Jeanne Shaheen

Shaheen Caps Off Week of “Affordability Action Tour” Events with Visits to Affordable Housing Site, New England College | U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire

(Henniker, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) capped off a week of events as part of her “Affordability Action Tour” to highlight the rising cost of energy, health care and housing in the Granite State by visiting an affordable housing development in West Lebanon to highlight the importance of accessible housing across New Hampshire as construction costs spike due to President Trump’s reckless tariffs and war in Iran. Shaheen also visited New England College to highlight federal funding she secured to bolster its program to produce more nurses. Photos from today’s events can be found HERE. In West Lebanon, Shaheen visited the Village at Crafts Hill (VCH) to underscore the importance of preserving New Hampshire’s housing supply and to discuss policy solutions to lower costs, including her Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act to protect rural housing, which recently passed the Senate. “Everywhere I go, I hear about how the cost of housing—both rental and ownership—has skyrocketed in New Hampshire and is making it harder for families to find a home they can afford. The Villages at Craft Hill is a great example of the kind of solutions we need to increase access to affordable housing in the rural parts of our state,” said Senator Shaheen. “The Senate recently passed a bipartisan housing package with multiple provisions I’ve sponsored, including a bill I led to preserve rental assistance for hundreds of thousands of affordable units nationally, and which was inspired by our work at Twin Pines.” Shaheen is helping to lead efforts in the Senate to lower housing costs and increase the supply of affordable units for families struggling to find a place to call home. Recently, three of Shaheen’s commonsense bills were passed in the Senate as part of a bipartisan housing package to address the high cost of housing and increase the supply of affordable units in the Granite State and across the country. In addition to the Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act, the 21st Century Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act included the Streamlining Rural Housing Act and the Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative in Community Enhancement (PRICE) Act to make it easier and less expensive to build new housing and protect lower-income renters. Earlier this year, Shaheen visited the Normandin Square Apartments—a 60-unit apartment community where the majority of units are affordable—to tour ongoing renovation efforts with officials from the Laconia Housing Authority. Shaheen secured $750,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the renovation project in the bipartisan FY 2026 government funding legislation. Later in the day, Shaheen visited New England College (NEC) and met with NEC leadership, faculty and students to receive an update on the College’s revamped 3-year Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program, which will help address a critical regional shortage of nursing professionals. “Robust training programs are critical to addressing the shortage of nursing professionals that we’re seeing across New Hampshire, and especially in the most rural parts of the state,” said Senator Shaheen. “That’s exactly what New England College’s revamped nursing program is working to tackle. It was great to be able to see firsthand how funding I helped the College secure is going to work to get more nurses out in the field so that Granite Staters in all parts of the state can get care.” Shaheen, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, secured $2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 appropriations bills to renovate nursing areas of NEC’s science facilities by expanding classrooms and purchasing state-of-the-art equipment.

Shaheen Highlights Bipartisan Bill to Cap the Cost of Insulin at Health Care Roundtable, Visits Projects for Which She Secured Funding and Talks Tariffs with Local Business on “Affordability Action Tour” | U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire

Position: Senator Shaheen supports her bipartisan INSULIN Act, which caps monthly out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 for insured Americans and establishes a pilot program to provide insulin at the same price to uninsured individuals. She also expresses concern about tariffs and rising input costs affecting local businesses.

