NH Now: Maggie Hassan 6-18-20

Senator Hassan says, “Mr. Bolton’s Account Reinforces That This President Puts His Own Personal Interests Before Those of the Country and Is Willing to Bend Foreign Policy and National Security for His Own Benefit”

In an interview with WKXL’s Chris Ryan, Senator Maggie Hassan reacts to the damaging allegations about the Trump presidency by former National Security Advisor, John Bolton; discusses pending legislation to reform police practices, like the use of choke holds; supports the $1 trillion Transportation and Infrastructure Bill to improve access to broadband internet service; and expresses her frustration with the administration’s inability to determine goals for producing or distributing PPE-Personal Protection Equipment and testing capacity for the Coronavirus.

The Senator assesses how the allegations by John Bolton, President Trump’s former National Security Advisor would have affected the vote for impeachment of President Trump in February and whether the Congress should explore another impeachment procedure now. Bolton has claimed that on many occasions President Trump put his own personal interests ahead of the interest of the country. Senator Hassan expects that there will be an attempt by the legislative branch to exercise oversight and to examine the charges made by John Bolton, but she believes that the Senate Republicans will block any attempts to resume the impeachment process.

Currently, there are two bills being considered to address police misconduct. Senator Hassan is in favor of criminal justice reform and addressing the problem of institutional racism in America. The Senator is very interested in developing bipartisan support for this legislation.
Senator Hassan is cosponsoring several bills which are designed to narrow the digital divide by increasing internet access to rural areas and poorer communities.
The final portion of the interview deals with the administration’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. After months of requesting information about goal setting, the Senator finally received a chart from FEMA-Federal Emergency Management Agency which only had an estimate of how much PPE that they expected to be available in the coming months. Senator Hassan is hopeful that if and when a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, the administration will be able to produce, administer, and distribute an effective and safe vaccine.