FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2020
Contact: Ally Livingston, alivingston@jeanneshaheen.org

Manchester, N.H. – Jeanne Shaheen’s lifelong fight to protect survivors of domestic and sexual violence and to make a difference for women is the focus of her campaign’s newest television ad. The thirty-second ad is airing now and features Grace Mattern, an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse. Grace has worked with Senator Shaheen for decades and highlights Shaheen’s landmark legislation establishing nationwide rights and protections for victims of sexual assault, for the first time, as well as her fight for equal pay, affordable childcare, and a woman’s right to choose.

“Jeanne Shaheen has always been a champion for women, an advocate for survivors of sexual assault,” said Grace Mattern in the ad. “I’ve worked with her for decades. It’s Jeanne’s landmark legislation that for the first time gave survivors basic rights that could be enforced in federal court. Jeanne Shaheen put the law on the side of survivors.”

“The brave survivors of domestic and sexual violence have experienced unspeakable trauma, and they face a complex and confusing legal system when seeking justice,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. “After hearing stories from survivors of how the justice system has failed them too many times, it was clear we needed to change the law so it protected their rights. Throughout my career, I have worked across the aisle to protect and empower women, pushing to establish equal pay and to ensure Granite State families can access affordable childcare, which will boost our economy in New Hampshire and across the country. Right now, a lot of Granite Staters are concerned about the attacks on women’s access to comprehensive reproductive health care services, and I want New Hampshire women to know I will stand with you and fight to protect our rights, no matter what.”

As the first woman elected governor of New Hampshire, Jeanne Shaheen repealed a law making abortion a felony, signed legislation requiring insurance companies to cover birth control, and created a legal process for reviewing pay discrimination claims based on gender.

In the Senate, Shaheen wrote the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights. It was signed into law in 2016 and allows survivors to enforce those rights in federal court. She authored and passed the “Shaheen Amendment” to provide women in the military who are victims of rape and incest health insurance coverage for abortion, and has fought to block efforts to cut funding for Planned Parenthood and to limit abortion access. Through her position on the Senate Appropriations Committee, she has protected and increased funding for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs to historic highs, ensuring communities can support and protect survivors of domestic and sexual violence. A co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, one of the first bills she co-sponsored was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to better ensure all Americans are paid the same wage regardless of their age, gender, race, or ethnicity. She has consistently fought to increase the childcare tax credit to support New Hampshire’s working families and is working to support childcare providers during the pandemic.

Watch the new television ad here.

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