By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said Wednesday he expects that by next week, three of the state’s four members of Congress will be out of a job.

Sununu also said at a press availability at the office of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs that he would consider expanding Education Freedom Accounts and touted both the new InvestNH housing and dental benefits program passed Wednesday at the Executive Council meeting.

Pushing aside comments about conspiracy theories previously uttered by his endorsed candidate, Republican Don Bolduc for U.S. Senate, Sununu said people going to the polls next Tuesday will be eliminating all New Hampshire Democratic incumbents except U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen who is not up for re-election this year.

He predicted a big win for Republicans because the issues are about the economy.
Incumbents Senator Maggie Hassan, District 1 Congressman Chris Pappas, and District 2 Congresswoman Annie Kuster are going to be out of a job, he predicted.

“When people go to vote next Tuesday it’s on inflation, it’s on costs, it’s on energy, it’s on fuel that is what is really driving (the vote),” Sununu said.

“New Hampshire will be well-served by Don Bolduc, much better than what we have with Senator Hassan right now who simply has not shown up for New Hampshire…is always the last at the table to understand an issue and get on board. It’s about constituent services and this is about someone going down to Washington that isn’t part of Washington that doesn’t mind challenging their own party; that doesn’t mind challenging new ideas, that at the end of the day wants to bring a record of service that really needs individuals that wants to stand up and serve.”

While the governor has said he does not agree with Bolduc on past comments that he has made (and has since retracted) that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, he said he could look past that and support Bolduc as a candidate on his range of positions.

He said the job is about public service and said New Hampshire is really good about having a high set of demands, a high metric of public accountability and accessibility to the people.

Meeting with the press after a public announcement promoting the state’s new voluntary paid medical leave act and just after the Executive Council approved contracts to spend $50 million on new housing, including almost 1,000 units of low-income housing, Sununu called out Hassan for her failure to meet with the press and answer their questions and gave himself credit for doing so.

“Why doesn’t she actually meet you guys and answer questions,” he asked saying that “means you don’t deserve the job, you haven’t earned the job back,” he said. “I’m here. I’m here, man. When you guys need me, I’m here.”

INVEST NH
The governor called “phenomenal the interest in a new program to incentivize development in low- and moderate-income housing through the INVEST NH program. It awarded no-interest loans for 30 projects and had 113 proposals from which to choose.
“The opportunity is huge, we are moving forward, we are getting contracts out, we are putting shovels in the ground, we are creating affordable housing in a program that has never been conceived of before in New Hampshire and we are doing it,” he said.

Sununu created the program using federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars to pay for it and he said he is hopeful this is just the first step.
“Hopefully it will inspire the legislature to take a step and then another step,” he said.

New Hampshire has a lack of affordable housing which is holding back economic growth, he has said.

EFA EXPANSION POSSIBLE
The governor said he is willing to consider the expansion of the Education Freedom Accounts based on high demand.
“You create a product, you create an opportunity for families,” he said, “and more families than anticipated want it.”

He was referring to the new program which allows families of modest means up to $5,000 in education assistance for alternative education programs than public schools. This includes private schools and home-schooling.

Opponents say the EFA is taking funding away from public schools.
He called the $50 million Education Trust Fund used to support that funding “healthy.”
“We have the money to do it,” he said.

He said he was open to “a robust discussion” about possibly raising that $5,000 cap or even considering the eligibility requirements.

“I’m not committing to that,” he said, but indicated a willingness to open discussion on expanding the program.

DENTAL BENEFITS EXTENDED TO MEDICAID ADULTS
The governor also considered a “big win” for the state the passage of a $33 million contract with Northeast Delta Dental to allow about 88,000 people on Medicaid to get dental coverage.

Delta Dental has the vast majority of the market on dental insurance which makes them a great provider, Sununu said, and there is a 20 percent bonus rate on top of the existing rate to incentivize providers to “jump in.”

This is something that has really been in the works for 20 years, he said.
“It’s all about self-worth, it’s about feeling comfortable in the workplace,” Sununu added.
He said the state will realize cost savings in emergency room visits alone for dental care which could be sizeable.

“You are talking about tens of millions of dollars in savings and reductions in emergency room visits because these folks will have this preventative health care opportunity,” he said.

ELECTIONS ARE SECURE
Sununu said New Hampshire has a very solid and reliable voting system and while it might take a while to get in all the results, that is because they are being carefully counted in some cases by hand. Be patient and believe, he said.
“We’ve got a great system, one system, one vote that gets counted,” he said.
The election is on Nov. 8.