ICYMI: Senator Hassan Discusses Foreign Policy and Push to Restore R&D Tax Deduction on WMUR’s CloseUp

MANCHESTER – On Sunday, Senator Maggie Hassan joined WMUR’s CloseUp with Adam Sexton. In the interview, she discussed foreign policy, border security, and her efforts to restore the research and development (R&D) tax deduction.

You can listen to the full interview here, with key excerpts below:

Senator Hassan on Foreign Policy in the Middle East and Europe

On Iran, in the lead up to the most recent strikes: “First of all, my thoughts are with the families of these three extraordinary American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us all safe, secure, and free. And I'm thinking of them today, as well as those who were injured in this strike and, just, it's always important to remember what it takes to keep America free and the lives that are on the line and the lives that are sacrificed. Look, it is really important that Iran knows that we will hold it and its proxies accountable.”

On holding China accountable for fentanyl trafficking: “Well that’s what we are confronting the Chinese government about right now. That’s why I was in China in October with this bipartisan delegation, to say you all are fueling this fentanyl crisis in the United States. The Chinese government agreed to these high-level meetings, and they have now begun.”

On support for Ukraine: “The Ukrainian people are fighting for what we have, which is democracy, freedom, individual rights…Other autocrats around the world, whether it is in Iran, or China, or North Korea, are looking to see if the democracies in Europe and the democracies in North America are going to stand together, democracies around the world, in Asia too, are going to stand together and fight authoritarianism or whether we are going to fold.”

Senator Hassan on the Importance of Border Security

On the current border security legislation in the Senate: “If Republicans really are serious about border security, they will vote for this bill.”

On the Northern border: “What we know is that the Northern Border needs more technology and more personnel to make sure that we are prepared to keep it secure, just as we want to keep the Southern Border secure.”

Senator Hassan on the Research and Development Tax Deduction in the Bipartisan Tax Package

On the Senator’s R&D tax deduction provision that she secured in the bipartisan tax package that recently passed the House: “So look, I have been a strong supporter of the R&D tax credit since my time as governor…[We have] NEMO in Dover, which makes really cutting-edge camping and outdoor equipment, for instance. They will talk to you about the difference in cash flow that the R&D tax deduction makes for them. It allows them to move more quickly, develop new products more quickly, create more jobs, and create a stronger and stronger economy here locally. That’s what the R&D tax credit can do in a place like New Hampshire for our small businesses and for our entrepreneurs.”

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