FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2020
Contact: Ally Livingston, alivingston@jeanneshaheen.org

ICYMI – Berlin Mayor Paul Grenier shared how Senator Jeanne Shaheen has made a difference for his city and the North Country by strengthening infrastructure and broadband, delivering opioid response funding, and creating new jobs, in the Berlin Daily Sun. Grenier drew a sharp contrast between Shaheen and her opponent “Colorado Corky” Messner, praising Shaheen’s bipartisan efforts to lower health care costs and calling Messner out for pushing to repeal the Affordable Care Act and gut protections for more than half a million Granite Staters with pre-existing conditions.

“As mayor, I have seen firsthand how Jeanne Shaheen fights to make a difference for families in Berlin and the North Country, and that’s why I’m proud to support Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s re-election,” wrote Mayor Grenier. She has always had our backs and it’s time we had hers. I hope you will join me in doing all that we can to make sure she can continue to fight for New Hampshire.”

Berlin Daily Sun: Paul Grenier: We can rely on Jeanne Shaheen to deliver results

By Paul Grenier

We began this year by setting ambitious goals for Berlin’s transformation, but just a few months later, COVID-19 upended our lives — schools closed, jobs lost, loved ones distant. And while 2020 has brought unprecedented challenges to New Hampshire, our city has been resilient, and I’ve been working to make sure we get through this stronger than ever before.

From day one of this crisis, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has been leading bipartisan efforts to lower health care costs, and she has consistently worked to block the Trump administration’s efforts to repeal the ACA. Before the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies could look at a person’s medical history to determine their coverage options, jacking up premiums or excluding coverage for those with a pre-existing condition like asthma, diabetes, or cancer.

Meanwhile, in last week’s North Country debate, her Republican opponent Corky Messner outright denied the existence of pre-existing conditions all together, dismissing the realities of more than half a million Granite Staters. Messner claims the threat of eliminating protections for pre-existing conditions is a “fear tactic” to justify his support for repealing ACA and these protections for Granite Staters.

We can rely on Jeanne Shaheen to protect and expand access to health care because she has always been there for us and made a big difference for Berlin and the North Country, creating new jobs, investing in our communities and fighting for funding to combat the opioid crisis.

When Hutchins Street needed repairs, she made sure we had the funds to improve it. She also delivered hundreds of thousands of federal dollars to repair Godfrey Dam, fix water lines and upgrade water treatment facilities, ensuring everyone has access to clean water. With energy costs too high, she has prioritized projects like the North Country Resources Conservation and Development Council to promote energy efficiency while also lowering costs and creating new jobs. And her Community Wood Energy Innovation Act will also promote investment in energy-efficient wood energy systems and support facilities that repurpose low-grade, low-value wood that would otherwise be sent to landfills.

In 2020, infrastructure is more than just energy systems and roads, it’s also high-speed broadband. Reliable access to the internet is more important than ever with many working from home or learning remotely. Jeanne Shaheen understands the urgency of bridging New Hampshire’s digital divide, helping to secure grants and to protect rural development prgrams that expand cell service and high-speed broadband in the North Country.

When Jeanne Shaheen fights for Granite Staters, we can rely on her to deliver results that create economic opportunities and promote community development. She took on both parties to increase the state’s opioid respond funding, delivering a ten-fold increase in dollars to New Hampshire for treatment, recovery, and prevention efforts, including funding for the Friendship House, a substance use disorder treatment center in Bethlehem. Through her support for the Northern Border Regional Commission she has helped infuse millions of dollars into northern New Hampshire.

Working across the aisle, she helped push for legislation to expand support for ATVs and snowmobiles and protect the Recreational Trails Program, providing a boost to Berlin’s outdoor recreation and tourism economies, and helping preserve the natural beauty of the North Country for Granite Staters and all Americans who visit.

As mayor, I have seen firsthand how Jeanne Shaheen fights to make a difference for families in Berlin and the North Country, and that’s why I’m proud to support Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s re-election. She has always had our backs and it’s time we had hers. I hope you will join me in doing all that we can to make sure she can continue to fight for New Hampshire.

Paul Grenier is the mayor of Berlin.

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