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 Granite State Progress Calls Foul on Sen. Gregg’s Last-Minute, Industry-Supported ForumFor Immediate Release Contact: Zandra Rice Hawkins Salem, NH – Granite State Progress denounces the political tactics surrounding Senator Judd Gregg’s Health Care Forum in Salem and the Rotary Luncheon in Portsmouth. For the past year, Granite State Progress has been a part of the NH Health Care for American Now (HCAN) coalition, which has led the way in grassroots mobilization to support fixing America’s broken health care system. House parties, community meetings, neighborhood canvasses and frequent phonebanks have characterized the strong movement for health care reform in New Hampshire. “Senator Gregg has been absent this entire Congressional recess but all of the attention has been directed toward his Democratic counterparts,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, director of Granite State Progress. “Worried that the heat will turn on him, Senator Gregg has thrown together a last-minute forum scheduled during the work day, making it difficult for people to participate.” “Senator Gregg has remained silent while his own party and supporters have continually criticized his New Hampshire colleagues, even though Senator Shaheen, Representative Hodes and Representative Shea-Porter have all hosted public conversations on health care by now. This last-ditch effort to circumvent growing attention to Senator Gregg’s absence is nothing more than political gamesmanship and a disservice to those actively following the health care debate.” Granite State Progress is also concerned about the Senator’s use of rhetoric at today’s forum in Salem. “Senator Gregg cited research from the Lewin Group, calling the firm non-partisan and non-biased,” Rice Hawkins said. “In reality, the Lewin Group is owned by UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation’s largest insurance companies. The Lewin report the Senator referenced makes assumptions about possible health care models but doesn’t actually review any of the proposals currently in Congress. Use of this study is misleading and to call it non-biased is dishonest. Senator Gregg continues to advocate letting the fox guard the hen house, and it’s the reason why his own health care proposals have read more like insurance company protection acts than the real health insurance reform measures that President Obama proposes.” To read more about the Lewin Group, see the Center for Responsive Politics: http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/07/lawmakers-who-called-lewin-gro.html. ### Granite State Progress is a progressive advocacy organization that addresses issues of immediate state and local concern. Granite State Progress works as a communications hub for the progressive community to provide a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems. Back to Granite State Progress  |