MONTPELIER, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) spent the Senate’s first in-state work week of the 119th Session meeting with concerned Vermonters, business owners, farmers, patients, and members of the Vermont State Legislature.
On Saturday, March 15, Sen. Welch joined Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak and local legislators for a town hall in South Burlington. Senator Welch spoke about the Trump Administration’s reckless and illegal policies, which are hurting Vermont families, farmers, businesses, and the local economy. Watch the town hall here:
On Tuesday, March 18, Senator Welch convened Vermont and Canadian business leaders for a roundtable in Newport, Vermont —near the U.S.-Canada border—to discuss President Trump’s Trade War and how the Trump Administration’s reckless tariffs are hurting workers, families, and farmers. Senator Welch was joined by the Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Member of Parliament for Compton-Stanstead, and Vermont and Canadian business owners. Following the roundtable, Senator Welch toured Track, Inc. and Built by Newport and continued discussions on the impacts of the tariffs.
On Wednesday, March 19, Senator Welch toured Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, where he discussed his new bipartisan bill to support rural health care providers, the Rural Hospital Support Act and the impact of President Trump’s and Congressional Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts on Vermonters. Following the tour at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Sen. Welch met with business leaders and workers from Allard Lumber Co., and G.S. Precision, Inc., in Brattleboro.
On Thursday, Senator Welch returned to the Statehouse to meet with the Vermont State Senate Appropriations Committee. The Senator provided an update on the recent passage of the Continuing Resolution and ongoing annual budget negotiations, as well as the harm of the budget proposed by President Trump and Congressional Republicans, which would make drastic cuts to Medicaid and other programs and services Vermonters rely on. Senator Welch was elected to the Vermont State Senate in 1980 and became the first Democrat in Vermont history to hold the position of President Pro Tempore.
After, he toured Rhino Foods, which develops and manufactures edible additions for ice cream and frozen foods, such as cookie dough. Rhino Foods is a Certified B Corp and is focused on advancing innovative employee-centered practices that help workers of all abilities and experience succeed.
Senator Welch also provided remarks and shared a meal at Winooski High School’s district-wide Community Iftar – an evening of community, celebration, and learning about Ramadan. This was Winooski’s fifth Community Iftar.
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