STATE AND THE GOVERNOR ON A CONTROVERSIAL BILL. GOOD MORNING. I'M ADAM SEXTON. THE 2024 ELECTION CAN FEEL VERY FAR AWAY IN JUNE, BUT IT'S ONLY 20 WEEKS UNTIL NEW HAMPSHIRE GOES TO THE POLLS. AND THERE'S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORNING WITH OUR GUEST, SENATOR MAGGIE HASSAN. SENATOR, THANKS FOR COMING IN. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. SO LET'S START WITH THE HIGH COST OF LIVING. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ON EVERY FAMILY'S MIND. WE SEE INFLATION DOWN JUST A TICK IN MAY, POINT 1% FROM 3.4 TO 3.3% IN THE CPI. VERY SMALL POSITIVE INDICATOR. OBVIOUSLY NOT THE KIND OF RELIEF THAT FAMILIES NEED. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO REALLY

AT LEAST STABILIZE OR KNOCK OUT INFLATION ONCE AND FOR ALL. WELL, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, OF COURSE, IS A REAL CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABILITY FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE'S FAMILIES AND FAMILIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, WHETHER IT IS HOUSING OR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, CHILD CARE, OR THE COST OF A GALLON OF GAS. RIGHT. SO WE ARE WORKING TO TAKE ON THE COSTS THAT WE CAN, IN FACT, ADDRESS THIS IN GOVERNMENT. SO EVERYTHING FROM TAKING ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS, WE NOW HAVE CAPPED INSULIN AT $35 FOR MEDICARE PATIENTS. WE'RE WORKING TO TRY TO DO THAT IN ALL COMMERCIAL INSURANCE TOO. WE NOW CAN NEGOTIATE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES. AND WE TOOK OTHER MEASURES THAT

ARE HELPING HOLD THE LINE ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES. WE NEED A BIGGER SUPPLY OF HOUSING, AND THAT'S WHY IN A BIPARTISAN PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT I'VE SPONSORED, WE HAVE INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF CRITICAL TAX INVESTMENT CREDITS TO GET MORE HOUSING STOCK. WE ALSO NEED TO WORK WITH THE STATE. A LOT OF THIS IS STATE AND LOCAL ISSUES JUST TO INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING. BUT RIGHT NOW, REPUBLICANS ARE BLOCKING THAT LEGISLATION, AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO. WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOME OF THE LARGEST, MOST CONSOLIDATED CORPORATION HAZENS ARE PURPOSELY KEEPING THEIR PRICES HIGH BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY CAN. AND SO WE REALLY HAVE TO ATTACK THIS GREEDFLATION. AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE ADMINISTRATION REALLY TAKING ON

CORPORATE CONSOLIDATION. WHAT ABOUT FEDERAL SPENDING? REPUBLICANS SAY CUT SPENDING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IN WASHINGTON. WE'LL SEE SOME RELIEF. DO YOU AGREE? LOOK, THERE ISN'T EVIDENCE THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S AT PLAY HERE. THE EVIDENCE IS THAT LARGE CORPORATIONS HAVEN'T CONSOLIDATED. AND HAVING HAD SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGES DURING THE PANDEMIC, ARE KIND OF USED AND INFLATION AS AN EXCUSE TO KEEP PRICES HIGH. BUT LET'S ALSO BE CLEAR. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOVERNMENT SPENDING, WHAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE REALLY ATTACKING ARE THE THINGS THAT WE DID DURING THE PANDEMIC TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES, TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR JOBS, TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE COULD GET THE HEALTH CARE THAT THEY NEEDED.

THERE ARE A LOT OF MEASURES WE COULD TAKE TO REDUCE GOVERNMENT SPENDING. I WORK IN A BIPARTISAN WAY. FOR INSTANCE, WITH SENATOR LANKFORD. WE GET A REPORT FROM THE ACCOUNTING FOLKS IN THE GOVERNMENT EVERY YEAR TO TELL US ABOUT THE DUPLICATE PROGRAMS, TO TELL US ABOUT OTHER WAYS WE COULD SAVE MONEY. AND EVERY YEAR I PUT IN A BIPARTISAN BILL TO TAKE ON SOME OF THOSE MEASURES. LASTLY, I'D LOVE REPUBLICANS TO PARTNER WITH DEMOCRATS ON THIS ISSUE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY SAVES CONSUMERS MONEY AT THE PHARMACY COUNTER, BUT IT SAVES THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT A LOT OF MONEY. IF WE CAN NEGOTIATE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TOP ISSUES.

