Senator Susan Collins

Senator Collins Seeks Answers from Secretary Lew Regarding IRS Abuses

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Susan Collins today sent a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, expressing deep concern over the reports of abuse of power perpetrated by the Internal Revenue Service, including targeting conservative groups for heightened scrutiny when filing for tax-exempt status, as well as compelling the targeted groups to divulge their membership lists.

“It has been said that the power to tax is the power to destroy,” the letter reads. “The American people cannot and will not tolerate the abuse of that power to erode their most fundamental rights. It is imperative that the Department act decisively to put an immediate end to such abuse, ensure appropriate policies are in place to prevent future such abuses, and give a full accounting to the American people of how such an abuse of power was allowed to occur.”

A copy of the letter can be viewed here. Here is the text of the letter:

Dear Secretary Lew:

I am writing to express my deep concern over the recent revelations of abuse of power by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Last Friday, Lois Lerner, Director of the Exempt Organizations Division at the IRS, admitted that officials within the agency deliberately selected for heightened scrutiny applications for tax-exempt status filed by some conservative groups. According to Ms. Lerner, IRS officials targeted applications that included certain key words associated with conservative viewpoints, such as “tea party” and “patriot.” Media reports indicate that groups critical of the government or that worked to educate the American people about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were also targeted.

A report scheduled for release this week by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is expected to show that this inappropriate targeting dates back to at least 2010, and came to the attention of senior IRS officials in 2011. Such a timeline, if accurate, would contradict March 2012 testimony by then-IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman in which he told a House Ways and Means subcommittee that such targeting was not taking place.

Also troubling are reports that the IRS sought to compel the targeted groups to divulge their membership lists. Ms. Lerner has admitted that there was no reason for the IRS to have sought this type of information, and that it was not appropriate for the IRS to have done so. Indeed, Section 501(c)(4) organizations are not prohibited from engaging in political advocacy, as Ms. Lerner herself has noted. Thus, the fact that the IRS chose to press these organizations for their membership lists suggests an effort to chill the constitutional rights of speech and association by groups that hold conservative views and that were seeking tax-exempt status. This is reminiscent of the type of state action struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in NAACP v. Alabama (1958). As the Court explained in that case, the disclosure of membership lists sought by the State of Alabama was an impermissible effort to “induce members to withdraw from the Association and dissuade others from joining[.]”

Furthermore, the abuses that are now making headlines appear to be part of a larger pattern of questionable activity by the Administration that seems intended to hinder or chill the expression of views critical of the Administration. Two years ago, for example, the IRS sent letters to donors of conservative 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organizations informing them that the IRS was investigating why they had failed to file gift tax returns reflecting their donations. Similarly, in 2011 the Administration proposed an executive order requiring federal agencies to collect information about the campaign contributions and other political expenditures of potential federal contractors. In response to widespread opposition, the Administration ultimately did not issue the executive order.

Irrespective of whether those singled out were liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, the targeting of private citizens for exercising their First Amendment rights is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. It has been said that the power to tax is the power to destroy. The American people cannot and will not tolerate the abuse of that power to erode their most fundamental rights. It is imperative that the Department act decisively to put an immediate end to such abuse, ensure appropriate policies are in place to prevent future such abuses, and give a full accounting to the American people of how such an abuse of power was allowed to occur. Toward that end, I ask you to direct the Department to respond expeditiously, and no later than May 27, to the following questions:

1. According to recent press reports on the upcoming TIGTA audit of the IRS’s tax-exempt unit, Lois Lerner, the head of this unit, knew as early as June 2011 about the IRS targeting of certain conservative groups.
  a. How did Ms. Lerner become aware of this activity?
  b. What actions did Ms. Lerner take upon learning of this activity in June 2011?
  c. To whom did she report this activity?
  d. Please describe Ms. Lerner’s chain of command.
  e. What action did her superiors take?
  f. When did her superior act?

