Shaheen Reintroduces Legislation to Boost Public Participation in Approval of Energy Projects and Rates

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) reintroduced legislation to create an Office of Public Participation and Consumer Advocacy at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). As one of the lead agencies responsible for developing energy infrastructure and ensuring reliability of the electric grid, FERC has sweeping authority over the wholesale power markets and ultimate jurisdiction in the federal siting and permitting process for natural gas pipelines. While FERC’s decisions determine which energy projects are constructed and significantly influence the energy prices consumers pay, private citizens have expressed frustration that participating in FERC’s complex proceedings is extremely challenging. 

NH Delegation Applauds $300,000 in Federal Funding Awarded to Manchester Community College to Expand Skilled Technical Workforce

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the Ranking Member on the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations subcommittee, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) applauded the announcement of a $299,529 grant awarded to Manchester Community College to support programs to help educate the next generation of skilled technical workers. The grant is funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Capito, Hassan Introduce Legislation to Improve Mental Health Care in Emergency Departments

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) introduced the Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act, legislation to improve the way patients receive care for mental illness in emergency departments. The bipartisan bill would establish a competitive grant program for emergency departments to adopt more collaborative and connected mental health care models and deploy new technology to better connect patients with appropriate resources in their communities. 

Bipartisan Hassan-Backed Bills to Strengthen Fiscal Responsibility, Improve Government Efficiency Pass Committee

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, on which Senator Maggie Hassan serves, voted to approve several bipartisan bills that Senator Hassan has supported to strengthen fiscal responsibility and improve efficiency within the federal government.

Bipartisan Hassan-Rubio Legislation to Strengthen Counterterrorism Coordination Efforts at DHS Passes Out of Committee

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, on which Senator Maggie Hassan serves, voted to approve the bipartisan Counter Threats Advisory Board Act. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the legislation to strengthen counterterrorism coordination efforts at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bipartisan legislation will authorize and rename the Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB), which brings together intelligence, operational, and policy-making elements from across DHS to advise the DHS Secretary on how to respond to potential terrorist attacks as well as other threats.  

Senator Hassan Highlights Importance of Making it Easier For Americans to Save for Retirement During Senate Finance Hearing

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan highlighted today the importance of making it easier for Americans to save for retirement. The Senator recently cosponsored a bill – led by the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, Ron Wyden (D-OR) – to allow employees who make student loan payments to receive an employer match into their retirement accounts for those payments.

NH Delegation Announce $2.7 Million in Federal Funding for Pease & Claremont Airports

(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) announced $2.7 million in federal funding for construction projects at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease and Claremont Municipal Airport. Pease has been awarded $2 million for a terminal expansion project, and Claremont has similarly been awarded $700,000 to construct a new state of the art terminal. Both projects are funded through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

Senators Hassan, Shaheen Introduce Legislation to Make Bankruptcy Relief Available to Student Loan Borrowers

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen recently joined their colleagues in introducing bicameral legislation that would give hard-working Granite Staters and Americans overwhelmed by debt the option of obtaining meaningful bankruptcy relief that includes student loan debt. 

Shaheen, Hassan & Bipartisan Group Introduce Legislation to Support Fishing Safety Programs

(Washington, DC) – On Friday, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Angus King (I-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to introduce the Funding Instruction for Safety Health, and Security Avoids Fishing Emergencies (FISH SAFE) Act. The bipartisan bill restores the federal share of fishing safety training and research grants back to 75 percent, which had been unfortunately cut to 50 percent in 2018 legislation. The bill would also reauthorize the safety training and research programs for $6,000,000 per year for 2019-2021.

Senator Hassan Cosponsors Bipartisan Bill to Make College Cost Comparisons Easier

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan last week cosponsored a bipartisan bill to empower students and their families with better information about the costs of college. The bipartisan Understanding the True Cost of College Act would create a universal financial aid award letter to allow prospective students to compare colleges to find the best value. NPR recently highlighted the issue of colleges and universities providing misleading and confusing financial aid letters.  

Senator Hassan Joins in Introducing Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Curb Improper Federal Payments to Deceased Individuals

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan this week joined her colleagues in re-introducing bipartisan legislation that would help save millions of federal dollars by curbing erroneous payments to deceased individuals. The bipartisan Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act would give all federal agencies access to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) death records – which represent the most complete federal databases of the deceased – and require that federal agencies make appropriate use of the death data to curb improper payments.

Senator Hassan Joins Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan Bill to Increase U.S. Advanced Manufacturing’s Global Competitiveness

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan joined her colleagues this week in introducing the Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing Act, which will promote expansion of the national network of Manufacturing USA institutes and strengthen American manufacturing. The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Thom Tillis (R-NC).

Shaheen, Hassan Reintroduce Bipartisan PFAS Accountability Act

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) worked with a bipartisan group of Senators led by Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) yesterday to announce the re-introduction of the PFAS Accountability Act. This legislation would hold federal agencies accountable for addressing contamination for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at military bases across the country. It comes just days after the release of a new report showing that 19 million people in 43 states have been exposed to PFAS-contaminated water. The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Richard Burr (R-NC), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).

Rise in Drug and Substance Use on College Campuses Prompts Tester, Capito, Hassan to Introduce Bipartisan Legislation

(U.S. Senate) – To combat rising rates of the misuse of drugs and other substances on college campuses, U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced bipartisan legislation to help fund substance misuse prevention and treatment initiatives at colleges and universities.

Senator Hassan Attends White House Event on Surprise Medical Bills

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today issued the following statement after attending a White House event with President Trump on the need to end the practice of surprise medical bills:

NH Delegation Applauds $94 Million in NOAA Funding for Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the Ranking Member on the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) today applauded the announcement of a $94 million grant over five years from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to the newly created Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, which will be led by a consortium that includes the University of New Hampshire (UNH).

Senator Hassan Joins Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan Bill to Reverse Mistake in GOP Tax Law, Lower Taxes on Gold Star Families

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME) and 21 other bipartisan Senators today introduced legislation providing tax relief for children receiving benefits who have lost a parent serving in the military.

Senators Hassan, Shaheen Introduce Legislation to Overhaul Energy Tax Code, Combat Climate Change

WASHINGTON – As part of their efforts to combat climate change and promote the use of renewable energy, Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, recently joined their colleagues in introducing legislation to overhaul the federal tax code to support an innovative, low-carbon economy. The Clean Energy for America Act would consolidate the current 44 energy incentives into three technology-neutral provisions that encourage clean electricity, clean transportation and energy efficiency.

Senator Hassan Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Give NH Law Enforcement Tools to Better Detect Fentanyl, Enhance Officer Safety

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, yesterday cosponsored bipartisan legislation to provide law enforcement officers with better technology to detect and identify synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. The Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act establishes a new grant program through the U.S. Department of Justice to give state and local law enforcement officers access to the same high-tech screening devices that Senator Hassan helped secure for Customs and Broder Protection agents through the bipartisan INTERDICT Act that was signed into law last year.

Senator Hassan Joins Colleagues in Applauding Senate Passage of Bipartisan National POW/MIA Flag Act

Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) today applauded the unanimous Senate passage of the National POW/MIA Flag Act, a bipartisan bill to require the POW/MIA Flag to be displayed whenever the American flag is displayed on prominent federal properties, including the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, the buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, the office of the Director of the Selective Service System, each major military installation (as designated by the Secretary of Defense), each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center, and each United States Postal Service post office.