The first woman in U.S. history to be elected both a Governor and a United States Senator, New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen is a trailblazer with a reputation for working across the aisle to get things done. She is committed to serving the citizens of New Hampshire and is known for her common-sense leadership, hard work and dedication to improving the lives of the middle class. She has served in the Senate since 2009 and is a member of the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Select Committee on Ethics.
New Hampshire has a strong tradition of military service and honoring our commitment to veterans has been a top priority for Senator Shaheen. A member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, she has been a strong advocate for veterans, working to expand veterans’ access to health care, increase economic opportunity for veterans when they return home and making sure veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned and deserve. Coming from a family with a strong tradition of military service, Senator Shaheen understands the sacrifices service members and their families make and will continue to fight for veterans in New Hampshire and across the country.
Health Care
Senator Shaheen has worked tirelessly to make health care more accessible for New Hampshire veterans, recently announcing the approval of two new VA health care sites in the North Country. In 2011, Shaheen announced the opening of the VA’s Keene Outreach Clinic which in addition to offering primary care services also houses a Veterans Center, with its own entrance and separate staff, who offer counseling and group therapy for veterans. The Keene facility is a new model for the VA, marking the first time one of its medical centers features both a clinic for primary care and a Veterans Center for counseling in the same location.
Shaheen also worked with the VA to approve the relocation of the Manchester Veterans Center to a larger, safer location in Hooksett after nearly 25 months of delays. The first piece of legislation she introduced in Congress was the Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009, which would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that every state has a full-service veterans’ hospital or that comparable services are provided by contracting with in-state hospitals.
Shaheen co-sponsored The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 which expanded mental health services and suicide prevention programs for veterans, including National Guard or Reservists and their families. Recently, Shaheen also advanced a provision directing the Defense Department to continue its support of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, which funds programs – like the Deployment Cycle Support Program (DCSP) in New Hampshire – that help returning National Guard and Reservists reintegrate to civilian life. Studies suggest that DCSP participants are four times more likely to stay married, four times more likely to stay in the military, and five times less likely to be homeless.
Veterans Benefits
Senator Shaheen has been vocal about the need to fix problems that have plagued the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and address the veterans’ disability claims backlog. The FY 2015 Appropriations bill included multiple Shaheen provisions to help reduce the veterans’ disability claims backlog and improve health care access for New Hampshire veterans. She has also been a lead proponent of establishing veterans’ legal clinics to provide veterans with the legal services they need to fight for their benefits.
Shaheen was the first Senator to introduce legislation to reverse cuts to cost of living adjustments for military retirees that were included in the 2013 bipartisan budget agreement and voted in favor of legislation that ultimately reversed the cuts. Shaheen is a cosponsor of the Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2013, the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, and in 2012 helped protect veterans’ health care programs from across-the-board budget cuts.
Veterans Jobs and Economic Opportunity
Senator Shaheen understands that one of the most important ways to support our veterans is to make sure they are able to get good-paying jobs when they return home. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen has made promoting veteran employment a top priority. Shaheen has worked to promote veterans employment by drawing attention to veteran-owned businesses and businesses that hire veterans throughout New Hampshire and has introduced several pieces of legislation that would promote the hiring of veterans and improve access to capital for veteran-owned small businesses.
For example, The Veterans Hiring Act would create an incentive for businesses to hire veterans through a payroll tax cut. Shaheen’s Veterans Entrepreneurship Act would lower the cost of Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs designed to assist veterans who start their own small businesses. The bill would permanently eliminate fees for veterans applying for SBA Express loans and also improve current SBA programs designed to assist veterans by focusing on pre-deployment financial counseling and emergency assistance. The legislation also includes a provision requiring the Small Business Administration to identify ways to improve its outreach and services for female veterans, particularly through the SBA’s Women Business Centers and Veteran Business Outreach Centers.
Senator Shaheen knows we need to continue to create jobs and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. As a former small business owner, she understands that it is the private sector, not the government, which will create jobs that put people back to work and strengthen the economy. But she also knows that the government has an important role to play in creating the right atmosphere for entrepreneurship and innovation.
Senator Shaheen is committed to helping small businesses grow and create the jobs that will keep America competitive in the 21st century.
Small business is the engine of New Hampshire’s economy—that’s why Senator Shaheen asked to serve on the Senate Small Business Committee. Small businesses make up 96 percent of the employers in the state and create two out of every three new jobs.
The last few years have been challenging for small businesses. Too many saw their markets shrink and their lines of credit disappear—all because of a global financial crisis they did not create. Senator Shaheen’s top priority has been ensuring that small businesses have the support they need to grow and create jobs.
Senator Shaheen has been an advocate for businesses throughout her career, sponsoring and supporting legislation to help small businesses in New Hampshire and U.S. economic growth. As a member of the Small Business Committee, Senator Shaheen helped craft the landmark Small Business Jobs Act, which provided unprecedented support for our small businesses. She has worked to put credit into the hands of small businesses, help them grow by promoting exports, and reduce their health care costs. Senator Shaheen has also introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Thad Cochran (R-MI), the On-the-Job Training Act, to help Americans find and keep employment through proven on-the-job training (OJT) programs.