2. According to recent press reports, senior officials learned of the targeting of conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status in June 2011.
  a. Which IRS and Treasury officials were aware of the targeting activity at any time during 2010 and/or 2011?
  b. When did these targeting activities begin?
  c. Who made the decision to target these tax-exempt applications for additional scrutiny?
  d. Have these targeting activities stopped?
  e. What processes have been implemented to ensure this type of targeting does not occur in the future?
  f. If such safeguards are not now in place, when will such processes be implemented?

3. Was former Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman or now-Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller aware that the IRS was targeting conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status for special scrutiny?
a. If so, when did each become aware of this activity?
b. What specific actions did each take in response to this activity?

4. Press reports and statements by the Administration indicate that the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status was limited to “a few employees” in an IRS office in Cincinnati.
  a. Does this Cincinnati office process all of these tax-exempt applications?
  b. How many employees engaged in this targeting activity?
  c. Who managed the activity of these employees?
  d. Who directed the Cincinnati office to initiate additional screening of these tax-exempt applications?
  e. What personnel actions, if any, have been taken pertaining to the employees involved in the targeting?

5. Were Department officials outside of the IRS or other Administration officials aware that the IRS was targeting conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status for special scrutiny?
  a. Which officials were aware of this activity?
  b. When did these officials become aware of this activity?
  c. What actions did these officials take to discourage or encourage this activity?

6. Some press reports indicate approximately 300 tax-exempt applications were initially flagged for closer scrutiny and 75 were chosen additional scrutiny.
a. Please confirm the number of tax-exempt applications flagged within the IRS for closer scrutiny.
b. Have you queried other parts of the IRS to confirm this number represents the universe of applications flagged for closer scrutiny?

7. Please describe the process for developing criteria to screen these tax-exempt applications in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
a. Who managed the process of developing criteria to screen tax-exempt applications?
b. Who supervised this process?

8. What other key words besides “tea party,” “patriot,” and “9/12” were used to identify tax-exempt applications for additional scrutiny?
  a. How were these key words chosen?
  b. What other words were used?
  c. Who approved the use of these key words?

9. Please describe the process in place (in 2010, 2011, and 2012) once tax-exempt applications were flagged for additional scrutiny.

Thank you for your prompt response.

Senators Collins, King React to Defense Department's Decision on Furloughs

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers will not face furloughs, but Senators express disappointment DFAS and National Guard employees will ...

Collins, King Announce $3.6 Million in EPA Grants to Clean Up Brownfield Sites in Maine

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

Funds help protect health and the environment; Revitalize communities...

Collins Authors Bill to Stimulate the Craft Beer Industry

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

American Craft Beer Week is May 13-19...

White House Meeting Addresses Sexual Assault in the Military

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- During a meeting at the White House today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins discussed ways the Administration and Congress can work together to address a troubling increase in the number of sexual assault in the military. In addition to a number of her colleagues, Senator Collins met with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to the First Lady.

Senator Collins, who is a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, has led bipartisan efforts to reduce the incidence of sexual assault in the military and to strengthen victim protections. Along with former Senator John Kerry, Senator Collins authored the STRONG Act, with Representatives Mike Turner and Niki Tsongas who introduced the House version of the bill, which was designed to implement many of the recommendations made by the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military. As a result of this law, survivors of sexual assault in the military can now seek the assistance of advocates with genuine confidentiality; they now have guaranteed access to a lawyer; and – under a common-sense provision -- they can now request expedited consideration to be transferred far away from the location of their assailant.

Most recently, Senator Collins has announced her intention to work with Representatives Turner and Tsongas to introduce legislation to require the Coast Guard to update its policies to align with the STRONG Act provision ensuring expedited consideration of a transfer request.

