Annie Kuster was born and raised in Concord, New Hampshire to a family that taught her the values of kindness and empathy. Growing up, Annie helped her late mother, State Senator Susan McLane, who served in the NH House and Senate for over 25 years and was a pioneer for women in New Hampshire politics. Through that experience, Annie gained an appreciation for the good that government can do for communities and people, and a deep desire to help create positive change for Granite Staters. Her late father, Malcolm McLane, was Mayor of Concord, a New Hampshire Executive Councilor, and served as a prominent attorney for over 50 years.
Kuster is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where she serves on the Health Subcommittee, Energy Subcommittee, and the Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee. She is also a member of the House Agriculture Committee, where she serves on the Nutrition, Oversight, & Department Operations Subcommittee, Commodity Exchanges, Energy, & Credit Subcommittee, and Conservation & Forestry Subcommittee.
Sexual violence cuts across party lines and affects women, men, and families in every single part of this country. It’s also an issue that’s deeply personal for me. In 2016, for the first time, I shared my own experiences with sexual violence. Doing so was not easy. The stigma that surrounds this issue has silenced many survivors, but it's long past time we shatter that silence.
In April 2017, I launched the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence with my colleagues and co-chairs, Representatives Jackie Speier (CA-14) and David Joyce (OH-14). Since then, Representative John Katko (NY-24) has joined us as a co-chair. In the 117th Congress, I’m focused on supporting survivors in the Granite State and across the country and advancing critical legislation to ensure no one is left behind.
COVID-19 was challenging for many in New Hampshire and across the country, but for millions of domestic and interpersonal violence survivors trapped inside with their abusers, it was a nightmare. Assisting these survivors is truly a matter of life or death — and I’m proud to be a founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence to ensure survivors have a voice in Congress.