To read more about Senator Shaheen’s small business agenda, click here.
The future of the American economy lies in innovation. That’s why we need to create the right climate for companies and entrepreneurs to create the high-tech, 21st century jobs that will pay good wages and support the American middle class. Not surprisingly, New Hampshire is ahead of the curve – it is home to one of the most dynamic, innovative economies in the country.
Senator Shaheen has been a one of the lead Congressional advocates for policies that will tap into the innovative spirit of New Hampshire. Senator Shaheen sponsored legislation to re-authorize the Small Business Innovation Research program, which has helped hundreds of New Hampshire small businesses develop new ideas and turn them into commercial successes. She’s also a supporter of expanding the federal research and development tax credit and making it permanent.
Keeping America’s competitive edge in the global economy is one of Senator Shaheen’s top priorities. Jobs in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – are projected to be the fastest growing occupations over the next decade. Senator Shaheen has been a leader on STEM education efforts since her days as Governor and is a recognized leader by STEM Connector in their 100 Women in STEM publication. She introduced the Innovation Inspiration School Grant Program to boost access to STEM education for students across America and foster innovation for a homegrown workforce. Senator Shaheen also launched and is co-chair of the Senate STEM and Workforce Caucus that was formed to bring awareness to this important topic.
Today 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside the United States, yet the vast majority of American businesses do not export their products or services and less than one percent of small businesses export. Increasing exports is an effective way to spur growth, encourage investment, and create jobs in New Hampshire.
Senator Shaheen has been a leader in helping New Hampshire businesses sell their products and services to international markets and find new and expanded markets. She was the first New Hampshire Governor to lead a trade delegation outside of North America. As a Senator, Shaheen has undertaken several initiatives to connect businesses with federal resources that can enable exporting, such as the Export-Import Bank.
Shaheen has helped create the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant program to assist small businesses looking to take advantage of emerging global market places and has also introduced two pieces of legislation, the Small Business Export Growth Act and Go Global Act, focused on increasing exports for small businesses.
Transitioning to clean, alternative energy is critical to both our national security and economy. The transition to alternative energy presents enormous opportunities. As a former member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and former Chairwoman of its Subcommittee on Water and Power, Senator Shaheen is committed to ensuring that America leads the way in building tomorrow's clean energy economy—creating millions of jobs and opportunity up and down the economic ladder. We cannot continue to export dollars for imported oil from hostile regions of the world. Instead, we must confront the global threat of climate change, and at the same time we must meet our rapidly growing energy needs. In the Senate, Shaheen is a leading voice for comprehensive energy legislation that provides the incentives and certainty businesses are looking for in order to invest in clean energy.
Senator Shaheen also believes that it is essential to protect consumers from wild fluctuations in the price of gas and home heating oil caused by speculators on Wall Street. Economists have confirmed that speculation is contributing as much as 20 percent of the price of a barrel of oil, which can lead to artificially high gas and home heating prices. Shaheen is working to stop increased speculation from putting an unnecessary burden on American families and businesses.
New Hampshire’s infrastructure is essential for its residents and businesses. We need good roads, bridges, railways, and airports to keep New Hampshire and the United States competitive in the coming decades.
Senator Shaheen believes it is critical to provide New Hampshire with the support it needs to provide a safe, efficient, and reliable transportation infrastructure for our businesses and residents. Senator Shaheen supported the passage of passed a long-term transportation bill that will fund federal highway and transit programs through 2014. The long-term extension increases New Hampshire’s transit funding, which helps New Hampshire create jobs in the short-term and lay the groundwork for creating jobs in the future.
Lax regulation and a culture of greed on Wall Street led to a financial meltdown that sent this country into a deep recession. In July 2009, Senator Shaheen voted to pass strong regulatory reform that will restore accountability to Wall Street and oversight to shadowy derivatives markets. She continues to make sure that the interests of Wall Street should not trump the needs of middle class families.
After balancing a budget as a mother, small business owner, and governor, Senator Shaheen understands that every dollar we spend must deliver results. She is committed to fiscal responsibility and knows that public officials have a fundamental duty to make sure taxpayer money is used effectively and that each dollar can be accounted for.
We can only address our record deficit by making reforms to every area of the federal budget: domestic spending, defense spending, mandatory spending, and revenues. Senator Shaheen is working to protect taxpayer dollars by opposing wasteful spending and by working to improve programs that need fixing. At the same time, she is striving to change the way Washington does business.
Senator Shaheen voted against the emergency economic assistance program known as TARP – the Troubled Asset Relief Program – because she didn’t believe that it included enough protections for taxpayers. In the following months, news reports of executive bonuses and lavish spending reinforced those concerns.
Senator Shaheen has introduced legislation that would end special tax breaks for companies that are already mining public lands for free. While these extra incentives may have made sense 150 years ago when the government was trying to lure companies to America’s untamed West, they have no place in a modern economy with soaring metal prices.
The government’s sugar program keeps U.S. sugar prices artificially high. This forces consumers and food producers to subsidize sugar growers at a cost of $4 billion every year. Senator Shaheen has introduced bipartisan legislation to protect consumers and American jobs by phasing out this antiquated program.