“To be sure, the vast, overwhelming majority of our military personnel are honorable, conscientious, and respectful individuals, not rapists or harassers. It is for their sake that the pattern of covering up, blaming the victim, and failing to provide even the most basic protections that has been all too common for far too long must end,” said Senator Collins. “We must continue to work to ensure that no woman or man who joins the military is denied the justice and the protections available to civilians. Ultimately, the military’s policy of zero tolerance for sexual harassment and assault must become a culture of zero tolerance to prevent these crimes from occurring in the first place.”

Senator Collins is also a cosponsor of the Ruth Moore Act, a bill that would make it easier for survivors of military sexual assault to get recognition of service-connected disability from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Because many military sexual assaults go unreported, veterans often experience difficulty meeting the burden of proof when applying for service-connected disability benefits. This bill, introduced in the Senate by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), would make it easier for veterans to qualify for benefits, since it would require the VA to accept the diagnosis of a mental health condition by a mental health professional, along with the veterans’ testimony of an assault having occurred, as sufficient for awarding service-connected disability benefits.

Recently, the Veterans Administration reduced the standard of proof for combat veterans who suffer from PTSD. Senator Collins believes the same standard should be applied to victims of military sexual trauma.

In 2012, Senator Collins was presented the Lauterbach Award from the Service Women’s Action Network for her efforts to reduce the incidence of sexual assault in the military and to strengthen victim protections.

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Collins, Udall Continue Effort to Provide Flexibility to Responsibly Reduce Federal Spending

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Following their successful, bipartisan effort to end long lines at the nation's airports and costly flight delays and protect jobs, Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced today that they will introduce legislation to help ensure that spending reductions currently associated with "sequestration" are done in a more targeted, responsible way.

"Sequestration is dragging our economy into the mud and balancing the budget on the backs of hardworking Americans. This is unacceptable," Udall said. "That's why I am proud to stand with Senator Collins and reintroduce our bipartisan plan to inject some common sense into the necessary business of reducing the federal budget deficit. We need to cut federal spending, but we also need to be smart about it. Our bipartisan plan builds on our successful effort to get our airports running smoothly and commerce flowing again. Congress showed it can work in a bipartisan fashion on one aspect of sequestration. Now it's time to go all in and provide flexibility across the entire federal government rather than move from crisis to crisis."

"I am delighted that we recently were able to come together on a bipartisan bill to provide the Department of Transportation with the flexibility to resolve a serious problem confronting the American traveling public and our economy," Collins said. "We can do more. I am pleased to work with Senator Udall to continue our efforts to allow agency heads more flexibility to set priorities in reducing their budget. We can mitigate the harmful effects of sequestration, protect jobs, and avoid mindless spending cuts that do not distinguish between vital programs and those that should be cut or eliminated."

The Udall-Collins proposal would:

Empower the executive branch to work with Congress and propose the best way to administer what would otherwise be automatic, arbitrary budget cuts required under the Budget Control Act; and,

Ensure Congress has appropriate oversight by requiring that the administration's spending proposal for each department be provided to the Senate and House appropriations committees.

Udall and Collins have been at the forefront of urging Congress and the president to find a bipartisan way to strategically reduce the deficit without balancing the budget on the backs of hardworking Americans and the middle class. In addition to the FAA fix, this is the second bill Udall and Collins have introduced this year to proactively address sequestration.

Their earlier plan would have proactively headed off the problems at our nation's airports last month and given the White House the tools it needed to prevent harmful cuts to housing-assistance programs, education for low-income children and other programs critical to working families.

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Senator Collins' Statement on Senate Passage of Marketplace Fairness Act

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senator Susan Collins released this statement tonight following Senate passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act.

            "The Marketplace Fairness Act would not impose any new tax on online sales, nor would it impose an "Internet tax." It would only help ensure that taxes already owed are paid.

            "Maine, like many states, taxes retail sales. And if you make a purchase over the Internet or from a catalog from an out-of-state retailer, you are supposed to pay sales or "use" taxes on those items. The problem is, right now, it is up to the customers to remit this use tax and most buyers rarely do so.

