Sen. Jeanne Shaheen spent Friday morning in Exeter meeting with members of the National Guard as well as medical providers administering COVID-19 vaccines at a state-run clinic behind the high school.
Shaheen’s visit comes a day after President Biden signed into law a COVID-19 stimulus package with a $1.9 trillion price tag.
Shaheen backed the measure, which includes direct payments to most Americans, additional funding for schools, rental assistance and billions for local and city governments. Republicans objected to portions of the bill, and raised concerns about its overall cost.
When asked about the spending level, Shaheen said that “at some point in the future, we are going to have to address the debt and deficit in this country.”
“But now is not the time,” she added. “Now is the time to get people through this pandemic, make sure they don’t get evicted from their homes, that they can put food on the table, that they can get a job, and that’s what this package is designed to do.”
Shaheen was joined at Exeter High School by Perry Plummer, who is directing vaccine logistics for the state. The vaccination site is staffed by 15-20 members of the National Guard, as well as another group of local first responders and medical providers.
