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0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff8d390000Race: U.S SenateParty: RepublicanPolitical Experience: 2010-2012 - U.S Senate from Massachusetts2004-2010 – Massachusetts State Senate1998-2004 – Massachusetts House of RepresentativesPersonal: Married; lives in RyeEducation: Bachelor’s, Tufts University; J.D., Boston College Law SchoolCampaign WebsiteIssuesBrown says one of the main reasons he is seeking the seat held by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is the need to repeal the Affordable Care Act and encourage states to craft their own legislative solutions.A supporter of “Romneycare,” the Massachusetts health care program that includes many of the same components of the ACA, Brown voted to repeal so-called Obamacare in 2010. Yet he acknowledges that benefits offered by the ACA, such as requiring coverage for pre-existing conditions, are important enough to be part of a New Hampshire plan.“We need to repeal Obamacare and we need to put in place something that works for us…. There’s no reason why we can’t do it and also respecting our rights and freedoms and also doing it more competitively.”In late July, Brown began running television ads blaming Shaheen and President Obama for the “immigration crisis on our hands.” He criticized Shaheen for supporting immigration reforms that include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S., which Brown characterizes as “amnesty.”Brown told NHPR’s Brady Carlson that the U.S. needs to “secure our border once and for all.” But he supports allowing foreign students with visas to obtain green cards instead of automatically returning to their country of origin, and he says some workers ought to be allowed to remain in the U.S. if there is a need.“I look at it in different pillars. The first pillar is if we have kids who are here from out of country and they’re going to school, they should get a diploma and the ability to stay here and live and work if they want. That’s a no brainer.If we have people who need seasonal help because we have a service industry in our state, tourism, etc., and there’s needs to be filled, we should allow that to happen…. If you’re looking at executives and other engineers, doctors, etc., and there’s a need and we can’t fill that need in order to keep our businesses vibrant and in our state, we should allow that to happen, no problem.”Brown supports an "all of the above" energy plan that includes federal tax subsidies to encourage the development of solar, geothermal and nuclear energy technologies. A one-time supporter of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade program for New England states, Brown now opposes cap and trade or a "national energy tax," saying it would increase costs to consumers.

Scott Brown Makes The Rounds Through Vote-Rich Southern N.H.

Josh Rogers

While technically, he’s still exploring a run for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, Scott Brown acted very much the candidate at a St. Patrick’s Day lunch in Salem.  He worked the room, posed for pictures, and said voters across the country and here in his new home state of New Hampshire, want to toss Democrats from office for supporting  so-called Obamacare.

"Jeanne was obviously one of the voters and she also voted against every grandfathering amendment. She also has voted to raise taxes and against the Keystone pipeline, to deal with our energy costs.  I mean I could go on and on. When you are voting 99 to 100% with the administration, that shows that you’ve lost the values of New Hampshire."

Credit Josh Rogers

Brown was less definitive when asked about Shaheen’s challenge that he sign a so-called people’s pledge as he did during his loss to Elizabeth Warren in 2012.

"I am not going to make a statement yet because I am not a candidate. We'll have plenty of time to talk about that. But I think it's hypocritical and the horse has left the barn. She's already spent, her and her allies have spent almost three-quarters of a million dollars on me."

GOP and conservative third party groups have also been busy.  So far they've committed about $1.5 million dollars to ads attacking Shaheen, including  $600,000 worth of ads paid for by the Karl Rove affiliated group, American Crossroads, that are slated to air over the next week.

Josh has worked at NHPR since 2000.
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