Senator Shaheen co-sponsored an amendment to strike funding for an extra engine in the Joint Strike Fighter jet program. Though the Department of Defense under both the Bush and Obama Administrations opposed this wasteful and unnecessary project, it was continued by Congress for years. The Department of Defense believes that the additional engine would require another $2.9 billion in funds to complete development and begin production.
Senator Shaheen is a cosponsor of legislation written by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) which ends the wasteful and expensive subsidy that pays oil companies to blend ethanol into their gasoline. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this giveaway drives up food prices nationwide, encourages the development of preserved land, and is an extremely inefficient way to reduce carbon pollution.
After opposing the bank bailout program known as TARP because it lacked taxpayer protections, Senator Shaheen worked to make the program more accountable. She was an original co-sponsor of a new law that provides the Special Inspector General for TARP with greater law enforcement authority to investigate cases of fraud and abuse in the TARP program. The Special Inspector General ensures greater transparency, enhanced oversight, and robust enforcement of taxpayer dollars expended through the TARP program.
Senators Shaheen and Collins (R-ME) introduced the Medicare Transitional Care Act to reduce costly hospital readmissions by as much as $5,000 per Medicare patient. Provisions of the proposal were signed into law as a Medicare pilot program. The program will help ensure that appropriate follow-up care is provided for seniors who are discharged from a hospital and would prevent unnecessary and costly re-hospitalization.
Shaheen also supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which enhanced the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control fund. This comprehensive program will combat fraud committed against all health plans, both public and private. The Office of Management and Budget estimates that for every $1 invested to fight fraud, there are approximately $17 in savings.
Protecting taxpayer money from fraud and waste, and punishing those who created our economic crisis, are key components to economic recovery. That’s why Senator Shaheen sponsored and passed legislation to crack down on fraudulent mortgage lenders. She authored an amendment that strengthened the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Inspector General to investigate and remove fraudulent mortgage lenders from federal housing programs.
Senator Shaheen voted to implement the results of a major report from the Government Accountability Office, which would save taxpayers at least $5 billion. This report detailed billions in potentially duplicative spending across the entire federal government. For example, the report identified 80 separate federal programs to assist the “transportation disadvantaged” and 82 programs to promote financial literacy. While these are both important objectives, she believes we should analyze whether they can be met with a more efficient, streamlined approach.
Offshore tax abuses cost the U.S. Treasury an estimated $100 billion each year in lost tax revenues. Senator Shaheen cosponsored a bill that would crack down on offshore tax havens and abusive tax shelters that corporations use to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. She also supported a new law that eliminates more than $12 billion in corporate tax loopholes. For example, one of these loopholes allowed multinational corporations to claim certain tax credits without reporting the income that led to those credits in the first place.
Congress needs to change the way it does business so that we can make the tough decisions that will be required to balance the federal budget. Senator Shaheen joined Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) in proposing bipartisan legislation to convert the dysfunctional annual budget process to a more thoughtful, two-year process that would allow Congress to conduct greater oversight. The Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act would also make federal agencies more efficient by allowing them to devote less time to the budget process and more time to achieving their missions. Senator Shaheen has seen the benefits of biennial budgeting firsthand, producing a balanced budget in each of her three terms as Governor. Senator Shaheen saw this work well in New Hampshire and she would like to bring this to Washington.
Senator Shaheen helped champion legislation that enacted strong pay-as-you-go-rules into law. This law requires Congress to offset any new mandatory federal spending by finding a way to pay for it. A similar rule played a significant role in fighting deficits during the 1990s, but was repealed in 2002. While a comprehensive plan is needed to address our mounting national debt, this rule is an important step in the right direction.
For decades any single Senator had the power to anonymously slow the chamber’s business to a crawl by placing a “secret hold” on legislation, effectively taking the chamber hostage to get what they wanted. Senators were allowed to do this without revealing their identity or needing to explain their reasons to the public. On January 27, 2011, Senator Shaheen voted for a successful reform to end this dishonest tactic and require public disclosure of all “holds.”
Transitioning to clean, alternative energy is critical to both our national security and our economy.
Senator Shaheen knows we face unprecedented energy and environmental challenges. We cannot continue to export dollars for imported oil from hostile regions of the world. Instead, we must confront the global threat of climate change, and at the same time we must meet our rapidly growing energy needs.
Shaheen has been a leader on energy efficiency policy throughout her career and is the co-author of bipartisan energy efficiency legislation.
In the Senate, Shaheen is a leading voice for comprehensive energy legislation that provides the incentives and certainty businesses are looking for to invest in clean energy.
Energy efficiency is a fast and economical way to deal with our nation’s energy needs and should be our “first fuel” in transitioning to clean energy.
By some estimates, our nation's electricity consumption is expected to increase by at least 40 percent by 2030. Innovation and investment in alternative energy will play a key role in addressing this challenge over the long term, but we can take an enormous and immediate step toward addressing our growing energy needs in a climate-friendly manner by enacting policies that encourage energy efficiency and foster greater conservation.
In New Hampshire, we’ve been investing in energy efficiency for quite some time. Our total energy consumption and per capita energy consumption are among the lowest in the nation. Now, Shaheen is helping to take New Hampshire’s success national by leading the charge on national energy efficiency policy.
