Mainers are resilient. Along with the rest of the country, however, too many Mainers continue to struggle in this tough economy. Senator Collins believes that putting people back to work is the key to improving our economic recovery and should remain our number one goal. With this goal in mind, Senator Collins has offered or supported legislation aimed at providing tax relief, cutting red tape, and investing in a 21st century workforce.
With its marvelous parade, great food, fun, and friendships, Eastport is known for its memorable Fourth of July celebrations. The dedication of the new Breakwater in America’s easternmost city made the 2017 celebration truly unforgettable.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today welcomed an announcement from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security will issue up to 15,000 additional H-2B visas for U.S. businesses to hire temporary workers. Senators Collins and King had repeatedly pressed both Departments and USCIS to increase the visa cap so that Maine businesses would be able to hire additional temporary employees to help their businesses operate during the busy summer tourist season.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $531,999 to the Steven A. Bean Municipal Airport in Rangeley to support work to expand and reconstruct the airport’s apron.
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee on which she serves approved $61.7 million in funding for a paint, blast, and rubber fabrication facility at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery. The funding was included in the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill at her request.
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee on which she serves approved $17.5 million in funding for the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Presque Isle. The funding was included in the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill at her request.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced today that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved up to $10 million to purchase Maine wild blueberries after the Delegation requested the Department take action earlier this year. Bonus buys help protect American farmers from unexpected market conditions by purchasing surplus goods and distributing them to food banks and other charitable institutions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have signed onto a bipartisan letter led by Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly urging him to use the authority provided by Congress to lift the cap on seasonal H-2B visas that employers rely on to fill summer jobs. In the letter, the senators expressed their concern about reports that visas may not be approved in time for peak tourist season.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that Cianbro Corp. of Pittsfield will be awarded $23,098,000 from the U.S. Navy for improvements to dry dock number one at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery.
Washington, D.C. - Following an effort from U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today will resume premium processing for all H-1B petitions filed for medical doctors under the Conrad 30 Waiver program, as well as interested government agency waivers. The Conrad 30 program helps address physician shortages by allowing doctors to stay in the United States in exchange for practicing in underserved areas, such as rural communities.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration has awarded three grants totaling $210,000 to support economic development and planning for parts of rural Maine. Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, and Northern Maine Development Commission, Inc. will each receive $70,000.
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins introduced the Community Bank Sensible Regulation Act of 2017, legislation that would allow financial regulators to exempt small community banks from unnecessary and burdensome requirements. Her bill would protect small financial institutions from highly complex regulations that are intended for larger banks whose failure would risk the collapse of the financial system.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today introduced legislation that would make it easier for Maine seafood dealers to export sea urchins and sea cucumbers outside of the United States. The legislation, which also has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Congressman Bruce Poliquin, would put an end to repetitive, mandatory inspections of urchins and sea cucumbers exported from the country.
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced bipartisan legislation today to help local fire departments across the country save money and hire and promote trained first responders. The Firefighters Retention Act of 2017 will give fire departments flexibility to use Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants to transition part-time or paid-on-call personnel to full-time status.
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that the fiscal year 2017 funding bill that was signed into law last week contains $6 million to initiate two grant programs to support safety for fishermen. Senator Collins, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, championed the effort to ensure the Fishing Safety Training Grant Program and the Fishing Safety Research Grant Program receive funding.
Washington, D.C. - By a vote of 79-18 the Senate passed a bipartisan appropriations omnibus this afternoon that will fund the government at updated levels through the end of September. U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, successfully pushed for a number of provisions that were incorporated in the final bill.
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced bipartisan legislation to help protect small businesses from falling victim to fraud when they register to procure federal contracts. The Procurement Fraud Prevention Act would require small businesses to be notified that free assistance is available for help in procuring federal contracts through federal programs, including Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).
By: Senator Susan M. Collins
Small businesses are our nation’s job creators. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses employ more than half of all American workers and have generated two-out-of-three net new jobs since the 1970s.
Maine truly is a small business state, with nearly 300,000 of our residents employed by our more than 141,000 small businesses. That’s nearly 60 percent of our workforce.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded yesterday's decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which confirmed that Catalyst Paper received a negligible amount of subsidies during the review period. Catalyst Paper will now be excluded from the countervailing duty order on supercalendered paper.
The American Apprenticeship Act would provide funding to states for tuition assistance programs for pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs; Though evidence indicates that the apprenticeship model is a highly effective training model, it is not widely used by American workers or employers.
Click HERE to watch Senator Collins’ Q&A with Alex Acosta
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have joined with Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to reintroduce the Timber Innovation Act, bipartisan and bicameral legislation that aims to find new and innovative uses for wood as a building material.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) attended the annual Maine Credit Union League Congressional Luncheon in Washington, D.C., today. The event was attended by approximately 90 credit union representatives from Maine.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin applauded the affirmative determinations from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in its final phase antidumping and countervailing duty investigations of Chinese producers for selling unfairly subsidized industrial grade amorphous silica fabric (ASF) in the United States at less than fair value. The ITC voted unanimously in agreement with Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. and the Maine Delegation that the unfair trade practices occurred.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to an announcement from Sappi Fine North America that it will invest $165 million in Paper Machine No. 1 at its Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Maine Congressional Delegation welcomed the affirmative final determinations from the U.S. Department of Commerce in its investigation of Chinese producers for selling unfairly subsidized industrial grade amorphous silica fabric (ASF) in the United States at less than fair value. The Department of Commerce has concurred with Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. and the Maine Delegation that the unfair trade practices occurred and has assigned total cash deposit rates of more than 200 percent to China’s largest producers and exporters of ASF.
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