Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
May 25, 2023
(North Conway, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) concluded her week-long series underscoring the potential impact of a GOP-forced default in a meeting with the Mount Washington Valley Chamber and local officials. Throughout the week, Shaheen has hosted statewide events and briefings to discuss the financial fallout in New Hampshire if Republicans in Congress force a default. During the Trump administration, Democrats and Republicans came together three times to avoid national default, which is a matter of paying existing financial obligations and does not relate to new spending.
“The United States has never defaulted in our history, and we cannot start now. In New Hampshire, the stakes are high, and federal programs that keep people afloat are on the line,” said Senator Shaheen. “Millions of Americans and families here in New Hampshire will suffer if we cannot find a bipartisan solution to avert default and a resulting economic crisis. As we discussed today, small businesses would be heavily impacted by such a default. New Hampshire is a small business state, and especially as our local shops are still recovering from the financial toll of the pandemic, this is the last thing they can afford. I will keep pushing lawmakers in Washington to find a bipartisan solution that would avoid a default and protect working families, small businesses and our local economies.”
At her first event today, Senator Shaheen focused on the severe economic impact that a default would have on New Hampshire’s small business community, especially in more rural parts of the state. Shaheen’s meeting this morning followed her virtual meetings Tuesday with the New Hampshire Municipal Association, local leaders from across the state and members of the New Hampshire Commerce Corridor Chambers. Yesterday, Shaheen met with nonprofit leaders and advocates to discuss the impact of a default on Granite State families, particularly those accessing federal assistance programs and with housing stakeholders to discuss how a default would affect New Hampshire’s housing market.
Later this afternoon, Shaheen visited the Pine Hill Community Forest and met with Kennett High School representatives to discuss outdoor recreation and tourism in the area, highlighting the school’s Career Technical Education (CTE) program. Shaheen took a guided hike of the Ravine Trail near the high school, highlighting the important roles that the tourism and outdoor recreation industries play in New Hampshire’s economy.
“I always love an opportunity to get outside and go for a hike, but it’s even better when I get to do that to make an important point: New Hampshire’s outdoor recreation and tourism industries are crucial to our state’s economy,” said Shaheen. “Trails like those we took today are fundamental infrastructure and the specialized high school workforce program at Kennett helps prepare students who may want to enter the outdoor recreation industry. I’m a steadfast supporter of specialized training programs just like this and will always advocate for continued investments that will educate, train and empower our workforce.”