            "This bill would provide for more efficient collection of these taxes that are already owed. In fact, the National Conference of State Legislatures estimates that these uncollected taxes exceeded $23 billion in 2012 alone. Governor LePage, who supports this bill, suggested to me in a letter that allowing Maine to more effectively collect taxes that are already owed on remote sales could help lower Maine's state income tax rates.

            "I do recognize that some businesses will have to install new software or systems to meet the requirements of this law. That is why I urged the sponsors to include the exemption in the bill so that retailerswith sales of less than a million dollars a year would not have to collect and remit this tax.  In addition, I continue to press for a later effective date to allow more time for covered businesses to come into compliance."

"The bottom line is that brick-and-mortar stores are already required to collect taxes on goods that they sell. This bill will simply help level the playing field for large businesses that sell their products in cyberspace rather than on Main Street."

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U.S. Navy Notifies Sens. Collins & King of Intent to Award Shipbuilding Contracts

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of the Navy today notified U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) that it is pursuing the award of multi-year procurement contracts critical to the work of Bath Iron Works (BIW). The Navy will announce contracts for up to ten DDG-51 destroyers and associated systems for Fiscal Years 2013-2017 by June 4th. BIW is a strong competitor for some of those contracts.

Senator Collins is a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, and Senator King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Both senators have worked to help ensure that Congress provides the necessary funding and certainty to enable the Navy to continue building the DDG-51. In their first event together in Maine in February, Senators Collins and King visited BIW to express their strong intention to work together to protect BIW and the jobs of thousands of Mainers.

In March, the Senators advocated for the passage of a Consolidated Continuing appropriations Act to fund the federal government through September 30, 2013, which included a full Defense Appropriations bill to fund the construction of these ships. In December of 2012, Senator Collins supported the passage of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which granted the Navy the authority to move forward with the five-year contracts.

“This is certainly welcome news for BIW, its dedicated workforce, and for the State of Maine,” said Senator Collins. “These ships would have been in jeopardy if the Navy had been forced to operate under a long-term Continuing Resolution. The fact that the Defense Department is committing to building up to ten DDG-51s over the next five years means a guaranteed opportunity for BIW to compete to build these ships. It provides a much-needed sense of job security for the highly-skilled men and women who work there.”

“I am pleased to learn that the Navy is moving forward with its pursuit of multi-year procurement contracts for DDG-51 destroyers and look forward to the Navy’s announcement next month about the details of the contracts,” said Senator King. “The talented workforce at Bath Iron Works builds some of the best ships in the world, and I have no doubt that they are strong competitors to build a significant number of these vessels.”

Senators Collins, Udall Urge Colleagues to Pass Broader Sequestration Fix as President Signs Bipartisan Bill to Unchain Airports, Protect Jobs

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

Flexibility Plan Would Help Housing-Assistance Recipients, Civilian Defense Department Personnel and Improve National Security While Responsibly Reducing Federal Spending...

Collins, King Seek Resolution to Veterans Disability Claims Backlog

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, along with a bipartisan group of 65 other Senators, sent a letter to the White House urging President Obama to take direct action in ending the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability claims backlog. More than 600,000 veterans across the country are currently stuck in the backlog, with the average wait time of a claim to be processed ranging between 316 and 327 days.

"It is shameful that our courageous veterans who put everything on the line for this country are now being put on hold for the services they need and deserve," Senator Collins said.

"Our nation's veterans answered the call to duty and it's far past time that we respond in kind by finding a way to reduce the unacceptably large backlog of disability claims so they can receive the care they deserve in a timely manner," Senator King said.

"This country must be grateful for the safe homecoming of every single man and woman who has served in harm's way," the letter reads. "Our joy at their return must be reflected in our commitment to helping all who have served. We respectfully ask you and your administration to find a solution that ensures that no veterans are stuck in the VA backlog."

Read the full letter by clicking here.

