Jeanne Shaheen

Defense / Veterans

She has worked with Democrats and Republicans to reform the VA and reduce wait times for veterans who need to see a doctor. With the support of veterans service organizations, she secured approval to open a new and expanded Manchester Veterans Center and to open a new VA clinic in Keene, and to give tax credits to businesses that hire veterans. Learn more

Jeanne knows that surviving military spouses should never face burdens as a result of their spouse’s service. She worked to pass bipartisan legislation that is now law to repeal the “widow’s tax,” which had blocked as many as 65,000 Americans from receiving their survivor benefits. Learn more

Drug Policy

Jeanne is a national leader in combating the opioid epidemic and has led legislative efforts to stem the flow of drugs through our borders. She recognizes that stopping the flow of drugs into the U.S. is integral in the fight against the opioid crisis, and passed legislation in 2019 to sanction fentanyl producers and traffickers abroad, which will help stem the flow of fentanyl through our ports of entry and borders. Learn more

Economy

Jeanne knows connecting workers with good-paying jobs is a challenge, so she is taking action to expand technical and vocational training and apprenticeship programs, and increase grant funding for community colleges. She was instrumental in securing funding to open the Manchester Job Corps Center, which provides low-income youth job and skills training. A strong proponent of union rights, paid family and medical leave, and an increased federal minimum wage, Jeanne believes that everyone in New Hampshire should be able to get the skills and education needed to get a good-paying job. Learn more

Her leadership on small business issues was recognized when Jeanne was named as one of four Senators charged with developing the small business relief in the COVID-19 economic stimulus bill. Jeanne was instrumental in negotiating a significant increase in funding for small business relief. She was praised by Republicans and Democrats for her bipartisan efforts creating the emergency small business program, which is providing nearly $660 billion in aid to help small businesses stay afloat and keep their employees paid. Learn more

Education

Jeanne is fighting for legislation in the Senate to combat student debt relief scams and to make sure institutions of higher learning are held accountable for their students’ ability to pay back their debt. She is the sponsor of legislation to ensure that students can easily access information on their loans, to allow borrowers to refinance their debt at lower rates, and to strengthen the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Learn more

She passed a tax-free college tuition savings plan as Governor and is leading efforts in the Senate to provide relief for families struggling with student loan debt. When the Trump administration tried to cut critical college affordability programs, including federal work-study and financial aid grants, Jeanne stopped them. Learn more

As Governor, she made kindergarten a reality for tens of thousands of children, and in the Senate, she helped pass a law to expand federal support for early childhood education. Jeanne knows that investing in early childhood education saves Granite State families money in the long run and is critical for closing the achievement gap. She has consistently advocated for child care, early childhood and preschool development and is leading legislation to expand and improve the child care tax credit. Learn more

Environment / Energy

Jeanne is a leader advancing legislation in Congress to direct the Trump administration to meet the standards set by the Paris Climate Accord. To make progress on energy policy, Jeanne has teamed up with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, authoring and steering to passage critical energy efficiency legislation that protects our environment while saving billions of dollars for American families in energy costs and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by millions of tons annually by making new homes and buildings more energy-efficient. Learn more

Jeanne is a leading champion of our environment and fighting climate change that threatens the natural beauty and economic future of New Hampshire and the world. A leading voice on conservation in the Senate, Jeanne led efforts to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which helps preserve New Hampshire’s wildlife habitats and outdoor recreation areas that bring an estimated $8.7 billion from tourism to the state each year. She has secured increased federal funding to preserve New Hampshire’s waterways, public and private forests, wildlife habitats and recreational areas to safeguard the state’s open spaces and wildlife. Jeanne worked to get the Nashua River protected with a federal scenic river designation, safeguarding this river and its tributaries for future generations. She has consistently fought to block oil drilling off of New Hampshire and is leading bipartisan legislation to ban drilling and protect New England’s seacoast. Learn more

Healthcare

In the Senate, she works across the aisle to make a difference for Granite Staters struggling to afford their health care. She led a bipartisan bill to suspend implementation of a Health Insurance Tax which was signed into law and will help reduce premiums for New Hampshire families. She has also worked to pass additional bipartisan measures signed into law to help lower costs for medical devices and health care costs for small businesses. Jeanne has sponsored a legislative package that would make health care much more affordable by reducing deductibles and copayments, increasing and expanding tax credits for more middle-class families, reducing out-of-pocket costs, and capping charges for uninsured patients. Learn more

Immigration

A lifelong advocate for children, Jeanne knows that we do not have to abandon our values as a nation to keep America safe. She has supported legislation to improve conditions for children in immigration custody as well as efforts to block the Trump administration from increasing immigration detention. Jeanne believes that separating children from their parents, and then keeping them apart in horrible conditions, is wrong. She has led oversight of the administration’s family separation policy as well as legislation to stop it. Learn more

Bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform is a top priority for Jeanne. She has worked with Republicans and Democrats to develop legislation to help address challenges related to immigration. She has sponsored legislation to provide a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers. She believes that young people who were brought to the U.S. as children and have been covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program should be able to become American citizens. Learn more