On "A Senator New Hampshire Women Can Trust" Tour, Jeanne Shaheen Discusses Women's Economic Issues at New England Porch Rockers in Laconia

Press Release

Today, Senator Jeanne Shaheen visited New England Porch Rockers, a woman-owned manufacturer of rocking chairs and furniture in Laconia, to discuss her work to expand economic opportunities for women and the issues at stake for women in the November election. Senator Shaheen was joined by Jeanne Compton of New England Porch Rockers and Donna Gaudet-Hosmer, a registered Republican and local small business owner. Her visit to Laconia comes a day after she was endorsed by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

"For decades, I've fought to level the playing field for women in New Hampshire by protecting women's access to affordable healthcare, combating pay discrimination and fighting to increase the minimum wage, and my record provides a clear contrast for New Hampshire voters," said Senator Shaheen. "Scott Brown supported the Blunt Amendment and the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision, he voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act, and he opposes raising the minimum wage for thousands of New Hampshire women. Brown's positions are simply wrong for New Hampshire."

"Jeanne Shaheen knows that more and more families are now relying on women as the primary breadwinner," said Jeanne Compton, owner of New England Porch Rockers. "That's why she's worked to expand access to affordable childcare, combat pay discrimination and promote women's small business ownership. Jeanne has fought for women and small business owners like me, and now, I'm fighting for her."

"Women in New Hampshire simply can't trust someone like Scott Brown whose record shows he won't stand up to his party to fight for women's rights," said Donna Gaudet-Hosmer, a registered Republican and a small business owner. "From the Hobby Lobby Decision to the Blunt Amendment, Scott Brown has been wrong on women's health issues, and from the minimum wage to the Paycheck Fairness Act, he's been wrong on women's economic issues. New Hampshire women aren't going to forget that in November."

"Senator Shaheen has been a tireless advocate for women business owners on the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee and has shown that she understands the integral role entrepreneurs play in our economy," said Darla Beggs, NAWBO National Board Chair. "We are proud to lend our endorsement to Senator Shaheen and look forward to seeing her continue her efforts on behalf of small business owners."

For more than two decades, Jeanne Shaheen has worked to make a difference for women in New Hampshire, particularly on important economic issues. As a Senator, she cosponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, and as Governor, Shaheen signed into law legislation that strengthened New Hampshire's equal pay protections. She has also introduced legislation to expand the childcare tax credit to help working families cope with the rising cost of child care.

Shaheen has also been a leader on women's reproductive rights. As Governor, she signed into law bipartisan legislation guaranteeing insurance coverage for contraception; that legislation was backed by 120 Republicans and 121 Democrats in the New Hampshire State House. In the Senate, she helped introduce legislation to reverse the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision in order to protect women's access to birth control and contraception. She has also led the fight against the Republican plan known as the Blunt Amendment which would allow an employer to deny contraception coverage for their female employees.

While representing Massachusetts in the Senate, Scott Brown co-sponsored and voted for the Blunt Amendment, and this year, he spoke out in support of the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision.

Source