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Senator Collins Opposes Border Fees at Northern, Southwester Border

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:00:01 EST

Study of border fee is included in President’s budget request...

Senators Collins, Udall Introduce Bill to Restore Essential FAA Funding; Avoid Further Furloughs and Disruption to Air Travel

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.-In a bipartisan effort to halt further furloughs of air traffic controllers that are causing delays and massive headaches for the traveling public, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Mark Udall (D-CO) today introduced legislation that would provide the Secretary of Transportation the flexibility to avoid further furloughs of essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

"The Reducing Flight Delays Act" would give the Secretary of Transportation the flexibility to transfer funds into the FAA's operations budget to prevent essential employees, such as air traffic controllers, from being furloughed. This would help reduce flight delays while maintaining a safe and efficient national airspace system. The bill would also direct the Secretary to fully fund and continue operating the Contract Towers Program.

"The challenges the FAA faces this fiscal year are daunting; not only is the agency operating under a continuing resolution but sequestration compounds the problem. It is important that sequestration is implemented in a way that ensures safety and minimizes the impact on the traveling public as well as jobs in the hospitality and airline industries," said Senator Collins, who is Ranking Member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee. "FAA recently announced its plans to achieve savings by implementing furloughs, the closure of contract towers, and the elimination of midnight services, among other cuts. These irresponsible cuts have already caused widespread delays to the air transportation system and are expected to get worse. Our bipartisan bill would restore the funding for these essential programs, and I am pleased that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said that this is an effective, workable solution."

"Our airports are some of the most important job creators and commerce boosters for Colorado and our nation. Significant flight delays not only hurt travelers across the country, but they hurt our economy. The bipartisan legislation I authored with Sen. Collins will help replace the indiscriminate effects of sequestration and give the U.S. Department of Transportation the flexibility it needs to put air traffic controllers back to work and ensure that these cuts are not a drag on our economy," Udall said. "We need to reduce the deficit and cut federal spending, but we should not allow sequestration to cripple travel, tourism, business and commerce - all critical parts of our ongoing economic recovery."

In recognition that the arbitrary nature of the sequester would result in unacceptable outcomes for constituents, Senators Collins and Udall introduced legislation in March that would have allowed the federal government to propose more targeted cuts while also allowing for appropriate congressional oversight. Adoption of that legislation could have prevented many of the problems being reported including the FAA furlough issue. The bipartisan legislation introduced today provides more narrow flexibility in response to an urgent problem. The bottom line is that providing for a rational level of flexibility to implement the sequester is a commonsense solution which should be adopted without delay.

Senator Collins Calls on Transportation Secretary to Work to Avoid Air Traffic Control Furloughs

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:00:01 EST

Collins says FAA Administrator was not forthcoming about impact to nation’s air passengers during committee hearing...

Collins, King Urge Defense Secretary to Allow Flexibility that Could Avoid Furloughs

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a letter sent today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) urge Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to use the flexibility afforded in recently signed legislation to further minimize the furloughs of Defense Department personnel or to avoid them altogether.

As the Senators write in their letter, some military services or Defense Department components have identified cost-efficient and effective ways to avoid furloughs, yet the Pentagon is considering requiring all Defense Department agencies and components to implement across-the-board furloughs. If the Secretary of Defense would allow flexibility rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach, the number of furloughs at facilities such as the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery and the Maine National Guard could potentially be reduced to zero. In addition, Senators Collins and King urge Defense Department entities, such as the Defense Finance and Accounting Services, which has a facility in Limestone, to further scrutinize its budget to meet the sequester budget targets while avoiding furloughs.

Senators Collins and King have been working together to express deep concern over the impact that sequestration would have on national security, including the defense industrial base in Maine, and our nation’s fragile economic recovery.

Last month, Senators Collins and King supported passage of the Consolidated Continuing Appropriations Act for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013 that contained a full-year funding bill for the Department of Defense and gave the Pentagon more flexibility in its budget.

