Activists carry signs in reference to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, and Senate Republicans during a rally in support of the “For the People Act” voting rights legislation in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Wednesday.
Activists carry signs in reference to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, and Senate Republicans during a rally in support of the “For the People Act” voting rights legislation in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Wednesday.
THE DEMISE ALONG party lines of the expansive voting bill known as the “For the People Act” was mourned by New Hampshire’s all-Democratic delegation Wednesday.
The bill would have standardized many voting procedures across the country and undone some of the voting bills that have passed in other states this year.
In a statement, Sen. Maggie Hassan focused not on voting procedure, but on the bill’s provisions that aimed to increase the power of small donors through matching funds, and curb the outsized influence of the wealthiest donors.
A tweet from Hassan’s campaign account stated the bill could have “help[ed] stop billionaires and corporate special interests from buying elections.”
“It’s unacceptable that they blocked even debating much-needed campaign finance and ethics reform,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said in a tweet. “Voting rights shouldn’t be a partisan issue.”
The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, criticized Hassan for her support of the bill, and convened about 15 picketers outside her Manchester office earlier this week.
At the very least, there’s still a bipartisan consensus on how other countries should strengthen democracy.
Shaheen and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), issued a joint statement Wednesday imploring all political parties in the country of Georgia to sign an agreement and “work together in good faith to develop and fully implement the necessary judicial and electoral reforms needed to bolster their democracy,” the statement read.
“Georgia’s future depends on its ability to move forward together,” the statement read.
College student aid
This week, Shaheen and Hassan got behind a bill that would double the value of the Pell grant, and increase it at the rate of inflation.
Pell Grants are available only to low-income students, and unlike student loans do not have to be paid back. The maximum amount a student can receive is $6,345 — less than a fifth of the cost for in-state tuition plus room and board at the University of New Hampshire. The grant amount has increased about $1,000 over the last 10 years, while the cost of a year at UNH including room and board has risen more than $10,000 since 2011.
“Over time, the Pell Grant’s value has diminished, making it more difficult for hardworking Granite Staters to afford a degree that can help them succeed in our modern economy,” Sen. Hassan said in a statement.
In a statement, Shaheen called the grants a “lifeline” to economic mobility for low-income students.
Hassan and Shaheen are also both pushing legislation that would let people use Pell grants to pay for short-term certificate programs — not just two- and four-year degrees. Last week, Rep. Annie Kuster helped introduce a bill that would also let people use Pell grants to pay for graduate school.
Back to normal
The youth are calling for a “hot vax summer” to conjure up the bacchanal energy they crave post-vaccination after a year-plus in semi-isolation.
But if your name starts with “Rep.” or “Sen.” (or if you hope it will by 2023), the vibe is less bacchanal, more back to normal, beginning with a summer of going to other people’s barbecues.
Gone are the Zoom roundtables — instead, last Saturday Rep. Chris Pappas hit four community events: Queen City Pride and the lamb barbecue at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, bookended by a pair of Juneteenth celebrations in Exeter and Manchester. Granite Status also spotted Hassan and state Sen. Donna Soucy at Manchester’s Juneteenth, all unmasked and shaking hands.
Not one of the political outings last weekend included a stop by a vaccination site, a photo opportunity with a shipment of masks, or testimony from a small business owner on the power of the Paycheck Protection Program.