**Shaheen’s bipartisan legislation caps the monthly out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 for Americans with insurance and creates a pilot program to provide insulin at the same price to the uninsured** (Hudson, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), co-chair of the U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, continued her “Affordability Action Tour” with a roundtable discussion on the high cost of insulin at the Jean School of Nursing at St. Anselm College. The Senator also visited Nashua Community College to hear about efforts to prepare Granite State students for high demand jobs, including through programs for which Shaheen secured federal funding. Shaheen ended the day at W.H. Bagshaw Company to talk with Granite Staters about how tariffs, inflation and rising input costs have impacted their operations. Photos from today’s events can be found HERE. At the Jean School of Nursing at St. Anselm College, Shaheen convened a roundtable with Manchester health care leaders, nurses and Granite Staters living with diabetes to discuss the barriers too many individuals face in accessing affordable insulin. Shaheen highlighted how her bipartisan INSULIN Act would help make insulin more accessible by capping the monthly-out-of-pocket costs at $35 for Americans with insurance. Critically, Shaheen’s bipartisan bill would create a pilot program to make affordable insulin more accessible for Americans without insurance. “I know firsthand how difficult it has become to afford the lifesaving insulin so many patients fighting diabetes require daily just to stay alive. By capping the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 a month, my bipartisan INSULIN Act will address this issue—lowering health care costs for millions of families across our country,” said Senator Shaheen. “Health care costs continue to rise in this country, yet President Trump has done nothing to fix it. My INSULIN Act does, and I’m committed to getting it passed in my final year in Congress.” As co-chair of the U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, Senator Shaheen has consistently pressed to hold insulin manufacturers, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers accountable for the skyrocketing cost of lifesaving insulin and otherwise support patients and families facing diabetes. Later, Shaheen visited Nashua Community College (NCC) to discuss their efforts preparing Granite Staters for high demand jobs in key sectors—including at NCC’s Early Childhood Education Lab, Air Traffic Control Lab and Soldering Bootcamp. “The work of Nashua Community College to equip future generations of Granite State students with the skills they need to fill gaps in high demand sectors, from air traffic control to child care, is vital to our local economies,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was proud to secure federal funding to support these programs, which will increase the supply of workers in key sectors, such as child care, and lower costs for Granite State families.” Shaheen secured $933,500 in Congressionally Directed Spending in Fiscal Year (FY) 26 funding legislation to support the college’s Early Childhood Center, which aims to improve the availability of high-quality childcare. Shaheen also secured $192,000 in FY23 Congressionally Directed Spending for the NCC Soldering Bootcamp to equip students with the education and hands-on skill development they need to enter the workforce and power local Granite State economies. Shaheen concluded the day at W.H. Bagshaw, a historic, family-owned Granite State business and the nation’s oldest pin manufacturer that recently opened a newly renovated manufacturing facility in Hudson. During their discussion and tour of the facility, Shaheen raised how businesses across the Granite State are struggling to manage the economic fallouts of the President’s war in Iran, including rising inflation and higher input costs, on top of the Administration’s reckless tariffs. "President Trump’s reckless tariffs and war in Iran are making everything more expensive for Granite State businesses and their employees,” said Senator Shaheen. “W.H. Bagshaw, like so many family-owned businesses in our state, is having to contend with these added costs. I was glad to see their new facility today and discuss how Congress can better support the good jobs created by Granite State businesses, including by addressing the high cost of housing and child care.” As the former Chair of the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee, Shaheen has championed efforts to support New Hampshire’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. That includes helping lead efforts in Congress to mitigate the harmful impacts of President Trump's tariffs on Main Street. Shaheen has traveled across the Granite State to discuss the impact of tariffs on New Hampshire’s tourism industry and to visit businesses impacted by President Trump’s trade war. Earlier this year, Shaheen led the introduction of the Speedy Tariff Refund Act, legislation that would require full refunds of President Trump’s illegal tariffs after they were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court by a 6-3 vote.

ICYMI: Shaheen Raises Bipartisan INSULIN Act on MS Now as Health Care Affordability Remains Top-of-Mind for American People | U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire

Position: Senator Shaheen advocates for the bipartisan INSULIN Act, which would cap monthly out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 and establish a pilot program to provide insulin at the same cost to uninsured Americans.

**Support is growing for Shaheen’s bipartisan legislation that caps the monthly-out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35** (Manchester, NH) – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), co-chair of the U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus and author of the bipartisan Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act, joined MS Now’s Chris Jansing Reports today to in part discuss the need to lower the cost of insulin as health care affordability remains top-of-mind for Americans. The Senator joined MS Now from the new Jean School of Nursing at St. Anselm College, where she held a roundtable to discuss barriers to insulin affordability with local health care leaders, advocates and Granite Staters living with Type 1 Diabetes. Click HERE to view the full clip. The INSULIN Act—which Shaheen leads alongside U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and John Kennedy (R-LA)—would cap the monthly-out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35. Importantly, the legislation would create a pilot program to provide insulin at the same cost to Americans without insurance. Shaheen’s bill enjoys robust bipartisan support with seven senators from each party backing the proposal after picking up two additional cosponsors last week. Key quotes from Shaheen on MS Now: The INSULIN Act would directly address the root problems in the insulin market causing high list prices, while simultaneously extending vital patient protections, fostering competition and broadening access to needed insulin products. Specifically, the INSULIN Act:

Shaheen Continues “Affordability Action Tour,” Highlights Efforts to Lower Energy Costs, Support Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiatives | U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire

Position: Senator Shaheen advocates for increased federal investment in clean energy research, development, and deployment to lower energy costs and combat climate change. She opposes the Trump Administration's cancellation of energy storage research funding and calls for reinstatement of support for innovative clean energy solutions.

