Thursday, July 5, 2007

Hodes, Shea-Porter Keeping Promises

Guest Perspective/Ray Buckley

Granite Staters gathered yesterday for parades, family picnics, fireworks, and other Independence Day activities. Our state has much to celebrate, as Fourth of July marks six months of strong leadership from our two newly elected members of Congress, Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes. It’s been over a decade since New Hampshire sent a Democrat to Washington, and what a difference Rep. Shea-Porter and Rep. Hodes have made in advancing the agenda of New Hampshire’s working families.
Despite constant obstructionism from partisan Republicans, Democrats have worked hard to keep their promises to the American people. Rep. Shea-Porter and Rep. Hodes have demonstrated they are committed to taking care of our veterans, putting working families first, restoring accountability and oversight to government, and forcing President Bush to change course in Iraq.
This Democratic-led Congress has accomplished more in the last six months than Republicans did in six years. Having Rep. Shea-Porter and Rep. Hodes in Washington has made such a difference for working families here in New Hampshire. Both houses of Congress have passed energy legislation that strengthens our economy and national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Democrats have made our communities safer by passing the 9/11 Commission recommendations, and provided the American people with honest leadership and accountability by passing the toughest, most sweeping ethics reform in a generation.
Rep. Shea-Porter and Rep. Hodes also fought to raise the minimum wage for the first time in a decade, passed a balanced budget that includes tax cuts for the middle class, and kept their promises to the brave men and women who have served our country by passing the largest increase in veteran’s health care in more than 80 years. They have led the fight in Washington for a new direction in Iraq, fought to increase access to health care by reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and kept their commitment to promote the promise of science over partisanship by voting to expand funding for life-saving stem cell research.
As busy as their duties in Washington keep them, both make it a priority to make it back to New Hampshire nearly every weekend. This Independence Day, for example, Rep. Shea-Porter marched in the Merrimack and Raymond Parades and attended the Naturalization Ceremony at Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth. Rep. Hodes marched in the Amherst and Lincoln/Woodstock parades and also greeted constituents at Colburn Park in Lebanon.
While Republicans like Sens. John E. Sununu and Judd Gregg continue to stand in the way of progress, our Democrats are working to make America safer and stronger, expand access to health care, fight for a new direction in Iraq, and end the culture of corruption that Republicans brought to Washington. The people of New Hampshire should be incredibly proud of Rep. Shea-Porter and Rep. Hodes for all that they are doing Washington. I know I’m relieved to finally have Representatives in Washington that are independent of the Bush Republicans and their special interest friends.
Ray Buckley is chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.

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