Senator Hassan Statement on New Hampshire Receiving First Half of $1.25 Billion Included in Bipartisan CARES Act to Support the State’s Efforts to Combat COVID-19

NEW HAMPSHIRE – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan released the following statement on the announcement that New Hampshire has received the first half of the $1.25 billion included in the bipartisan CARES Act to support the state’s efforts to confront COVID-19. The CARES Act, which was signed into law last month, included $150 billion to assist states incurring costs and other financial impacts due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Shaheen & Hassan Call For Rural Housing Assistance Amid Economic Fallout from Pandemic

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In an effort to prevent people in small towns and rural communities—particularly low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities—from losing their housing during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) sent a letter with U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and a bipartisan group of colleagues in pressing top Senate Appropriators for emergency funding to help rural renters.

N.H. Congressional Delegation Calls on President Trump to Approve State’s Request for Full Reimbursement of COVID-19 FEMA-Funded Projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen and Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas called on President Trump to approve the state’s request for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fully reimburse costs that the state incurs under FEMA Public Assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hassan, Shaheen Urges Congressional Leaders to Expand Health Care Coverage in Any Future COVID-19 Legislation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and 35 of their Senate colleagues in pressing congressional leaders to make sure that any future coronavirus relief legislation includes strong measures to secure health care coverage for Americans in the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. In the letter, the Senators urged Senate and House leaders to take steps to ensure that those who have lost their employer-based benefits – and those who are uninsured or underinsured – do not have to face this major public health crisis without access to health insurance. 

N.H. Congressional Delegation Calls on President Trump to Approve State’s Request for Full Reimbursement of COVID-19 FEMA-Funded Projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen and Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas called on President Trump to approve the state’s request for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fully reimburse costs that the state incurs under FEMA Public Assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Hassan Speaks Remotely with Fourth Grade Students at Exeter's Lincoln Street School

EXETER – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan joined a virtual discussion with fourth grade students at Exeter's Lincoln Street School, who have been learning remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The class's scheduled visit to the State House was canceled due to COVID-19, and Senator Hassan wanted to give the students the opportunity to ask questions about her experience as Governor and now as Senator.

Following Calls from Senator Hassan and Colleagues, Veterans Receiving VA Benefits Will Automatically Receive COVID-19 Direct Cash Assistance

WASHINGTON – Following bipartisan calls from Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and colleagues including Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the U.S. Treasury Department announced today that veterans, their caregivers, and family survivors who receive Department of Veterans Affairs pension payments, disability compensation, or survivors’ benefits will automatically receive direct cash assistance included in the CARES Act without having to file tax returns.

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.