Below is the full text of today’s letter to Secretary Hagel:

April 17, 2013

The Honorable Chuck Hagel

U.S. Department of Defense

1000 Defense Pentagon

Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Hagel:

Thank you for your response to our March 28, 2013 letter in which we urged you to use the flexibility afforded to you in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6) to minimize the furloughs of Department of Defense (DoD) personnel or to avoid them altogether. We appreciate your announcement that the maximum number of days that DoD civilians may be furloughed has decreased from 22 to 14 days for the remainder of the fiscal year as a result of the passage of this bill, which we both supported.

As we stated in our first letter, the costs of furloughs are real, and it would be a mistake to overlook these costs. We understand that the Department of the Navy, the National Guard Bureau, and some defense components of the Intelligence Community have all reached the same or similar conclusions and have plans to meet their budget targets in fiscal year 2013 while avoiding furloughs. For example, in operations as diverse as ship repairs at Navy public shipyards to the deployment preparation of National Guard units, furloughs could cause more harm than any cost savings reaped from them. The National Guard’s 53,000 military technicians, more than half the Guard’s full-time force, are the effective equivalent of the uniformed personnel in the Active Duty component that you have already exempted from budget cuts, which is one reason why the National Guard Bureau would prefer to find budget savings from other sources to protect dual-status technicians.

In spite of this strong evidence, we understand that one course of action remaining under consideration would require all DoD agencies and components to implement identical across-the-board furloughs, even if the military services or DoD components have identified more cost-efficient and effective ways to eliminate the readiness budget shortfalls for the remainder of fiscal year 2013. According to a DoD Comptroller budget briefing provided to the Appropriations Committee last week, an across-the-board approach to furloughs would be based upon principles of consistency and fairness, in part because there are some places, such as the Pentagon in Washington, where multi-force workforces are co-located. We also understand there may be some concerns regarding potential legal action if furloughs are not equitable across every military service and DoD component.

While we appreciate these concerns, we strongly believe there will be equal or greater morale issues and potential legal actions if DoD components are forced to implement automatic, across-the-board furloughs that can be avoided in part based upon plans developed and recommended by each entity’s leadership to your office. According to the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, any potential legal action by employees regarding furloughs would center on equality of treatment among management and non-management workers at particular locations, not on whether certain DoD components proceed with executing budget plans for fiscal year 2013 that avoid furloughs altogether.

A key goal of the FY13 DoD appropriations bill passed by Congress was to provide sufficient authority for the Department to make smart budget decisions that are tailored to the unique requirements and budget realities of each military service. It is our position that the most consistent and fair approach to furloughs would be to allow each DoD component to maximize its state of readiness. If the Department of the Navy or any other DoD component has determined that the costs of furloughs to its readiness and budgets are greater than the savings they would produce, they should be able to avoid them. If you were to require them to implement furloughs any way, readiness will be hurt and costs will undoubtedly increase.

We also urge you to ask each of the DoD components that have not already done so, including any of the military services or DoD agencies such as the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, to redouble their efforts to scrutinize their fiscal year 2013 budget execution plans to find ways to eliminate or substantially reduce the need for furloughs.

Finally, we would be remiss if we did not express concern that some of the furloughs may not be necessary if the Administration would request additional funding for greater than expected costs of the conflict in Afghanistan during fiscal year 2013. According to the DoD Comptroller briefing provided to the Appropriations Committee, half of the shortfalls in military readiness budget accounts in fiscal year 2013 are the result of greater than expected costs for operations in Afghanistan, not sequestration.

We appreciate the fact that the DoD has submitted an estimate for the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) budget with the last several budget requests. The intent of this process is to increase transparency and provide a rough-order-of-magnitude estimate of the OCO budget, not to establish a budgetary strait-jacket that requires the Administration to borrow from the base Department of Defense budget if the costs of operations exceed the original estimate. If the conflict in Afghanistan is costing more than expected for fiscal year 2013, we stand ready to consider such a supplemental request so you do not have to borrow from the resources provided in DoD’s base budget. The base budget underpins the readiness of our military, and we must not allow unexpected costs in Afghanistan to harm the readiness of our military to deter and respond to conflict anywhere else it may arise.

