Issues: Jobs and the Economy
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.
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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.
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.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Congressman Bruce Poliquin today expressed their support for Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. (AMI) during a hearing before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Bruce Poliquin and Chellie Pingree issued the following statement today in response to the release of the Economic Development Assessment Team (EDAT) recommendations for Maine’s forest economy and more than $1.5 million in associated federal grants:
Washington, D.C. — In response to the announcement that Our Katahdin has purchased the former Great Northern Paper Mill site, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Congressman Bruce Poliquin released the following statement:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Eastern Maine Development Corporation $200,000 to support a development and implementation strategy in Bucksport for the former Verso Paper Mill project area. The funding is awarded through the Brownfield Area-Wide Planning program which aims to engage communities to help clean-up old sites for economic development initiatives.
Washington, D.C.—With U.S. Senator Susan Collins’ support, the Senate passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, a major bipartisan water infrastructure bill that authorizes dozens of crucial port and harbor projects across our country, including the Portsmouth Harbor and Piscataqua River Navigation Project, as well as key safe drinking water investments. The legislation will now go to the President's desk for his signature.
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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins met with Dr. Ben Carson, the President-elect’s nominee to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in her Washington, D.C., office this afternoon for 50 minutes. Senator Collins chairs the subcommittee that sets HUD’s funding.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to an announcement today from the U.S. Trade Commission (ITC) that it will help protect Maine papermaking jobs by extending existing duties on imports of coated paper from China and Indonesia, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement:
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded a $500,000 Economic Recovery Assistance grant to Eastern Maine Development Corporation (EMDC). The funding will be used to establish a plan to support redevelopment and revitalization in Eastern Maine and to provide assistance to businesses that have been affected by the closure of manufacturing plants.
Bangor, ME — U.S. Senator Susan Collins attended the Maine Harvest Festival in Bangor today, where she congratulated the Maine Potato Board and University of Maine researchers on the release of the highly anticipated Caribou Russet potato. The Caribou Russet was first announced last spring. Since then, commercial seed has been developed, planted, and harvested, with the first crop being made widely available to consumers this weekend.
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, joined 13 Senators in introducing a bipartisan resolution designating the week of November 14, 2016, as National Apprenticeship Week.
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