NHPR has reached out to voters to gather their questions for the candidates on the ballot this November.
Election Day is just around the corner, and NHPR’s Rick Ganley is sitting down with the candidates running for U.S. Senate to ask them those questions from listeners. Here’s a transcript from his interview with incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan.
Transcript
Rick Ganley: What would you want to accomplish in your first three months as you continue in office? What issue would you prioritize first?
Maggie Hassan: Well, if I am fortunate enough to be reelected, I think it's going to be critically important that we continue to do the work of lowering people's costs. There are short term things we can do. I, as people know, supported a new law that allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices. That's going to be felt starting in January when seniors see a cap on their Medicaid prices [at] $35 a month. I also supported a new law that helps lower energy costs by getting us to pivot away from big oil and have competition for fossil fuels and invest in a clean energy economy. It also includes a provision that allows people to get tax credits for making energy efficiency improvements in their homes. But there's obviously a lot more to do.
I'll continue to advocate for suspending the gas tax, something I've been pushing for. And I should note my opponent, Don Bolduc, opposes, as he also opposed the Medicare prescription provision I talked about and the clean energy and lowering energy costs provisions I talked about. And I think continuing to work on the cost of housing and the cost of child care is going to be critically important, not only for families who are trying to make ends meet, right, but also in terms of addressing the labor shortage, which is one of the drivers of inflation. And then obviously, protecting a woman's reproductive freedom is front of mind. First and foremost in this election, people have to know that there is a nationwide abortion ban on the ballot. Should my opponent get elected, should the Republicans take back a majority, they will pursue a nationwide abortion ban. And I'm a sponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act.
Rick Ganley: Understood. But your first priority, as you said, you're looking at costs for inflation?
Maggie Hassan: Yes, yes.
Rick Ganley: Okay. Many of our listeners express concern, Senator, over the state of democracy in the U.S. What specific action do you believe can be taken at in Washington to strengthen the public's faith in democracy?
Maggie Hassan: You know, this is a real concern that I have. Let's just start in New Hampshire. We have some of the best elections in the country, and it's absolutely critical that we shore up our elections nationwide, making sure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to vote in a straightforward way, making sure that there are things like nonpartisan commissions for redistricting so that people have confidence that the districts really reflect the population of the district or state.
Rick Ganley: How do you go about doing that, though?
Maggie Hassan: Well, so, the Freedom to Vote Act is something that I supported. Now, I want to really draw some contrast here, because I support strengthening our democracy and I'm running against somebody who's an election denier. Don Bolduc spent over a year traveling the state of New Hampshire, stoking the big lie. He has suggested – he's sowing doubt right now on the 2022 election here in New Hampshire.
Rick Ganley: I understand you want to draw the contrast, but we have limited time so...
Maggie Hassan: I understand that. But let's be really clear what's at stake here, because we can strengthen democracy if we continue to have United States senators who believe that that's part of our work to do. But if we elect people who, like Don Bolduc, have denied the 2020 election and say that they would as a U.S. senator work to overturn 2024 if their preferred candidate doesn't win, the first step we have to do here is make sure we're electing people who will work to strengthen the democracy.
Rick Ganley: Okay, let's move on. I want to focus here on the issues. Energy prices, as you know, continue to rise as other costs have risen as well. Many Granite Staters are worried about the cost of heating their homes this winter. We've heard from many listeners. What specific action would you take if elected to help lower energy costs?
Maggie Hassan: So I talked about one of the things we've done, which is pass a law that helps people make energy efficiency investments right now and get a tax credit for it while we also transition into --
Rick Ganley: What about more immediate needs this winter?
Maggie Hassan: More immediately what we can do about this winter, I've led a bipartisan push that was successful to get a billion extra dollars for home heating assistance for Granite Staters and also have been pushing the administration, again, led a bipartisan letter from New England senators to release more home heating fuel from a reserve that the U.S. Department of Energy controls. And that would increase supply [and] lower people's costs.
Rick Ganley: Although the U.S. has increasingly become more polarized, I think New Hampshire is still a purple state [with] many independent voters, of course. We've heard a version of this question from listeners. How would you work with members of all parties to do what is best for New Hampshire?
Maggie Hassan: I always start by focusing on the fact that Granite Staters put aside differences all the time and work together and get things done. So I've worked across the aisle to do everything from expand high speed Internet to every community in the state, fix our roads and bridges, boost manufacturing, and make sure our veterans get the care and support that they need. I'm proud of a record of delivering for Granite Staters on those things, on banning the practice of surprise medical bills, another bipartisan effort. And I'm proud of the fact that I was named the most bipartisan senator in the country by the independent Lugar Center. At the end of the day, this is about putting the interests of New Hampshire first and not worrying about what political party people belong to. And I will always continue to listen to Granite Staters. You know, the surprise medical billing thing I referenced, that came about because Granite Staters spoke up and said, this is ridiculous. We have insurance coverage. We're paying good money for premiums and we're getting these surprise medical bills. That's what enabled me to team up with a Republican and ban the practice. And that's the kind of approach I will always bring to this work.
