Franklin progress and congressmen

New Military and Veterans Campus fills needs

August 4 was a perfect New Hampshire day. Along Route 3, a tour of the wonderful New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, a peaceful and impressive oasis everyone should experience, was followed by the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase II of the Military and Veterans Campus of Easterseals New Hampshire in Franklin.

This facility, which includes veterans housing and a conference center for veterans service organizations, is unique. Phase II is designed to have a challenge course, an equine and recreation center, empowerment center and site for other service providers to help veterans and active military personnel, whatever their needs.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, a series of speakers touched on the contributions of veterans and how the center will help. Grace Solinski, co-founder of Insight Technology and other companies with her husband, Ken, major donors to the facilities which will be named in their honor, talked about giving back. Maureen Beauregard, visionary president of Easterseals New Hampshire, explained the vision.

Public officials spoke or sent representatives to speak. The first two were New Hampshire’s present Congressional representatives, Maggie Goodlander and Chris Pappas. Each spoke movingly and from the heart of the value of veterans and their hope for the future. I found them interesting.

Goodlander, a veteran herself and daughter and granddaughter of my clients and friends, has perhaps the best resume in Congress. Pappas grew up around the corner from where I live. That only proves what a small state New Hampshire is, but what really struck me was how these two relatively young people were so well spoken, optimistic, attractive in their enthusiasm and great representatives of their generation. Regardless of party or partisanship, they were impressive and gave hope about the future.

They also reminded me of all the people who have served New Hampshire in the U.S. House of Representatives since I started being involved in politics at UNH in 1966, when I was a freshman member of the Young Republicans. Then, Louis Wyman was running to recapture the 1st Congressional seat he had lost in the 1964 Johnson landslide, and Jim Cleveland was the representative from the 2nd District. Wyman would win and stay in the seat until 1975 and Cleveland would serve until 1981. Both were solid middle-ofthe-road Republicans, reflecting the voter composition at the time.

The character of both districts changed over time. In the 1st District, Democrat Norm D’Amours succeeded Wyman in a Democratic sweep in 1974 after Watergate, and served until 1987, to be succeeded by Republicans Bob Smith, Bill Zeliff, John E. Sununu and Jeb Bradley. Smith was very conservative and the others more middle-of-the road Republicans. Smith and Sununu went on to serve in the U.S. Senate. After Bradley, Democrat Carol Shea-Porter and Republican Frank Guinta swapped the seat back and forth, as the voters apparently could not decide who was preferable.

Incumbent Chris Pappas has held the seat since 2019, indicating the change in district composition to favor Democrats.

In the 2nd District, the most Republican district in New England when Cleveland held it, the voter sentiment change seems more striking. After Cleveland, Republican Judd Gregg held the seat from 1981 to 1989, when he was elected governor and later senator. Republican Chuck Douglas held it for one term, being defeated by Democrat Dick Swett in 1992, and Swett chose to run for the U.S. Senate two years later, being succeeded by Charles Bass, a Republican who served from 1995-2007, and whose father, Perkins Bass, had held the same seat from 1955-1963. Bass lost to Democrat Paul Hodes who held the seat from 2007 to 2011, only to be succeeded by Charles Bass who served one additional term from 2011 to 2013. Democrat Annie Kuster won the seat in 2013 and served until her retirement in 2025, when Goodlander was elected to succeed her. The 2nd district seems to be solidly Democratic at this point, although the GOP has not put up a substantially financed candidate for some time.

Obviously, many people have served in Congress in 60 years, some memorable, some not so much. Now, with an open seat in the 1st District, another name will be added to the list. It is important to remember what the job of a Congressperson is.

A representative is one of 435. The House does not vote on nominations or deal primarily with foreign policy. It is responsible for the budget and tax bills, in the first instance. There is no filibuster, so a majority of 50% plus 1 vote can pass legislation.

All those facts are important when listening to ads for candidates. They often sound like they are running for President or are talking about minor issues. Maybe they should be asked how they propose to balance the budget, reduce the debt and what taxes they think should be employed to do it, or other substantive questions, rather than what family they are in, who they don’t like, etc. Maybe GOP candidates should be asked how they will reassert the proper Constitutional role of Congress. Maybe you should ask them.

Brad Cook is a Manchester attorney. The views expressed in this column are his own. He can be reached at bradfordcook01@gmail.com.