Senator Shaheen teamed up with Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) to introduce bipartisan legislation in that would enact a national energy efficiency strategy. The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013 (S. 761) contains a broad package of low-cost tools that would reduce barriers for businesses, homeowners, and consumers looking to adopt off-the-shelf energy efficiency technologies that will save them money. With a host of mature technologies already in widespread use — such as better insulation, computer-controlled thermostats, and more efficient electric motors — energy efficiency is the cheapest and fastest approach available to improving our nation’s energy infrastructure and our economy’s energy independence.
To read the press release on the Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill's reintroduction click here
To watch the press conference on the bill's reintroduction click here
To see the full text of the bill click here
To read a one-pager on the bill click here
To read a comprehensive summary of the bill click here
To see a letter of support for the bill from a coalition of more than 100 businesses, trade associations, and advocacy groups click here
To see a letter of support for the bill from a coalition of more than 30 New Hampshire businesses, trade associations, and advocacy groups click here
Shaheen has advocated for national energy policies that place a greater emphasis on clean, alternative energy technologies. Clean energy technologies—such as wind, solar, and biomass—have enormous potential benefits for New Hampshire's economy, and can help us break our addiction to fossil fuels and put us on a path towards a clean, sustainable energy future.
Biomass, hydro, and wind resources are already helping New Hampshire meet its strong renewable energy requirements and the opportunity to expand these efforts is promising. New Hampshire's North Country has vast and underutilized renewable timber resources ripe for investment in biomass energy. The New England Governors Renewable Energy Blueprint identified more than 10,000 megawatts of untapped onshore and offshore wind potential – enough to heat, cool, and light five million homes.
Shaheen believes that we need to support the development of alternative energy. She co-sponsored and voted for a Renewable Electricity Standard during the 111th Congress that would require all utilities to obtain 25 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025. She also supported the Recovery Act, which made one of the largest investments in alternative energy in our country’s history. In order to support the development of alternative energy, she will fight for strong incentives for alternative energy—such as wind, solar and biomass. She has also pushed for the extension of tax credits for renewable energy, investments in renewable energy technology research and development, and putting a price on greenhouse gases through a national climate program.
Our reliance on foreign sources of energy is unsustainable and severely compromises our national security interests. We import 60 percent of the petroleum that we consume, and many of the countries we import from are at odds with our own national security interests.
In the Northeast, we are particularly reliant on imported oil to heat our homes. According to the Department of Energy, New Hampshire is one of the most petroleum-dependent states in the country because of our reliance on imported oil to heat our homes; more than 50 percent of New Hampshire homes rely on heating oil during the winter. A study by the New Hampshire Office of Energy Policy said that 84 cents of every dollar spent on diesel fuel and home heating oil leaves the state. This is money we need to keep in New Hampshire, to power our state’s economy and create jobs in our local communities.
Senator Shaheen believes we can transform our economy and make our nation more secure by switching our heating systems from imported fossil fuels to locally produced, sustainable forms of energy, such as biomass. Communities, businesses, and homeowners across our state are already making this switch and with the right federal policies in place, Shaheen believes we can go even further.
Almost 30 percent of the energy we consume in the United States goes to powering our transportation sector, and improvements here are necessary to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Electric vehicles, hybrids, and improved vehicle efficiency standards can greatly reduce this reliance and help make our country more secure. Shaheen also supports the development of advanced cellulosic biofuels, investment in mass transit, freight and passenger rail, and incentives for smart growth policies for states and local governments that will reduce heavy transportation use.
The verdict on climate change is in. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of 3,000 scientists from over 130 countries who have studied climate change for over twenty years, global emissions must be stabilized by midcentury in order to avoid the most catastrophic and irreversible consequences of climate change. Senator Shaheen is committed to enacting policies that will reduce carbon pollution by 80 percent by 2050.
We know that carbon pollution is also a serious threat to public health. The American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association, the Trust for America’s Health and the American Thoracic Society—some of our Nation’s leading public health experts—all believe it is imperative to address carbon pollution to protect public health.
New Hampshire is already a leader in confronting climate change. Along with 10 other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, New Hampshire helped to form the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first mandatory, market-based effort in the United States to reduce carbon pollution. It is now time for Congress and the President to follow New Hampshire's lead and come together and enact a federal, mandatory greenhouse gas program to cut carbon pollution by 80 percent by 2050.
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Shaheen is dedicated to strengthening America’s national security. She believes that a strong and active United States is fundamental to securing our national interests at home and abroad. Senator Shaheen also believes that U.S. global leadership is directly tied to the strength of our ideals, our alliances and our diplomacy, and she is working to ensure our national security policies reflect our broader democratic values.
Today, the world is more interconnected than ever before, and our nation’s economy and security are directly linked to events across the globe. Many businesses in New Hampshire and throughout the U.S. rely on access to markets and consumers thousands of miles away. The threats of the 21st century – from terrorism and extremism to weapons of mass destruction, failed states to cyber attacks, climate change to disease– are truly global and will require a balanced approach that leverages all of America’s ingenuity and power and contributions from our allies and partners.
