.25 billion in federal aid to reimburse the state for COVID-19 response, state and local governments need more flexible, dedicated funding in the next emergency funding package to ensure that funding is distributed at the municipal level. 

On Call with New Hampshire County Administrators, Senator Hassan Discusses Support for Frontline Workers, Access to Personal Protective Equipment

On a conference call with county administrators throughout New Hampshire, Senator Maggie Hassan discussed COVID-19 response efforts in Congress to support county needs and took questions from participants about access to vital supplies and keeping frontline workers safe.

Senators Hassan, Shaheen Urge VA to Strengthen New Hampshire Veterans’ Access to Telehealth Amid COVID-19

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen today urged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to strengthen New Hampshire veterans’ access to telehealth as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. The CARES Act that Senators Hassan and Shaheen worked to pass into law included $2.15 billion in funding to the VA to enhance its ability to provide telehealth services to veterans.

Senators Hassan & Shaheen Call for Increased Investments to Address Mental Health Needs, Including Substance Use Disorder, Resulting from COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today joined their colleagues in calling for increased investments in mental and behavioral health, including for substance use disorder, in future COVID-19 response legislation.

Senator Hassan Statement on Participation in Bipartisan White House Task Force on Reopening in the Wake of COVID-19

NEW HAMPSHIRE – Today, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan will participate in an 11 AM call with President Trump as a member of a new bipartisan White House task force consisting of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives to provide counsel to the President on reopening the economy in the wake of COVID-19. Ahead of the President’s first call with Senators today, Senator Hassan released the following statement:

Shaheen & Hassan Call For Emergency OSHA Standard To Protect Essential Workers In COVID-19 Response Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and 32 of their Senate colleagues in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer calling for any future response legislation to include a requirement that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to guarantee protections for all essential workers.

Senator Hassan, Colleagues Call on Tech Companies to Crack Down on Online Misinformation About COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in calling on the leaders of eight domain name registrars and hosting sites, including GoDaddy and Namecheap Inc., to explain the steps that their companies are taking to combat misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following Calls From Hassan and Colleagues, Treasury Department Says SSI Recipients Do Not Need to File Tax Returns to Receive COVID-19 Direct Cash Assistance

WASHINGTON – Following calls from U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and colleagues, the U.S. Treasury Department announced today that individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will automatically receive direct cash assistance included in the CARES Act without having to file tax returns. Very low-income seniors and people who experience disabilities generally receive those benefits.

Shaheen and Hassan Call for Boosted Lifeline Assistance Funding To Keep Americans Connected

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) sent a letter with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 24 of their colleagues calling on congressional leadership to commit at least $1 billion in funding for the Lifeline program in future coronavirus relief to meet the new connectivity needs of Americans. Since 1985, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s Lifeline program has made basic internet and telephone service more affordable for low-income Americans.

Senators Hassan, Hoeven Lead Bipartisan Group on Veterans’ CARES Act Payments

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today led a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the U.S. Department of Treasury and U.S Department of Veterans Affairs to provide recovery rebate checks to veterans as quickly as possible by automatically sending payments to veterans who do not file tax returns – similarly to how Treasury is sending payments to Social Security recipients who do not file tax returns. Click here for the senators’ letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and VA Secretary Robert Wilkie.

NH Delegation Announces $15.2 Million for NH Airports Through CARES Act

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a negotiator of the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced that New Hampshire airports will receive $15.2 million through the CARES Act to support them during the COVID-19 crisis. The continued operation of New Hampshire’s airports is needed to ensure essential workers and supplies are able to reach the state and to keep necessary travel open and available for Granite State businesses and industries. Senator Shaheen successfully led efforts in the Senate to provide funding to airports in the CARES Act.

Shaheen, Hassan & Group of Senators Send Bipartisan Letter Urging Increased Support for Victims of Domestic Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) – the lead Democrat of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Office on Violence Against Women – sent a bipartisan letter with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and a group of Senators to Senate leadership and appropriators requesting that additional funding and critical provisions to support the victims of family violence, domestic violence and dating violence be included in the anticipated fourth coronavirus (COVID-19) legislative package. As the nation engages in social distancing to combat the pandemic, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has reported contacts from victims, saying their abusers are taking advantage of the situation to further isolate them from their friends and family, with some abusers withholding financial resources or medical aid.

Senator Hassan, Colleagues Raise Concerns Over EPA's Refusal to Strengthen Air Quality Standards Amid COVID-19

NEW HAMPSHIRE – Following the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) refusal to strengthen ambient air quality standards despite research showing its link to higher COVID-19 mortality, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) led a group of her colleagues in raising concerns about the decision.

Maine, N.H. Delegation Members Urge DOD to Reinstate Paid Leave Policy at PNSY

Washington, D.C.—Members of the Maine and New Hampshire Congressional Delegations wrote to the Department of Defense (DOD) to express their concern with an updated policy that reduces the paid administrative leave options available to public shipyard workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The updated guidance creates impediments to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers staying home if necessary to protect public health or the health of a vulnerable family member during this public health crisis.

Senators Hassan, Shaheen Urge Agriculture Department to Help New Hampshire Farmers Struggling Because of COVID-19

NEW HAMPSHIRE – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) are urging the Department of Agriculture to act immediately to help dairy farmers and the producers of specialty crops, which includes key New Hampshire products such as apples and maple syrup.  

Senator Hassan Discusses COVID-19 Response with NH Medical Society and Clinicians Across New Hampshire

U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, held a discussion today with the NH Medical Society and clinicians across New Hampshire to thank them for their efforts and hear directly about their most pressing needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Hassan recently joined the rest of the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation in announcing $164.5 million to New Hampshire health care providers as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was recently passed by Congress and signed into law.

Senators Hassan, Shaheen Push for More Information, Transparency on COVID-19 Testing

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and colleagues in calling on Vice President Mike Pence and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a national inventory of the COVID-19 diagnostic testing supply, publicly release data on testing results, and provide a detailed plan and timeline for addressing future shortages and gaps in the testing supply chain.

Millions of PPE Delivered to New Hampshire

Concord, NH — Today, Governor Chris Sununu, Dean Kamen, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and state officials unloaded approximately 91,000 pounds of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from a FedEx cargo plane on the tarmac of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. 

Senator Hassan Urges Granite Staters to Use New IRS Portal to Expedite Direct Payments

WASHINGTON – Today, the IRS launched a new portal where individuals who do not file tax returns can enter their direct deposit information in order to receive the direct cash payments included in the CARES Act that Congress passed into law last month. The IRS also announced it would consider sending payments automatically to VA and Supplemental Security Income recipients, which Senator Hassan has called for.

Senator Hassan Discusses COVID-19 Response with New Hampshire Health Care Providers and Advocates

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan today took questions from New Hampshire health care providers and advocates during a video town hall and shared ongoing efforts in Congress to get health care providers the supplies and resources that they need to serve their patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic.