CQ TODAY PRINT EDITION
Nov. 4, 2008 – 9:25 p.m.
111th Senate Freshmen: Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.
By Rachel Kapochunas, CQ Staff
Election: Defeated Sen. John E. Sununu , R
Residence: Madbury
Born: Jan. 28, 1947; St. Charles, Mo.
Religion: Protestant
Family: Husband, Bill Shaheen; three children
Education: Shippensburg State College, B.A. 1969 (English); U. of Mississippi, M.S.S. 1973 (political science)
Career: University administrator; campaign aide; jewelry store owner; teacher
Political highlights: Democratic nominee for N.H. Senate, 1978; Madbury Zoning Board of Adjustment, 1983-96 (chairwoman, 1987-96); N.H. Senate, 1990-96; governor, 1997-2003; Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, 2002
Shaheen says she had no plans to re-enter public service after losing to Sununu in 2002, but she became frustrated by the lack of solutions coming out of Washington.
“While our leaders stand there squabbling, more people are dying in Iraq, more people are going without health care. . . . We’re leaving our children and grandchildren with billions of dollars in debt,” Shaheen said when she announced her intention to run for the Senate.
Those issues remain priorities for Shaheen, but she now concedes that the economy has taken precedence.
“My father always said to me, ‘The best thing you can do for somebody is make sure they’ve got a good job,’ ” she says. “And I believe that if we don’t have a strong economy, it’s hard to do anything else we need to do.”
Shaheen advocates eliminating tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs and investing in initiatives that she believes will “improve our quality of life,” such as stem cell research, clean energy and new technology.
111th Senate Freshmen: Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.
Shaheen will likely be a reliable vote for Democrats on many issues. She supports abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research and troop withdrawal from Iraq.
Energy will be a priority of Shaheen’s in Washington. Her energy plan offers refundable tax credits for winter heating fuels. She also advocates redirecting oil subsidies into tax credits for alternative energy and energy efficiency.
Shaheen lists health care as another main priority and hopes to offer Americans more access to preventive care and investment in health care technology. As someone who started a small business with her husband in the 1970s, she is also concerned with the ability of small businesses to provide health care.
Education is another priority for Shaheen, who worked as a teacher and says she now has a “commitment to public education” that she believes is important for all elected officials to share. She says she has an “understanding of some of the challenges that we face as we’re trying to make sure all of our children get the best education possible.”
Shaheen will be the first woman to represent New Hampshire in the Senate, years after she became the state’s first female governor. During national “Equal Pay Day” in April, Shaheen emphasized that she supports women’s use of the legal system to demand equal pay.
Comments
It all sounds good to me about her.
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