Sununu visits Upper Valley to talk pandemic relief funding

LEBANON, Vt. (WCAX) - New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu visited the Upper Valley area Wednesday to see the impact of Cares Act funding and discuss other pandemic relief.

One stop included the FITKids Childcare River Valley Club daycare center in Lebanon. The business received the maximum amount allotted by New Hampshire’s Main Street Relief Fund, which Sununu helped set up to distribute money to businesses hit hard by the pandemic. The governor says states having the flexibility to spend relief money as needed is the key to any bailout package coming from Washington.

“If the dollars are going to come -- and again you have to know how all these dollars are ultimately going to be paid for, because right now my kids and my grandkids are paying for all this. But, if the dollars are going to come we want to be the model of how to spend it wisely, to get the most out of those dollars with the biggest impact for the individual,” Sununu said.

Sununu met with Main Street business owners in Littleton and addressed the American Rescue Plan and the infrastructure bill approved by the Senate Tuesday. In response to questions from reporters, the governor wouldn’t say whether he supports the $1.2 trillion bill.

“I’m managing a state, I haven’t read the 2,700 pages. And by the way, where it finally ends up, what the final rules are, how we can actually spend that money, what flexibilities they will give to the state -- which they haven’t given us a whole lot of flexibility with ARP {American Rescue Plan} -- I hope they give us more flexibility with this new infrastructure bill. That all remains to be seen,” he said.

The Republican governor added that he does like that the vote was bipartisan, which he says rarely happens these days. There is speculation that Sununu could be gearing up for a run against Senator Maggie Hassan.

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