IT'S FEELING A LITTLE BIT LIKE A REPEAT OF 2022. YOU'VE GOT INFLATION. YOU ALSO HAVE THE ISSUE OF ABORTION IN THIS JUNE AS OPPOSED TO TWO YEARS AGO. THE SUPREME COURT ISSUED A DECISION THAT IN THIS CASE IS IN FAVOR OF THE ABORTION RIGHTS MOVEMENT, SAYING THAT EXPANDED ACCESS TO MIFEPRISTONE, THE ABORTION MEDICATION, CAN CONTINUE. FIRST, YOUR REACTION TO THE DECISION BY THE JUSTICES. SO, FIRST OF ALL, THE ATTACK ON WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM CONTINUES. WHAT YOU SAW FROM THE SUPREME COURT YESTERDAY WAS THEM ESSENTIALLY DISMISSING THIS CASE ON A TECHNICALITY. BUT THEY EXPRESSED STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE LIMITATION OF A WOMAN'S REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM IN THAT DECISION.

AND AGAIN, YOU SEE, THE FORMER PRESIDENT, LIKELY NOMINEE FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION, BRAGGING ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE APPOINTED THREE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES WHO WERE CRITICAL TO OVERTURNING ROE V. WADE. WHAT I KNOW HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY IS THAT PEOPLE THINK THAT WOMEN SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE DECISIONS. WE'RE CAPABLE OF IT. WE KNOW WHAT A PREGNANCY IS, AND WE KNOW ABOUT THE COMPLEXITIES THAT CAN COME WITH PREGNANCY, AND WE HAVE A RIGHT TO DETERMINE IN WHETHER AND WHEN TO HAVE A FAMILY. AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PRESIDENT WHO BELIEVES THAT EVERY AMERICAN MATTERS AND EVERY AMERICAN

SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXERCISE HER FREE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS, OR A PRESIDENT WHO WANTS TO TAKE US BACKWARDS AND WHO WOULD MAKE US LESS FREE. AS YOU NOTED. YOU KNOW, JUSTICE KAVANAUGH ESSENTIALLY WROTE IN THIS DECISION THAT THIS I IS THE WRONG PLACE. YOU NEED TO BRING THIS TO THE POLICY REALM. SO WHAT SHOULD CONGRESS BE DOING NOT JUST TO PROTECT ACCESS TO MIFEPRISTONE, BUT ALSO CONTRACEPTION? WELL, LOOK, JUST THIS PAST WEEK, WE IN THE SENATE PUT FORWARD A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PROTECT IVF, IN VITRO FERTILIZATION, AND OTHER FERTILITY TREATMENTS. MOST OF THE REPUBLICANS VOTED AGAINST THAT AND BLOCKED IT. WE'VE ALSO HAD MEASURES TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO CONTRACEPTION, AND THE

REPUBLICANS HAVE BLOCKED THAT. WE NEED TO HAVE NATIONAL LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO MAKE HER OWN HEALTH CARE DECISIONS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DEMOCRATS CONTINUE TO WORK ON AND PUT FORWARD. AND PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SAID OF COURSE, HE WOULD SUPPORT PRESIDENT. FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS MADE VERY CLEAR THAT HE IS PROUD OF THE FACT THAT HIS JUSTICES TOOK AWAY THIS FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOM FROM WOMEN AND THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE TO RESTRICT, UM, UH, REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM AND REALLY PANDER TO THE EXTREMISTS ON THE FAR RIGHT ON THIS ISSUE. STICKING WITH THE SUPREME COURT, THEY ALSO STRUCK DOWN THE TRUMP ERA BAN ON BUMP STOCKS. IT'S AN OMINOUS SIGN FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PASS ANY FURTHER

GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION DOWN THE LINE. YEAH, LOOK, THIS IS A MAJOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY, WE RESPECT THE SECOND AMENDMENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE, AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO GO HUNTING. BUT WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE SAFE IN SCHOOL. WE DON'T WANT WEAPONS OF WAR ON THE STREET. AND THIS WAS A COMMON SENSE MEASURE THAT JUST MADE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN WEAPONS INTO WEAPONS OF WAR, WHERE THEY CAN JUST DO EXTRAORDINARY DAMAGE IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT I HEAR ABOUT A LOT FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE FAMILIES IS THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING.

WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN, NOT ONLY OF PARENTS, BUT OF CHILDREN WHO ARE SPENDING SOME OF THEIR TIME IN SCHOOL WITH THE ANXIETY OF THINKING ABOUT AN ACTIVE SHOOTER ATTACK. AND THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. LET'S TURN TO SOME INTERNATIONAL NEWS. OBVIOUSLY, ISRAEL WAS ABLE TO JUST RESCUE SOME HOSTAGES. YOU'VE BEEN SAYING, IF HAMAS RELEASED THE REMAINING HOSTAGES, IT COULD BRING ABOUT AN END TO THE WAR IN GAZA. BUT PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR HE WANTS TO SEE HAMAS DESTROYED. DO YOU THINK AT THIS POINT THAT OBJECTIVE IS OUT OF REACH? WELL, SO LET'S JUST TAKE A STEP BACK. UM, HAMAS STARTED THIS WAR WITH A BRUTAL AND TERRIBLE ATTACK ON ISRAEL, TAKING HOSTAGES AND

ISRAEL HAS A RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF. IT HAS A RIGHT TO EXIST. HAMAS ALSO USES INNOCENT CIVILIANS AS HUMAN SHIELDS. SO I FULLY SUPPORT ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF. I ALSO THINK ISRAEL HAS TO DO MORE TO PROTECT INNOCENT CIVILIAN LIFE AS IT WAGES THIS WAR. IT HAS TO DO MORE TO HELP US GET HUMANITY KOREAN AID INTO GAZA. AND I THINK WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE COMING UP WITH AN AGREEMENT THAT BOTH ISRAEL AND HAMAS HAVE EXPRESSED SOME WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER AND ENGAGE IN FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT IS REALLY CRITICAL BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, ISRAEL NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO DEGRADE HAMAS MILITARILY. AND THERE'S THEY'VE MADE GREAT

PROGRESS IN THAT. THEY NEED TO GET THE HOSTAGES HOME. HAMAS COULD MAKE THAT HAPPEN AT ANY POINT IN TIME. AND THEN WE NEED A PLAN. NOT ONLY THAT WOULD ACHIEVE A CEASEFIRE, BUT THEN A PLAN FOR HOW THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AND THE ISRAELI PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE CAN LIVE IN SECURITY AND PEACE. DO YOU THINK ISRAEL RISKS THAT OUTCOME OF A LASTING PEACE IF IT CONTINUES TO PUSH LIKE THIS? LOOK, I THINK ISRAEL HAS A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE MILITARILY HERE. I THINK THE KEY SHOULD BE DEGRADING HAMAS MILITARILY AND THEN DOING EVERYTHING IT CAN TO BUILD THE KIND OF REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL PREVENT HAMAS FROM GAINING STRENGTH. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS RATCHETING UP THE SANCTIONS ON

RUSSIA. AGAIN, WE SAW SOME INSTABILITY IN RUSSIAN FINANCIAL MARKETS IN THE LAST WEEK. YOU KNOW, WHEN THE WAR STARTED, WE HEARD ABOUT THESE, YOU KNOW, DRASTIC SANCTIONS THAT WERE GOING TO TAKE RUSSIA OUT. OBVIOUSLY, THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE THINGS AROUND ON THE CHESSBOARD, AND CHINA WAS ABLE TO HELP OUT. IS THIS ROUND OF SANCTIONS GOING TO BE ABLE TO REALLY HAVE SOME TEETH AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UM, THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING FOR WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT? THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR THE KIND OF FREEDOM THAT WE SOMETIMES IN AMERICA TAKE FOR GRANTED. AND THEY ARE NOT ASKING US TO SEND OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS TO THE FIGHT. THEY ARE ASKING FOR FINANCIAL

