Issue Position: Helpling Working Families

Issue Position

Standing Up for New Hampshire Families

"I am working hard in Congress to focus on the economy and help working middle class New Hampshire families trying to make ends meet in these difficult times." -- Congressman Paul Hodes

Fighting to lower the property tax burden:

Congressman Paul Hodes introduced legislation that would reduce the property tax burden on New Hampshire families. Congressman Paul Hodes worked in a bipartisan fashion with Congresswoman Cynthia Lummus (R-WY) to introduce H.R. 2604. This legislation would allow New Hampshire homeowners who take a standard deduction for their federal income taxes to deduct their state and local property taxes. This would give taxpayers an additional $500 for individuals and $1,000 for joint filers to help offset rising property taxes.

By lowering the tax burden on New Hampshire families, we will help our economy recover and give a permanent tax cut to New Hampshire families who have one of the highest property tax burdens in the nation. Congressman Hodes has worked with members of both parties to cut taxes for New Hampshire families including voting for the largest middle class tax cut in our nation's history. Congressman Hodes' legislation will further that goal by reducing the property tax burden for thousands of hard working New Hampshire families.

Passed Michelle's Law to protect college students' health insurance when it matters most:

Michelle's Law is inspired by the life and memory of Michelle Morse. Michelle was a full time college student at Plymouth State University when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Her doctors advised her to cut back on her course load while undergoing chemotherapy, but she could not because she would lose her family's health insurance when she needed it most.
Michelle died as she struggled to regain her health while going to school full-time.

Congressman Hodes introduced legislation that requires insurance companies to continue covering college students who must take time off to battle their illness. No college student should be forced to undergo a full course load while being treated for a serious illness. In passing Michelle's Law, we took another step forward in honoring Michelle's memory and ensuring that no American student ever has to suffer her fate. Michelle's Law passed the House and the Senate, and was signed into law by the President on October 9, 2008.

Michelle's Law was supported by: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN), American College Health Association, American Diabetes Association, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), American Heart/Stroke Association, American Hospital Association, American Medical Student Association, American Nurses Association, Colorectal Cancer Coalition, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, National Association of Graduate Professional Students, National Association of Social Workers, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Education Association (NEA), National Health Council, National Kidney Foundation, National Patient Advocate Foundation.

Introduced legislation to address the mortgage crisis responsible for tough economic times:

Congressman Paul Hodes worked on legislation to tackle the underlying mortgage crisis that has triggered our economic crisis. The bill gives tools to homeowners so that they can renegotiate the terms of their home loans and stop the skyrocketing number of foreclosures across America. Congressman Hodes believes that there is no better economic stimulus than keeping working families in their homes.

The Homeowner Assistance and Taxpayer Protection Act would required the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve, FDIC, and FHFA to restructures all loans where those regulators have a controlling interest in the loan, as opposed to just encouraging them to do so. It would give bankruptcy judges the freedom to modify mortgages on primary residences. This legislation would also require participating banks to reduce next year's dividends in an amount equal to the compensation paid to the top five executives in excess of $500,000.

Congressman Hodes knows that we must address the home foreclosure crisis before we begin to rebuild our economy. He remains committed to finding a solution that keeps American families in their homes as we fight to strengthen the middle class.

Standing up for economic development for the North Country:

Congressman Hodes' bill to create a Northern Border Development Commission was passed into law and will provide up to $40 million in investment each year for the northern border region, including the counties of Coös, Carroll, Grafton, and Sullivan counties in New Hampshire, in addition to the northern border counties of New York, Maine and Vermont. This national and state partnership would invest in addressing economic distress, with a focus on infrastructure, job creation, small business support, alternative energy development, and broadband technology.

Congressman Hodes has also written to the Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of the Interior to help secure benefits and save the jobs of paper mill workers across the North Country. When papers mills across the North Country closed due to a slowing economy and unfair trade rules, Congressman Hodes stepped in to get immediate relief for the families put out of work. He is working with community leaders and federal agencies to bring more investment into the region to economically revitalize the communities.

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