Senator Shaheen believes that America’s leaders have a responsibility to leave the world a better and safer place for the next generation of Americans.
A Strong Military
The United States Armed Forces are the strongest and most capable in the history of the world, and they form the backbone of American national security. In today’s world, a strong military no longer means simply having the most firepower; it requires new technologies, adaptive innovation and flexible institutions. As the United States continues to face multiple threats and commitments overseas, we must ensure we not only provide for our current defense, but also invest in our military’s future. Senator Shaheen is dedicated to strengthening America’s military by equipping it to meet today’s challenges and preparing it to overcome tomorrow’s threats.
Support for our Troops
Our men and women in uniform are the greatest asset of the United States military, and we are all grateful for their service and sacrifice. Over the past fifteen years our troops have carried a tremendous burden, and we must not forget the toll this has taken on them and on their families. Senator Shaheen has been a leader in supporting our active duty troops, our National Guard and Reserve forces and their families. In particular, the Senator has fought for the New Hampshire National Guard, which continues to deploy overseas and respond to domestic emergencies at home. She recognizes the sacrifice our service men and women face and deeply values their service, which is why she continues to advocate for the New Hampshire National Guards Care Coordination Program. This important program provides mental health care, financial counseling and substance abuse referrals for servicemembers and their families before, during and after deployments.
The Transatlantic Alliance
Senator Shaheen is a strong advocate for the Transatlantic Alliance that has long been the bedrock of U.S. foreign policy. Our allies in Europe share our democratic values, our concern for human rights and our commitment to making the world more stable and prosperous. They have also, through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), fought side by side with U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other conflict zones around the world. Finally, our European allies purchase nearly $1 billion worth of goods annually from Granite State businesses and are a significant source of foreign investment. Senator Shaheen has made deepening and expanding this vital economic and security relationship a top priority. In the years ahead, Senator Shaheen believes that the close ties between the U.S. and the countries of the European Union and NATO will prove even more critical to tackling shared challenges.
Counterterrorism
Political instability across the Middle East has led to intense violence and conflict in this region, particularly in Syria and Iraq. This conflict has been fueled by terrorist groups like ISIS that seek to exploit fragile states and sectarian divisions in order to gain followers and reach. Senator Shaheen has strongly supported the U.S.-led military coalition to destroy ISIS, while also encouraging greater cooperation between the U.S. and our partners to ensure foreign fighters who have traveled to the region are not able to gain entry to the U.S.
Senator Shaheen also supported the decision by President Obama and our senior military leaders to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond the end of 2016 in order to continue building the capacity of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces to deny the Taliban, al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations a safe haven. More than 30 nations, including NATO allies, have committed to supporting the counterterrorism mission in Afghanistan both financially and with personnel through 2020, affording the Afghan government and military invaluable time and space to continue building their institutions.
Unfortunately, the U.S. also faces a domestic counterterrorism challenge of preventing individuals already living in our country from becoming radicalized by terrorist propaganda. In addressing this threat, Senator Shaheen believes that the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigations must work with moderate voices in Muslim-American communities to identify those at risk of radicalization before they take steps to hurt innocent Americans.
Senator Shaheen has also championed efforts to protect the U.S. and our close ally Israel from security threats, including through support for security assistance to the Israeli military to help them defend from the constant threat of rocket attacks. In light of Iran’s continued support for the terrorist group Hizballah, which is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans, she authored and saw passed the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act. According to Treasury officials, her legislation has caused Hizballah to be “in its worst financial shape in decades”, which means fewer resources are available to this dangerous terrorist group that is responsible for hundreds of American deaths.
Women and Girls Empowerment
Senator Shaheen is a leading advocate for the cause of women and girls around the world. She has repeatedly and successfully led efforts during the annual appropriations process to maintain funding for international family planning and reproductive health programs, while also opposing efforts to deny women around the world access to health care services. She is also the lead sponsor of the International Violence against Women Act, which seeks to combat gender-based violence and also supports a permanent, Ambassador-level position at the State Department responsible for prioritizing the advancement of women and girls in U.S. foreign policy efforts.
Counter Proliferation
The threat of nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands is a nightmare scenario for American policy-makers and the people of this country. A nuclear weapon detonated anywhere around the globe would have immediate and devastating consequences for American economic and security interests. Meeting the threat of nuclear terrorism successfully will require us to take concrete steps to secure dangerous materials and weapons around the globe and will require robust and sustained international engagement. One way to reduce the odds terrorists are able to obtain a nuclear weapon is to reduce the numbers of such weapons. As the former Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, Senator Shaheen was a leader in pushing the Senate to ratify the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which has reduced the number of nuclear warheads aimed at the United States and restored American leadership on the nuclear agenda. Even as tensions with Russia have escalated, Senator Shaheen has continued to call for continued bilateral cooperation on nuclear disarmament.
Energy Security
Of the 93 million barrels of oil consumed globally on a daily basis, American consumption is responsible for nearly 20 million of those barrels – a disproportionate percentage relative to the global population. Each year, the U.S. sends hundreds of billions of dollars to foreign markets in exchange for energy supplies that threaten our climate and influence our foreign policies abroad. Senator Shaheen believes that energy security is an important component of our national security, and America can do better. The United States is not alone in our efforts to find new and cleaner sources of energy. As the developing world continues to demand exponentially more energy, achieving energy security for America and our friends abroad becomes even more critical. For this reason, Senator Shaheen has introduced legislation that will ensure the broader deployment of clean and energy efficient technologies that strengthen our nation’s energy security, reduce pollution and improve the resiliency of our electric grid.
Senator Shaheen also believes it is important for our military to improve its energy efficiency and develop alternative fuels to improve combat effectiveness and address vulnerabilities due to our dependence on conventional sources of energy. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Shaheen will continue to advocate for these improvements so that the military can enhance the range of its ships and vehicles, lighten the load for our soldiers and reduce risk.
Senator Shaheen knows that small businesses are the engine of New Hampshire’s economy – and that’s why she chose to serve on the Senate Small Business Committee. Over 96 percent of New Hampshire’s employers are small businesses. To put this in perspective, New Hampshire has enough small business employees to fill up Fenway Park almost six times.
As the former owner and manager of a small retail business, Senator Shaheen knows what it’s like to worry about meeting payroll and inventory costs to keep a business going. And as the former Governor of New Hampshire, Senator Shaheen understands it is small business, not the government, that creates jobs and drives new ideas and innovation. But she also believes government has a vital role to play in addressing the challenges small businesses face, especially in difficult economic times.
As a member of the Small Business Committee, Senator Shaheen helped craft the Small Business Jobs Act, which has helped hundreds of small businesses in New Hampshire by providing them with tax breaks, access to credit, and exporting opportunities. She also created the Small Business Advisory Council in 2009. She meets with them to hear about and help with the challenges and opportunities confronting New Hampshire small businesses.
The credit crunch has hit small businesses especially hard. Too many Main Street business owners today are relying on credit cards with exorbitant interest rates to obtain the working capital they need to keep their businesses going. That’s why Senator Shaheen has made it a priority to help get credit flowing to the small businesses that are the lifeblood of New Hampshire’s economy.
The Small Business Jobs Act has encouraged more lending to small businesses. By waiving loan fees and increasing the guarantees on Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, the Small Business Jobs Act had an immediate impact. In the first three months after its enactment, it increased the number of loans to small businesses through the SBA by over 350% in New Hampshire. Combined with the Recovery Act, the Small Business Jobs Act opened up credit for hundreds of small businesses in New Hampshire when the credit crunch was at its worst.
In addition, Senator Shaheen worked to enhance the SBA’s Express loan program. The Small Business Jobs Act contained a provision authored by Senator Shaheen that raised loan limits for this program, which cuts red tape and puts working capital into the hands of businesses quickly.
The Small Business Jobs Act also set up two funds designed to get credit into the hands of small businesses – one to help community banks lend to Main Street businesses, and another to support state lending programs that are tailored to the business needs of each state.
Senator Shaheen will continue to monitor the availability of credit to small businesses and ensure that they have the support they need to grow. She also created the Small Business Advisory Council in 2009. She meets with them to hear about and help with the challenges and opportunities confronting New Hampshire small businesses.
Exports represent a tremendous opportunity for economic growth in the United States. Even in our difficult economic climate, exports have been a bright spot for businesses in New Hampshire. In 2010, New Hampshire led all states in the nation in export growth by increasing its overseas sales by 45 percent. That’s more than double the national average.
Senator Shaheen has been a leader in helping New Hampshire businesses sell their products and services to international markets and find new markets. She was the first New Hampshire Governor to lead a trade delegation outside of North America.
America makes the best, most innovative products, yet while 95 percent of the world’s consumers are overseas, only one percent of small businesses export.
In the Senate, Senator Shaheen has continued her efforts to help small businesses export. She sponsored legislation to strengthen Small Business Administration programs that help small businesses access foreign markets. This legislation, which provides more access to export loans and counseling programs, was included in the Small Business Jobs Act that became law in 2010. As the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs, she convened a hearing to explore how to enhance trade with Europe. She is also the cosponsor of legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which helps U.S. businesses invest overseas and promotes economic development in new and emerging markets.
Senator Shaheen has also held several events to help New Hampshire businesses interested in selling their products overseas. She hosted the Granite State Export Forum in Nashua to help connect small- and medium-sized businesses from across the state with resources to help them sell their products overseas, increase their bottom line, and create jobs in New Hampshire. She has brought in the heads of export assistance agencies, like the Export-Import Bank, to meet with small businesses looking to export.
Senator Shaheen will continue focusing on ways to help small businesses take advantage of export opportunities to grow their businesses, hire new workers, and help the American economy stay competitive in the 21st century.
Senator Shaheen believes America’s future lies in maintaining the cutting edge in science and technology, creating new jobs in new industries, and giving older industries the tools they need to compete in the global marketplace.
New Hampshire’s high-tech economy relies on small, innovative companies that create the products that will keep America competitive. That’s why Senator Shaheen has authored legislation to extend the Small Business Innovation Research program, or SBIR.
SBIR, first created by New Hampshire Senator Warren Rudman in 1982, directs existing federal research and development dollars to small companies and helps them develop products for commercial markets. SBIR has been critical to the success of many small, innovative companies in New Hampshire that provide 21st-century jobs in the state. Senator Shaheen has fought for a long-term reauthorization of the program to give businesses and federal agencies certainty in planning their research and development.