(Derry, NH) – Today, amid spiking energy costs due to President Trump’s war in Iran, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) continued her “Affordability Action Tour” with a visit to Brayton Energy in Hampton before celebrating New Hampshire Energy Week with a fireside chat moderated by Sam Evans-Brown with Clean Energy NH. The Senator’s visits are the first in a week-long series of events highlighting skyrocketing energy, health care and housing costs and Senator Shaheen’s efforts to address them. Shaheen first launched her “Affordability Action Tour” in August to hear firsthand from Granite Staters about what is needed to tackle the rising costs New Hampshire communities have faced throughout the second Trump Administration. Photos from today’s events can be found HERE. Shaheen began the day at Brayton Energy, a Granite State research and development firm focused on sustainable and efficient energy production. During her visit, Senator Shaheen toured the company’s facility and learned more about Brayton’s innovative clean energy research and development, that can lower costs and expand access to clean, affordable energy sources for communities across New Hampshire. Recently, the Trump Administration cancelled a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant awarded to Brayton that was meant to support innovative energy storage to enhance grid stability and help reduce industrial costs to strengthen manufacturing. In response, Senator Shaheen urged the Trump Administration to reinstate this funding to allow for further innovation in the Granite State. “As my constituents face spiking fuel and energy prices as a direct result of the President’s reckless war in Iran, now more than ever we must be investing in clean energy solutions that expand our energy supply and lower costs—yet this Administration has done just the opposite,” said Senator Shaheen. “It was great to see firsthand the innovative work Brayton is doing right here in the Granite State to develop clean energy solutions and combat the climate crisis that threatens communities across New Hampshire.” Later, Shaheen travelled to Derry to celebrate New Hampshire Energy Week and participate in a fireside chat, titled “From Progress to Possibility: The Next Era of Energy in New Hampshire.” The conversation, led by Clean Energy NH’s Executive Director Sam Evans-Brown, reflected on the Senator’s career and accomplishments in energy policy, from her time as Governor to her recent efforts in the Senate to pass landmark clean energy and energy efficiency legislation, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. “Continued innovation and deployment of clean energy solutions is essential as communities across our country confront historic energy demand and increasing prices. As has been made clear thanks to the Iran War, expanding clean energy is critical—not just for combatting climate change, but to shield Granite State economies from disruptions to global energy supply chains,” said Senator Shaheen. “We must do all we can to promote investment in energy efficiency and develop clean energy alternatives that provide real financial relief to families stretched thin by spiking fuel costs in our state.” Throughout her time in Congress, Senator Shaheen has fought hard for clean energy and energy efficiency investments that help Granite Staters save money on their utility bills. Shaheen was a key supporter of the Inflation Reduction Act and a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation that made landmark investments in energy efficiency and reducing home energy bills. In the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Shaheen helped secure $3.5 billion in additional funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program, including $18 million for New Hampshire. Shaheen has long championed the Weatherization Assistance Program to lower energy costs for low-income families in New Hampshire, as well as the State Energy Program, which assists states with the development of energy efficiency renewable projects. In December of last year, the New Hampshire delegation called on the Department of Energy to immediately release the remaining $9 million in funding for weatherization from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In addition, Shaheen led the delegation in opposing the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to terminate a $43 million grant for New Hampshire to support community solar and other solar projects that would reduce residents’ utility bills by 20% or more.

Shaheen hears tariff woes in Peterborough, celebrates community gains in Newport | U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire

Position: Senator Shaheen opposes broad-based tariffs imposed by the administration, characterizing them as harmful to manufacturing supply chains, small businesses, and national defense. She has introduced legislation to limit presidential tariff authority and calls for the administration to reverse course on its trade policy.

SOUTHWESTERN N.H. (MyKeeneNow) U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen spent last Wednesday crisscrossing southwestern New Hampshire, spotlighting two very different sides of federal policy — the strain of rising tariffs on manufacturers and the benefits of federal dollars flowing into local projects. At New Hampshire Ball Bearings (NHBB) in Peterborough, Shaheen met with company executives who painted a stark picture of the challenges facing the region’s high-tech manufacturing sector, according to a news release. Dan Lemieux, president of NHBB, described how tariffs are squeezing supply chains and driving up costs in an industry critical to national defense. Shaheen, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn’t mince words after hearing their concerns. “NH Ball Bearings supports local jobs, contributes to our national defense and strengthens America’s military readiness—and still, they’re facing higher costs and uncertainty due to the administration’s reckless trade war and harmful tariffs,” she said in the release. Pointing to the global nature of modern supply chains, Shaheen warned that “President Trump’s unnecessary trade war with many of America’s allies weakens an already strained defense supply chain and forces our small businesses to pay.” She pledged to carry those concerns back to Washington: “I intend to take what I heard back to make clear the administration must reverse course,” she said. Shaheen has been vocal in her opposition to broad-based tariffs, recently introducing legislation to limit the president’s authority to impose them. “These tariffs are a tax on American families and businesses—plain and simple,” she argued on the Senate floor earlier this month. After her Peterborough stop, Shaheen headed north to Newport, where the mood was far brighter. She toured the newly opened LaValley Family Community Center, a $4.8 million facility built with federal funds she helped secure. The center now offers a space for youth programs, sports, health activities, and community gatherings. “I was incredibly pleased to see firsthand how the vibrant new center fosters a sense of community and boosts quality of life for the entire Newport region,” Shaheen said during her visit. “I’m proud to have worked with local leaders and advocates to secure critical funding to bring the LaValley Family Community Center to life — and I look forward to seeing how the center will help Newport thrive for years to come.”

