ICYMI: Shaheen & Commerce Secretary Raimondo Highlight Opportunities to Strengthen Coastal Economies, Bolster Manufacturing through the American Jobs Plan

 

Senator Shaheen & Secretary Raimondo participate in a Hampton roundtable with local & state officials & tourism, hospitality & business leaders on the American Rescue Plan & the American Jobs Plan

 

Senator Shaheen & Secretary Raimondo tour Seabrook-based AeroDyanamics

(Hampton, NH) – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) hosted U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in New Hampshire’s Seacoast region to highlight how the American Rescue Plan is helping Granite Staters recover from the economic impact of the COVID crisis and how the American Jobs Plan would benefit the region and state.

Senator Shaheen and Secretary Raimondo began the day by hosting a roundtable discussion in Hampton with local and state officials and tourism, hospitality and business leaders. During the event, they discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on industries integral to the Seacoast’s economy and highlighted how the American Rescue Plan and the American Jobs Plan would help stimulate economic growth, create new jobs and revitalize local infrastructure in the region.

Later, Senator Shaheen and Secretary Raimondo toured AeroDynamics in Seabrook where they highlighted the importance of women-owned small businesses in the manufacturing industry and the urgency for investment in domestic manufacturing through the American Jobs Plan. They also discussed the important role the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program plays in providing small and medium-sized manufacturers with the resources they need to grow and expand. AeroDynamics is a women-owned, state-of-the-art electroplating and metal finishing company that specializes in the aerospace, military and defense industries. During their visit, Senator Shaheen and Secretary Raimondo were joined by leadership from AeroDynamics and the New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership, local officials and representatives from the New Hampshire Aerospace & Defense Export Consortium.

“I’m so glad Secretary Raimondo chose New Hampshire for her first trip as head of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Yesterday, she heard firsthand from Granite Staters what they have experienced on the ground during the COVID-19 pandemic and what they want to see in an infrastructure plan that invests in our communities and industries, fixes our aging infrastructure, promotes economic growth and creates new jobs. As our roundtable discussion in Hampton highlighted, the American Jobs Plan is a bold opportunity to deliver on priorities that are critical to the Seacoast and all of New Hampshire, such as repairing our roads, ports and waterways, addressing our drinking water infrastructure and expanding access to high-speed internet. I look forward to working with Secretary Raimondo, the Biden administration and Senators on both sides of the aisle to meet the vital infrastructure needs of our nation,” said Shaheen.

Shaheen continued, “If we are to revitalize our infrastructure, investing in our local manufacturers and American workers must be a top priority. I’m glad I had the opportunity to visit AeroDynamics with Secretary Raimondo to highlight the importance of empowering women-owned businesses and providing our local small and medium-sized manufacturers with the support and tools they need to stay competitive in a 21^st Century economy. I also appreciated hearing more about the important work the New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Program does in support of Granite State manufacturers, which is why I worked to boost funding for this important program in the Senate. I’ll continue to prioritize policies like the American Jobs Plan that respond to the needs of our manufacturers and help them achieve further success.”

“As the former Governor of Rhode Island, I understand the importance of travel and tourism to New England’s economy and was honored to join Senator Shaheen to hear from local business leaders first-hand about how COVID-19 has impacted this critical industry in New Hampshire,” said Secretary Raimondo. "Thanks to the passage of the American Rescue Plan, the Commerce Department is allocating $750 million to help the travel and tourism industry. I applaud Senator Shaheen for her work to build New Hampshire’s economy back better, stronger, and more equitably from the pandemic.”

“Investing in domestic manufacturing is critical to American competitiveness and creating good-paying jobs,” said Secretary Raimondo. “I’m proud of the Commerce Department’s Manufacturing Extension Program in supporting local manufacturing businesses like AeroDynamics, which are essential to growing local economies, creating jobs and strengthening our supply chains. With the American Jobs Plan, we have an opportunity to scale programs like MEP to help American manufacturers thrive.”