Jeanne Moser attends State of the Union with Sen. Shaheen
It was two Jeannes united at Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
One, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who wore a purple ribbon to highlight the opioid epidemic and substance use disorders. The other, East Kingston’s Jeanne Moser, a mother who has dedicated her life to prescription drug consciousness since the passing of her 27-year-old son Adam.
Moser was Shaheen’s guest for President Donald Trump’s address. Each senator is able to bring one guest from their state and Shaheen extended her invitation to either Moser or her husband, Jim. The Mosers created the Zero Left campaign, encouraging awareness of the potency of prescription medications as well as calling on the health care industry to do better when prescribing them.
Their son, Adam, died from an apparent fentanyl overdose in 2015. The Mosers had no idea he’d begun a “prescription drug hobby” right in their own medicine cabinet. Since his death, the Mosers have become a voice for Granite Staters within the opioid epidemic.
Moser noted Trump’s remarks on the crisis came during the end of his State of the Union address.
“He recognized that there’s a crisis, he recognized that more recovery and treatment programs need to be in place, but he didn’t mention allocating funds or making anything possible in that way,” she said. “It was just recognition of the problem. It’s unfulfilled promises. My hope was that he was going to somehow make this great announcement. There was really no plan announced at all.”
In a statement, Shaheen said, “The president must finally begin fulfilling his promise to deliver treatment resources. Over the past year, President Trump has only devoted lip service to respond to the opioid epidemic. Instead of any meaningful action, the Trump administration has made numerous attempts to undermine existing programs that have proven to be critical in battling this crisis in New Hampshire.”
Moser called being Shaheen’s guest an honor. “The whole experience was something that I’ve never encountered before,” she said. “To be in a room, to see so many politicians, senators, congresspeople, to see that all unfold was such a historic moment.”
Moser said she met Shaheen at her Senate office before the pre-State of the Union dinner for senators, where they connected with fellow New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan.
“It was so wonderful,” Moser said. “Just amazing what a gracious hostess she was. She just gave me the opportunity to talk to her more about what the Zero Left initiative is all about, what our hopes are going forward.”
It was Moser’s third time in Washington, D.C. since October, where Trump touched a photo of Adam as she held it in the crowd during his declaration of an opioid crisis health emergency.
“You never envision your child is going to die before you do,” she said. “To be able to have had all of this recognition and opportunities to represent Adam’s memory, but it’s more than that. We have been given the chance to represent all of the families who have lost someone. To voice that concern and ask for help and to try to right a wrong. It’s truly amazing.”
Shaheen recently introduced bipartisan funding legislation to prioritize states hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, including New Hampshire.