Shaheen Seeks Release Of Head Start Funding | U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire

Position: Senator Shaheen and 41 colleagues call for the immediate release of withheld Head Start funding and reinstatement of fired Head Start staff, arguing that eliminating the program would harm hundreds of thousands of children and families.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen and 41 Senate colleagues are calling for the immediate release of Head Start funding and fired Head Start staff reinstated. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior, they said Head Start provides early childhood education plus comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800-thousand children annually and employs about 250-thousand dedicated staff. Shaheen and the others wrote they believe it’s obvious that eliminating Head Start would be detrimental to hundreds of thousands of children and families.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen says Pete Hegseth has

Position: Sen. Shaheen argues that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is unqualified for his position, citing his mishandling of classified information through encrypted messaging apps and creation of staffing instability at the Pentagon.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said Sunday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has "created chaos" at the Pentagon amid staffing shakeups and recent reporting surrounding information about airstrikes in Yemen shared in Signal group chats. "The fact is, Pete Hegseth was not qualified to take the job as Secretary of Defense, and he has shown that time and again," Shaheen said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army veteran and former Fox News host, faced scrutiny during the confirmation process early this year, becoming among President Trump's most embattled picks for top posts in his administration. The Senate ultimately approved his confirmation in a narrow vote. But in recent weeks, he's faced renewed scrutiny over the use of the encrypted messaging app Signal. Last week, reports circulated that Hegseth shared details about impending U.S. airstrikes in Yemen in a private Signal group, which included his wife, his brother and personal attorney. It was the second Signal group chat where Hegseth shared the information, after it was revealed last month a journalist was inadvertently included in a group chat where the timing and targets of the attack on Houthis in Yemen was shared. CBS News reported Friday that the Pentagon set up a system in Hegseth's office that enabled him to check messages on Signal while at the office. Two of the sources said the system bypasses standard Defense Department security protocols. A Defense Department spokesperson denied there is currently any use of Signal inside Hegseth's office. Meanwhile, a number of political appointees have resigned or been fired at the Pentagon in recent days, leaving Hegseth without some key staff. Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, argued that Hegseth has shown he isn't qualified for the role by sharing the information over Signal and by not having appropriate staff to support him, accusing him of creating "chaos that is now embroiling our uniform military." She added that he has "not taken responsibility for his actions." "For those people who serve under him, he has shown that he is not the kind of role model, not the kind of leader that we need at this time," Shaheen said. In response to Shaheen's comments, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell instead pointed to the previous administration. Parnell cited "Chaos at the Pentagon" as evidenced by the Afghanistan withdrawal and "a divisive DEl culture that destroyed service member morale." He also pointed to a "weak leadership" that he said led to Russia invading Ukraine, Hamas attacking Israel, and Houthi rebels shooting at U.S. ships, along with the "the invasion of our U.S. southern border by transnational criminal gangs." "During all this very real chaos, not a single person was fired or held accountable and Sen. Shaheen stayed silent," Parnell said. "Secretary Hegseth is bringing accountability and warfighting back to the Pentagon. The American people care about results — so far SecDef gets an A+." In March, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, announced a bipartisan request for an expedited watchdog investigation into the Signal chat leak. Shaheen said it's "important" that the request was bipartisan, adding that she's hopeful "they will come out soon with recommendations." The GOP-led Senate Armed Forces Committee advanced Hegseth's appointment in January, and Shaheen was joined by all fellow Democrats on the committee in voting against advancing him. Vice President JD Vance had to break the tie to confirm Hegseth, the first time in history a vice president broke the tie on a Defense Secretary. Hegseth pushed back on the criticism last week, telling reporters that "a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out." "We're changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of warfighters," Hegseth said. "And anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn't matter."