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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.

Shaheen, Brown Clash Over Independence and Outsourcing

NHPR Staff

The dynamic of this high-profile race has changed little since former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown began plotting a return to Washington, from New Hampshire, the state in which he spent his early childhood.

Last night's NECN/Concord Monitor/UNH debate at the Capital Center for the Arts in Concord was true to form.

Jeanne Shaheen repeatedly cast Brown as an opportunist:

“You know Senator Brown when he lost his race, he didn’t move to New Hampshire and say I want to get involved in this state. He thought about running for the senate in Massachusetts, then he thought about running for Governor in Massachusetts, then he went out to Iowa and said he was thinking about running for president. Well, I don’t think New Hampshire is a consolation prize.”

Scott Brown, meanwhile, leaned hard on Shaheen’s, record of support for the policies of President Obama.

"Every survey that’s come out has Senator Shaheen as one of the most partisan senators. She has in fact voted with the president over 99 percent of the time. And what does that mean to the people of NH? It means that she was the deciding vote for Obamacare."

When asked to say if she considered Obamacare a proud accomplishment, Shaheen did say yes.

But she was more equivocal when asked yes or no, did she approve of the president’s performance?

“In some things I approve, in some things I don’t approve....Like most questions we deal with as policymakers there aren’t simple answers.”

Brown won cheers for suggesting some things are indeed simple, as when moderator Chuck Todd pressed him to define a secure border.

-What is the metric? Tell the public the metric when you know…

“The border is secure when it’s secure. You know when its secure when  people don’t come across it.”

-But people are always going to come across it.

“Listen if you think the border is secure folks, the border is not. It’s absolutely not.”

Shaheen accused Brown of grandstanding and fear mongering for linking border security to fighting ISIS and containing Ebola.

The candidates also clashed over energy issues.

Brown accused Shaheen of supporting a national energy tax. Shaheen said Brown was too beholden to the fossil fuel industry. When the candidates where given the change to asked each other a question. Shaheen went after Brown on outsourcing.

“We actually provide tax credits for companies that ship jobs overseas. When you were in the senate you voted to reward companies who ship job overseas. Here in NH we have the highest percentage of job shipped to China of any state in the country So why in the world would you support outsourcing American jobs overseas?”

Brown denied the claim.

“I have never voted to outsource jobs.”

He then worked to turn the notion of outsourcing back on Shaheen.

“I think outsourcing has a lot of different meanings.  When you actually were elected you said you’d be an independent senator, but you outsourced that independence when you voted with president 99 percent of the time.”

Polls indicate this race is tight. But the most recent survey by the University of NH found 16 percent of the electorate remains undecided. Jeanne Shaheen and Scott Brown have two more televised debates to sway those voters. The next one is tomorrow night. 

Josh has worked at NHPR since 2000.
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