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.

Peters, Hassan, Murphy & Kaine Lead Colleagues in Pressing Administration for Information on Distribution of Critical Medical Supplies, Personal Protective Equipment

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) led the Senate Democratic Caucus in raising serious concerns about the Trump Administration’s reliance on private companies to distribute desperately needed medical supplies during the Coronavirus pandemic. Although the President has declared a national emergency and mobilized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help distribute supplies, FEMA is currently relying on private companies to distribute masks, N95 respirators, gowns, gloves and other critical supplies to states, without clear guidance from the federal government on which areas or facilities should be prioritized. This practice raises serious questions about the use of taxpayer dollars, the government authorities delegated to private companies, and if their involvement could result in supplies not being delivered to the areas that need it most.

NH Delegation Announces $164.5M from CARES Act Immediately Dispersed to NH Health Care Providers

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) announced today with Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) that New Hampshire health care providers received $164.5 million from an initial installment of health care provider grants established under the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was recently passed by Congress and signed into law. By standing firm during negotiations and demanding a better bill, Senator Shaheen and the delegation helped improve the legislation that ultimately became law, boosting funding for health care providers by $25 billion. In total, the law includes $100 billion for health care providers, the first $30 billion of which was dispersed to providers throughout the country today. In this first allotment, New Hampshire providers received $164.5 million.

Senator Hassan Urges FEMA to Ease Burden of Applying for Preparedness Grants Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan is calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ease the burden of applying for preparedness grants amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program that helps to strengthen security at nonprofits and houses of worship.

Senator Hassan Calls for Answers on COVID-19 Testing Shortages, Lack of Transparency

WASHINGTON – In a call with FEMA Region 1 officials today, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan raised concerns that while the administration recently shipped New Hampshire, and other New England states, 15 new COVID-19 rapid testing machines, the administration only shipped 120 cartridges that can be used for one test each.

With Shortages Worsening, NH Delegation Again Calls for Federal Agencies to Deliver Urgently Needed PPE & Medical Supplies to NH

(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) again raised the alarm on the urgent need for the Trump administration to deliver medical supplies to New Hampshire, including personal protective equipment (PPE). In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor, the delegation requested rapid assistance to ensure New Hampshire health care providers have the supplies needed to address the surge of coronavirus cases the state is experiencing. The letter reflects concerns that the delegation has heard from New Hampshire health care providers and first responders who need more supplies and need more information from federal agencies on supply availability in order to plan actions to meet the growing caseload of coronavirus cases in the state.

NH Delegation Urges Administration to Address Granite State Small Business Concerns With Implementation of New COVID-19 Assistance Programs

(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) urged Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to address New Hampshire small business concerns about the implementation of the financial assistance programs that were recently passed into law as part of the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In their letter, the delegation highlights problems that small business owners are experiencing with the new emergency grant program operated through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the new Paycheck Protection Program.