Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
November 16, 2021
(Woodstock, NH) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) will award New Hampshire $8,360,978 in State Tourism grants. The funding will support marketing, infrastructure, workforce and projects to boost business and travel.
The funding was allocated through the American Rescue Plan, which Shaheen supported. During negotiations for the relief legislation, Shaheen successfully secured $3 billion for the EDA to support American communities’ recovery from the pandemic, including $750 million specifically for travel, tourism and outdoor recreation.
“Travel and tourism are core industries that fuel local economies across New Hampshire – these sectors are key to our state’s recovery following the pandemic. That’s why I’m pleased to welcome over $8.3 million to boost marketing and create jobs to propel these vital Granite State industries,” said Senator Shaheen, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for the EDA. “Securing funding for EDA grants to support tourism in New Hampshire has long been a top priority of mine. I’ll keep working to deliver the resources needed to rebound local economies and set communities on the path to thrive as we fight our way to the other side of the pandemic.”
“I’m biased, but I can’t imagine a better place to visit than the Granite State, and with this funding that we secured in the American Rescue Plan, we can further expand our important tourism industry right here in New Hampshire,” said Senator Hassan. “The COVID-19 pandemic and closure of the U.S.-Canada border hit New Hampshire hard, and I’m thrilled to see this funding come to New Hampshire so that we can continue to grow our local economy, support our small businesses, and welcome families and individuals from across the country and world to see the natural beauty, historic and cultural sights, and charm of our state up close.”
“New Hampshire is home to some of the most beautiful land in the country, and this Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant will bolster our local economies and help more out-of-state visitors experience all that our state has to offer,” said Rep. Kuster. “I was proud to advocate to get this funding included in the American Rescue Plan to support New Hampshire’s tourism economy and bring more business and travelers to our state. I will continue working to support Granite State small businesses as we recover and rebuild from this pandemic.”
“The growth and success of many of New Hampshire’s small businesses is driven by our travel and tourism industry,” said Rep. Pappas. “Investments like these help promote local businesses and help drive this vital piece of our economy. As we rebuild from the pandemic, I’ll continue to support efforts that will help our small businesses and communities thrive.”
The mission of EDA is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
As Chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the EDA, securing resources for the agency has been a longstanding priority for Senator Shaheen. In legislation recently released by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2022, Shaheen secured $395 million for the EDA. This level is an increase of $49 million above the prior year. It’s estimated this funding will generate $3.5 billion in local and private investment and support more than 30,000 American jobs this year. The Senator previously opposed efforts by the Trump administration to reduce or eliminate funding for the EDA, which has recently awarded grants to Granite State communities for a wide variety of projects ranging from flood control infrastructure in Plymouth to economic development projects in the Monadnock region.
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