Senator Shaheen also supports expanding the federal research and development tax credit and making it permanent.
Finally, Senator Shaheen believes that to stay competitive in the 21st century, we need a 21st century workforce. She sponsored legislation to encourage more students to study science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) because she believes that giving more students access to this kind of education is essential to ensuring that the U.S. workforce remains competitive in a global economy. To read more, click here.
To help businesses struggling in the recession, Senator Shaheen worked to cut taxes on small businesses. She voted to allow the hardest hit small businesses to obtain substantial tax refunds by expanding a tax provision that lets businesses use losses in the current year to reduce their tax bills in previous, profitable years. Senator Shaheen also voted to increase the tax deduction small businesses can take for investing in the equipment and machinery they need to grow.
New Hampshire small businesses are struggling with the high cost of healthcare. Senator Shaheen supported comprehensive healthcare reform that expands access to coverage and helps control the cost of healthcare. In addition, she supported the Small Business Jobs Act, which allowed the self-employed to claim a tax deduction for healthcare benefits.
Senator Shaheen believes that we must transform our health care system to provide better care at a lower cost. She voted in favor of the 2010 Affordable Care Act because she believes it is an important first step to making essential changes to our health care system.
Already, the health reform law has made a significant impact on the lives of many Americans. No longer can health insurance companies put lifetime dollar limits on health benefits or drop coverage if someone gets sick. Children under 19 can no longer be denied coverage if they have a pre-existing condition, and parents can keep their children on their insurance plans up to age 26. Small businesses across New Hampshire have been able to take advantage of tax credits to help provide insurance for their employees, and seniors have seen a reduction in the price of prescription drugs and now have access to free annual wellness visits with their doctor.
Senator Shaheen recognizes that more work needs to be done to make care affordable and accessible. She remains committed to offering common sense ideas that will improve the quality of care people receive while containing costs.
Research at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Research has demonstrated that more costly care does not mean better care. Building off of this important premise, Senator Shaheen has authored legislation to make health care delivery more coordinated and efficient.
Prior to the health reform debate, Senator Shaheen introduced the Medicare Transitional Care Act with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). The legislation addressed costly hospital readmissions by providing seniors and their caretakers support during the vulnerable time after discharge from a hospital. Experts estimate the Medicare Transitional Care Act could save up to $5,000 for every Medicare beneficiary affected. Provisions from Senator Shaheen’s bill were included in the Affordable Care Act and signed into law.
Senator Shaheen also authored legislation to reduce overutilization of emergency rooms. Frequent repeat users make up a small but costly portion of emergency room visits and contribute to overcrowding. Studies show that providing these individuals with increased coordination of care and outreach services can result in significant savings to taxpayers. Shaheen’s REDUCE act is based on this successful work.
During the health care reform debate, Senator Shaheen worked with her freshman colleagues on the “Innovation and Value” amendment package that became part of the law. These cost-saving provisions aim to encourage, expand, and expedite delivery reforms and reduce costs for consumers throughout the health care system. Specifically, the amendments reward health care providers for quality outcomes, promote transparency and competition, and inject accountability and responsibility into the system. The “Innovation and Value” amendment package gained bipartisan support and was endorsed by a number of business, labor, and professional health care organizations.
Senator Shaheen is not afraid to stand up to the big drug companies. Throughout her career, she has initiated programs to lower prescription drug costs for consumers and the government. As Governor, she created a prescription drug program to provide relief for seniors struggling with the high cost of prescription drugs.
Senator Shaheen understands the consumer benefit to getting generic drugs to the marketplace through faster and easier channels and is working with her colleagues to improve access to generic drugs. She successfully fought to include her bipartisan Access to Affordable Medicines Act in the health care law; cosponsored legislation to create a pathway for FDA approval of biogeneric drugs; and cosponsored legislation that would allow for the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada and other countries. Senator Shaheen will continue to fight for better access to affordable prescription drugs as long as Americans continue to struggle to pay for the medications they need.
Access to quality health care is critical to a good start in life. As a State Senator and as Governor of New Hampshire, Senator Shaheen has fought to ensure that children have access to the care they need. Under her leadership, New Hampshire launched the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, which provides affordable health and dental coverage to tens of thousands of New Hampshire children. In the United States Senate, she helped pass a major expansion of CHIP that expanded eligibility to cover an additional 9,300 children in New Hampshire. Senator Shaheen will continue working to ensure that children get the best quality health care possible.
Stem cell research is critical to the scientific understanding of diseases, therapies, and cures that impact millions of Americans. Embryonic stem cell research could lead to treatments for diseases that afflict up to 100 million Americans, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, spinal cord injuries, and other debilitating conditions. Senator Shaheen will continue to support future efforts in this promising field.
Senator Shaheen has been committed to improving K-12 and higher education for New Hampshire students throughout her career. As a former Dover school teacher, Shaheen understands that a high quality public education is essential for America’s children. She believes that every child must have the education and skills necessary to compete in the global economy. That’s why she has focused on giving students greater access to education in the growing fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
As Governor and State Senator, Shaheen made it a priority to strengthen New Hampshire’s schools. She continues that work in the United States Senate and is committed to strengthening our public education system to ensure that every child graduates from high school prepared to succeed.