SUPPORT, UH, AMMUNITION, WEAPONS, AND THEY'RE ASKING OBVIOUSLY, OUR EUROPEAN ALLIES FOR THE SAME THING. AND OUR EUROPEAN ALLIES ARE ALSO STEPPING UP. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR, OUR INITIAL SANCTIONS REALLY DID IMPACT RUSSIA. BUT OF COURSE, THEY'VE LEARNED TO WORK AROUND THEM, WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE THIS NEW SET OF SANCTIONS, UH, THE SEIZED ASSETS BEING USED TO FUND MORE OF THE WAR EFFORT AGAINST PUTIN AND SOME MEASURES AS WELL TO PUT CHINA ON NOTICE THAT THEY SHOULDN'T CONTINUE TO FUND AND SUPPORT THE RUSSIAN EFFORT HERE. UM, AUTOCRATS AROUND THE WORLD ARE WATCHING. CHINA IS WATCHING, IRAN IS WATCHING. NORTH KOREA IS WATCHING. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT.

THAT WE STAND TOGETHER FOR FREEDOM HERE. YOU JUST GOT BACK FROM NORMANDY. THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY. HARD TO BELIEVE THAT MUCH TIME HAS PASSED. YOU KNOW, GIVEN ALL THAT'S GOING ON ABROAD AND AT HOME. YOU FOUND SOME BROADER LESSONS IN WHAT YOU SAW AND HEARD THERE, OBVIOUSLY. SO YOUR DAD'S A WORLD WAR TWO VETERAN, BUT WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT AS YOU WERE THERE ON OMAHA BEACH? UH, BOY, IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY MOVING CEREMONY. OBVIOUSLY, OUR WORLD WAR TWO VETERANS ARE GETTING OLDER AND OLDER, AND TO O SEE THE WORLD WR TWO VETERANS FROM D-DAY COME ACROSS A RAMP THAT COVERED THE TERRITORY THAT THEY HAD BEEN ORDERED TO TAKE 80 YEARS AGO,

WAS REALLY EXTRAORDINARY. SEEING THEM ALL INSIST ON STANDING WHEN PRESIDENT MACRON PRESENTED THEM WITH THE LEGION OF HONOR, FRANCE'S HIGHEST HONOR. UM, JUST THE DIGNITY AND PURPOSE. THERE THEY WERE LITERALLY STANDING FOR FREEDOM ONCE AGAIN. AND IT WAS A REAL REMINDER OF THE COST OF FREEING EUROPE FROM HITLER AND FREEING THE WORLD. REALLY, FROM THE AXIS POWERS. THAT INVASION TOOK AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF AMERICAN LIVES, PRODUCING GRIEF AND HEARTACHE. BUT BECAUSE AMERICANS PUT FREEDOM FIRST, PUT A CAUSE GREATER THAN THEMSELVES FIRST, WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY RESCALE THOSE CLIFFS, TAKE THAT TERRITORY FREE OF FRANCE, AND THEN MOVE ON TO LIBERATE THE REST OF EUROPE.

AND WE SAVED FREEDOM FOR THE WORLD 80 YEARS AGO. AND IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT REMINDER THAT WE NEED TO ALWAYS NOT ONLY TALK ABOUT FREEDOM, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT FREEDOM REQUIRES SACRIFICE AND BE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE MADE IT ON OUR BEHALF. ALL RIGHT, SENATOR HASSAN. DON'T GO ANYWHERE. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE FROM THE SENATOR, INCLUDING THE LATEST ON A MAJOR HEALTH CARE DATA BREACH.

Maggie Hassan blames corporate ‘greedflation’ for continued high prices | CloseUp

WMUR.com is your top source for New Hampshire breaking news, weather and daily local news coverage. Look to News 9 for political coverage of the first-in-the-nation primary, viral videos, slideshows and more.