Floor SpeechNeutral2026-04-14

TRIBUTE TO PAUL GRENIER

TaxesEnvironmentLabor

Context

On 2026-04-14, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) delivered a floor speech titled "TRIBUTE TO PAUL GRENIER" in the Senate. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, labor policy. It referenced legislation: S1738.

Full Text

TRIBUTE TO PAUL GRENIER

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S1738] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO PAUL GRENIER Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Paul Grenier and recognize his decades of public service to the city of Berlin, NH. Paul recently wrapped up his final term in public office and walked out of city hall in January as a private citizen after 18 years on the city council and 14 years as mayor. He leaves a legacy of resilience, steady management, creative problem solving, and genuine care for the constituents of his hometown. A native of Berlin, Paul grew up in a vibrant city anchored by a paper mill system that employed thousands of people and buoyed other local industries. Like many of his high school classmates, he found a stable job in the mills and even became a trustee for the local paper union. Yet Berlin was not immune to the dynamics of a changing economy that pulled manufacturing jobs from small mill towns and forced mill workers to find employment elsewhere. These changes left a clear mark on a community known as ``The City That Trees Built.'' Paul heard a call to public service when he was concerned that his children and the next generation would not have the same opportunities that he enjoyed. As he would do throughout his career, he rolled up his sleeves and looked for ways to help his neighbors and his struggling hometown. He put his name on the ballot and campaigned for a seat on the city council in 1991. It would be the first of many election day victories for Paul Grenier. Paul learned a lot about municipal management throughout his many years as city councilor and mayor of Berlin. Paul faced incredible challenges early in his tenure as mayor, including the shuttering of three large regional employers. He tapped into relationships throughout Berlin and New Hampshire not only to manage the impacts of these closures, but also to reimagine the local economy in the years ahead and develop new avenues for growth. Mayor Grenier successfully lobbied for a Massachusetts-based steel company to open a fabrication facility in Berlin and take advantage of the city's skilled fabricators. He pushed for the expansion of Jericho Mountain State Park, a small window into his broader efforts to promote Berlin and northern New Hampshire as a four-season destination for outdoor enthusiasts. He upgraded equipment for the city's first responders and public works. He improved the city's athletic fields, and he even donated his salary to worthy local causes like Berlin Youth Hockey. He focused his final years on securing Federal investments to revitalize the city's Main Street and boost its appeal to prospective businesses and tourists. Throughout his seven terms as mayor, Paul Grenier worked tirelessly for Berlin in ways big and small. He embodies the core values of the community he so skillfully led: resilient, resourceful, innovative, collaborative, friendly, and respectful. Paul concluded his decades of public service right where it began, in the Berlin City Council chambers. After finishing his seventh term as mayor, he spent 2 months as a private citizen before receiving an appointment to finish the term of a departing city council member. His wealth of experience and deep knowledge of city hall made him a natural fit. Now a private citizen again, Paul likes to spend his time at Berlin's Notre Dame Arena teaching local kids to skate in a community known as Hockey Town USA. Paul Grenier has made an unforgettable mark on the city of Berlin. Hearing him speak about the potential of his hometown is truly inspiring, and he has turned that passion and advocacy into concrete actions that vastly improved his community. Paul passed the most crucial test of public leadership: ``To leave a place better than you found it.'' Berlin is better and its future is brighter because of Paul Grenier. Paul will be honored by his neighbors and peers this month at the annual meeting of the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce. I join them in spirit for this celebration of a humble and hard-working public servant, and I ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in thanking Paul for his longstanding service. ____________________

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TRIBUTE TO PAUL GRENIER Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S1738] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO PAUL GRENIER Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Paul Grenier and recognize his decades of public service to the city of Berlin, NH. Paul recently wrapped up his final term in public office and walked out of city hall in January as a private citizen after 18 years on the city council and 14 years as mayor. He leaves a legacy of resilience, steady management, creative problem solving, and genuine care for the constituents of his hometown. A native of Berlin, Paul grew up in a vibrant city anchored by a paper mill system that employed thousands of people and buoyed other local industries. Like many of his high school classmates, he found a stable job in the mills and even became a trustee for the local paper union. Yet Berlin was not immune to the dynamics of a changing economy that pulled manufacturing jobs from small mill towns and forced mill workers to find employment elsewhere. These changes left a clear mark on a community known as ``The City That Trees Built.'' Paul heard a call to public service when he was concerned that his children and the next generation would not have the same opportunities that he enjoyed. As he would do throughout his career, he rolled up his sleeves and looked for ways to help his neighbors and his struggling hometown. He put his name on the ballot and campaigned for a seat on the city council in 1991. It would be the first of many election day victories for Paul Grenier. Paul learned a lot about municipal management throughout his many years as city councilor and mayor of Berlin. Paul faced incredible challenges early in his tenure as mayor, including the shuttering of three large regional employers. He tapped into relationships throughout Berlin and New Hampshire not only to manage the impacts of these closures, but also to reimagine the local economy in the years ahead and develop new avenues for growth. Mayor Grenier successfully lobbied for a Massachusetts-based steel company to open a fabrication facility in Berlin and take advantage of the city's skilled fabricators. He pushed for the expansion of Jericho Mountain State Park, a small window into his broader efforts to promote Berlin and northern New Hampshire as a four-season destination for outdoor enthusiasts. He upgraded equipment for the city's first responders and public works. He improved the city's athletic fields, and he even donated his salary to worthy local causes like Berlin Youth Hockey. He focused his final years on securing Federal investments to revitalize the city's Main Street and boost its appeal to prospective businesses and tourists. Throughout his seven terms as mayor, Paul Grenier worked tirelessly for Berlin in ways big and small. He embodies the core values of the community he so skillfully led: resilient, resourceful, innovative, collaborative, friendly, and respectful. Paul concluded his decades of public service right where it began, in the Berlin City Council chambers. After finishing his seventh term as mayor, he spent 2 months as a private citizen before receiving an appointment to finish the term of a departing city council member. His wealth of experience and deep knowledge of city hall made him a natural fit. Now a private citizen again, Paul likes to spend his time at Berlin's Notre Dame Arena teaching local kids to skate in a community known as Hockey Town USA. Paul Grenier has made an unforgettable mark on the city of Berlin. Hearing him speak about the potential of his hometown is truly inspiring, and he has turned that passion and advocacy into concrete actions that vastly improved his community. Paul passed the most crucial test of public leadership: ``To leave a place better than you found it.'' Berlin is better and its future is brighter because of Paul Grenier. Paul will be honored by his neighbors and peers this month at the annual meeting of the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce. I join them in spirit for this celebration of a humble and hard-working public servant, and I ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in thanking Paul for his longstanding service. ____________________