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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.

Brown, Shaheen Spar In First Debate

Boverman/Jensen for NHPR

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and GOP challenger Scott Brown sparred over reproductive rights Monday in a debate held at North Conway’s Grand Hotel.

Shaheen used this debate to emphasized her record supporting access to abortion and contraception, and to question Brown’s claim that he is pro-choice.

“I think you have to look at what he’s done. When he was in the Senate he was sponsor of something called the Blunt amendment, which was an amendment that would have given any employer for any moral reason the ability to deny any employee the right to any health care benefit and it was aimed at denying women access to contraceptive care.”

Brown countered that he is indeed pro-choice. But said he does support a corporation’s ability, on religious grounds, to control whether its health care plans will include contraception, as the U.S. Supreme Court found in the Hobby Lobby decision.

"Why was there even a Hobby Lobby case? It’s because of Obamacare where they mandated that certain actions been taken. To think that I wouldn’t support women’s rights and the ability to get contraception is just a false premise. I have since I was 18 years old.”

The candidates staked out differences on issues ranging from energy policy to heath care and border security.

From the outset, Brown linked Shaheen to President Obama at every possible turn, no more so than when he derided the president’s response to the threat of terrorism emerging in the Middle East as “confused” and “incoherent. “

“The goal of ISIS is to lock down Pennsylvania Avenue and plant its flag on the White House. Our goal is to make sure that doesn’t happen."

Brown supports keeping open the option of sending troops in to combat ISIS. Shaheen, meanwhile, lamented what she called partisan fear-mongering  on the issue and says airstrikes are one thing, but….

“I don’t believe we should send tens of thousands of troops to be an occupying force in the Middle East.”

The hour-and-a-quarter debate  was sponsored by the Mt. Washington Valley Economic Council.  Shaheen and Brown are slated to debate three more times before election day.

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