Issues: Jobs and the Economy
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Bruce Poliquin announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has approved much-needed Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for displaced employees at Twin Rivers Paper Company.
In July, Senators Collins and King and Representative Poliquin sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez in support of the TAA petition, which was filed in advance of the Madawaska mill shutting down one of its five paper machines.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today welcomed an announcement from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it has awarded a total of $1,549,262 to nine Maine agricultural producers. The funding, awarded through the USDA's Rural Development Value Added Producer Grant Program, will support activities related to the processing and marketing of agricultural, value-added products.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin responded to today’s announcement that the European Commission’s Committee on Invasive Alien Species has decided that they will not proceed with the listing of American lobster as an invasive species at the European Union level. The decision brings an end to the proposal that threatened to end live American lobster exports to EU countries.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that CEI in Brunswick has received a direct loan of $20 million as a Re-Lender through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program. As a Re-Lender, CEI will use the loan to distribute low fixed interest rate loans to purchase, construct, or improve community facilities, such as libraries or senior centers, in high-poverty, rural communities.
Portland, ME — At the invitation of U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, toured the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge and the Port of Portland today with Senator Collins, Federal Highway Administration Administrator Greg Nadeau, and Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner David Bernhardt.
Washington, D.C. — Following advocacy from U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the President signed a bill into law this week that provides $74.9 million for three projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) and $6.9 million for the Portland Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) to lease a new facility.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Maine Department of Labor will receive $9,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to expand vocational and educational opportunities for Maine students with disabilities.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that a total of $464,500 has been awarded to seven Maine organizations through the Economic Development Administration’s comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) program. The awards will be used by the organizations to establish an economic development planning framework, process, and strategy that supports private capital investment and job creation in their respective regions.
Washington, D.C. — Today U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the bipartisan Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act to increase opportunities for families living in poverty. The bill aligns and links existing systems and funding streams to target both parents and children with support aimed at increasing economic security, educational success, social capital, and the health and wellbeing of whole families.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released a statement in honor of National Lobster Day, which will be celebrated this coming Sunday. In July, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Senators Collins and King that designated September 25, 2016, as National Lobster Day.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins recently received the biennial Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) for her support of America’s small business owners in the 114th Congress.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced a Senate resolution celebrating "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week.” The resolution recognizes the hard work of direct support professionals during the week of September 12th.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), the Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, and Mark Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation that would reduce duplicative filing costs for small businesses looking to offer retirement plans to their employees and sole-proprietors.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin released the following statement today in response to a decision by the European Union’s (EU) Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species to open up a broader review of Sweden’s request to declare American lobster as an invasive species and ban all imports of live lobster into the EU:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and U.S. Representative Bruce Poliquin released the following joint statement today on the conclusion of the Economic Development Assessment Team’s (EDAT) three-day deployment to Maine:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Bruce Poliquin announced that the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is awarding $1,996,186 to upgrade infrastructure and provide job training skills that will result in economic growth across Maine.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representative Bruce Poliquin, attended and delivered remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Union River Center for Innovation and the groundbreaking ceremony for Jackson Laboratory’s Ellsworth Vivarium this afternoon.
ORONO, ME – During a joint press conference at the University of Maine at Orono today, U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan coalition of their colleagues in both the Senate and House to send a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for assistance for dairy producers struggling with declining milk prices. Specifically, the lawmakers asked the USDA to use its existing authorities to expand and maintain U.S. domestic markets, encourage the domestic consumption of dairy products, and help dairy farmers through this financial crisis.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to purchase an additional 3.8 million pounds of Maine wild blueberries to distribute to food banks and other charitable organizations across the country. Along with an earlier purchase made this year at the Delegation’s request, that would bring the total to 11.7 million pounds, amounting to an estimated $12.75 million for Maine blueberry growers.
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, announced today that the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a license to Bangor International Airport, allowing the airport to provide refueling and services for flights to and from Cuba. Senator Collins wrote to OFAC and the State Department in support of Bangor Airport’s application for this license, and she has authored legislation to allow U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins announced that the Senate last night unanimously passed a resolution designating September 25, 2016 as “National Lobster Day.” The Maine Senators led the “National Lobster Day” resolution, which was introduced on June 28, to recognize the economic and cultural importance of the lobster industry in Maine and around the country.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King, announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $947,680 in funding to two airports in Maine. The funding is awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency within the DOT.
WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and Representatives Bruce Poliquin and Chellie Pingree received letters today from the U.S. Department of Commerce announcing that it has agreed to establish an integrated, multi-agency Economic Development Assessment Team, known as an EDAT, to assist Maine’s forest products industry in the wake of several mill closures.
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that Coastal Counties Workforce, Inc. (CCWI) and Educate Maine have been awarded a $4 million TechHire partnership grant from the U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin said today that a scientific committee of the European Union is considering arguments presented by U.S. and Canadian researchers in response to a Swedish request to ban the import of American lobsters into the EU.
In a letter to a top environmental official at the European Union (EU), members of the New England Congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree, spoke out against a proposal by Sweden to ban the import of live Maine lobsters into the EU.
Federal regulations can impose unexpected and costly requirements on small businesses, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. A prime example is a new U.S. Department of Labor rule on overtime pay that could harm the very workers it intends to help, cause small businesses to curb hiring, and force universities and colleges to either raise tuition or cut programs.
The new rule, scheduled to take effect this December, will double the current annual salary threshold from $23,660 to $47,476 for mandatory overtime.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins released the following statement regarding the Obama Administration’s announcement of the final overtime rule, a major federal rule change that would double the salary threshold for workers entitled to receive overtime wages from $23,660 to $47,476:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will award a total of $380,170 in federal funding to the Maine Forest Service in support of Maine’s forest products industry. The Maine Forest Service will receive two Wood Innovation Grants through the USDA: $130,170 to establish a Maine State Wood Energy Assistance Team, and $250,000 for a program titled, “Strengthening and Expanding Maine Wood Markets.”
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