On Sunday, Senator Hassan joined WMUR’s CloseUp, where she discussed her leadership in passing the bipartisan competition bill, her opponents’ anti-choice records and support for new abortion restrictions, and her fight to keep New Hampshire’s First In The Nation primary.

On Don Bolduc and Kevin Smith’s Opposition to the Bipartisan Competition and Innovation Bill

“Think about what just happened this week in Washington. In the Senate, we passed a bipartisan bill to outcompete China and to strengthen our national security. And it was a bipartisan bill […] yet my opponents, Kevin Smith and Don Bolduc, have said that they oppose a bill that is critical to our national security and to our capacity to maintain our competitive edge and lead economically worldwide. That really says all you need to know.”

On the Republican Senate Candidates’ Anti-Choice Records

“This is about the fundamental right of half of the citizens of the United States of America. This is about whether women are included as full and equal citizens, whether they are able to make their own health care decisions. […] And when you look at my opponents, Chuck Morse was the architect of the first abortion ban in modern New Hampshire history and has repeatedly voted against exceptions to that abortion ban that most Granite Staters would support. Don Bolduc says the decision didn’t go far enough. Kevin Smith has called for ending abortion for all time. They all would be yes votes for a national abortion ban.”

On Fighting To Protect New Hampshire’s First In The Nation Primary

“I’m always going to stand up for our first in the nation primary because it is much more – frankly – than a tradition. It is a procedure that we invented in New Hampshire. We took the nominating process out of back rooms in Washington and we said citizens should directly participate in this because it makes the process stronger. We vet our candidates better. It creates better candidates, better presidents. The primary– the First In The Nation primary – has been under threat before from both Republicans and Democrats. We are going to continue to make the case about how important it is, as we already have to the DNC. I’ll continue advocating for it, including to the President. And at the end of the day we will go first.”