Greenland Veteran's Day 2023 remarks by Dennis Malloy

Throughout this Nations’ history, America’s soldiers, sailors, aviators, Marines, and coastguardsmen have bravely answered the call to defend our freedom, to aid our friends and allies, and to turn back aggressors. We can never fully repay our debt of gratitude to the more than 1.1 million American service members who died in battle or the 1.4 million who were wounded, we can however, recognize and thank the twenty-five million veterans still living today.

While this country recognized Armistice Day for many years it was President Eisenhower who declared November 11 in 1954 as Veterans Day to solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly to preserve our heritage of freedom, and devote ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.

After their service, men and women came home to raise families, work in the fields, learn a trade, run small and large businesses, serve as teachers and perhaps most importantly serve as mentors and leaders for the next generation. We are the proof and result of their service and dedication to this country.

Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country that celebrates personal achievement and provides for those cannot provide for themselves.

Our service men and women show us that heroism is remarkably sober and very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever the cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever the cost.

America is free thanks to generations of people who gave the best way they knew how, but freedom is not the right to do as we please, it is the opportunity to do what is right. And what is right today, right now and for the future is to take a moment to say thanks to those for their very personal contribution to America.

State Representative Dennis Malloy with Greenland veteran Vaughn Morgan delivering remarks at the Greenland Veterans Hall on November 11, 2023.

Gun Violence Initiatives Blocked in 2023

House Democrats put forth 7 initiatives to address gun violence this year. Unfortunately all of them were blocked on the House floor. Here’s the list.

Bi-Partisanship Resulted in Some Progress

In this forum, I’ve written extensively about the concerns we have in New Hampshire regarding affordable housing, support for young families and health care. During this session, we’ve made some progress by working together with the Republican majority. In fact, business leaders have consistently told the legislature that health care and housing are higher priorities than cutting the business taxes.

• Policymakers added $25 million to the Affordable Housing Fund, which provides grants and low-interest loans for building or acquiring housing affordable to Granite Staters with low or moderate incomes.

• The legislature contributed $10 million to the InvestNH Fund, which finances grants to developers and municipalities to support housing construction.

• The Housing Champions Designation and Grant Program and provides $5.25 million in funding to incentivize municipalities to make certain land use and zoning changes, water and sewer upgrades, and policies to support walkability and transportation infrastructure. There is also a $10 million appropriation for housing shelter programs.

• The state budget expanded access to childcare, particularly through enhanced eligibility for childcare scholarships. This expanded eligibility means that a family of two adults with one child and an income of up to $86,000 could receive some form of assistance.

• Childcare providers will also receive higher reimbursements for enrolling scholarship students, adding more funding for staff. The state budget also makes a $15 million investment in childcare worker recruitment and retention.

• The state budget includes $134.2 million in state funds for boosting reimbursement rates for Medicaid, which will be federally matched. Enhanced rates will help medical providers fund higher compensation for workers aiding recruitment. It also extends expanded Medicaid coverage for adults with low incomes which is important for workforce support.

We’ll see how the second year of this session develops. However, with a NH House that is nearly evenly divided, I’m encouraged that we will find new and innovative ways to cooperate that benefits working families and business in New Hampshire.

Source: NH Fiscal Policy Institute