AT GRANITE STATE BUSINESSES, SHAHEEN EMPHASIZES IMPORTANCE OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING

(MANCHESTER, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) toured local Granite State businesses in Manchester and Tilton today to highlight the impact a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse could have on local companies and national security. With ten days remaining before DHS funding is currently set to expire, Shaheen met with company officials at AssureTec in Manchester and Sealite in Tilton to discuss how the New Hampshire businesses would be impacted if Congress does not authorize remaining fiscal year (FY) 2015 funding.

“It’s time for Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security through the rest of this year with a clean funding bill, free of unrelated and extraneous provisions,” Shaheen said. “An agency shutdown would not only set back New Hampshire companies that support jobs and security efforts, but would create serious national security consequences.”

Companies like AssureTec, which develops and deploys high quality ID authentication solutions that help provide security at critical locations from borders to nuclear facilities, and Sealite, which manufactures navigation aids at their Tilton location and contracts with DHS, would face uncertainty and be impacted by a DHS shutdown. Late last month, Shaheen, along with Senator Mikulski (D-MD), introduced a complete, clean bill, free of extraneous riders to fund DHS operations through the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2015. The clean DHS bill incorporates critical increases in funding and support for border security, cybersecurity, the Secret Service and other national security initiatives including complete disaster funding. Currently, DHS funding is set to expire February 27.