Shaheen Holds Roundtable on Dangers of Medicaid Cuts in Nashua, Accepts Energy Champion Award in Manchester
(Nashua, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) held a roundtable discussion at Greater Nashua Mental Health Center to discuss the disastrous impact that Republican-led cuts to Medicaid would have on New Hampshire. Shaheen convened local substance use disorder recovery organizations and treatment providers to hear how cutting Medicaid would hinder efforts to support Granite Staters struggling with substance use disorders. Photos from today’s events can be found here.
“Thousands of Granite Staters who are recovering from substance use disorders are able to get the treatment they need thanks to Medicaid – cutting the funding they count on could have serious consequences,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was grateful to hear from Granite State advocates who are on the frontlines of the fight to combat the substance use disorder crisis about how harmful cuts to Medicaid would be. We’ll keep working to make sure Republicans in Congress know just how many families would be devastated by their proposal.”
More than 180,000 people in New Hampshire use Medicaid for their insurance and half of those recipients are children. Under the Republican proposal, they will see significant changes to their coverage and more than 60,000 Granite Starters will be at risk of losing their coverage. This includes thousands of patients that are currently receiving treatment for substance use disorders.
The roundtable at Greater Nashua Mental Health Center was the latest stop on Shaheen’s “Medicaid Impact Tour”—a series of discussions across the Granite State to underscore the harm that Republican-led cuts to Medicaid would have on New Hampshire, including by raising the cost of health care and leaving thousands uninsured. The tour included stops in Berlin, Laconia, Claremont and Concord for meetings with health care providers, activists and Medicaid beneficiaries.
Later in the day, Shaheen was honored at New Hampshire Energy Week’s Energy Innovation and Champion Award Reception with the Elected Official Energy Champion Award for her decades of energy efficiency leadership.
“Throughout my career in public service—from the Governor’s office to the United States Senate—I’ve looked to energy efficiency first,” said Senator Shaheen. “This work is especially important right now as too many families feel squeezed by the high cost of living. Energy efficiency programs are an important and cost-effective way for Granite Staters to save money and have more breathing room in their household budgets.”
Earlier this week, Shaheen pushed back on the Trump administration’s plans to scrap the Energy Star Program, which helps Americans save on energy costs.
As a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Shaheen helped secure $3.5 billion in additional funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program, including $18 million for New Hampshire. Shaheen has long-championed the Weatherization Assistance Program to lower energy costs for low-income families in New Hampshire, as well as the State Energy Program, which assists states with the development of energy efficiency renewable projects. In the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding bills, Shaheen helped defend key efficiency programs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from cuts, including securing $366 million for weatherization efforts and $66 million for the State Energy Program, which work to bring down energy bills for families and communities.
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