Chris Pappas

Where Pappas stands

Grouped by topic by Vote Book; headings and quoted words are the candidate’s own, with the source under each one. “As reported” items are a news outlet’s description, not an exact quote.

Immigration & border

What changes would you make to the federal immigration enforcement practices to ensure all residents are treated with dignity, civilian’s constitutional rights are protected, and people’s rights to free speech, assembly, and civic participation are not violated?

For far too long, politicians in both parties have kicked the can, played politics, and failed to take meaningful action to reform our immigration system. I support comprehensive, common-sense reform that will help fix our broken system and allow immigrants who work hard and follow the a shot at their American dream. I support the American Dream and Promise Act, which would provide Dreamers with a path to U.S. citizenship, as well as the Dignity Act, a comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform bill that would address legal status and protections for undocumented immigrants, border security, asylum reform, and visa reform. I wrote the bill to redirect ICE’s $75 billion slush fund to local law enforcement to improve public safety.

Health care

Prescription drugs

Senator Sununu voted to keep prescription drug prices high during his time in Washington and then went and cashed in with special interests, including Big Pharma and insurance companies, during his time out of office.

Education

Standing up for Public Education

Chris wouldn’t be who he is today without the education he received in Manchester public schools or the mentorship and support from dedicated educators in and out of the classroom. That is why he is committed to investing in our schools, supporting our teachers, and ensuring that every student can get a high-quality education to set them on a path to success.

What will you do to combat the underlying issues driving the inflation rate such as the rising costs of housing, childcare, energy, and groceries?

I’m working to lower energy costs for New Hampshire families by cutting energy taxes, protecting heating assistance programs like LIHEAP, and defending clean energy tax credits. I’ll continue taking on Big Pharma and insurance companies that put profits ahead of patients. I helped cap insulin costs and successfully fought to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. I’m fighting to lower grocery costs by taking on corporate price gouging and opposing Trump’s reckless tariffs. I voted to deliver an increase to the Child Tax Credit during the pandemic and am committed to continue fighting for permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit and capping the amount of money that families pay for childcare at 7% of their income.

Jobs, wages & cost of living

Priorities

Chris is willing to take on anyone – corporate special interests, Donald Trump, and even his own party – to put New Hampshire first. Chris stood up to Democratic leadership when he called for a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and forced a vote on the House floor. He took on Big Pharma to lower drug prices and cap the cost of insulin at $35. He is taking on corporate polluters who are contaminating our …

Prioritizing Affordability and the Economy

Granite Staters are working harder than ever just to make ends meet, but far too often it feels like they can never get ahead. Chris is fighting to lower costs for families and small businesses on everything from utilities to groceries and to make high-quality child care, health care, and housing more affordable and within reach for people across New Hampshire.

Stopping Corporate Special Interests From Buying Our Elections

Since the 2010 Citizens United decision, political spending fueled by dark money groups funded by corporations and ultra-rich ideological extremists has exploded. Dark-money spending that undermines our politics surged from less than $5 million in 2006 to more than $1.9 billion in 2024, surpassing the previous record of $1 billion in 2020.

What are the top three challenges facing our country today and what do you propose to address them?

The top three challenges facing our country are: * Unrigging the economy and lowering costs for families and small businesses * Defending and restoring personal freedoms * Taking on corruption in Washington by standing up for New Hampshire against Donald Trump’s reckless policies and taking on corporate special interests. I have detailed my proposals to address these challenges in my answers to the questions below.

Farms & rural

How do you see Congress fulfilling its constitutionally mandated role as a check on the President and Executive Branch’s power and what additional steps will you propose?

We must push back against the President’s reckless tariffs that have created chaos & uncertainty in our economy. I support legislation to block Trump from bypassing Congress & pressed the Speaker to take up the Senate-passed bipartisan resolutions. I helped introduce the Vote by Mail Protection Act to invalidate Trump’s unlawful executive order to restrict mail-in voting and the Drug Deal Disclosure Act to require the admin to disclose its drug pricing agreements with pharmaceutical manufacturers; I demanded answers about DOGE’s access to our personal information. I supported the War Powers Act to reign in Trump’s military operations in Iran and will continue to work to prevent him from entangling America in another endless war.

Elections, ethics & government

Anti-Corruption Agenda

Public trust in the government has hit historic lows , with just 17% of Americans saying they trust the government to do what’s right for Americans. Chris Pappas knows the system is rigged against people and in favor of corporate special interests, dark money groups, and entrenched politicians. He’s running for Senate because he understands that we need to change the way that Washington works and bring long-overdue …

Shutting the Revolving Door on Political Self-Interest in Washington

Politicians in Washington are gaming the system to get richer while Granite Staters pay more for everything across the board, and the corruption in Washington has spread to all levels of government. Members of Congress are getting rich through stock trading. A Supreme Court justice has accepted undisclosed gifts from a billionaire. Members of the Trump Administration are getting rich off shady deals with the …

What three Congressional actions will you support to protect, preserve, and enhance America’s democracy and why?

I’m running to change how Washington works & bring long-overdue reforms to a broken system. I introduced the DISCLOSE Act to stop billionaires & corporate special interests from secretly buying our elections and support overturning Citizens United to restore power to the people. I keep fight to pass the bipartisan Clean Legislating & Ethical Accountability Now Act, which I introduced to codify the Office of Congressional Ethics. I broke with Democratic House leadership to support a ban on congressional stock trading. I strongly support the Fighting Foreign Influence Act, which would impose a lifetime ban on former members of Congress, U.S. military officers, & senior executive branch officals from lobbying on behalf of foreign governments.

Other priorities

Ending Executive Pay-to-Play Practices

When a new president takes office, their first priority should be delivering on promises made to working Americans, not delivering handouts to wealthy donors and powerful allies. Presidents shouldn’t be able to deliver no-bid contracts to donors, reward big corporations for pet project funding through quid-pro-quo deals, or use insider info to cash in on under-regulated prediction markets.