Senator Shaheen believes that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are central to U.S. economic competitiveness and growth. Projections by the U.S. Labor Department show that STEM-related fields are expected to be the fastest growing occupations of the next decade, yet not enough students in the United States are pursuing education in these fields to keep pace with demand. To keep our workforce competitive and our students educated, Senator Shaheen has introduced the Innovation Inspiration School Grant program, S. 716, which provides new incentives for our schools to embrace extracurricular and non-traditional STEM education programs, such as robotics competitions or engineering software challenges. The legislation establishes a competitive grant program that will encourage schools to partner with the private sector, both for financial support and to provide mentors who can serve as guides and role models to students. By connecting students with well trained teachers and community mentors in the field, Senator Shaheen believes we can foster innovation at the high school level and inspire young people to pursue careers in the STEM fields.
Many economists agree that for every dollar invested in quality early childhood education, our economy receives up to $17 in return. Senator Shaheen has made it a priority to expand opportunities for young children. In the Senate, Senator Shaheen has supported significant increases in funding for Head Start programs and quality child care. As Governor, she fought to expand public kindergarten, opening the door for an additional 25,000 children. To increase awareness about the importance of early learning, she launched a comprehensive statewide campaign that brought the business community to the table for the first time and formed the Business Partners for Early Learning.
Senator Shaheen recognizes that No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has an admirable goal: to provide every child with access to an excellent education. But in too many cases NCLB has tied teachers’ hands and punished schools when they needed help the most. And because the law was never adequately funded, it has been very difficult to implement and placed a serious financial burden on states and local communities across New Hampshire. In her short time in the Senate, Senator Shaheen has voted for significant increases in funding for NCLB and special education programs, to improve opportunities for New Hampshire’s school children and provide relief to local property taxpayers. Senator Shaheen is committed to making sure No Child Left Behind works for our schools and teachers.
For our nation to thrive, young people must be prepared to compete in a global economy – and that means receiving a quality higher education. But with college costs soaring, it is becoming more and more difficult for middle class families to afford these opportunities. In just the last ten years, the average cost of going to a public university has shot up 80 percent, and New Hampshire students graduate from college with the second highest average student debt in the nation. In the Senate, Senator Shaheen fought to increase the maximum Pell Grant to $5,550 to help low-income students go to college.
Senator Shaheen is committed to fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). She voted for legislation that provided an additional $47.5 million for special education in New Hampshire.
Senator Shaheen is a supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and recently voted in favor of bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform legislation that would strengthen border security, require all employers to use an E-Verify system to ensure no workers are here illegally, and provide a tough but fair path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants who are already living in the United States. She believes that commonsense immigration reform in the United States has been long overdue and is pleased to see both parties coming together to address this issue.
She supports comprehensive reform that includes certain key elements:
Strengthening our Border
Senator Shaheen believes any immigration reform proposal must ensure the security of our nation’s borders. We have doubled the number of agents patrolling our borders over the past ten years and we’ve made significant progress in securing our borders and stemming the flow of illegal entries. Senator Shaheen voted for a bipartisan immigration reform bill that makes significant investments in border security. We must ensure law enforcement has adequate resources to keep us safe, and we must strengthen the infrastructure and technology necessary to combat transnational crime and prosecute national security threats.
Employment Verification
Senator Shaheen is committed to providing businesses in New Hampshire and across the country tools they need to ensure their workers are legal, voting in favor of commonsense immigration reform that would require all employers to use an E-Verify system to ensure no workers are here illegally.
Visas for High Skilled Workers
Senator Shaheen understands that there is an immediate economic demand for high-skilled workers, particularly in the technology sector, in New Hampshire and throughout the United States. That’s why she supports increasing the number of available visas and green cards in the short term, because it will help American businesses succeed.
Senator Shaheen introduced a bipartisan bill to increase visas for highly skilled workers. It’s called the Immigration Innovation Act of 2013. The bill, which is supported by a wide array of businesses and business advocacy groups nationwide, offers a specific plan to address the shortage of visas and green cards for highly skilled immigrants working in science and technology fields.
However, the ultimate goal is to have a homegrown workforce with expertise in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and that’s why Senator Shaheen believes that greater investment in STEM education must be part of this reform effort. The Immigration Innovation Act of 2013 includes increased funding for STEM education for our students and is designed to ensure the United States can maintain its competitiveness in the global economy.
Earned Citizenship
Senator Shaheen also believes we need to find a sensible way to deal with the millions of undocumented immigrants who are already living and working here and who ought to be contributing to our country as taxpayers. Senator Shaheen cosponsored the DREAM Act in the 112th Congress, and was pleased to see that this has been included in the comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform bill in the Senate. She believes thoughtful, effective immigration reform includes a path to citizenship for those who take a series of important and difficult steps, including the payment of back taxes, penalties and fees, as well as criminal background and national security checks. These immigrants must learn English and go to the back of the line behind those who have been waiting to legally immigrate to this country.