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Collins, King Statement on Explosions at Boston Marathon

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement today after two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon:

“Like all Americans, we are shocked and deeply saddened by the deplorable and heinous act of violence that occurred at the Boston Marathon today. As we struggle to comprehend this senseless tragedy, and as we continue to gather more information, we hold the families and the loved ones of those lost firmly in our thoughts, and we continue to pray for the full recovery of everyone who has been injured.

“As members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, we will be continually updated of the situation. In the meantime, initial press reports that multiple improvised explosive devices may have been involved at this high profile national event bear the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.

“We stand united as Americans in our unfaltering support of one another.”

Collins, King Announce More Than $160,000 in Fire Department Grants

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that three Maine fire departments will receive grant awards: Cushing Fire Department will receive $68,096; Standish Fire and Emergency Medical Service will receive $42,750; and Gouldsboro Fire Department will receive $52,155.

“These grants are a valuable source of funding for our fire and rescue personnel, and we have seen firsthand the dramatic difference they make, especially in small, rural communities,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This federal funding will help the fire departments to purchase equipment and vehicles and to conduct the training and exercises necessary for rescue personnel to perform their jobs well and keep our communities safe.”

All three fire departments are receiving the funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). Specifically, the funding will come through AFG’s Operations and Firefighting Safety Program, which provides funding for training, equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to the departments’ facilities.

Delegation Announces Service Academy Information Night in Bangor

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:00:01 EST

Tuesday, April 9th; 5:30-8:30 PM...

Senators Reed and Collins Seek to Save Weatherization Assistance Program

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:00:01 EST

34 U.S. Senators urge Obama Administration to take action...

Collins, King Applaud Decision to Minimize Furloughs of Dept. of Defense Civilian Employees

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST

In letter to Secretary Hagel, Collins and King urge flexibility to minimize furloughs or avoid them all together...

Collins, King Congratulate 10 Maine Employers Nominated for 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, DC.– U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today congratulated ten Maine employers for being nominated by the Department of Defense for the 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The Award is the Department of Defense’s highest recognition for employers supporting employees serving in the Guard and serve.

Nearly one-half of the U.S. military is comprised of Guard and Reserve members. While most Guard and Reserve employers proudly support their military employees, Freedom ward recipients are recognized for going to extraordinary lengths for their Guardsmen and Reservists.

“We salute these outstanding Maine employers for going above and beyond in their support to their Guard and Reserve employees, who make enormous personal sacrifices by putting their civilian lives on hold to serve our country,” Senator Collins and King said in a joint statement. “These ten Maine organizations serve as a model for our nation as to how we should support and accommodate the service and sacrifices of our heroic military men and women.” Senator Collins is a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee and Senator King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Guard and Reserve Service members from across the country, or family members acting on their behalf, nominated their civilian employers for the Freedom Award during the 12-week nomination season that closed in January. Up to 15 award recipients nationwide will be announced this summer and honored in Washington, D.C. later this year at the 18^th annual Freedom Award ceremony. Past award recipients have met with senior leaders of the White House and Department of Defense as part of the award recognition.

2013 Freedom Award Nominations from Maine:

Employer	City
Central Maine Power Company	Augusta
State of Maine, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Bureau of Warden Service	Augusta
Milton CAT	Brewer
Volunteers of America Northern New England	Brunswick
United States Postal Service Camden, Maine	Camden
Mayo Regional Hospital	Dover Foxcroft
Spurling Training Systems	Kennebunk
Cascades Auburn Fiber, Inc.	Lewiston
University of Southern Maine	Portland
Kennebec Behavioral Health	Waterville