As President Joe Biden comes to New Hampshire a day after signing the infrastructure bill into law at the White House Gov. Chris Sununu has some questions about what the Granite State is getting.

Sen. Maggie Hassan was part of a bipartisan gathering in the Oval Office as Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law he called an example of Democrats and Republicans coming together to deliver results. She and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen helped negotiate the final version of the bill.

“This bipartisan infrastructure package is a game-changer for New Hampshire. This bill will strengthen New Hampshire’s economy and support Granite State families by – among other pieces – providing meaningful investments to repair our crumbling roads and bridges, getting affordable high-speed internet to communities across the state, and getting clean water into people’s homes," Hassan said.

Over $1 billion is earmarked for New Hampshire to repair roads and bridges, more than $400 million to improve the state’s water infrastructure and a minimum of $100 million to build out high-speed internet access, according to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (2nd from left) in the Oval Office for the signing of infrastructure bill
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (2nd from left) in the Oval Office for the signing of infrastructure bill (Sen. Jeanne Shaheen)
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A Visit to the North Country

The president will arrive in Manchester and then travel to Woodstock in Grafton County in the early afternoon to tout the bill's benefits. He will speak at the Route 175 bridge over the Pemigewasset River, one of the state's "red list" bridges meaning it is considered by the state Department of Transportation to be "structurally deficient."

Sununu will be among those who will welcome the president but also made public a letter with his concerns about the infrastructure bill.

  • Can New Hampshire count on you to work with Congress to ensure a more equitable funding formula for highway apportionment in future reauthorization packages?
  • How do you plan to address severe supply chain issues, chronic workforce shortages, and skyrocketing inflationary costs that will make these funds difficult to invest?
  • How much flexibility will states have in utilizing these new funds?
  • Will you reconsider your policies that are limiting American production and driving up costs of home heating fuel this winter?

Not included in the governor's list of concerns is the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for companies employing over 100 workers. New Hampshire is part of two lawsuits challenging the validity of the order.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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