Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well and enjoying your weekend! It was a busy week in Washington and I want to share some updates and news with you about what I’ve been working on.

As a founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence and a survivor myself, I know how crucial it is to protect survivors and remove barriers to reporting harassment and violence. This week, we passed meaningful legislation in the House to protect the rights of survivors of sexual assault and harassment who want to speak out. The Senate also passed my legislation to protect survivors from being trapped in a phone plan with their abuser. I’m thrilled that both of these important bills are now headed to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

I spoke on the House floor to celebrate passage of the Speak Out Act.

On Thursday, the Senate passed my bipartisan legislation – the Safe Connections Act – to help survivors of domestic violence and other crimes cut ties with their abusers and separate from shared wireless service plans.

The Safe Connections Act will remove an unnecessary barrier that far too many survivors of sexual and domestic violence face when trying to move on and rebuild their lives. I introduced this bill this past summer to cut red tape and empower survivors to leave a shared phone plan with their abuser and access financial assistance as they get their affairs in order. This commonsense measure will protect survivors and make it easier for them to escape their abusers and move forward with their lives – I’m glad it’s headed to the president’s desk and I look forward to this legislation being signed into law.

Read our letter HERE.

This week, I joined my Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force co-chairs in urging House and Senate leadership to prioritize consideration of the House-passed Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act. This legislation included many of the bipartisan bills included in our Task Force’s legislative agenda to dedicate substantial funds to combat our nation’s worsening addiction and mental health crises, providing life-saving resources to communities across the country.

The package includes over 30 bills to address the intertwined epidemics, including delivering billions of dollars in grants for states fighting on the front lines, bolstering programs and services in areas most impacted, and improving interagency coordination in this fight.

The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act is a sweeping, strongly bipartisan bill that will help turn the tide of the behavioral health crisis.

This week, I thanked my friend, mentor, and trailblazer for women across the world.

It’s been an incredible honor to serve with Speaker Pelosi – she’s a role model, a mentor, and a friend. Her leadership style of ‘respect, include, and empower’ has helped to guide my colleagues and me as we work to create a brighter future for all Americans. I respect her decision not to pursue a position in Congressional leadership, and while I’m excited to see a new generation of diverse and well-equipped leaders emerge, we must acknowledge the incredible contributions Speaker Pelosi has made to our nation – especially for families and children.

As Speaker Pelosi says, ‘when women succeed, America succeeds’ – as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House, she has empowered women and girls across the world to envision themselves in positions of power and strive for greatness. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside her in the U.S. Congress.

One of my most important jobs as your representative is helping Granite Staters.

Do you or a loved one need assistance navigating a federal agency? My office is here to help!

If you need assistance with a federal agency, please reach out to my Concord office at (603) 226-1002 or visit www.Kuster.House.Gov.

Visit HealthCare.gov to shop health care plans.

The open Enrollment Period to sign up or make changes to your health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace has begun. Visit HealthCare.gov to browse plans – if you need assistance learning more about which plan is right for you and your family, help is available. You can visit localhelp.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596.

Hearing aids are now available over the counter without a prescription or exam. This could save Granite Staters thousands of dollars and will remove financial barriers to getting hearing aids.

As always, the CDC and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services are the best resources to turn to for information about COVID-19. If you are sick, stay home and call your health care provider

To vote for your favorite photos of the Second Congressional District, click HERE.

Voting is open for my 2022 Fall Photo Contest. It was wonderful to see all of the beautiful photos taken throughout New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District.

The deadline to vote has been extended to Monday, November 21st at 11:59 PM. To help choose this year’s winners, you can like, share, or comment on your favorite photos in the Facebook photo album HERE.

To stay updated on my work in Congress and around the Granite State and for important information and resources, like my page on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

I hope you have a safe and fun rest of your weekend!

Sincerely,

Annie