By Rhianwen Watkins, Granite State News Collaborative
This article has been edited for length and clarity.
Congressman Chris Pappas has represented New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District since 2019. From 2013 to 2019, he was a member of New Hampshire’s Executive Council. A Democrat, Pappas has advocated for women’s reproductive rights, stricter gun legislation, LGBTQ+ rights, combatting the climate crisis and improving the economy for middle-class and low-income Americans, among other issues.
Q: In the past, you have expressed your support for banning military-style weapons and pushing for stricter gun laws. Can you discuss what kinds of gun legislation you would push for if elected in November?
Chris Pappas: This urgent issue is critically important to students across the Granite State, as well as educators and parents, who are deeply concerned about the threat of mass shootings, which are all too common in our country.
I supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to take critical steps towards making our communities safer, but there is more work to be done. I will continue to advocate for bipartisan solutions to combat the gun violence epidemic and prioritize the safety of students and communities, including universal background checks and measures to keep weapons of war off our streets — these are common-sense steps that are consistent with our culture of responsible gun ownership in New Hampshire. We're not powerless to stop the epidemic of senseless violence, and I'll work with anyone willing to help save lives.
Q: Can you discuss your views around abortion? Specifically, are you going to push for reinstating Roe v. Wade, or not, and do you think this is something that has potential to be done at this point?
Chris Pappas: My views on this issue are simple: Every woman deserves the right to make her own decisions about her body, her family and her future without the government interfering. The overturning of Roe v. Wade and extremist attacks on reproductive health care are threatening women’s most basic freedoms and their lives. Granite Staters do not want politicians involved in their personal health care decisions. Unlike my opponent, I will fight to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, safeguard reproductive freedom, which includes access to birth control and IVF, and stop extremists from turning back the clock on women’s rights.
Q: Do you support the U.S. continuing to send money to Israel amid the Israeli and Palestinian conflict or not? What is your stance on this and what kinds of legislation would you support/not support on this topic?
Chris Pappas: Israel suffered a barbaric, unprovoked and deadly attack just over one year ago on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas massacred 1,200 individuals and took 250 more hostage. It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. I will continue to stand with the people of Israel and push Hamas to release all the remaining hostages — including the Americans who are still being held in Gaza — and to come to a ceasefire agreement with Israel so that all people in the region will be able to live in peace and security.
We have a responsibility to stand with our only democratic ally in the Middle East to ensure they have the resources they need to defend themselves. We must also do everything we can to support the people suffering in Gaza, and I have supported funding for critical humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
Q: What are your views around immigration, and what kinds of policies would you support and not support when it comes to illegal immigration?
Chris Pappas: It's clear that our southern border has reached a crisis point, and I have consistently called for both parties to come together to pass common-sense border legislation. I've been working across the aisle in the House to pass the legislation introduced by Republican Sen. James Lankford that would make major reforms to our asylum system and invest in border patrol and new technologies to interdict drugs. Unfortunately, it's been held up because Republicans in the House would rather campaign on this issue than deliver solutions for the American people. And that's just wrong.
I will continue to advocate for further action to ensure that our southern and northern borders are secure, crack down on the trafficking of deadly substances like fentanyl, and reform our broken immigration system. It’s well past time to put aside politics and focus on bringing Republicans and Democrats together to get this done for the American people.
Q: A pressing issue in the U.S. is the rising cost of living due to inflation and especially the skyrocketing housing market. How do you plan to address this issue so that Americans who are struggling to afford rent, houses and other necessities can be assured prices will come down?
Chris Pappas: Lowering costs for working families remains my top priority in Congress, and I’ll keep fighting to bring down prices and make living more affordable, from health care and child care to groceries and rent. We’ve made important progress — allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, lowering out-of-pocket health care costs for seniors, capping the cost of insulin at $35, increasing benefits for disabled veterans and their families to keep up with the cost of living, and securing millions of dollars for New Hampshire infrastructure improvements and tax credits to support working families and small businesses.
I will keep fighting to combat our state’s housing crisis. I’ve secured more than $40 million for affordable housing projects in New Hampshire and have been endorsed by the N.H. Home Builders Association. I'm working to expand federal programs like the Community Development Block Grant, the HOME program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit to increase our housing supply and put more money in the pockets of hardworking families so that they can pay the rent and the mortgage. I’m eager to continue putting working families first, prioritizing people over politics or profit, and creating an economy that works for everyone, not just big corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
Q: California became the first state this past summer to prohibit school districts from being obligated to tell parents if their children identify with a different name or gender than they were assigned at birth. Other districts in blue states across the country have allowed transgender students to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity and for female transgender students to compete on girls’ sports teams. What is your general stance on these topics concerning transgender students, and would you push for or against any federal legislation that might come up around this?
Chris Pappas: All children should be able to go to school without fear of discrimination or harassment. I will continue supporting the Equality Act, which would finally enshrine equality for the LGBTQ+ community in the laws of our land and protect children in school as well as individuals in all public spaces from discrimination. It’s unfortunate that extremists are focusing on culture wars instead of addressing the problems facing New Hampshire families.
Q: What kinds of climate change policy would you support? Are there any specific areas of this issue that you would address on a federal level?
Chris Pappas: It’s critical that we take immediate and significant action to combat the existential threat of climate change and protect our natural resources for generations to come. That’s why I fought to pass historic legislation that has provided millions of dollars to help New Hampshire communities tackle the climate crisis and modernize our infrastructure while creating good-paying jobs and boosting our state’s economy.
Our natural environment is connected to our health, safety, economy and way of life, and that’s why I’ll continue to be its champion in Congress. I’ll keep fighting for innovative solutions to the climate crisis that invest in local economies and renewable energy, keep the future of middle class families at the forefront, and ensure all Granite Staters and future generations have access to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment
Q: Having discussed your stance on a spectrum of policies, which ones would you say are at the forefront for you? Are there maybe a few that you are going to focus on the most?
Chris Pappas: My top priority is and will continue to be lowering costs for hardworking New Hampshire families. I’ll continue to push for solutions to put more money in the pockets of middle-class Granite Staters, bring down costs and create an economy and tax code that works for everyone, not just the super-rich. I’ll also keep fighting to safeguard Americans’ fundamental freedoms, including a woman’s right to choose.
These articles are being shared by partners in theGranite State News Collaborativeand the Know Your Vote youth voter guide. The Know Your Vote youth voter guide project was designed, reported and produced by student and young professional journalists from The Clock, Concord Monitor, The Equinox, Granite State News Collaborative, Keene State College, Laconia Daily Sun, Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, Nashua Ink Link, and The Presidency and the Press program at Franklin Pierce University. You can see the full guide at www.collaborativenh.org/know-your-vote.