Shaheen Visits Pennichuck’s Merrimack River Interconnection Project to Underscore Key NH Priorities in Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework
Earlier: Shaheen hosts information session on federal resources available through American Rescue Plan for Granite State child care providers
Shaheen meets with local and state officials at the Merrimack River Interconnection Project to discuss the ongoing project and critical infrastructure needs in the Merrimack area
(Merrimack, NH) – This morning, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a key negotiator in bipartisan infrastructure talks, visited Pennichuck’s Merrimack River Interconnection Project to tour the site, learn more about the project and underscore key New Hampshire priorities that will be addressed in the bipartisan infrastructure package.
During her visit, Shaheen met with state and local officials and stakeholders to discuss the ongoing project and other urgent needs in the Merrimack area, including funding for PFAS remediation and a fix to the Contribution-in-Aid of Construction (CIAC) tax issue, which arose after congressional Republicans and the Trump administration reinstated the tax in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. This tax has resulted in at least $1.15 million in new federal taxes for water infrastructure projects in Southern New Hampshire. Shaheen leads bipartisan legislation in the Senate to fix this issue by reducing the burden on taxpayers and encouraging water and wastewater utilities to invest in water infrastructure projects and community development.
“I appreciated today’s meeting with local officials at the Merrimack River Interconnection Project to tour the site and discuss what federal funding is needed to address PFAS concerns and strengthen water systems. Today’s visit illustrated why we must make a once-in-a-generation investment in our infrastructure,” said Shaheen. “As a negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure framework and as our talks continue, I’ll make sure New Hampshire’s needs are prioritized in final legislation so critical projects like those in Merrimack can be completed.”
Earlier this morning, Shaheen hosted a virtual information session with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Child Care and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The session provided Granite State child care providers updates on emergency federal resources available through the American Rescue Plan.
“New Hampshire’s child care providers have gone above and beyond over the past sixteen months to support our working families and their children during this unprecedented crisis,” said Shaheen. “I’ve worked closely with providers to ensure tens of millions of dollars in federal relief are delivered to our state to help them stay afloat. Our economy cannot bounce back without robust child care support that opens the pathway for parents to return to work, which is why supporting providers will continue to be a top priority of mine.”
Shaheen has led efforts in the Senate to assist child care providers amid the pandemic. She recently kicked off an ‘Investing in the American Worker Kitchen Table Tour’ by meeting with a Hooksett family to discuss the struggles of accessing affordable child care during the COVID-19 crisis. Shaheen also recently visited the Southern New Hampshire Services Head Start location to discuss additional support for child care in the American Rescue Plan. Due in part to Shaheen’s leadership during negotiations for the American Rescue Plan, New Hampshire will receive more than $77 million in grants to provide relief for child care providers and support working families who need access to affordable child care, as well as $470,415 in federal grants to Head Start programs in New Hampshire.
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