Members of New Hampshire's congressional delegation are reacting to the recent deal that would raise the U.S. debt ceiling and potentially prevent a national default.
After President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed a bill over the weekend that raises the debt ceiling, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen released a statement supporting the deal.
“I am particularly relieved for New Hampshire’s working families and small businesses, who often rely on benefits and resources that would have been delayed or even cut off,” Shaheen said.
Other legislators echoed Shaheen’s sentiments. Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan said, if the nation defaulted on its debt, it would cause businesses to close and deplete retirement accounts.
In a press release, Democratic Congresswoman Anne Kuster said the bill called for compromise from both Democrats and Republicans.
“Despite a divided government, President Biden has achieved a bipartisan agreement that will save our country from default until 2025 and protect our nation from economic collapse, while also preventing cuts to key programs that millions of Americans rely upon,” Kuster said.
The proposed bill would add new work requirements for food stamp recipients. People aged 50 to 54 receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would have to work 80 hours per month. The work requirement already applied to able-bodied adults younger than 50 who did not have children.
Currently there are roughly 40,400 people using SNAP benefits, though a media representative of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said it is too soon to tell how many people will be affected if the bill passes.
